One thing is for sure: All is not fair in love. Emotions are messy, strange things, and most people aren't very good at dealing with them. So when it comes to romance, our lives can go really wrong in no time flat. As it turns out, horrific breakups, hidden texts, and massive secrets are just the beginning of these relationship horrors.
1. Spread The Love
My former spouse began a relationship with my best friend of 14 years right after our split. Yet, I suspect their romance might have sparked while we were still married. Yes, my ex-partner didn't only break my heart but also stole my closest buddy. And that's not even the worst part—I found out he was married during the entire ordeal. Now, if the rumors hold, they've had a baby despite him being wedded to his wife still.
Well, it's life. I only hope that life's cycle, the principle of karma, catches up to them soon.
2. Love Potion Number 9
On Monday, my boyfriend and I planned an eight-hour drive to move back to our home state for several months. Just before we left, we had a significant disagreement because I wanted to spend some time at my mom's house, but he was against the idea. For reasons I won't go into here, his objections prevailed. To make the journey without needing to stop, we ate dinner before setting off.
As we started driving, everything took a turn for the worst. Shortly into the drive, I passed out, even though I can't recall feeling sleepy. I momentarily regained consciousness and had some Gatorade he offered me before dozing off again. The strangest part was that I wasn’t even fatigued, and we didn’t embark on our journey extraordinarily early.
Throughout the drive, it struck me as odd that I felt exhausted and slept for most of the journey. Yesterday, the atmosphere between us lightened somewhat, and he made a shocking revelation. He casually mentioned that he wished he could medicate me more when I supposedly "act out" and argue. Confused, I asked him to clarify. That's when he confessed that he had put Benadryl in my drink.
That explained why I felt so sleepy—he did it so he wouldn't have to engage with me. What's more, he said this as if it was no big deal! I'm still struggling to process this and utterly taken aback. I'm unsure whether I'm overreacting, but something inside me tells me that what he did —adding medication to drinks—is quite wrong. I'm at a loss about what to do next.
3. Picking Sides
Just a couple of months post our split, my ex's buddy arranged for all our shared pals to unfriend me on Facebook, all at once —and they're all in their twenties. I wasn't too thrilled about that. Oddly enough, around the same time of this mass unfriending, I received three separate emails from Facebook about password reset attempts. So, it seems like someone was also trying to access my account.
4. Liar, Liar
I finished work early that day and was surprised to find a pair of women's sneakers in my garage, sneakers that definitely weren't mine. An unpleasant hunch began to form in my mind, especially considering the recent changes in my husband's lifestyle. He had become quite fitness-focused, and during his regular gym visits, he befriended a woman who he'd even invited to our house for dinner recently. Lovely.
She's stunning, slender; a reflection of all the things I don't see in myself, and I felt terrible. I voiced my concerns to him and he told me to trust in myself, assured me of his love and loyalty. Warily, I approached our house from the garage, moving quietly. My heart sank into my stomach when I discovered the truth.
I found them, together, in our bed. Our wedding picture was a silent spectator from the nightstand beside them. I snuck out the room, got in my car, tears blurring my vision, then I drove. When I finally stopped for food, I could not hold back my tears. I've been crying ever since. It's now almost 1 am (I caught them at 7 pm), and I've sought refuge back at the hospital.
He phoned me, asking why I hadn't returned home. I lied, telling him my shift was extended, while in reality, I'm sobbing in one of the on-call rooms. I feel worthless, unattractive, and foolish —it's hard to figure out what to do next. Part of me wants to divorce him, never to see him again, but another part of me is drowning in self-doubt and self-loathing.
5. How Rude
My boyfriend and I have been together for a year, and just last week, we welcomed our baby boy into the world. I went through natural childbirth, with my boyfriend present the entire time. There was a lot of screaming from me, and each time, he'd say something hurtful under his breath. Things like, "Could you quit yelling? It's pretty embarrassing."
I was sick a few times too and noticed him hide his face, seemingly embarrassed. Whenever I tried to take the midwife's hand for reassurance, he'd quietly say, "Let go, you're making a fool of yourself." He even argued my birthing position was humiliating, and used some coarse words to describe me. I'm heartbroken by his conduct on such a significant day, especially when his support mattered most.
Any attempt to discuss this with him leads to denial and accusations of me being unreasonable. When I proposed the idea of counseling for us, he promptly rejected it. My mother has kindly offered to house me and the baby until I can sort out a new place. I haven't mentioned anything about us parting ways yet; I've been advised to refrain from doing so and I'm still working out my next move.
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6. A Work Of Art
My first serious girlfriend, with whom I shared a home, was unfaithful to me with multiple ex-partners. I never caught her red-handed, but various signs gave her away. Although I was deeply in love with her, she was dishonest through and through. One of my pals decided to confirm the truth in the cruelest way possible —he slept with her too. To say I felt grateful for his help would be an overstatement.
I decided to pull myself together, pack my belongings and leave without creating a scene. However, amidst the chaos, I accidentally left my art portfolio, one that was full of my life's work, behind the couch. I rang her later that day informing her I would be coming by to collect it. As I arrived, I was greeted by a startling sight —she was standing over my gasoline-soaked artwork, dropping a lit match onto it. I haven't been able to create another piece of artwork since.
7. Buckle Up
My wife has a job as a flight attendant, which involves extensive travel to different countries. Our second wedding anniversary was last week, but she wasn't going to be home for it. So, I planned to surprise her with a card and a couple of gifts, hiding them in her suitcase before her departure. That's when I came across them.
I found some unfamiliar pieces of new-looking white lace lingerie and a pair of heels, the latter I recognized because I'd bought them for her. As I looked at them, my ears started to ring and everything around me seemed to stop. I've been trying to find a logical reason for her having that lingerie, but nothing seems to align with what I know of her character.
This discovery has triggered fears of infidelity. She isn't aware that I have seen them because I refrained to leave the planned gift and card, but she has since come home and left again. Imagining her with another man is driving me insane, but I don't have solid evidence. I'm lost on how to gather substantial proof to put forward to her.
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8. Something Stinks
I've been dating my boyfriend for over a year and everything has been terrific, except for one issue. Each day, he never fails to tell me at least once that I smell bad, as though I've got body odor. Initially, I was showering daily, wearing deodorant every morning, and brushing my teeth thrice a day. But now, due to the worry of smelling foul, I'm showering a minimum of twice a day.
I use a heavy-duty deodorant, which I apply every few hours (even setting alarms on my phone), wear perfume, and brush my teeth every time I consume something other than water. It feels like I'm losing my sanity. I didn't think I smelled unpleasant before and I still don't think I do, but I must smell disagreeable to him, right?
I'm constantly subtly sniffing my own armpits, feeling awkward. I sought medical advice and the doctor assures me there's no health issue. I've even gotten to the point of asking friends to smell me, checking if I emit a stench. Every friend insists I don't smell bad, one even joked I smell overly fresh, like a bath boutique.
It's making me paranoid. He won't show any affection when he comments on my supposed smell. Then a surprising revelation happened. I waited for him to utter his daily critique about my smell so we could discuss it. Less than an hour post-wake up, already showered and wearing deodorant, he said, "god, you stink." Enraged and confused about what he could possibly be smelling, I confronted him.
I told him if I still smelled bad in his eyes, we should break up. He went into a frenzy and dropped a bombshell. He confessed that he inherited this technique from his father, who would say it to his mother as a guaranteed strategy to keep women from leaving you. He was taught it would make a woman feel too insecure to ever cheat, cling to you, and stay flawlessly clean.
Long story short, his dad's tactic is flawed. He's now packing his stuff and moving out today.
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9. Boxers Or Briefs?
My boyfriend and I have been together for a brief three months. My sleep attire is pretty simple, consisting of tank tops and different types of underwear. I wear smaller, lacy pairs for daily activities and dates while opting for women's briefs and men's boxers, typically made of comfy cotton, for snoozing.
I don't think they're unattractive necessarily, they just lack a certain charm. During one of my boyfriend's sleepovers, a conflict sparked just as I was preparing for bed. As I reached for the briefs, he questioned if I had to wear these. So, I picked up the boxers, which he claimed were even worse. He inquired if I could wear my more appealing pairs to bed. In response, I explained the health risks of wearing lace underwear for extended periods, like yeast infections.
That mere sentence was enough to gross him out. So, despite the circumstances, I wore them and hopped into bed. Unexpectedly, he requested I remove them, not for intimacy, but solely out of his dislike for my boxers. When I questioned his concerns, his answer frustrated me —"Can't I want to find you attractive?" Unable to respond, we ended the night with him drifting off to sleep, no spooning involved.
Fast forward to the morning, I woke him up and we shared a kiss. My hopes were high, but the second he felt my boxers, he halted, got ready, and headed out. I'm starting to feel slightly insecure about my choice of sleepwear. The main reason for wearing them is comfort, and I don't fancy splurging on new pieces. But this seems to be a significant turn off for him and is stirring up trouble.
As if things couldn't get worse, I texted him, directly asking about the issue. His response left me bewildered; he thought it was "gay." As a bisexual woman, it's increasingly tough for me to envision a different solution other than parting ways with him.
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9. The Pains Of Being Pure
About eight months ago, my partner popped the question, and we promptly planned a cozy wedding that is just around the corner. Everything felt right; he was my person and love bloomed between us. We both held onto our virginity, deciding to wait until after our wedding.
But he stunned me with a peculiar family tradition – a pre-wedding ceremony where his father would verify my virginity, with a crowd of male family members observing, to verify my "purity". Stunned, I thought he was pulling my leg. He wasn't. He genuinely wanted me to participate in this disturbing ritual.
I flatly refused, making him plead with me about the significance of this ritual in his family. He argued that it would reveal my love for him and my transparency, considering I hadn't had any previous sexual encounters. After an intense exchange, I walked away, leaving him in tears.
We had another chat the next day, where I stood my ground, insisting this boundary was not negotiable. Still, he was insistent, starting to question my claim of virginity. I tried to keep my cool and reason with him, but he was caught in a whirlwind of fury.
I firmly stated that if he truly loved me, he would back me against his father’s disturbing tradition. Instead, he lashed out physically and declared that he had nothing to prove. It led me to snap the relationship and remove myself from the situation. Now I'm at a friend's place, finding consolation in a slice of pizza, feeling a mix of sadness and relief. Considering these turn of events, I can't help but think I've narrowly escaped something that could have been worse.
10. Getting To Know You
You know how we all have those unremarkable, run-of-the-mill lives? Yeah, well, that's me. And up until today, I thought my girlfriend was pretty normal too. We've got a few months under our belt and decided to shack up together. We divvied up the household tasks, but she was hellbent on doing the laundry. Every time she'd catch me prepping the laundry, she'd shoo me off, insisting she'd take care of it.
I'd return only to find she'd gotten a head start on it. It warmed my heart, you know, it wasn't her duty, but she seemed happy doing it, so I let her be. But here's where things get strange. I stash all my socks and undies in my bottom drawer.
I hit the gym often, always keep some clean sports socks on hand. I didn't count 'em, but I knew I had plenty. Fast forward to this morning—I'm grabbing a fresh pair for the gym and all I could find were my dress socks. No sports socks. Odd, but figured they're probably in the laundry.
Checked the laundry basket—nothing. Washing machine, dryer—empty. I was stumped; where the heck did my gym socks vanish to? Naturally, I asked my darling girlfriend, our resident laundry guru. She clammed up, blushed to high heaven, and bolted out of the room.
I tried to chase after her, to make sure she was alright. She wouldn't answer me. I reassured her I wasn't upset, I was just curious about my socks. She murmured, "I don't know." I wasn't angry, just super baffled. Socks don't just evaporate. I poked fun at the mystery and she got all hot and bothered. "I'll buy you new ones!" she snapped.
Instinctively, I thought maybe she'd accidentally destroyed them in the wash. I playfully ribbed her about the "Sock Massacre". Big mistake. Full-out waterworks. My missing socks became secondary; now I needed to understand why my girlfriend was falling apart.
I comforted her, saying it was no big deal, even volunteered to replace the socks myself. I hung around until she calmed down a bit, then had to jet off to work.
As I was heading out, I spotted a see-through bag in the bin. Through it, I noticed socks—my gym socks, caked in what seemed like poop. The stench confirmed my fears: it was poop. Mind you, we don't have pets or kids.
WHO. POOPED. ON. MY. SOCKS? My curiosity was piqued. I had to find out why my gym socks were smeared in feces and chucked in this garbage bag. Hauled the bag inside and got an earful from my girlfriend for bringing poop-ridden socks back into the flat.
I tried to cool her down, asking for some clarity about this dirty mystery. She lost it, accusing me of blaming her. It suddenly dawned on me, I had to bite the bullet. "Is this your poop?"
She broke down again and ran away. The penny dropped. She'd been using my socks post-bathroom use. A whole lotta questions sprung up, but she needed time to cool off. Texted her to come home, then headed off to work after Chucking Sockgate 2.0 in the trash.
She texted back, incredibly embarrassed, informing me that she'd rather text about "it" and pleaded for the topic to never see the light of day in person. From our brief text exchange, I understood it wasn't some fetish.
Turns out, she was using socks to...erm...cleanup after bathroom use. She always volunteered for laundry duty to hide her secret cleanup method. I never paid attention to her sock count, who does? She assumed I'd notice her lack of socks and find it odd.
She confessed to this practice being a long-time thing. Seems like it's a germophobia thing; she's terrified of ending up with poop on her hands, if TP tears. Socks = perfect hand covers. Usage over, she'd dispose of them. She used my socks because she ran out of her own.
So, my honeybun is frightened of getting shit on her hands, leading her to wipe with socks. This has been happening for quite a while. It could have been worse, right? I hope we can look back on this and chuckle. Right now, though, I'm still trying to digest it. At least, I know what's up.
11. Sibling Rivalry
My girlfriend and I have been dating for just over eight months. We only recently took our relationship to a physical level a few weeks ago, making it my first time. As a beginner, I'm still learning how to meet her needs. An added wrinkle is that she used to date my brother before I started seeing her.
At first, it was a bit uncomfortable but we've moved past that now. However, last night, despite my best efforts to pleasure her, she ended up telling me to "just stop", which I did. That's when she stunned me with a comparison that truly hurt. She confided, "Your brother turned me on so much more than you do." Truthfully, I was taken aback and couldn't even muster a reply.
After that, she got dressed, left my place, and we haven't communicated since. My emotions are all over the place right now. I'm aware that I might not be as physically attractive as my brother, but hearing her say it out loud hit hard. Am I overreacting or making a mountain out of a molehill? I get that she could be frustrated and might have blurted it out without thinking.
12. The More You Know
One night, I returned home to find a surprising message from my girlfriend. She confessed she had fallen out of love with me, moved back in with her parents, and kindly requested that I stay away during the upcoming weekend, so she could retrieve her belongings. In my shocked state, I obeyed. Little did I know, this would be the most regrettable decision I would ever make.
Upon reentering my home that Sunday night, I discovered a nearly vacant living area. The only remaining item was a 22-volume Britannica set she'd insisted on purchasing the prior month, despite my objections, for which she'd only completed the first payment. When I pressed her for an answer, she defended herself saying, as a working man with a regular income, I could easily replace all the missing furniture and settle the Encyclopedia debt —considering she was just a student.
I reacted by promptly selling the book set, using the proceeds to fund a vacation to Paris. The nerve of her!
13. Thou Shall Not Covet
Our youngest sibling has been living with my wife and me. We occupy a five-bedroom residence and don't yet have a family, so we agreed to host him. He's always been unique, rather solitary with few pals except those in his online gaming groups. He’s a reticent, nerdish kind of guy, but generally harmless, or so I believed.
Here's how things unfolded. Our wifi signal doesn’t stretch to his room, so he typically completes his homework and other activities in our dining room. A few nights ago, I made a thoroughly unexpected discovery. As I stumbled to the fridge for a midnight snack, I noticed my brother engrossed in something. To my shock, it was a quite inappropriate picture of my wife which he taken while she was gardening.
Upon my approach, he guiltily shut his laptop, looking caught. I was too flabbergasted to react immediately, and he retreated to his room with his computer. That morning my suspicions were aroused and I decided to investigate further. I saw an opportunity when he left to fetch groceries and lunch.
His room left me speechless with what I found—several of my wife's bras and underwear, presumably used inappropriately. Despite my reservations, I took his laptop. Having known his password, I discovered much more —intrusive photos and accounts that left me sickened.
Images of my wife at her most private moments, details of intimate conversations. The most unsettling part? He had been eavesdropping on our private moments thinking he was alone in his part of the house.
I exited his room, nauseated and at a loss. The temptation to confront him physically is strong but I've held it in check. My wife remains uninformed as I am certain this discovery would distress her greatly, so I'm seeking the best resolution before making her aware.
I feel compelled to ask him to leave despite his lack of other options. Yet, what to say to our parents? Reveal all, risking fracturing our home? Moreover, once my wife comes to know, she might want to sever ties with him and may refuse to join family gatherings when he's present.
At this moment, I'm highly uncertain. All the while wrestling the impulse to let out my anger on him.
14. Baby On Board
I'm just a few days away from my due date, and my boyfriend has just dropped a bombshell on me —he's married and won't be present at the birth. I'm reeling from the news and feel a bit numb. I was so thrilled and looking forward to welcoming our baby, but this news has left me devastated. Despite the heartache, I'm still excited to meet my baby, but wow, this is a lot to process.
As some background, he's significantly older than me —I'm 23 and he's 37. Now I see that the age difference may have been a warning sign that I naively didn't pay attention to. We've been together for a couple years, and despite living in separate cities, he had promised that he'd move to mine once I got pregnant. The plan was to start living together once he sorted things out with his 'ex-wife'.
When we first met, he had told me he was divorced which I believed without question, knowing that he had two kids with his ex. Little did I know, his marriage wasn't past-tense—it was very much present. Now, at 39 weeks pregnant, his unresponsive behaviour is far from ideal given that I'm about to give birth.
For context, he was supposed to move in with me a month ago but kept stalling.
The situation escalated today when I found out I will be induced on Monday unless the baby arrives earlier. I reached out to him wanting clarity, and that's when the truth unraveled. He revealed that he's not divorced or even separated, his wife is unaware of everything, and he feels cornered.
I don't sympathize with him because this is a mess he created. But the timing of the revelation, four days before my scheduled birth, couldn't be worse and I'm at a loss for what to do next.
15. We’re Going Where??
I've got to clear this up —I didn't ruin the date. The situation was already off the rails. When I was 15, I bumped into this girl at McDonald's after school one day. After a chat, we swapped phone numbers. Next thing I know, she's inviting me on a date the following day. Really cute girl, so when she suggested I dress up, I figured she had something special planned. That's how I found myself at her grandma's funeral.
16. Just My Type
My boyfriend who is 29 recently confessed that, at 21, I am the oldest person he's ever dated. This revelation came as he casual mentioned past relationships with a 15-year-old when he was 27 and a 17-year-old at 28. I've been reeling with the knowledge and now I'm considering calling it quits. Honest, everything seems upside down right now.
One day, after waking up from a gloomy nap at his place, I found him already preoccupied with his work in his home office. Seeing him in there, I decided to use the time to pack my stuff and mentally prepare for the confrontation. Still in partial denial about the whole predator thing, I thought making breakfast would help him open up more about it. The truths I uncovered were shocking.
I brought up his ex at breakfast to determine the full scope of these relationships. He didn’t hesitate to discuss her. Apparently they met because she went to school with his sister. At this point my soon-to-be-ex makes a 6-figure salary and owns quite an impressive car. That caught her attention, he says.
He placed the blame squarely on her, alleging that she was only after his money and was the instigator of their relationship. When discussing her parents, he admitted they didn’t exactly approve of him, but they seemed okay with it because, “as long as their daughter was happy, they were alright with it.” That line hit me hard.
He went on, telling me about how her father kept him away from his other kids and the hardship it took for them to finally accept her staying over. He alleges that their relationship ended when she found someone even wealthier. His subsequent relationship with the 17-year-old, he says, started online. I pushed for more details.
He claims she lied about her age on Tinder since she would soon be 18, and they just "matched well." However, he stressed this was a rebound and they weren’t serious, they just “slept together” (his words). This fling lasted a month until she also left him. When I asked if he prefers younger girls, he admitted "Yes, but I want a mature woman I can grow old with."
He seemed hopeful that statement would ease my mind. It didn't. That's when I confronted him. I stated openly that I was not going to be that woman for him. Our argument escalated into hostility, with him accusing me of being awful in bed and angrily denouncing my claims of his unhealthy attraction to young girls.
I took my bags and retreated back to my apartment, now realizing that there were so many red flags with him that I had missed. He always complimented my petite frame (I am 5'4, 120lbs) and brought up his ex-girlfriend enough times to make me uncomfortable, but I dismissed it, not knowing she was a teen.
He'd been trying to persuade me to move in and quit my job because his income is sufficient for the both of us. It sounded romantic, but now I realize he might be attempting to isolate me. His emotional manipulation and control were prevalent traits that I had overlooked.
These revelations brought to mind how many instances he had exploited my sentiments, turning my confidential confessions against me. Our relationship was far from perfect and I'm disturbed reflecting on it now. Reporting him seems a daunting task because I lack proof and worry that my allegations will just be disregarded, allowing his behaviour to persist.
There's another thought gnawing at me —is it okay for me to report this incident for their sake? Would it cause more harm than good?
17. Daddy Issues
I fell for my future wife back in high school, and come college, we tied the knot. Together we're raising five amazing kids, whom I love indefinitely, even though what I'm about to share shakes it all. A few weeks back I thought we were the textbook happily married couple.
We spend quality time together, we never quarrel, and I pride myself on being a dedicated husband. Now, I'm not implying I'm flawless, in fact, my work often leaves me tied up, but our marital bond never seemed to waver.
The concept of my wife being unfaithful was unimaginably far-fetched. She's a pillar of support to me and our kids. Unexpectedly though, my eldest daughter got an ancestry test result that rattled me to the core —it implied I wasn't her birth father.
She shared this with me, visibly disturbed, and understandably so. First, I comforted her, emphasizing that my love for her was unchangeable. Secondly, we agreed to take a formal paternity test for absolute clarity.
Heartbreakingly, the test confirmed that I wasn't her biological dad. This was devastating and I couldn't hold back my tears in front of her —depicting both my disappointment in my wife's infidelity and guilt over causing my daughter distress.
Then I requested my other children, barring the youngest, for a serious chat. I needed to understand the depth of my wife's unfaithfulness. Was it a one-time slip-up that I could eventually get over? My youngest was left out of this, given her being a teenager and these being adult issues.
I told the other three the bitter truth while assuring them of my undying love. Their response moved me as they showed more concern at my heartache than my not being their birth father. Their steadfast support has been my rock in these trying times. I got paternity tests done for the three. Unbelievably, none of them were biologically mine. Four of my children had three different dads. This suggested multiple affairs.
This revelation stung even more so, I can't articulate why but it just did. Now, one would expect my wife to own up and apologize, instead she discredited the tests, brushing me off each time I brought it up.
She attempted to guilt me about mistrusting her despite our long-shared history. But, given the unquestionable proof, how could I possibly dismiss these doubts?
18. To The Left, To The Left
I happened to hear my wife chatting on the phone to her close friend, who's in a serious relationship. As I walked by the room, I heard my wife tell her, "Honey, make sure you choose wisely. Don't just settle. That's the slip up I committed. I could've chosen differently. [My name] was my last option and look where that led me."
That comment shattered my heart. So, I gathered up the courage to confront her about it. This morning, after breakfast, I told her we needed a serious discussion. She was reluctant, but agreed when I insisted on the urgency. We sat in the living room and before I could start, she mentioned she already knew what it was about. And so, tears ensued.
I expressed how her words had deeply affected me. Tearfully, she dismissed it as a joke and insisted she loved me. However, I explained that I couldn't continue a marriage where love wasn't reciprocated equally. She tried to assure me of her love and of my importance to her.
Yet, it seemed false. She expressed her fear of losing me, but I expressed my doubts about our marriage. And finally, I told her it was over. I expressed my hurt about her lack of genuine feelings and her disregard for my emotions. We don't have kids and I've been the sole provider for everything we own, apart from her clothes.
I even took care of her car expenses. So, post-separation, she would have hardly anything. Thankfully, we had signed a pre-nup before marriage, the prudence of which dawned on me now. After this, there was an awkward silence, until she responded with anger.
She yelled that I couldn't terminate things abruptly. In return, I asserted my rights, which led to her getting increasingly aggressive. She vented her own frustrations, then grabbed her bag and phone, announcing, "I'm leaving!" before slamming the door.
Suddenly, it felt like I was part of a dramatic TV sitcom. After her exit, I sat down and had a good cry, the type of cry that's a mix of relief and sorrow. I had always known that one day she might cheat or leave.
It was obvious she never truly loved me. Our relationship was one-sided. I felt foolish for not realizing it sooner. I plan to initiate the annulment process. Tomorrow, I'll begin packing up her things into trash bags, which is where I believe they belong, and return them to her.
19. You’re All Mine
I was in a relationship with a guy for three months, but I ended it because he was too controlling. He'd been staying at my place and renting out his own apartment when we were together. But when things ended, he didn't leave as expected. Unknown to me, he'd managed to get a residency permit, so I wasn't legally allowed to make him leave.
The following nine months were a struggle. He would regularly hit himself until his face was all red, call the police, and claim that I had assaulted him. I'd end up detained, usually released the next day when he dropped the charges. He repeated this charade about once a month. The fact that I was the listed resident for the apartment meant I couldn't simply abandon it without facing consequences.
I felt trapped, with every attempt to force him out failing. Things got even worse when I started dating someone new. My ex retaliated by spreading malicious lies about me including false claims about health issues and pregnancies. These rumors unfortunately led to the end of my new relationship.
I reached my breaking point. I phoned my father for help, he came and whisked me away, I broke my lease contract despite the possible penalties, and thankfully escaped that terrible situation.
20. Me-Ow
So, my girlfriend and I are going on eight months, and she's always been kind of eccentric and geeky. She's into cosplay, loves anime and is really into role-playing, but nothing too bizarre. Lately, though, it's felt like we've been drifting apart as we don't see each other often and we only chat for about 30 minutes each day. Then, last Tuesday, something odd occurred when we hung out at her house.
She had on some cat ears and even wore a tail. At first, I thought it could've been for some adult fun or just her trying out a new cosplay. But then she had this talk with me and it all seemed surreal. She started by asking if I absolutely loved her followed by this lengthy explanation that left my head spinning. Basically, she said: "I'm a cat in a human body."
I'm serious. I thought I must've heard wrong, or maybe it was just a weird prank, but she kept insisting on it. I had to leave soon after for work, still thinking it was all an extended joke. The reality hit me when she texted me reading material to understand her better.
Turns out, she genuinely believes that she is an otherkin: someone who sees themselves as non-human. She claims a friend introduced her to the concept a few months back, and she's since joined online forums and groups with similar beliefs. Her friend thinks he's a demon caught in a human body, and she even sent over a firsthand account.
She self-identifies as a cat, convinced of it because of habits like sleeping a lot, loving the sun, disliking water, preferring to crawl on all fours, and thinking she can comprehend and converse with cats by meowing.
On top of that, she's grown increasingly distant from everyone we know. I've been overwhelmed fielding messages from concerned friends. The absurdity of it all hasn't escaped me yet; I still think it has to be a joke. Especially when she quit her job because, as she put it, "cats don't work."
I've reduced my contact with her since because it's all too much. She's also surrounded herself with a load of people who are all too willing to back her up on this. They've even suggested launching a Patreon for her otherkin content to fund her post-job life.
But here's the thing—I've been wrestling with this situation. I understand walking away is a reasonable response. But I love her, and it's tough to reconcile who she is now with the woman I fell for. It feels like I'm up against a brick wall; she's unwilling to listen to me unless it's all-out support.
As much as it breaks my heart, I don't want to stay in a romantic relationship with her under these circumstances. However, I intend to stay in touch, just to ensure she's okay. I plan on visiting her later today to have a serious conversation and end things officially, despite her reluctance to meet unless I fully support her.
21. Dog Days
While finalizing our divorce, my ex-husband dropped a bombshell on me. He heartlessly confessed that about a year and a half ago, he took my 14-year-old dog, whom I had raised since she was a puppy, to his job and left her stranded in an unfamiliar place along the way. Despite her fear of him, he tricked her into getting in his truck.
To make it seem like she escaped by herself, he deliberately left our gate open. I had been convinced all along she had just run away. I spent months in heart-wrenching search for her, putting up missing posters and paying regular visits to all nearby animal shelters, while he quietly watched my pain, never letting on about his cruel deception. I despise that man, and not simply because of this incident. On top of everything else, he follows some bizarre religious practices.
22. A Losing Game
Just a week ago, my boyfriend popped the question and I said yes! We'd been so happy, but then his resentful ex-girlfriend reached out and spoiled our joy. She texted me, saying that even though I'm marrying him, I wouldn't be as fulfilling to him as she was.
When we first started dating, I was insecure due to his attractive ex, but he assured me that he had no interest in her because of how she treated him and forced him into things he didn’t care for. I gradually overcame my fears, but things changed after I saw the videos she sent along with her texts.
Choosing to watch those videos was regretful. Seeing the intimate clips of my fiancé being more passionate with her really upset me. Out of concern, I checked his phone to see if he had kept any of them.
He hadn't kept any, but I found messages between him and his best friend Sarah discussing them. His ex sent the tapes to him too, hoping to remind him of their good times. He deleted them instantly and cut her off, but wasn't sure if he should tell me, so he asked Sarah's advice.
Over time, Sarah got curious about his intimate life, asking who was more pleasing in bed. He tried to skip the question, but she kept prodding. He seemed annoyed and finally ended up sharing his feelings. His major point was this:
"From purely physical point of view, she was more satisfying. She was aggressive, took the initiative, which I liked. She had skills. But she also tormented me; our bond became a tool, causing desperation rather than love."
On the contrary, he said, intimacy with me made him feel loved, secure and joyful. Although the latter part of his message was reassuring, I was still hurt by his confession that he cherished the intimacy with his ex more.
He had expressed his preference for me being assertive. I try to fulfill this, but as things heat up, I tend to be more passive and allow him to lead. I can try to be more assertive, but the fear of never being as good as his ex, or offering public displays of affection liker her, preys on my fears.
Now, I'm left wondering. Did he settle for me? Logic tells me I don't have to be the best at everything for him, but it hurts because compared to my previous boyfriends, he's the best in every way. Our love life was fantastic, or so I thought. I feel like I got a pass because I was his rebound after his terrible ex.
His ex has tainted what should have been one of the happiest times of my life. I don't know how to discuss this with him without appearing to be an overzealous, snooping fiancée who thought it was wise to view the tapes and check his phone.
23. Bonnie And Clyde
In high school, I dated a girl who was stunning but a bit wild. I thought I'd impress her by taking her on a weekend trip to my parents' lake house. However, we ended up breaking up not long after that. Surprisingly, a few weeks post-breakup, she and her new partner rented a U-haul van and unloaded all the furniture from our house, even my little sister's bunk bed who was just eight at the time.
The only item still untouched was the fridge —they couldn't maneuver it out through the door. My Dad found the house wrecked to his surprise, but it wasn't until some years later when we discovered who was responsible. Turns out, her new boyfriend got caught for another crime and confessed to stealing our belongings. The authorities were able to trace back to us by matching the serial numbers on our old washer and dryer.
I had a suspicion something might be off when I got a call from her on Thanksgiving, just before we discovered the truth about her boyfriend. She claimed she loved and missed me. Silly me, I thought she wanted to reconcile and that everything would fall back into place. Fast forward two weeks and I found myself reporting to a detective, with her now serving time in prison.
Today, I'm happily married to a woman who is not just beautiful but also my best friend, and we are thrilled to be expecting a baby.
24. A Fork In The Road
A couple of nights ago, a kitchen fire accidentally ignited by my soon-to-be wife quickly turned into a raging blaze due to our faulty fire extinguisher. The fire rapidly engulfed most of our building before anyone had a chance to bring it under control. Unfortunately, I wasn't around to aid my fiancée in salvaging anything from our home. If I had been, I would have insisted she evacuate immediately, leaving all our possessions behind. But she decided on a different course.
Firstly, she safely brought our two dogs and passed them to a neighbor. She then ventured back into our apartment, which by this point was severely ablaze. Unable to access the living room because of the flames, she made her way into our bedroom. Her time was extremely limited and a second trip was out of the question.
Both of us have experienced the painful loss of a parent. I lost my dad three years ago, who was an acquaintance of her father, but he passed away before I got the opportunity to introduce them properly. I keep most of my father's belongings in a storage unit, but his ashes along with a few personal mementos are in our bedroom.
She, on the other hand, lost her mother while she was still a teenager. Her estranged father has left her with nothing but a few cherished items from her mom, including her wedding dress. However, in that crucial moment, she made an incredible decision. She chose to save my father's mementos rather than her own. Gathering them up in a sheet, she bolted out just in time. Words fail me when I think of how to express my gratitude.
I'm utterly heartbroken that she lost her remaining reminders of her mom in such a heartbreaking manner. I can hardly fathom what went through her mind or the depth of her love for me that led her to make this extraordinary decision. I'm at a loss about how to reciprocate her selfless act. I can't even begin to conceive how devastated she must be. The thought of losing the last physical memory of my father is incomprehensible.
25. “Expecting” The Worst
I'll tell you straight, things are a complete mess right now. I really could use some advice. My wife and I have shared our lives for 15 years, officially married for two of them. For the longest time, a choice to not have children, coupled with fertility struggles, left us without any. Medical examinations confirmed it was almost impossible for us to conceive naturally due to certain health complications.
We had started contemplating adoption until, out of the blue, my wife announced she was pregnant. Her news filled me with such radiant happiness. A week later, doctors drew her blood for an official test. Heartbreakingly, the result was negative. It knocked me sideways but, strangely, she seemed unfazed. She maintained that she was pregnant, refuting the doctor's findings.
To settle our doubts, we used a bunch of home pregnancy tests. Each one came back negative. But my wife refuses to accept the results. Now, it's escalated to a point where she insists we are having twins. She has begun shopping for baby clothes and wants to start decorating their nursery. I am so confused and unsure of what to do next. She interprets my hesitancy as an intention to abandon them, leaving her to face motherhood alone.
I must admit, I am confounded. Of course, I love her immensely, but this situation puzzles me. We've tried discussing therapy, yet she sees it as an attempt to manipulate her. I am caught in a difficult situation.
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26. Don’t Lose The Weight, Lose The Man
I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend for the past year. For a bit of context, I'm 5'4" and weigh 125lbs. He was the one who initially showed interest in me. Lately, however, his behavior has changed —he has started making increasingly negative remarks about how I look. He even created a meal and exercise regimen for me, and persistently inquires whether I adhere to it. In essence, it's his attempt to turn me into a vegan. The truth is, the vegan way of life isn't my cup of tea, and I think my diet isn't all that unhealthy.
For instance, yesterday when we ordered food, I chose a baked ziti dish. His reaction was harsh. He questioned my choice, referring to our supposed agreement on my weight loss initiative. Every time I try to end things with him due to these issues, he dismisses my concerns and shifts the blame on me for not understanding his perspective. He even told me that I'm just 'average' and that he wants me to stand out.
His claims are that he's identified low self-esteem in me and is helping me gain confidence and happiness. Daily, he asks me about my exercise routine. But more disturbingly, he sends me pictures of other women, implying that I could look like them if I followed his advice. Despite having chased me avidly at first, I now feel he's significantly impacting my self-esteem.
Why would anyone make such an effort to win someone over if they didn't find them attractive in the first place? He insists that I'll be 'perfect' if I shed 15 pounds. He even sends me photos of women who, according to him, resemble me with their post-pregnancy or otherwise 'unattractive' bodies, suggesting that I'm chubby rather than curvy. Then, he shows me pictures of women whom I don't find attractive, promising that I could look like them if only I'd lose weight.
Whenever I protest that I'm slimmer than the women in the pictures, he dismisses me claiming that his eyesight is superior.
27. Money Can’t Buy Class
I've been dating my girlfriend for nearly three years, and mostly, it's great —she's funny, intelligent, and we like the same things. However, visits to her wealthy family put doubts in my mind. It's fine that they're rich, but their obsession with money seems to eclipse everything else, including their judgment of people.
Coming from a modest background myself, I've got a good job and education, but I'm not rich. Because of this, her family treats me as a failure. For instance, on our recent visit to her parents' in my fairly-new Honda, her mom insisted I hide it behind their house so their neighbors wouldn't see it.
She was irate that we didn't use my girlfriend's Land Rover, which her parents had gift as a birthday present. But my girlfriend dislikes driving on long journeys and I'm forbidden from driving the Land Rover by her parents, so we took my Honda. Adding to the drama, her father has never addressed me directly.
For example, when I greeted him with "Merry Christmas", he just glanced at me disinterestedly. To make matters worse, bringing over a bottle of wine last year didn't help. I'd bought a $25 bottle (which wasn't cheap for me) and they ended up re-gifting it to their housekeeper, dismissing it as "cheap hooch". However, we still experienced fewer issues yesterday, other than the car incident.
Yet, today, I can't help but reflect on her family dynamics and wonder if I'm ready to deal with them for a lifetime. Marriage has come up in our conversations, but I'm aware her family will never accept me. Marrying her would mean more interactions with them than just annual visits.
I see how my girlfriend has stopped trying to stand up for me to her parents and usually just ignores them—but I can tell it's upsetting her too. Considering they support a large portion of her lifestyle, she fears they might stop if she goes against them too strongly—they've warned her before. Am I wasting my time? Is this relationship going to fail?
Although my girlfriend assures me that her family's opinion doesn't affect her, I'm unsure how true that is. She also tends to minimize how unkind they are to me. So, even if she thinks I'm enough, I believe I'll never feel enough for them.
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28. Father Knows Best
My former partner wouldn't release me from our shared apartment lease, yet she let her new significant other live there. They were physically intimate in the bed I used to sleep in and all around our old place.
The silver lining, however, is this—her father reached out to me, expressing his regrets for his daughter's inexcusable actions. He even complimented me, saying I was much more decent than her current boyfriend. I've got to admit, that feels pretty satisfying.
29. Happy Endings
Alright, here's the backstory: My closest friend and I bonded in college, and we've been inseparable since. We had a one-off drunken encounter years ago and brushed it off as a result of the booze and timing. A few years back she courageously defeated stage three ovarian cancer and has been in remission ever since.
But she had to undergo a full hysterectomy, and a year ago, she mentioned she was thinking about surrogacy. She wanted me to be the donor since she's been single for a while. Now, here's the kicker —I'm secretly in love with her, and have been for years. She's clueless. I know she had a thing for me too, but I was already dating someone.
She never made a move out of respect for my then-girlfriend. So before saying yes to her surrogate request —which I fully intended to do regardless of her response —I thought she should know how I feel about her. I'd love to make her dream of motherhood come true and it genuinely warmed my heart when she asked.
On the advice of my friends, I decided to lay all my cards on the table. Our routine is brunch on Saturdays —as her Sundays are booked for yoga. This morning, we met up. I could hardly swallow a bite and she knew something was going on. She was worried, maybe thinking I'd say no or something worse, and by the time we headed for our walk we were both on edge.
I finally laid it out for her. The machine-gun rapid-fire confession: my deep love, my cowardice at talking about it, my fear of ruining our friendship. She went pale. Then her face lit up with multiple emotions before she burst out laughing, tears streaming down her cheeks.
I was shell-shocked, my heart lodged in my throat, almost convinced our 12-year bond was about to get flushed. But then she started crying, hitting me lightly on the chest, all while laughing and confessing her love for me. She was afraid of messing up our friendship too.
We embraced and I confessed no one but her would make the cut for motherhood. We talked for hours, in fact, I just got home. For now, we've decided to focus on our relationship before pursuing parenthood. We want to reach a point where we can do this together. It's not a love story from a movie; things may not work out as we hope they will.
But if soulmates exist, she's undoubtedly mine.
30. Homewrecker
When I got engaged and bought a home with a different partner, my ex-wife was livid. She reacted by disappearing for a while, taking our son with her and using that time to hound me incessantly and falsely accuse me of various things. I shared the news with her that my fiancée was expecting —it was a delicate pregnancy that could easily be compromised by undue stress. Her response was really devastating; she simply shrugged it off and said, "I don't care."
Sadly, her hostile attitudes led to the loss of my fiancée, our expected child, our home, and my new job. Her actions wreaked havoc on both our lives and negatively impacted our son too, all because I had moved on without her. From the get-go I'd told her that I'd found someone special and had asked her maturely to share custody of our son so we could all move forward.
She agreed initially, saying there was no issue. However, her vengeful side emerged the day I revealed I was getting married. Since that day, everyone's lives have been in disarray. All this, just because I didn't choose her!
31. Cat Fight
Honestly, I'm astounded that I have to write this down, but here it is. I've been with my girlfriend for seven months now. She's truly wonderful and we vibe on so many levels. She's a passionate vegan and it was always clear that any significant other of hers would have to share similar animal-loving values.
Being a pescatarian already, I transitioned fairly easily to a vegan diet. She was elated that I chose to adopt a cruelty-free life, and things were good. We became known as the "vegan couple" on campus. But then we hit a real snag. Enter my cat, Mittens. She's been my fur-baby for three years and she's a sweetheart.
My girlfriend was always a bit wary around Mittens, blaming it on a lack of feline exposure in her upbringing. Eventually, we kind of agreed to mainly hang out at hers, so Mittens stopped coming up in our chats. Until recently… We were getting serious about potentially sharing a new place or moving in together.
After going back and forth on the idea, my girlfriend sat me down to reveal a painful truth. She wasn't comfortable with us being together if Mittens was still in the picture. Her logic? Cats hunt and eat meat, which in her view, isn't compatible with vegan beliefs. Additionally, she considered pet ownership to be against vegan tenets.
My shock was immediate. I told her that I wasn't prepared to part with Mittens, who, as a carnivore, needed a meat-rich diet. And a lot of vegans I know own cats and manage to balance their beliefs with it. We ended up arguing, with her questioning the morality of feeding my cat meat.
I was upset and wished she'd shared her feelings about cats earlier. She even forwarded me an article supporting the eradication of domestic cats. Obviously, I won't part ways with Mittens. Still, it saddens me to think our otherwise beautiful relationship might end over such ideological differences. I even sought advice from vegan friends, many of whom think she’s talking nonsense.
A few speculated that she only wanted an excuse to end our relationship, with the whole cat thing being a smokescreen. In the end, we split up. The thought of giving up Mittens was never an option for me. Upon reflecting, I realized this wasn't really about veganism, but more about control.
I made clear to her that Mittens was non-negotiable, and given our recent tensions and differing views, it was best for us to part ways. She asked if we were breaking up, and I confirmed we were. Despite some anger on her part, it ended more smoothly than anticipated.
32. Blood Under The Bridge
Five years ago when I was 23, I broke up my engagement with Ryan. My stepsister, Kelly, had confessed she was in love with him, and they'd been secretly involved. When confronted, Ryan maintained he was innocent and accused Kelly of trying to create a rift between us.
A month later, Kelly shared explicit content of her and Ryan, along with messages of him professing love to her, which threw me off balance. My best friend, however, saved me from exploding on them. Instead, I left our place silently, moved in with my parents temporarily, and took back the money from our joint account meant for the wedding.
Ryan attempted reconciliation, but after learning he proposed to Kelly with my ring, he was blocked. My other stepsiblings and half sibling from my mother's second marriage, shockingly attended their wedding, and trivialized my feelings, arguing that they couldn't sever ties with Kelly and Ryan because they were also family.
I haven't been on good terms with my mom's family since then, but thankfully found solace in my father's family who's been extremely supportive. Things then took an unexpected turn—my boyfriend proposed to me on New Year’s and I found out I was pregnant soon after. We had a small court marriage with plans to celebrate formally the following year.
My stepmom, an avid knitter, had been creating cute baby things and shared her excitement on Facebook, tagging me. While I didn’t have a problem with her post, it caught my mom's attention. She was upset that I hadn't informed her about the baby and repeatedly insisted I come over with my husband, which I kept refusing.
Annoyed with their constant insistence and resentment from past events, I confronted my mom and stepdad, accusing them of placing Kelly and Ryan's happiness above mine. I reinforced that I didn't want a family who didn't value me around my child. They did take it hard and even accused me of stopping them from meeting their first grandchild. Ironically, they have never attempted to build a relationship with my other two adopted nieces.
Soon, things got real ugly—they began to accuse me of being petty over past incidents that happened five years ago. They defended Kelly and Ryan and even urged me to be happy for them the way they were for me. Funny enough, my sister mentioned Kelly and Ryan were struggling in their marriage despite their pretentious behaviors.
The situation started to weigh on me, resulting in overflowing emotions and constant messages from my family. To shield myself from their unsolicited advices, my husband started screening my messages. That’s how things stand currently.
33. Band Of Brothers
When I went to Afghanistan for the second time, I was accompanied by a good friend who's pretty much like a brother to me now. As we began our mission, his wife promised him weekly letters, but as it turned out, that was a complete fib. My friend, my brother-in-war, went for months without getting even a single word from his wife, and the longer he went without hearing from her, the more desolate he became.
His spirits had dipped so drastically that our superior officer even recommended placing him under suicide watch. Then, about nine months into our mission, he received a letter from her, finally. The mail call over, we all scampered back to our tent in anticipation of the letter. His excitement was palpable, but what unfolded next was truly shocking.
As he eagerly tore open the envelope, what he pulled out were divorce papers. What followed were undoubtedly some of the toughest times he's lived through, but he always had us by his side. I even welcomed him into my home, and having him there feels pretty much like living with a real brother. We continue to support each other even now – and, if I'm honest, harboring intense dislike for his ex-wife to this day.
34. Mrs. Wrong
My wife and I have been together for a bit over three years. Last Christmas, I stumbled upon some text messages I wish I could forget. There were exchanges between my wife and a co-worker, discussing their intimate encounters and, disturbingly, planning for another one after Christmas.
The conversations were more than casual or friendly—they were downright flirtatious. When I confronted her about it, she denied its existence and deleted the conversation. However, I had taken a few screenshots beforehand. She assured me that it was just online banter and they hadn't done anything physically. To prove it, she messaged the guy, askiing if he had booked the hotel —his reply was ‘not yet’. When she asked if he was expecting them to meet, he replied ‘no'.
She pledged to cut off communication with him. Despite my doubt, I chose to believe her because of my love for her. However, I found myself unable to fully trust her and started checking her phone more often, which led to her changing her password. Initially, this didn't bother me as I thought perhaps I was too suspicious.
This week, I had to use her phone to retrieve a code and noticed texts from that same guy. It was an audio message, a photo of him shirtless and a message with some suggestive emojis. My wife defended these messages, stating he was just showing his progress at the gym and the rest of their conversations were about work. When I asked to see these messages, she stated they were mistakenly deleted.
She says she'll truly stop this time, but I have difficulty believing her. My worry is that she might resort back to this if we ever have any serious arguments. I love her deeply, but can't keep living this way.
The crisis at hand feels like my personal world is disintegrating. The wife I held dear as a friend, partner and the woman I admired the most seems far from the perfectly happy individual I married. I thought our bond was unique and incomparable, and we had many good years.
Both of us are successful in our professions, and morally upright individuals. However, to deal with this bewildering situation, I had to move in with my family and I've started seeing a psychologist. During this tough time, my wife continued to deny any physical involvement with the co-worker.
I found it hard to trust her, but I was willing to forgive her because she meant the world to me. Last Saturday, I decided to return home to sort this out maturely. Shockingly, I found her with the very same man, in an authentically compromising situation —him hiding in the bathroom, both of them unclothed. Upon seeing me, all he could muster was an awkward "sorry dude".
My only response, oddly, was "I've got nothing against you", even though this happened in our own house, surrounded by our precious memories and family photographs. These included pictures of my late father who passed away two months before our wedding. He's been my motivation to strive for a better world.
I am afraid, but I realize it's time to let go. Even if it feels like my world is crashing down, I hope to rebuild one without deceit, where I'm not a blind follower of illusions.
35. You Did Me A Favor
When I was in 6th grade, a girl I was "going out with" decided to tell everyone that I was gay. This rumor followed me until I ended up leaving public school in my junior year of high school. How did things pan out? Well, as it happens, I am indeed gay. Interestingly, I'm somewhat thankful to her for what happened. Although it was tough being one of the least popular at school, it had a profound impact on shaping who I am today and how I perceive the world around me.
Oh —and just on a side note, she now has a rather uncanny resemblance to a Neanderthal and battles various health problems. Unfortunate for her.
36. Getting Cold Feet
My wife and I are nearly five years into our marriage. Generally, we've had a pretty happy and healthy relationship. We had a somewhat lavish wedding and are still making payments for it, I know because every month I take care of the bill. My wife was the lead in planning the wedding, tailoring it to her liking. She seemed really happy about it then.
In the first few years of our marriage, we used to reminisce about our wedding joyously, with no problems. But lately, I've detected a shift in her views towards both our wedding and our marriage. For instance, she started calling herself my "girlfriend" in a playful manner. One time she even asked me to get her a "girlfriend" card for Valentine's Day instead of a "wife" card.
At first, I didn't take it seriously. But as time went on her unusual behaviors amplified. She stopped wearing her wedding band two months ago. I was naturally worried and questioned her about it. She brushed it off saying she didn't like the feel of jewelry on her hands. Considering she's never been fond of rings, I thought it might be true.
However, it gets more baffling when we're out with friends. She gets upset if I introduce her as "my wife" rather than just a girlfriend. She won't hesitate to readily interrupt me in middle of a conversation to "fix" the description of our relationship. At first, it seemed funny to our friends—but now its palpable awkwardness is felt by all.
On another occasion, one of our friends was talking about their planned wedding. They sought advice from my wife about our wedding, but her response left everyone speechless, "What wedding?" she replied. Trying to remind her about the decor details of our own wedding, our friend unintentionally made my wife cry and she had to excuse herself.
That evening I confronted her, wanting to understand if there was anything wrong with our relationship or if I had done something to upset her. She reassured me things were fine between us and everything else seems to be running smoothly in our relationship. We've been pondering over starting a family soon and my wife even proposed the idea of getting matching tattoos as a reaffirmation of our bond. I simply can't wrap my head around this enigma.
37. Let’s Go To The Tape
Immediately after high school, a girl developed feelings for me, but I didn't feel the same way. To deal with this unrequited affection, she indulged in a devious plot. She was working as an assistant manager at a local video rental shop. Although I wasn't a regular customer anymore, my account was still active.
Using this, she started checking out films under my account, films I didn't actually borrow. Naturally, they were never returned, causing substantial late and replacement fee debts to accrue in my name. She even tweaked my mailing address in their database, ensuring I didn't get any notification and remained oblivious to her scheme.
It took almost a year before I began getting calls from debt collectors. It took an additional few years to get them to stop hounding me, severely damaging my credit in the process. As I lacked evidence to prove the debts were not legitimate, the rental shop's computerized borrowing records were against me. If I'm being honest, I would have appreciated the ingenuity of it all if it hadn't essentially wrecked my life.
38. A Cliffhanger
My girlfriend is wild and unpredictable in the most charming way, but sometimes she crosses a line. I'm a laidback person and we usually balance each other out, but a couple of recent incidents have left me rattled. We were driving in heavy traffic at about 40 mph when she abruptly began to tickle me. Despite my protest, she wouldn't stop and I had to brake suddenly. We almost got rear-ended. She found the scenario amusing once I voiced my concern, responding with a flippant "I don’t know, just felt like it."
Fast forward to last Saturday, we were hiking and I found myself near the edge of a perilous cliff. With her unpredictable antics, it pays to stay vigilant. Momentarily I lost focus, and she playfully pushed me towards the edge. I ended up inches from the precipice, causing me to panic and admittedly, I lost it. Initially, she chuckled but then broke down and apologized profusely. She followed up with a text insisting it was unintentional and she never expected my reaction to be so intense.
Now, I'm left questioning myself —am I overthinking? Could it be that she's just immature and she would change if we got back together? I won't lie, I'm lonely and continue to have strong feelings for her. However, the incidents have made me reconsider the nature of her 'craziness' —is it simply fun-loving or something more concerning?
39. Leaving A Mark
My gal, who I'd been dating for almost a year, arrived at a party sporting a love bite. A common friend teasingly presumed it was my doing and tried to make light of it. Inspecting the love bite, she nudged me saying, "Cool man, high-five." Truth be told, I was not the one to blame. Chuckling it off, I brushed past our friend, glanced at my then-girlfriend, and stated, "I'm not the type to leave hickeys."
Immediately she burst into tears and bolted for the bathroom. Tail end of the story: She's now hitched to the actual culprit of the hickey.
40. Confidential Information
Three years post my split with my ex-girlfriend, she managed to unearth the identity of my current girlfriend. Even more astonishingly, she somehow acquired her contact number, purchased a burner phone, and sent my current girlfriend a message indicating that I was having an affair.
And that's not all...To add credibility to her false claim, she used a pseudonym and cited intimate details, including the location of a specific birthmark and my preferred bedroom activities. Unsurprisingly, this made her claims appear extremely convincing.
Her deceitful move sparked fury in my current girlfriend that saw her doubting my fidelity because of the convincingly deceitful message. Now, I feel hopelessly single.
41. Long Hair, Don’t Care
A couple of weeks back, I started noticing something odd while tidying the bathroom. Long strands of hair were appearing near the shower —which was puzzling because both my husband and I have short hair. He's bald and I wear my hair tightly cropped, so it was baffling to find these hairs scattered here and there.
This mystery bothered me enough to wash them away each time, even though I couldn't quell my curiosity. Over time, I noticed a stacking pattern; the hair would appear while I was out working or away home for long stretches. This oddity made me anxious; a little part of me couldn't help jumping to the conclusion of my husband possibly cheating on me with a woman who has long hair.
I approached my husband about this and all he did was to shrug it off. This made me uneasy, if it was strange to me, then surely he also found it odd. His nonchalant response only made me suspect that he might be undermining this to hide the truth from me. Recently, during a repeat of this incident, he deflected but admitted it was weird. He suggested that perhaps the hairs were mine.
I firmly voiced my disagreement. Since then, every time I raised the subject, he chose to ignore me. I didn't want to condemn him of infidelity based on something as peculiar as this, but it was unnerving how these hair strains ended up in our bathroom without my husband acknowledging it as important. But then, it all became clear to me.
In spite of my suspicions, I couldn't bring myself to invade my partner's privacy with a hidden camera at home. Instead, I took a half-day leave from work, which was unusual for me. When I returned home, it was quiet, and there was no unfamiliar car parked around as I'd anticipated. But as I entered the house, I noticed a pair of unknown men's shoes in the hallway which took me by surprise.
Just when I was wondering whether to snoop around or announce my arrival, my husband appeared from the kitchen holding two cups of tea. He seemed surprised when he saw me. Keeping my cool, I asked him innocently how he'd known of my early return to make tea for me. Instead of lying, he sat me down and shared the truth.
Turns out, a friend of his —someone I had barely met —had recently lost his job, along with his home, and was sleeping on people's couches. This friend had been visiting our house some days over the last few weeks when I was away, with my husband's permission. He was using our bathroom to get ready for job interviews and borrowing my husband's formal clothes. He had long hair and a beard, which finally solved the mystery of the hair strands in our bathroom.
My husband introduced me to "Dave," who turned out to be a really nice guy, just down on his luck. I was perfectly fine with him visiting us, and wondered why my husband hadn't been forthright about it. He explained that Dave was very embarrassed about his situation and they didn't want to cause any discomfort.
When I told my husband about my suspicions of infidelity, he was taken aback and regretted his cover-up for Dave. I found the whole situation ridiculous and even offered for Dave to live with us until he gets back on his feet. I had been fearing the worst —a homeless stranger stealthily using our shower. But in the end, I'm relieved it was not an invader but just my husband's friend.
42. Puppy Love
My ex-girlfriend dumped me with the typical lines, "I need some breathing room" and "I'm not ready to be in a relationship". But, in less than a week, she was back in tears, admitting she messed up. I forgave her...only for her to immediately ask me to look after her apartment while she went on a month-long Hawaii vacation with her family. That's when things took a bizarre turn.
I foolishly agreed to babysit her apartment and her not-yet-housebroken puppy. She came back from her trip, but something seemed off right away. A week after her return, despite several dinner dates, she ended things again using the same old reasons —but this time, she revealed that she'd met a man in Hawaii who she believed was her soul mate.
It turns out, she had planned to meet this guy long before we got back together. The real reason she reunited with me was because her friend, the originally planned house-sitter, bailed due to getting a new puppy that she didn't want to train. I've never felt such betrayal and anger, and I have since removed her from my life.
43. Mr. Roboto
My husband and I have been happily married for six years, blessed with two children and awaiting the arrival of a third. He's been a solid rock and a great provider, always fulfilling his responsibilities at work and home with a diligent 9-5 routine. He tends to his duties, spends time with our children, and converses briefly with me before heading off to sleep. To an outsider, he might have appeared fulfilled, but I felt something was off —as though he took no pleasure in any of this. His demeanor felt robotic and our once jovial, joke-loving guy was no longer visible to me. His smiles had disappeared months back.
It's not that he shirked his familial duties, rather he almost treated them as work. It seemed as if he found being with our kids and me more of an obligation than the joy it once was. Despite his contributions, his perennial on-duty mentality made me worry he was living under a constant, unspoken strain that could be leading to depression.
When I asked him about his well-being, he brushed me off saying he's "fantastic." I had reservations about his authenticity though, as this was his staple response to customer small talk at work. Alarmingly, he was neglecting personal time, having given up recreational activities like watching TV and playing games; he appeared focused solely on accomplishing what he thought needed to be done.
Our intimacy had taken a hit too. Yes, we were still intimate, but it was always at my initiation; he seemed to be obliging me out of duty rather than desire. Whenever we were intimate, his mind seemed elsewhere, which felt distressing and disheartening.
It was as if I was locked out of his mental landscape. Externally all seemed well with him, but I felt something was amiss and couldn't find a way to help because he wouldn't open up. I mourned the absence of my comical, whingeing husband, replaced instead with this mechanical facsimile. My husband was clearly overworked and seemed to be spiralling into a burnout phase.
One evening around 6 immediately after his return from work, I sat him down for a heart-to-heart. I shared my concerns and saw this strong man break down for the first time. He opened up about his stifling fears of the world we're bringing our child into and the stress that he foresaw. He mentioned stepping up to meet this additional family commitment as his responsibility, but the pressure seemed to be more than he anticipated.
He shared his desperate attempts to "double down" to navigate through the overwhelming situation which however only seemed to amplify his feelings of hopelessness and distress. He drew a heartbreaking picture of feeling "constantly choked, and finding solace only during his commute.” Yet, there was more.
He revealed the intensity of his stress, often leading to physical sickness, a burden he would bear alone without confiding in any of us. Fearing his recurring episodes could alarm us, he carried chewing gum to mask it.
He was reluctant about sharing these feelings earlier, assuming it would burden me and make him appear less capable as our family's "shield and breadwinner." His worries were unfounded but discovering the depth of his despair moved me to tears.
Despite wanting to run away to a tranquil island to escape his pressures, he felt guilty about leaving his responsibilities behind, which pushed him into even more distress. Recognizing his need for a breather, I suggested a vacation so he could unwind.
After persistent insistence, he agreed but only on the condition that we vacation together —a romantic retreat for just the two of us like old times, before we welcome our newest addition. He also planned to take a day off, just to catch up on sleep.
So, that's the plan. I'll call his boss and excuse him from work tomorrow. As I'm writing this, he's joyfully playing with our kids, genuinely engaging with them, not like it's another task on his to-do list. And for the first time in months, I'm hoping to see my husband return, not the robot he had turned into.
44. Full Circle
There's this lady I know who became pregnant not long after she tied the knot. Her husband suggested she terminate the pregnancy. Living in a quaint little town, she spent hours driving to the nearest abortion clinic. Yet, as she sat there outside for quite some time, she realized she couldn't go through with it. So she dialed her husband's number and told him she couldn't proceed. His reaciton was shocking—he simply hung up on her.
After hours on the road again, she returned home, only to find her house completely bare. I mean, every single thing, even down to the ice trays from the refrigerator, had vanished. The only items remaining were a rocking chair and a few pieces of her clothing.
Her husband was nowhere to be found, he never even returned. But don't worry, there's a silver lining: She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. That baby girl grew up and I ended up marrying her. The woman is now my mother-in-law, and I must say, she's simply amazing.
45. Ring Her Up
Man, it's been wild lately. It feels just like living in a movie. You see, I've been thinking about popping the question to my girlfriend of three years. Truth is, I'm no good at choosing jewelry. I mean, what's wrong with a heart-shaped pendant? So, you can imagine, whenever I consider buying her something, I usually get some pointers from our mutual pals.
We have this great close-knit group of friends, so it's not out of the ordinary for me to seek their advice about jewelry. When it was time to select a ring, I turned to Justine, my girlfriend's best buddy. We have a deep bond and she knows my lady love better than even I do.
So, while my girlfriend was away spending some quality time with her sister and little nephew, I asked Justine for some help to choose a ring. Reviewing some catalogs didn't help us much, so we agreed that professional advice from a jewelry store was likely the best option. I had no clue when my girlfriend would return home, so Justine and I crafted a tactful text to figure out how much time we had.
Innocently, I asked her when she would be home, explaining that I ordered takeout and needed to fine-tune the delivery time. Her response sent chills down my spine. She texted back that she'd be a few hours, as she was out with Justine doing some shopping. A bit puzzled, I showed Justine the text and she was as baffled as I was.
Now, my girlfriend is not adverse to impromptu meet-ups for shopping or grabbing a bite, she's quite spontaneous. So, this text could've been believable, except, obviously, it contradicted reality. Her demeanor was normal when she got home and I played along, but it's been tough pretending everything is okay.
After getting takeout and cozying up on the sofa, I could tell she sensed something was off, though I couldn't spill the beans. It's a punch in the gut just looking at her. We always practice complete honesty and this white lie was wreaking havoc on me. So, after a lot of pondering, I decided to address it.
I chose to put all my cards on the table. I admitted I had been planning to propose and had roped in Justine to assist me in ring hunting. And so, asked her, what was going on? She instantly started grinning and began questioning me about the proposal and the ring.
We then discussed her mysterious whereabouts and she admitted the truth. No secret affairs and no self-proposal plans here. Now, I should mention, people are usually divided between being dog lovers or cat fans. But for me? Snakes have a special place in my heart. I've always wanted one even though my girlfriend had reservations, which I totally understood.
Also, committing to a snake is more complex compared to adopting a conventional pet. So imagine my astonishment when she flashed a picture of her holding the most adorable Kenyan sand boa I've ever seen! As it turned out, she planned to surprise me with a pet snake!
And we're set to bring her home next week.
46. Photo Finish
While we were separating our possessions during the divorce proceedings, my ex decided to take every single picture we had in our house. This surprisingly included a small stash of photos of my late brother. I unexpectedly found these while verifying she wasn't taking more than what was fairly hers. Turns out, these few precious snaphots were doubly wrapped in envelopes and buried deep within a box —she called it a simple mistake.
On the bright side, there's a karma twist: I stand a full foot above her, and yet, she now weighs 40lbs more than me.
47. If The Shoe Fits
My wife loves organization and cleanliness. It's part of who she is. There's a constant shuffle of items in our home, where she tidies and I hunt for relocated possessions. It's not ideal but we've found our rhythm in a joyous married life. As a volunteer EMT, I leave my boots unlaced by my laundry bin, ready to slip into when duty calls in the middle of the night.
Lately, however, my wife has started knotting the laces of my boots. These are no ordinary knots; they're super tight, double looped knots that require some time to undo. The morning after she did this for the third time, I calmly requested her to leave my boots alone. I explained the time-sensitive nature of my job and that in an emergency, every second can mean a life saved or lost.
She dismissed my concerns, calling me a drama queen and promised not to help tidy up my things anymore. Yet, the boot-knotting continued. Her dismissive attitude was puzzling, but I kept asking her to stop. Then, one night, an emergency call for a CPR came.
My boots were again tightly knotted, causing me to lose valuable time. In the stress of the moment, I lost my cool and shouted at her for messing with my boots again. Not my proudest moment. Because of her interference, we reached the patient later than we should have. Fortunately, everything turned out okay.
Back home, my wife was understandably upset. She was afraid due to my outburst, something I deeply regret. I have never raised my voice or hand against her, so this incident was out of character for me. I apologized and requested again for her to leave my boots alone, as lives hang in the balance.
Then one night, I noticed she had knotted my boots again. In a moment of frustration, I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. I removed the laces from her running shoes, coiled them, and put them back inside her shoes. I knew she loved her morning run and wanted her to understand the inconvenience she was causing me.
The next morning she didn't find her running shoes ready for her run and was inconsolable. She saw this as a targeted act of vengeance instead of a lesson. I feel bad because my intention was only to delay her, not ruin her running plan.
Even though I admit my reaction was immature, her perspective on apologies is disquieting. She believes saying sorry is an admission of total guilt, hence, she felt entirely justified in her actions because I apologized first. Likewise, I haven't apologized for the running shoe incident to avoid condoning her habit of knotting my boots.
Despite an otherwise healthy relationship, this boot issue is becoming a bone of contention. It needs to be resolved before it further strains our relationship.
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48. Free For A Price
After my break up, my ex and his new girlfriend decided to prank me. They used Craigslist to post a number of ads, pretending to give away stuff like TVs for free. Unfortunately, these ads included my personal information —phone number, address, and email. And that's not even the worst part—they even encouraged people to contact me anytime.
For two solid weeks, I was flooded with phone calls, so much so that I had to keep my device off to dodge them. Once people figured out the ads weren't genuine, their frustration got directed towards me. I even got a few threats. Those weeks were filled with non-stop stress and worry. It felt like I was constantly on edge.
49. A Bundle Of Joy
I was in a relationship with a girl for nearly a year. She was bubbly, cheerful, and a joy to be around. Plus, she was a creative genius in visual design, which I found irresistibly appealing.
When the fall semester began, I started spending more time with my college buddies, hanging out in local pubs, just living the ordinary college life. Among these friends was a girl, who I've known for yonks. With her already committed to a boyfriend and me having a girlfriend, our relationship was no more than a brother-sister bond.
However, my girlfriend got increasingly possessive and wanted me to devote more time to her. As a result, I practically camped out in her dorm room, while simultaneously burning money on my apartment's lease and missing out on hangouts with my mates.
The next term, she was unable to pay for her dorm. Without thinking, I suggested she move in with me, even contributed from my savings to aid her. What a blunder. I was promptly forbidden from drinking or socializing with my "corrupting friends," escalating to blazing rows and passionate reconciliations.
One infuriating evening, I was so livid that I punched a hole in the wall and dented my fridge. I told her to move out. She retaliated by fabricating stories and telling my parents that I was involved with hard substances (a blatant lie). I had to spend days calming my distressed mother.
Making things worse, my ex then sprung the news that she was carrying our baby on me. I responded that I'd fulfill my responsibilities and pay child support. But, she changed her mind and asked me for money for abortion.
I talked to her, wanting to assure she knew what she was doing, as my mind was in a tumult. However, a nagging suspicion prompted me to ask for the test results. They seemed genuine, so I provided more money for the procedure. Yet, the sinister truth emerged later —she'd doctored those reports with her visual design expertise.
She definitely took me for a ride. Boy, am I relieved she's no longer part of my life.
50. By Any Other Name
My wife and I have been together for four years, along with our two-year-old. We were in an on-off relationship for three years prior to that. A shocker happened last night —she muttered her ex’s name during our intimate moments. When I brought it up, she made an odd excuse that it's a frequent name (even though it actually is common) and she must have come across it recently.
I didn't want to start a heated conversation then, but it left me in a state of worry. Here's some backstory: she was already dating this guy for several years before our paths crossed. They were college sweethearts and a serious couple for a while. By the time I met her, they had already parted ways and were just remaining pals.
They were close as friends for years and continued being so, even when we were seeing each other. I put up with their bond for her sake. However, after a few months, I finally voiced my discomfort. Despite some resistance, she eventually distanced herself from him. Yet, a significant hurdle remains.
Each time we had a break, she would lean on him. Having reconciled, we decided to get engaged. To our surprise, he didn't know about this and cut ties with her. She was heartbroken, which, as I see now, was a red flag I missed. Back then, we had a heart-to-heart, and she was glad about choosing me. However, this recent incident is compelling me to check if she's reconnected with him.
I have noticed that she's sneaked peeks at his social media through our shared computer. She isn't aware that I have discovered this. Although my trust in her stands firm about not cheating, I've noticed her different attitude towards this guy.
51. He Moves Fast
My former boyfriend had a brief fling for a fortnight with a new girl after we broke up. When he was away, she was unfaithful. After that, he ended their relationship. Surprisingly, she comes back, apologizing, and he shocks everyone by popping the question, hoping this move would help him forget me. He still marries her, but the entire period he is telling me how much he continues to love me and desires to reconcile.
This threw my mental health into a whirlwind during my initial semester in college.
52. The Key To My Heart
During my university years, I was in a relationship with a lady who had a severe issue with alcohol. This particular story starts the day after Valentine's Day, during the eighth month of our relationship. As was customary, we spent the morning at my apartment —I was studying for midterms, she decided to head out for a bit.
After four hours, she staggered back to my apartment. Naturally, I asked about her absence and she informed me that she had been drinking with her bartender buddies. It was only 2 pm. Following an hour-long struggle to get her settled and off to sleep, I requested that she leave. This upset her and ended up escalating into her throwing my items around.
With my study plans sidelined, I physically ushered her out of the apartment, hoping that would be the end of it. Unfortunately, she then shifted her drunken anger towards my car, nabbing a "For Sale" sign from a neighbour’s lawn and attempting to scratch her name into my car's paint. I made a quick escape by hopping into the car and driving off to a friend's place where I could finally study. All was well until I received a disturbing 9pm phone call...
It was from my distressed girlfriend —she had just woken up in an unfamiliar apartment, sharing a bed with two strangers. Shocked and at a loss for words, I hung up. In an attempt to relax, I decided to hit a local bar where I coincidentally ran into a female friend. Since she didn't fancy going back home to her folks, I offered her my couch for the night.
We kept it strictly platonic and were merely watching TV at around 2 am when my front door burst open (I regret not locking it). Enter my intoxicated ex-girlfriend whose eyes landed on my innocent guest. Infuriated, she grabs the nearest object, which happened to be my set of keys, and lunged at her.
Not about to let that happen, I intervened, and in the process ended up with nasty key-scratches all over me. That night, she was shortly incarcerated because of this act.
53. Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You
This young lady and I split after a solid 2.5 year relationship, she told me she wanted the single life and wasn't keen on being tied down. Barely a week had passed when she rang me up to gush about this fantastic guy she'd connected with and how she was head over heels for him. They slept together —but then he disappeared and didn't contact her again. She returned to my line, sobbing, sharing how he'd left her heartbroken. It felt a bit like poetic justice, but what gets to me is why she'd think to share all this drama with me. It's something I just can't wrap my head around.
54. Family Feud
I stepped up to carry my sister's baby because she couldn't and can't afford a surrogate. It's her last viable egg and she and her husband have faced numerous heartbreaking failures, but I was glad to help out. I'm currently six months pregnant, and coincidentally, met an amazing guy. We're in the beginning stages of a relationship and he's understanding about my situation.
Upon agreeing to be a surrogate, I swore off any romantic activities as part of my sister and brother-in-law's request. At the moment, I don't mind sticking to it; it doesn't bother me. As agreed, I've remained celibate—and all was well until recently.
A few days ago, I introduced my boyfriend to my sister and her husband. The dinner went well; everyone seemed to get along until my boyfriend departed. Before leaving, he hugged and kissed me. Now, it was passionate, but it wasn't crass or drawn out—we're talking seconds.
However, that was enough for my sister and her husband to confront me, accusing me of breaking the rules, and slinging harsh words my way. Shocked, I didn't argue, just left and walked the 30-minute journey back home. When I got home, an email was waiting for me. They'd added a "No kissing" clause to our deal, asking me to sign again.
I don't want to. I've been respectful and considerate of their initial requests, but now I feel they're treating me like property rather than family. They've been reaching out and I haven't responded yet. I don't want to ruffle feathers, but enough is enough. I'm doing this without any reward other than helping my sister. I understand their fear, as sexually transmitted infections were their main concern, but this is a boundary I'm not sure I'm willing to cross.
55. The Back-Up Groom
Just a few short months before we were supposed to tie the knot, my fiancee decided to marry another man. She had insisted on a grand wedding with us, complete with a lavish reception, a particular church and priest of her choosing because she was religious, even though I wasn't, and other things that didn't quite appeal to me. With this new guy, she quite impulsively got married over a nondescript weekend. But that's not where it ended.
She chose not to inform anyone and happened to be overseas when it all happened. This left people, puzzled and inquisitive, calling to check in with me about the sudden twist of events. She simply updated her name and relationship status on Facebook, leaving me to pick up the pieces amidst the chaos. So began the delightful conversations along the lines of, "Did your fiancee just get hitched to someone else?"
56. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
My buddy's been seeing this girl for some time now, and they're head over heels for each other. But just before they got together, she was involved with another guy whom she desperately wanted out of her life. She ended things with him and started dating my friend. However, a few weeks ago, her ex reached out to her with an unsettling tale.
He claimed he'd tried to take his own life and was currently in the hospital under constant watch. He predicted her reaction perfectly —she was distraught, blaming herself for his plight for weeks. This carried on for a couple of weeks until she got the chance to chat with one of his good pals, who finally spilled the beans that the ex had made it all up.
The suicide attempt was a ruse, and he'd been spinning yarns to his friends that the reason he was communicating with her was because they were pondering getting back together. He also wove some other intriguing tales like going off to college to play football and buying a horse. To us, his reasons for such falsehoods are nothing short of baffling.
Fortunately, this story takes a turn for the better. She and my friend —her present boyfriend —contacted everyone in their circle to set the record straight about the ex's claims, including drawing his mum into the know. The outcome? The ex lost quite a few pals that day —as he rightfully deserved. The silver lining is that my friend and his girlfriend remain a tight-knit couple.
57. Only Skin Deep
I once lived next to a guy who was quite the heartbreaker. During his teenagers years, he was known to be unfaithful to his stunning girlfriends. When he hit his twenties, he fell head over heels for a girl and declared his intentions to marry her. He was standing to inherit his wealthy father's business —it seemed like things were shaping up nicely for him. Then, everything took a dramatic turn.
He was involved in a car accident. Although he wasn't driving and was buckled up, the impact ejected him through the window. He didn't sustain any major visible injuries, just a few scrapes on his arms and a minor bump on his head. But the accident left him unable to walk or move much.
He spent the next few years confined to his bed, with his mother as his primary caregiver. Things took a further nosedive when his girlfriend filed a lawsuit against him. You see, a few months into his recovery, her lawyer raised a ruckus about how he had promised to marry her, accusing him of robbing her of two years based on this commitment. His inability to fulfill this promise resulted in the lawsuit.
Turns out, her reason for sticking around for those two years before the accident was purely for his father's fortune. Once she realized her plan to access this wealth was derailed, she jumped ship.
58. One Heck Of A Growing Pain
Eighteen years ago, my mom had an affair, and I'm the result of that relationship. My dad just dropped this bombshell on me, along with telling me he won't be footing my college bill like he did for my siblings. Both my brother and sister benefited from his monetary support, with their education, rent, meals, cars, and spending money all taken care of by him. Even now, with my brother living independently and my sister earning a good paycheck, my father continues to financially support them. I presumed the same would happen for me, especially since I've been accepted to the same college as they attended.
But instead of discussing my upcoming college life, I was faced with the shocking news of my mother's infidelity, my resulting existence, and my father withdrawing his support. He claimed he kept it secret out of respect for my mother's wishes, and my grandparents who knew the truth, never felt the need to reveal it either. Even my siblings are just as clueless and surprised, as we never suspected any family secrets.
My dad and I have always shared a good bond. Be it sports outings, fishing trips, math lessons (he's an engineer), or driving instructions, we've spent quality time together. I even proudly bear the name he gave me, and often recount the meaningful story behind it. Strangely, he didn't show any signs of harboring resentment towards me.
Now, feeling betrayed and under-prepared, I'm at a crossroads. College, that once seemed certain, is now an uncertain prospect since I've never worked and don't know how to manage loans. Throughout this storm, my mother hasn't offered much help but regrets and tears. The comfort of my home suddenly feels fragile, and simply stepping out of my room is nerve-wracking.
If I'm asked to leave, I've no clue where to go, as I lack savings. I'm simmering with anger at my mom and confusion about my relationship with my dad. The fact that my biological father never took an interest in me sharpens the sting of rejection. I am clueless on how to navigate this mess, I don't know how to process it all.
59. Not The Grand Gesture You Want
Just a fortnight after our breakup, my ex decided to make an appearance at my home around 8 in the morning. I was jolted awake by the sound of his knocking on my window, with a plea for a place to crash. His hands, smeared in black paint and his trousers torn, hinted at a story that would only unravel later. Apparently, he had spent the prior night beneath a bush in a nearby neighbor's yard.
Our ensuing conversation soon turned into a heated exchange, and I felt compelled to ring up his mother to come and fetch him, as the situation began to escalate. Later that evening, I received a call from a friend who happened to pass by a pub near my home, revealing that my name had been prominently spray-painted onto its wall. And the culprit was, unsurprisingly, my ex. The text read: “Screw you [my name]”, "Hope You're Happy" and "You broke my heart.”
The daily sight of the graffiti was a grim reminder that constantly ate at me, and the thought of it continues to induce a strong pang of guilt, even today.
60. Doggone It
I own an elderly German Shepherd who's 11 years old. In 2018, a collision with a car left him with serious issues such as seizures, incontinence, and a fear of rapid movements like ball throwing. We even tried introducing a new puppy, but our older dog's stress levels forced us to find her a new home.
His behavior was similar to a rescue dog's —he was just terrified. But given time, he's grown past these fears and I'm so proud. His vet prescribed an anti-seizure medication called zoniamide which has been working wonders. Our next big conversation was about enhancing his "mobility" with a specialised device —a kind of doggie walking cane equipped with sensory bumpers to aid his movement.
In the vet's office, our test run had him looking happier than ever. However, ongoing treatments were beyond my financial reach then so I decided to hold off. This year, while walking my dog, I met a guy named Dan who was fully aware of the special care my dog needed and that I was committed to providing for him.
Initially, it was going well, until one day when things spiraled. We were discussing finances, so I revealed my debt situation and my plans of saving up for my dog's treatment. The previous treatments had left me with debts, which I didn't want to worsen by using a credit card. Hence, I'd been saving cash in a small, flame-resistant chest.
But then, my trust was betrayed. I discovered that Dan had taken my money when I saw his new things and asked about them. His explanation chilled me to the bone. We argued, he confessed, and then callously suggested I should consider my dog's imminent passing. Yet, my dog is older, but nowhere near the end of his life.
Our regular vet visits always turn out reasonably well considering his circumstances. Euthanasia has never been mentioned; we've always planned for the future and for better days. We're both students and I don't want to sabotage his life, but those savings were intended for my dear old companion to freely enjoy his mobility in our home.
61. The Naked Truth
I've been seeing this girl for over half a decade —she means the world to me. Lately, I've been acting uniquely and I hope she's not overly concerned. My ultimate plan was to propose once we'd adjusted to our lives as adults. Unanticipated events, however, have completely changed my plans.
We were hanging out at her place one day when I asked her to send me a cute puppy pic she'd taken earlier. She was tied up with something on her computer, so she suggested I pick up her phone and send the photo to myself. Oddly, I stumbled upon a "hidden" folder in her photo gallery that I hadn't seen before.
Curiosity got the better of me so I clicked on it. Instant regret. The folder was packed with revealing pictures of her, some of which were unfortunately already familiar but others entirely new to me. I initially assumed she'd been saving them for me... What a misjudgment that turned out to be as I clicked on a video.
It was a deeply personal bedroom video shot from the perspective of a man —but that man was not me and it was a recent video. In the course of our five-year relationship, we've had disagreements but nothing major. Her love felt genuine and I believed she truly cared. Now I'm not so sure.
After putting her phone back, I hastily retreated to home. I just couldn't stay there a minute longer. That brings me to this moment. I'm at a loss for what to do next. I'm planning to confront her and likely end things, but right now I'm just in shock. It feels as though I've thrown away five years and I've just lost my best friend. I'm uncertain how to process all this —my thoughts are all over the place.
62. All In The Family
My wife and I go all the way back to high school days and we've been married for a good decade. She's got a best friend named Megan, and it so happens that we're coworkers, just in contrasting divisions of the business. Yesterday, she hinted at needing to talk about something serious after work. Upon meeting, she was in tears which caught me off guard.
Hoping to offer her some comfort, I asked what the problem was. That’s when she dropped a bomb —she said my wife and her husband were entangled in an affair. It wasn't a recent escapade either, apparently, it's been a covert operation for years. But, hold on, there was more. She claimed that her husband was indeed the biological dad of my adorable three-year-old daughter. When she confronted her husband, he didn't even try to dispute the allegations.
Naturally, I went straight to my wife for answers. At first, she played innocent, but the moment I mentioned Megan's confession, she too was a sobbing mess. I'm at a complete loss here. It's like I've been living a lie, right? My precious little Taylor isn't mine and all along, my wife kept up this elaborate charade. How do I even begin to make sense of all this? I'm just so confused and don't know what my next move should be.
63. Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover
My pal Aaron and his girlfriend Mary have been a steady item for nearly seven years. They connected in college and have been inseparable ever since. You could even label them co-dependent. They mostly keep to themselves, and Mary pretty much dictates who Aaron hangs out with —it's a strict 'no-guys' policy. Actually, she calls the shots on quite a bit.
She sets his curfew at 11pm, bars him from drinking or smoking, and even handpicks his friend circle. To top it all off, she doesn't even permit him to hang out alone with ladies. Mary definitely runs a tight ship. Yet they remain together, mainly because Aaron appears to be head-over-heels for her and overlooks her controlling behavior. Despite his doubt regarding his own appeal, he remains astounded that she finds him attractive.
He's not a bad-looking guy, but Mary could pass as a supermodel. They consistently share adorable couple photos on their social platforms. But, trust me, their relationship isn't as idyllic as their online portraits portray. Recently, Aaron confided in my boyfriend and me about his plans to propose to Mary.
Naturally, we offered our congratulations as he looked thrilled. But here's where it gets complicated: Just a few weeks before, I heard from Mary's friend Alison about an incident which makes me question the future happiness of Aaron. At a party, Mary reportedly had a bit too much to drink and ended up sleeping with her ex. Since that night, Mary and her ex have been hooking up, even participating in a threesome.
Here's the dilemma – Aaron knows nothing about Mary's infidelity. My boyfriend, who shares a bond with both Mary and Aaron, and I are stuck on whether we should spill the beans. It's a tough decision as revealing this may shatter Aaron, destroy their relationship, and potential friendships. Yet, we're worried Aaron might be stepping into an unfavorable marriage, not only due to Mary's overbearing nature but also her cheating ways.
If Mary is willing to cheat on her boyfriend, it seems likely she might continue her behavior in their marriage.
64. Be My Valentine
I was getting ready to ask my girlfriend of seven years to marry me when I stumbled upon some surprising information. We've shared seven beautiful years together —she's kind, affectionate, and understanding. She's bonded with my family, and I with hers. Our connection runs deep, from shared interests to similar opinions, and we're even travel buddies.
We don't quarrel often, but when we do disagree, we work through it swiftly. Our relationship gives off an aura of perfection. Steady, loving, genuinely blissful. However, just as I was gearing up to propose, she seems to have hit a cool patch over the last month. Only recently, on Valentine’s Day, we were floating in happiness, with presents and sweet gestures being exchanged.
But the days that followed felt off. Her "I love yous" lost some of their warmth. Our conversations had changed. She'd get irritated by minor things and she seemed unlike her usual self. I asked if something was bothering her, but she insisted it was nothing serious.
Upon asking again, it was clear she wasn’t ready to share. Still, she reassured me of her love. Then came the tipping point just four days ago. I remembered a spare phone of hers in my drawer which had run out of power. After charging it, I saw that she was still logged into her Google account.
Curiosity led me to her search history —and the content left me stunned. “I cheated on him,” “I cheated on him many times,” “I cheated should we break up,” “ending a long term relationship," and the like. The searches were dated post-Valentine’s day.
Every day, she was looking up similar topics. This discovery left me broken. All I feel is devastation. I can't eat, can't sleep. Yet, I haven't confronted her about it. We're apart currently because of work, but we'll meet next week. I'm baffled, shocked, and unsure how to handle the situation.
65. The Eye Of The Beholder
For two solid years, my boyfriend has been by my side, seemingly attracted to every aspect of me. He never hesitates to shower me with compliments, regardless of whether I'm wearing makeup. But something shifted last night when he invited his friends over. I usually distance myself during their video game sessions, opting to chill upstairs.
That evening, I was simply passing by their meet-up spot en route to the bathroom when I overheard my name. Despite the closed door, I paused to listen. Maybe it’s wrong to eavesdrop, but hey, they mentioned me! I heard one of his pals complain about how I always disappear when they visit, mainly because my casual home attire typically consists of shorts and a tank top.
Even though I tend to dress modestly when hanging out with them, his friend thought it relevant to comment about my physique, stating that while my body was appealing, my face without makeup classed me as a "butterface." What stunned me most was my boyfriend’s laughter – A LOUD one. Rather than defending me, he simply agreed to the "perfect" body bit. Seriously?
After they veered off to discuss other girls, I retreated back upstairs, feeling disheartened. While I don’t consider myself ugly, I must admit, this incident dented my self-esteem. The blow was more harsh from my boyfriend’s laughter and lack of defense over my facial features. I'm not claiming to be a top-notch supermodel, but I'm definitely not unattractive!
With my medium-length brown hair, clear skin, and fine features, I deem myself pretty okay. Maybe plucking a few eyebrow hairs wouldn’t hurt and yes, I wear glasses, but on my worst days, I'd rate myself a 6 out of 10, and a clear 8 with some makeup. Or am I being unrealistic? It felt weird and uncomfortable sleeping beside my boyfriend, knowing he’s only attracted to my body, not my face.
Regrettably, I harbor some self-loathing now.
66. Game Over, Man
My partner and I got engaged last December. Starting January, we decided to save up each month for our wedding and honeymoon. By midyear, we had tucked away $8,000. Then, last month, my fiancé's best friend bought a high-end gaming computer, sparking his desire for one, too. Despite both of us already owning laptops, he was insistent on getting a PC, and although I first objected, I eventually gave in —a decision I heavily regret now.
About a week after the purchase, the PC arrived, accompanied by an unexpected gaming chair and table. That evening, I nervously asked about the cost totaling everything, dreading his response. After some hesitance, he revealed the shocking truth —our entire $8,000 savings was gone, spent solely on his new gaming setup. This hit me hard, as those savings represented our joint funds aimed at our future as a married couple. We fought severely that night, his disregard for our goals frustrated me immensely.
His response to my concern was, "I'll earn it all back soon," but those words ring hollow to me now. Ever since the gaming gear came into our home, things have taken a turn for the worse. It's been roughly two weeks since the PC arrived, and my fiancé rarely rises from his new chair, barely acknowledging my presence.
His interaction consists primarily of food requests. When I ask him to join me for TV or climb into bed together, he always murmurs about being busy or promising to sleep later. His hours are completely skewed, gaming till dawn, and sleep till mid-afternoon. Our sleep cycles are now opposite, creating unbearable loneliness for me.
It feels like there's no one else at home anymore, his attention utterly absorbed by the screen. I'm barely more than his fetch-and-carry, while all household chores have been dropped in my lap. His personal hygiene is plummeting, and instead of logging into work on his laptop, it lays forgotten. I worry for his job security at this point.
Seeing this extreme change in his behavior, I informed my folks about the situation, their response was almost wordless. Tonight, I plan to relay this to his parents as well, in hopes they might bring reason into his world. I don't know how to resolve this and despair, half-wishing his computer would just go up in flames.
67. Reverse Catfish
I recently connected with a girl on Tinder. She was noticeably larger than my usual type, but we had so much in common, I decided to take a chance. After a few days of conversation, we arranged to meet at a geek-friendly bar the next evening. Upon arrival, I chose a table and sat down to wait. A few moments later, a stunning woman approached me, appearing to be interested.
Taken aback, I naturally suspected an ulterior motive, such as desiring free drinks, or, humorously, my organs. I candidly explained that I was expecting someone and didn't want to put a damper on our first meeting by engaging with another woman upon her arrival. It was at that moment she revealed that she was, in fact, my date.
She disclosed that she had lost around 130 lbs in the past few years, and she wanted to see if guys were interested in more than just her physical appearance. She also wanted to test if I would abandon the so-called 'fat girl' if a more attractive girl appeared. However, I must admit, I feel a bit conflicted about being 'tested'. I don't want to second-guess my every move, worrying that a surprise test could pop up out of nowhere.
Yet, apart from this, she's extremely appealing and has a captivating personality. I'm torn about what my next step should be.
68. Do You Want To Play A Game?
I was severely depressed, always bedridden, and coped by using substances to feel any emotion other than the devastating sadness. I had hardly ever spoken to my friends; despite their efforts to get me out and engaged, I often found myself alone and drinking. One horrific day, after a attempt to take my life, my best friend found me collapsed on the floor.
Once I was released from hospital, two of my friends accompanied me to a local bar to check up on my wellbeing. On this occasion, we happened to cross paths with a few more acquaintances and met my soon-to-become girlfriend. An intense year and a half relationship with her transformed me. I reduced my alcohol intake, and eventually, I could see myself coming out of that deep depression.
The initial phase of our clandestine relationship was pure bliss. We were madly in love, spending countless hours resolving our issues, discussing our strikingly similar struggles, and understanding that her struggles outweighed mine by far. But then, things started unraveling.
She betrayed me and hooked up with my best friend on multiple occasions. I overlooked it because I couldn't lose her. However, on New Year 2009, during a party at my place, she tried to get intimate with a guy she came with, right in my bed. As I confronted her, the guy left in shame, not knowing that she was my girlfriend. She denied our relationship, made a scene, and falsely claimed that I was abusive.
I attempted to discuss her behavior with her in the kitchen. Her confession shattered me —she admitted that our entire relationship, the shared experiences of depression and addiction, and her saying "I love you" had been a game, just for fun.
Fortunately, my two friends overheard the exchange. They informed everyone about her deception. Today, she's with another man, and I have someone who genuinely loves me for who I am. I wish her new boyfriend luck and am grateful for hitting rock bottom with her—it made me realize there's nowhere to go but up. Now, I can finally say I'm content once again.
69. For Your Eyes Only
I had a breakup with my university girlfriend and it really stirred her up. She decided to send an email to my mom —who firmly believes I'm the perfect church-going son —detailing some of our more intimate moments and even including some personal photos of me. She made sure I saw it too, by cc'ing me.
Fortunately, as a full-time tech junkie, I managed to see the email as soon as it hit my inbox. Luck was also on my side as I've previously helped my mom set up her email account and knew her password. I quickly logged in, deleted the message before she could see it, and blocked every email address associated with my ex. My heart was racing the entire time. Phew!
70. Clean Demon
Hey everyone, this might take a while to read because I really don't have anyone else to share this with. My wife has severe germophobia and anxiety issues. We've been together for 11 years, married for eight, and her fear of germs wasn't always so apparent. But ever since we got hitched, it's been getting worse.
She used to work in a hotel, greeted guests and sometimes even washed their towels. Unfortunately, she contracted staph infection once and had to be hospitalised. After that whole ordeal, which included 30 days of antibiotics, her fear of contracting germs has just escalated.
We have two kids as well—a boy of two years and a five-year-old girl. Their mom's germ worries affect them too. This might sound crazy, but just to give you an idea, here's a quick rundown of some rules we have to live by at home:
I have to wash my hands every time I touch a light switch or doorknob.
Entering the garage means taking a shower before I do anything else.
If I touch her PJs or the towels, it’s shower time.
Exposure to the guest bathroom? That calls for a shower too.
She won't let me use her toilet. She uses extra toilet paper, clogs it daily, and I handle the aftermath.
After dealing with this, I need another shower. Any water spills call for immediate moping up.
She changes her clothes multiple times a day, using loads of towels and discarding half of them. This means 60-90 minutes of laundry folding every day, sheerly from her clothes.
In her world, brushing against a doorframe with laundry, or an article of clothing touching the bed means they are ‘dirty’.
She won't venture out of the bedroom after a shower, which lasts 40 minutes—meaning I'll have to bring her anything she needs.
Cleaning requires adherence to a rigid set of rules, which, if broken, result in everything having to be done all over again, making for very late nights.
If I fix her a drink, I need to carry it held high to avoid contact with the countertop.
She changes her clothes if clothing falls near her because she believes it spreads bacteria.
If my dog gets out, he gets a bath before he comes back in.
Leaving the house requires sanitizing my phone before it returns. We have a strict no-shoe policy indoors.
Perceived close contact sets her off, even if I’m across the room.
Having guests? She won’t have it due to her intense fear of germs.
I’m stuck doing laundry and taking up to 35 showers a week, washing my hands several dozens times a day.
I'm physically and emotionally drained; constantly cleaning, showering, with barely any time to relax or sleep. We tried counselling once, but she didn't take kindly to the experience.
As much as I consider leaving, thinking about the kids and the huge house we invested in holds me back. Medication for her anxiety didn't work and her fears remain unchecked. We need to find a solution, but the conversation never ends well. Despite everything, I still love her, and hope we can work it out.
71. Femme Fatale
So, this happened right in my own hometown. There's this fella, fresh off a divorce, who jumped right into a wild, rebound relationship. Then one day, they’re imbibing a bit and an argument sparks. She takes a swing at him and he's so out of it that he topples over. And get this -as he’s lying there, she proceeds to stomp on his face... yes, you heard that right... and she's donned in HIGH HEELS. The heel actually punctured his eye, causing him severe brain injury. I kid you not.
72. Too Close For Comfort
I happened to catch my son and my brother's wife in a compromising position at our cabin, and I suspect this isn't their first time. Back in February, my brother, his wife, and their kids moved into our spacious farmhouse. My husband and I thought it'd be a great way to bond as a family, and it'd be a fun experience for our nieces on the countryside.
We're a family of five, with three teen kids, all of whom live with us. On the day my brother's family arrived, my eldest son, 18, and I went grocery shopping. He picked up his gym supplements from the pharmacy while I attended to the rest of the shopping list. That's when I noticed it: a package of condoms among his purchases when we got back home, but I brushed it off since he has a girlfriend.
Life was flowing smoothly, everyone seemed happy. My eldest and my sister-in-law would regularly run together in the early hours around the farm. However, last month, I realized they weren't circling the farm in their morning runs, which struck me as odd. When I asked, they said they'd decided to use the nearby road instead. I didn't give it a second thought then.
Yesterday, returning home from a friend's place just before daybreak, I noticed the cabin in our property was lit, its door left open. I assumed it was the staff's oversight, and headed over to secure it and turn off the lights. As I approached, I heard very disturbing noises.
I peeked in and was shocked to see my son and sister-in-law in a compromising situation. I was so taken aback, I didn't confront them. I haven't yet shared this discovery with anyone, I'm at a loss on what steps to take.
73. Tinder For The Fire
I just got a message from my husband on Tinder. I stumbled upon the app on his phone, so I created a fake profile to see if he'd interact...and he did. We've been a team for 20 years, 15 of those as husband and wife. I'm at a loss as to how I can discuss this with him without breaking down or raising my voice. My trust in him seems to be dwindling.
74. And Your Little Dog Too
My girlfriend of three years and I were living together when I discovered she was having an affair with a coworker. The affair started around the time of my mother's passing. The revelation led to a sleepless night filled with intense arguments right before my first day at a new job. With my temper flaring, I asked her to vacate our apartment.
The following day, in an attempt to stop me from going to work, she created chaos, concealed my work laptop, and locked herself in the bathroom. Although I forced her to leave initially, regret kicked in and I welcomed her back into my life. By then, I had purchased a condo and given her a spare key. On Valentine's day, I even bought her a dog and eventually proposed, to which she agreed.
A few months down the line, another harsh truth surfaced. She was having an affair with a different man while I was at the office, among multiple times she had cheated on me during our relationship. In a fit of rage, she physically attacked me, damaged my condo, threw glasses in my direction, held a knife to my throat, and threatened my life. I was forced to restrain her to protect myself.
The authorities eventually got her out of my condo, and I was left with the dog. As much as dwelling on these bitter memories of her unsettles me, it led me to a brighter chapter. As I had mentioned earlier, I was left with the dog. A few weeks later, I crossed paths with the woman who would eventually be my wife. We initially got to know each other by walking the dog and going on trips. Over time, I rescued other dogs and found them new homes. I even gave my sister the dog that I initially got for my ex-fiancée.
In the end, I married this wonderful woman who showed me the brighter side of humanity.
75. You’re A Mean One
She moved out and packed my childhood Christmas decorations with her. It wasn't until months afterwards when I was excitedly preparing for the holiday season that I found out. Happily headed to the basement only to come face-to-face with a shocking sight – an empty box that once held all my Christmas trimmings. All she left was a note that read, “The Grinch was here.”
76. The Girl Is Mine
My cousin Ted is in the middle of a divorce. His soon-to-be ex-wife, who's been emotionally unstable for years, constantly tells him and their five-year-old daughter she despises them and no longer wants to see them. Ted's aim is to get primary custody because he loves his daughter dearly and wants to be the one responsible for her upbringing.
While the lawyers are trying to settle the divorce, his ex-wife begins accusing Ted of violence, alleging he abused her and their daughter. She even demands full custody, wanting Ted completely out the picture. This accuses led to Ted having limited, supervised visitations for half a year. It's ironic considering Ted's job involves counseling teens who have their own challenges—he barely gets to see his own child.
This whole situation greatly upsets their daughter, while the ex-wife appears to be oddly satisfied. But the tide is turning—and Ted's coming out on top. Social workers and therapists concur there's absolutely no proof supporting the ex-wife's unwarranted claims. Their daughter has also expressed her strong desire to live with her father, and Ted has shown he can care for her.
The case is still ongoing, but so far, the ex-wife’s schemes seem to have backfired. Here's me hoping everything works out for the best.
77. A Change For The Better
When I said "I do" to my husband, I was fully aware of his fondness for video games, his easy-going work attitude, and his lack of interest in fitness, even with him being on the heavier side. His gentle heart and loving nature easily made up for these. We connected more on mellow pastimes like enjoying films at home rather than heading out.
Everything shifted after a camping trip he took with his buddies around two years back. He returned as if spurred by a newfound enthusiasm. Suddenly, the video game lover became a running enthusiast, a reader, and even discovered numerous unexpected hobbies.
From a dedicated carnivore, he embraced vegetarianism. Professionally, he showed increased dedication, pursued an accelerated graduate program and significantly outperformed his previous career highs. It's hard to reconcile this new person with the man I married. Our relationship remains strong, and my love unwavering. Inspired by his transformation, I've also grown in the last couple of years, and yet...
I can't deny that I miss the man he used to be. I understand that change is inevitable, but his core qualities seem to have dwindled to his compassionate heart. It's a struggle communicating these concerns as many only see the positives in his transformation. Perhaps marriage counseling could assist in this transition, helping me adjust and adapt...
78. Let It Go
This is regarding my deranged, obsessive former boyfriend. I was 17 at the time and he was 19, when I met him through a guy I had casually dated but didn't click with. A year later, this new guy and I started seeing each other. He was pleasant, reserved, occasionally humorous and we always had a good time. I was his first-ever girlfriend.
We were together for roughly two years. However, by the eight-month mark, I began picking up unsettling traits about him. He portrayed an utterly different persona in my presence than he did with others, revealing a deeply concerning side of him only to me. Everyone else, including his mum, just saw his 'Mr Nice Guy' front. But when we were by ourselves, he would savagely insult me.
He would become irate if my phone rang in his company and even more so if I answered it. He would question aggressively, "Who the heck is that? Are you involved with someone else?" He'd get upset anytime I interacted with another male in public, even service staff like waiters or cashiers. He'd keep the facade on until we left, and then he’d erupt in anger.
He started gossiping to his schoolmates about our intimate life and he'd bombard me with texts throughout the day. If I failed to respond, he'd call incessantly – his record being over 40 calls. He was controlling to the point of isolating me from my friends. He could hang out with his buddies, but I wasn't allowed to see mine, especially if they were male.
He routinely talked about seeking vengeance against them, for reasons he never made clear. In short, he was a pathologically jealous and controlling individual, and his behavior just became progressively worse. You might be wondering why I didn't just split up with him – well, I did, several times, but getting him out of my life wasn't as easy as uttering the words "we're done."
He simply refused to accept it. Fast forward to my breaking point, when I finally left him for good. He was livid and threatened to spread false tales about me to my folks. Regardless, I severed all ties with him, pushing him over the edge. That should have been a warning sign.
One evening I was out with another man I was dating when my unhinged ex drove past us, unmistakably recognizing him despite his living 30 minutes away and having no business in this part of town, particularly late at night.
He then started acting bizarrely, creating a phony Facebook profile to befriend my former high school classmates, then proceeding to sling mud at me to them. I found it somewhat amusing.
Who knows what he spread among his friends about me? However, they ended up banding together against me, threatening me with violence, even vandalism of my property. I had to take protective measures such as parking my car at my father's place for a week while I bunked there for a while out of fear they might damage my car. Yet, the worst was yet to come.
After we had split for a significant period, I was still with the other guy. One night, as we were hanging out and he was dropping me home, my relentless ex called yet again. I picked up, irritated, then he heard my boyfriend's voice in the background. “Who the HECK is that?! Who are you with?”
"Anthony," I responded and hung up. He incessantly called back, ultimately threatening to meet me my home, causing me to panic. When we arrived, so did he. He rushed to my doorway only for me to forcefully pull him back outside, where the shouting match escalated.
Eventually, he got in his car nearly running over my foot as he drove off. Since then I haven't seen him, until I received a creepy text from him about my broken tail light. This insinuates he's been tailing me. I also discovered he's no longer living with his mother but now resides up the block from me.
What's more, he still occasionally posts lengthy letters to me. One bizarre letter contained nothing but pink heart doodles. The majority are about his realization of how poorly he treated me and that he's accepted I will never return to him.
Rightly so. I don't read them anymore; they go straight in the trash.
79. Collateral Damage
About eight years in the past, my ex-girlfriend deceived me into helping her conceive a child (she tampered with the contraceptives), and as soon as she discovered her pregnancy, she ended all communication. Despite it all, I've made consistent efforts to maintain a respectful attitude towards her, even though she candidly confessed that her sole motive to date me was her desire to have a baby.
In her grand scheme of things, I was never really considered. Upon the birth of my daughter, she declined to list me as the father on the birth certificate, leaving that space labeled as "Unknown." Despite my attempt to establish paternity through legal routes, she refuted my claims, and the court system failed to mandate a DNA verification. Eventually, she relocated and seamlessly vanished from my reach.
Somewhere in this world, I have an eight-year-old daughter whom I've only had the fortune of seeing once. She crosses my mind every single day.
80. The Ghosts Of Exes Past
My former bride-to-be suddenly disappeared right before we were supposed to get married. It's been 16 years, and now she wants to discuss what happened. She didn't give any reasons; she just vanished without a trace, right before our special day. Not a single note, she just up and left. It left her family just as clueless as I was. We'd been together all throughout high school and college.
She eventually came back, but not to me directly. I found out through her parents that she had no plans to see me again. They even told me she asked them to keep me away. I wasn't given a say in the matter, so I just tried to respect her desires. I couldn't grasp why she did it. I could only assume she might have suffered some kind of emotional crisis, after her abrupt cut-off from everyone.
Both of us were young, and growing as individuals. For years, I struggled trying to understand her sudden departure. Then, things got interesting—Out of nowhere, she recently got in touch with me on Facebook, asking to meet. I'm swamped with a tsunami of mixed emotions —anger, apprehension, hope, sadness...I still have feelings for her. But, I'm not certain I could fully accept her back.
However, when I look at her Facebook profile, I can't help but miss her. She's even more gorgeous now and – still single. I'm torn. She hasn't revealed any details online about why she left. She plans to talk about it in person. All I can glean from her Facebook posts is that she feels she's weak, leading a life mired in shame, regret, and loneliness.
Despite her ghosting me, I can't completely close my heart to her. I'm still drawn to her, and have never quite managed to let her go.
81. Tragic Payback
I began dating a girl right after we graduated from high school. Her ex-boyfriend was a rather unstable guy, and when he discovered we were together, he attempted to become friends with me. I was totally ignorant of his nasty tendencies until the day he tried to attack me. When that didn't work out, he filed a bogus charge against me with the police. However, his last devastating act was quite horrifying.
He put my girlfriend's younger brother in his car and drove off a bridge, ending his life along with the young boy's life. This appalling incident is still a sorrowful tale in our community, and no one has been able to erase it from their memories.
82. No “I” In Team
About a week after me and my ex-girlfriend split up, she rang me. She mentioned she took a pregnancy test, found out she was expecting, and that I was definitely the father since the guy she'd cheated on me with always had safe sex. I was taken aback, and asked, "So... what's your plan?" Apparently, that wasn't the response she was hoping for.
She exploded with anger, insulted me, saying I wasn't worthy of her, and hung up. Upon calling her back, she asserted, "I don't need you for anything! I just wanted to judge your character. You didn’t ask 'What should we do', but instead asked what I wanted to do! I don't ever want to hear from you again." However, she still had more to say.
A couple of days later, she rang me once more to inform me she wasn't pregnant after all. According to her, it was just an experiment to understand "what type of man" I am, assessing whether to reconcile or not. She never considered the possibility that I might not want to reunite with her, but I suppose that didn't matter to her right then. So...there you have it...
83. All's Well That Ends Well
After we had broken up, my ex tracked down my current girlfriend via Facebook with the help of mutual acquaintances. She voiced concerns over my girlfriend's safety and insisted they meet to share some supposed insider details about my character. My girlfriend agreed, and tragically, she ended our relationship that very night, heartbreakingly illustrating the aftermath of their conversation which I discovered in due course.
My ex accused me of outrageous actions —physical abuse, relentless infidelity, and even claimed I had been unfaithful to my present girlfriend with her (i.e., my ex), merely weeks before. The fallout was extensive. Not only was I left single, but also friendless as their false narrative spread and the negativity rippled through my friend group. I tragically lost many bonds I deemed solid.
To add to the drama, my ex reached out to me merely a week later, expressing regret over ending our relationship. She confessed her desire for a second chance, manipulating the situation to her meretricious advantage. It was all too clear that she misguidedly believed that my newfound single status meant I was open for reconciliation. Disbelief doesn’t even begin to cover it!
With my subsequent girlfriend, I decided to give her a heads up about my drama-inducing ex from the get-go. The part that truly shocked was her disappointment with my former girlfriend for agreeing to been swayed by my ex. Good news is, the new girl and I are tying the knot in a month.
Unspalsh
84. This Was A Test, And You Failed
Let me share a recent difficult experience. I've been dating a guy, let's call him "Dan," for three months now. Dan recently asked me to come out for dinner with his work buddies. The meeting place raised my eyebrows —it was a Hooters of all things. While it's close to their workplace, I can think of several other dining spots that provide better food and ambiance.
Dan did hint that his all-male colleagues were skeptical that he had a "hot girlfriend" who shared their interests, typically seen as more male-oriented. This comment ruffled me a bit, but he brushed it off as him "just joking around." It seems that became the night's recurring mantra. It only got worse.
Arriving at Hooters, I was quite uncomfortable as their conversation revolved around the servers' looks. I wish I had spoken up then. As we settled down to order, I was peppered with questions on my hobbies and interests, mainly to test how knowledgeable I was rather than understand what I enjoy about them. It felt like a trivia night, with them asking obscure, unrelated facts.
I should mention that I'm a novice software engineer just learning the ropes. Despite this, Dan's friends, all senior software engineers, bombarded me with advanced technical questions outside my area of expertise. Mixed in with the grilling were their smiles and laughing, regularly punctuated by "Aw we're just kidding!" It felt like a bizarre interrogation session rather than a dinner, with me having to answer questions one by one, while managing to keep a poker face.
At one point, one of the group seemed to acknowledge the tension, spending the rest of the evening glued to his phone. When they weren't interrogating me, they were engrossed in their own conversation, not giving me much room to contribute. I had hoped for constructive professional discussions with individuals a tad older than me and Dan's age (29). All their "just kidding" remarks only added to the uncomfortable vibe...and man, it only continued to get more uncomfortable.
Throughout, Dan was nonchalant, even encouraging me to answer their quiz-like questions. At some point, he remarked, "See, she's smart too!" to one of his colleagues, further adding to my discomfort. That evening was just horrendous. Worse yet was Dan's reaction; he seemed upset about my visible displeasure and accused me of being rude for showing annoyance and sighing audibly when addressed by one of his colleagues.
My perception of Dan has significantly soured after this. His behavior seemed more fitting for a preteen rather than a soon-to-be 30-year-old. I've lost any desire to communicate with him; even the thought of him disgusts me. I've ignored his texts since that encounter. At the moment, breaking up seems like the only option and I don't believe it's an overreaction. Even though things were going well before, now I've never felt more uncomfortable, almost like a trophy girlfriend.
I'm unsure of whether my feelings might change or if my annoyance is justified or not.
85. You’ve Got Mail
Alright, let's go through this... she sent peculiar postcards, signed under different names with nonsensical words on them. She dispatched three each to my workplace and apartment management's office. On top of that, she sent mature-content magazines to my landlord and even placed a $100 Pizza Hut order to be delivered at my job, leaving me to settle the bill. She succeeded in adding me onto a Victoria's Secret mailing list —all sent to my workplace. To top it all off, in her final act of disrespect, she cleared out a bulk of items from my apartment, stating they were hers since she had purchased them —with my money of course.
86. Message Received
My girlfriend thought the most effective way to end our relationship was to kiss her former boyfriend... right there while I was watching. I certainly didn't anticipate that happening at all.
87. Show Me The Money
My former girlfriend and I had a joint bank account after cohabiting for two years. Ideal setup, right? However, unbeknownst to me, she was unemployed although she claimed to have a job the whole time, while I was slaving away each day. So, I ended things with her and moved out, aiming to close our shared bank account. That's when the real problems kicked in.
The bank wouldn't close the account without her presence, but getting her to come around seemed impossible. So, I did the next best thing —remove my name from the account and open a fresh one for myself. After three months, I had managed to save up a decent amount and was doing alright. My ex, in a surprising turn of events, expressed her desire to get back with me, despite having a new boyfriend.
However, I didn't have any feelings left for her and politely declined her proposition. The following night, when I went to make a purchase, all my cards were declined. Panicked, I checked with my bank, only to find out about suspicious activities regarding my former joint account. As it turned out, my vengeful ex wrote bad checks worth $40,000 from our previous joint account, probably out of spite for my turning her down.
The bank, noticing my previous association with the account, seized all funds in my current account to cover the enormous debt. Considering I'm not a credit card user, my bank account was my only monetary resource and now, I was stone-broke.
88. Case Closed
I'm fairly convinced that the day I broke up with my former boyfriend, he walked around my apartment and tightened the lids on absolutely everything—my nail polish, jars of groceries, bottles—given that I struggle to open things on my own. It was mischievous... but here's the thing.
When I think about it, it was possibly the most ingenious little act of revenge I've ever come across.
89. You’re Cooked
My girlfriend and I have been dating since around March 2019. I adore her—truly, I do—but we've just hit a roadblock. Her grandad is visiting for dinner and he's a Michelin Star awarded chef. He expects me to cook for him. Yeah, as a 21-year-old guy, I have to confess: I basically can't cook. I can manage a quick pasta dish or boil an egg but that's about it.
The challenge lies in the fact that I can't create complex dishes that require balancing multiple ingredients. As for measuring a food's "doneness"—that's beyond me. I mean, I have my skills, just not in the kitchen. Despite trying to follow recipes to the letter, I've had no success.
Both my girlfriend and I are about to start our senior year at college. And it's at my nearby off-campus apartment where this dinner is to take place. When I agreed to cook something, I thought I could wing it because I was oblivious to who her grandad really is. My girlfriend's brother, who I get along well with, filled me in that her grandfather bagged a Michelin Star once upon a time.
When I quizzed my girlfriend about it, she said she didn't tell me because she thought I'd freak out. She wasn't wrong. Always having depended on the college food service, restaurant meals and takeaways, I have never cooked at university. Heck, I don't even own any dishes! The only bright spot is I know my way around wine, so I'm confident I can nail that part.
I have no idea what to do now. My options seem to be pushing the idea of eating out, or following a plan to get takeaway from a fancy steakhouse and pretending I cooked it. I don't mean to sound so desperate. I'm just head over heels for this girl, and I don't want to bungle things up with someone who's very dear to her.
I discussed this pickle with a good friend, and we've decided to carry out a trial run. Assuming it fails, I'll be forced to confess somehow. Our plan is to invite a professor (we'd bring him on board) and his food-loving friend for a mock dinner under the pretense of getting their feedback on my 'cooking'.
We intend to order takeaway from a top-rated local steakhouse and keep it under heat lamps to ensure it stays warm and maybe a tiny bit overcooked to be more believable. Plus, I need to get some cheap steaks just to sizzle them on my stove for that home-cooked smell and a handful of dirty dishes for authenticity. Oh, and I'll need to memorize a steak recipe and binge-watch some YouTube cooking videos to familiarize myself with cooking lingo.
If the trial goes south, Plan B would involve honestly admitting to my lack of skills and maybe asking him if he could demonstrate cooking one of his restaurant's dishes, offering to fund the ingredients. After all, he is traveling all the way from France for this visit. Watching all those episodes of Kitchen Nightmares, I can't help but imagine a Gordon Ramsay-style showdown.
90. The Cat’s Out Of The Bag
Last month, my wife had a baby girl who is black. The thing is, both of us are white which led her to confess that the baby girl was conceived during a brief fling she had last year. This revelation has prompted me to initiate divorce proceedings. As it stands, we're still sharing a home, mostly for the well-being of our two boys, who are 2 and 4 years old. I've confirmed through paternity tests that they are biologically mine.
I bear no grudges against the infant girl, yet some of my relatives do. My real concern is the impact this might have on my boys. They're too young to understand the situation just yet, but I fear that once they grow up and grasp what occurred, they might blame their half-sister for the breakup of our marriage.
91. She’s A Man-Eater
My ex and my $5,000 divorce attorney really left me in a bind. We had come to an agreement during the negotiation process where my ex only wanted me to pay $1000/month for child support. This was the case even after I returned home from work one day to find everything from our house, except an old chair, packed up and moved out.
Despite the events, I agreed to our terms, as we waited for our impending court date when her attorney was slated to present our agreement to the judge. On the day of the hearing, both my attorney and I were present. Her attorney surprised me by requesting child support, alimony payments, and that I cover the remaining car loan payments. She also demanded that I pay her attorney's fees, alleging I was the one who initiated the divorce proceedings.
The judge agreed with her lawyer's changes, while mine hardly even glanced up from his papers or attempted to defend our original agreement. To put the icing on the cake, my lawyer later had the nerve to send me a congratulatory card, celebrating my divorce's "positive outcome". Due to this outcome, I ended up having to pay 75% of my income for the next year which left me with virtually nothing.
I had to sell my car and move out of my apartment, spending a period of time couch surfing. On the day I sent my last alimony check, my ex delivered the final blow. She married my former best friend, who was the reason for our divorce in the first place. I spent the next five years paying off her car and her lawyer's fees, while she moved onto husband number four.
92. Savior Complex
This next bit is honestly a bit absurd and self-centered: My former partner and I split, and he drove our jointly-owned car across state lines. Despite initially having a job, he kept losing employment and made no effort to contribute to our shared debt. The understanding was that he'd shoulder it given my grad student status and his expected sizable income.
I found myself having to reach his mother to take my name off the car loan because he was ignoring my messages about it. I slowly paid off the remaining shared debt on my own to protect my credit standing. But here's where the audacity comes in: he posted on social media claiming he voluntarily left his well-paying job to live his dream as a struggling writer.
He went as far as discussing our past relationship in the comments, proclaiming that he solely paid off our joint debt because he had the financial means and I was merely a student. After all the sacrifice and savings I went through to clear the debt myself, it stung to read such a falsehood. Much of his post was bragging in this manner. Unsurprisingly, many people believed him and fed into his ego.
93. Three’s Company
I've been married to my wife for eight years and we've been blessed with two little angels —a darling five-year-old daughter and an adorable two-year-old son. They mean the world to me, and combined with a successful career and our big home, I've started to feel like I'm living the "American Dream" (minus the dog who I, unfortunately, am allergic to).
Before kids, my wife talked about having two kids while I was more inclined towards one —more manageable and some leftover cash for vacations. However, she stood her ground, insisting on the importance of siblings. Considering my family of five and her being an only child, I could see her point.
However, after our second child and sleep-deprived from the endless nights of keeping up with a crying baby, I wasn’t open to the idea of another child. Both of them were colicky as babies. Just after our son’s first birthday, my wife started hinting at a third child. Despite my laughter and dismissals, she eventually got serious, giving me an ultimatum.
She insisted on a third child. I reminded her of our agreement on having two, but she argued that she had initially wanted four so three was a compromise. I disagreed, stating that I wanted one and we already have two. She became irate, accusing me of sabotaging her dreams of a large family. A few days passed, she apologized, and we became intimate again.
I noticed her heightened interest in being intimate which matched mine. Not suspecting anything, we continued using contraceptives. Looking back, I should've sensed something unusual amidst the everyday chaos of raising kids, working, and maintaining the house.
One day, after work, I found her home alone with a big grin and a positive pregnancy test. Shocked, I couldn’t hide my displeasure, which led to a heated argument —she accused me of insensitivity and justified the pregnancy as a "miracle from God".
I apologized, reassured her of my excitement for our third child, which delighted her. Later in the night, she cheerfully shared the news with friends and family. However, her detailed ideas about transforming my office into a nursery made me suspicious about her long-term planning.
While she was asleep, I ran our condoms under water and discovered holes. Checking her previously unlockable phone, which now had a password, I found disturbing texts. She'd discussed with her best friend of "arranging an accident" and discontinuing her birth control. I was devastated.
I confronted her and she initially seemed shocked but then became defensive and angry. She claimed I had no right to snoop through her phone and justified her decision to discontinue birth control. She argued that if I didn't want a third child I should have had a vasectomy. The confrontation ended with her leaving to stay with her parents.
After her call the next day, I asked for some time alone. Two weeks have passed, and she’s persistently trying to involve me in everything concerning our unborn child. But I can't overlook the trust she broke. I feel anger and betrayal. Now I'm torn between my feelings and the unborn child we're expecting.
94. The Bigger Man
A few months back, my girlfriend and I broke up. Suddenly, out of the blue, she texts me—and oh, how I wished I could instantly forget that text. It turned out to be a rather "personal" photo of her with a truly handsome, well-built guy. She then started sharing how grateful she was that we broke up, allowing her to meet a man like this. As much as I would have wished to, I just couldn't get myself angry.
With the picture still open, I found myself thinking, "Good for her."
95. Ashes To Ashes
When my buddy was going through his divorce, his former spouse dragged him to court aiming to take away as much as she possibly could. This included Alice, his beloved dog that he'd owned since he was just 15. Somehow, she managed to persuade the judge to grant her custody of Alice. Roughly a week after, a package addressed to him arrived at his parents' front door. The moment he opened it, a chill ran down his spine.
Inside the package was a box filled with ashes. His ex-wife had taken Alice to the vet to be euthanized, had her cremated, packed the ashes into a box and then sent it to him in the mail.
96. Caught Red-Handed
So, my boyfriend at the time let me borrow his iPad to watch a Netflix movie. He had linked his messenger account to both his tablet and phone, not realizing that I could see the incoming messages. And that's when everything changed—it was like watching a live drama unfold as he persuaded his best friend's wife to spend the upcoming holiday with him.
He promised her a romantic weekend by planning to send me away, intending for them to get cozy in our own bed. Who even cares, right?
97. It’s That Time of the Month (For A Divorce)
Imagine this: there was a soldier based in Guantanamo Bay who fell deeply in love with a local woman. They made the decision to wed so she could accompany him back to the U.S. once his deployment ended. She took it upon herself to learn how to cook American meals, and one day, he came home to find her making spaghetti.
She's following the steps: cooking the meat, adding canned sauce, then reaching into the freezer for an unmarked bag to mix into the sauce. The next thing he knows, his wife is a heap of tears, frantically trying to explain herself in a mix of English and Spanish. It turns out, her mother and grandmother had told her a disturbing secret: to keep her husband, she should add her menstrual blood to his food. Keeping a straight face when hearing this was a serious challenge. My stomach was turning at the thought.
Despite their deep love for each other, he was unable to move past this incident. Ultimately, their marriage ended in divorce. After 14 years in my line of work, I can say without a doubt that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
98. Musical Urinals
We enjoyed a movie together. She excused herself for a bathroom break mid-movie, and seeing the chance, I thought I'd quickly use the restroom too. I figured it'd be inconsiderate to leave her by herself when she returned. To my surprise, she was already back when I returned, though I didn't think much of it.
We chilled at her house for a while after, I kissed her goodnight and left, believing we had a pretty decent date. A week passed and she wasn't responding to my calls. So, I decided to ask the friend who had introduced us what was happening. It turned out that I had mistakenly wandered into the women's restroom.
I unknowingly used the cubicle next to her and she recognised me by my boots. She was completely shaken. When I finally managed to contact her and tried to apologise and clarify, she told me she was relocating to Turkey to reconcile with her former boyfriend.
99. Taking The Fall
Okay, so I work in an engraving shop, etching personal messages on things for customers. This one time, a man wanted a lovely wooden jewelry box for his wedding anniversary, complete with a tailor-made note that he'd emailed to me. Strangely, he decided to present the gift to his wife right there in the shop. I can think of more romantic settings, but hey, who am I to judge?
His wife's face morphs into a blend of confusion and upset: "Don't you remember our wedding date?" The look on the man's face is like he's seen a ghost, and he turns to me with this intense gaze. He says: "No, it must be an error." Me: "No, I copied it exactly...wait a sec... Oh no, I totally messed up. I'm so sorry, I'll fix it immediately. No charge, please take this as a gift..."
The wife seems a bit peeved at me, but they walk out with a brand new box, this time with the right date. And get this, the man comes back the next day and pays three times the original cost, without uttering a word.
100. So Much For The Language Of Love
My friend ended his marriage when he discovered that his wife and her family would exclusively speak French, a language he couldn't understand, during their visits. She and her family, who were of Spanish origin, were multilingual, fluent in English, French, and Spanish. However, my friend could only converse in Spanish and English.
Fed up with their marriage, his wife and her family took advantage of the language gap to talk ill of him right to his face. The ugly truth eventually came out—he secretly recorded a conversation and got it translated. Her words about him were shocking.
101. Eating For Two
I met this girl online and everything seemed pretty great after a week of chatting. We decided to have dinner together and maybe a drink afterward if everything went smoothly. She looked quite different from her online photo and justified this by saying she was hiding from a deranged ex-boyfriend. So, she used her sister's picture and name instead.
Wait, HER NAME! She even lied about THAT! During our chat, she revealed she was an only child, catching herself in her own web of lies. Throughout the dinner, she talked endlessly about stuff I couldn't be less interested in. Now, regarding the meal, I swear you'd think we were at a farm the way she ate, completely ignoring her cutlery.
Did I mention our dinner was at a steakhouse? Yes, she handled her steak with her bare hands. I wouldn't even get started on the potatoes. Needless to say, it was my worst date ever. I couldn't touch my meal and covered it up by saying I was feeling sick. I planned to pack it up for later, but she asked if she could have it and proceeded to wolf down my dinner too.
Then, our waitress asked her when her baby was due. She calmly responded, "In two months." I was completely shocked. Even though I was upset, I still paid for dinner. After a polite goodbye, I headed to my regular bar. But guess what? SHE FOLLOWED ME.
She confronted me in the bar's parking lot, asking why I was out instead of home resting. She started loudly calling me a liar just as my work friends started arriving. They never let me forget that night. Completely fed up, I decided to just get in my car and head home.
102. Missed Encounters
We attended the wedding of a university pal of my husband's. Interestingly, we discovered that the bride, my husband's longstanding friend, had harbored feelings for him for the past ten years. This revelation came to us from the ladies at our reception table as we interacted, awaiting the couple's arrival. They were utterly dismayed by our presence and deeply concerned.
Unbelievably, my husband was completely oblivious about the depth of her affections. Right after the couple was introduced, she made a beeline for our table, setting aside her family and leaving her new husband stranded. She clung to my husband, sobbing, occasionally raising her head to shoot me an angry stare. Eventually, she was persuaded to let go of him.
After regaining her composure, she trailed after us as we tried to slip away unnoticed. Her leaving remark was a sarcastic comment about my physical appearance: "Well, I guess I now know what I've been missing all these years!" Her husband seemed dumbstruck, and my husband was utterly mortified and embarrassed. He was unaware of her fixation on him and would have refrained from coming to the wedding had he known. This whole scenario was utterly strange.
