My boyfriend, Andrew, whom I’ve been with for three months, invited me on a Valentine’s Day date.
When I asked where we were going, he said it was a surprise. It turned out that he had booked us a table AT THE MOST EXPENSIVE RESTAURANT in town, and I was thrilled. It felt like something out of a movie – fine wine, lobsters, oysters, risotto with white truffles.
I had never eaten anything more delicious than that night.
But when it was time to pay the $3180 bill, Andrew shocked and embarrassed me.
He picked up his phone and flipped the camera toward me.
“So, babe. We’re splitting this, right?”
I thought I had misheard him.
“You told me not to worry about money tonight. You said you’d take care of everything, remember?” I replied.
My worst nightmare was about to become a reality—I was going to be branded a gold digger!
For illustrative purpose only.
“Yeah, but come on,” he snorted. “You ate, didn’t you?”
“Andrew, you know I don’t have this kind of money.”
“You don’t?” His voice was light and playful. “Well, I guess you should’ve thought about that before you went in on all this food.”
I felt eyes on me. The restaurant had gone quiet. The waiter stood frozen, holding the bill.
After that Andrew turned the camera toward himself and did something I will never forget or forgive.
“Mom, Dad, you always said I should’ve been a doctor,” he said, chuckling as he turned the camera between us. “Well, here’s what life would’ve been like if I had—dating someone who can’t even afford her own dinner!”
He turned off the camera, casually tossed his credit card onto the bill, and smirked.
Then something inside me finally snapped!
I stood up so fast. I felt anger! Andrew was still grinning, still holding his phone, but as I grabbed my coat and turned away, his smirk faltered.
“Wait, babe, where are you going?!” he asked.
I didn’t answer. I flagged down a taxi with shaking hands and tears in my eyes!
For illustrative purpose only.
Andrew kept calling over and over again, and when he realized I wasn’t going to answer, the texts started. My driver piped up.
“Uh, ma’am, are you okay? Do you need anything?”
“Hey, yes, so sorry about this. I just need some peace and quiet. I’ll be fine, thank you,” I replied, hoping he’d get the hint and leave me alone.
The driver nodded and focused on the road. I glanced at my phone.
It was a prank. A joke. You’re overreacting. I was just proving a point to my parents. I didn’t mean it. Please don’t be mad. Answer me…
I couldn’t believe him! He really thought that explanation was good enough to wipe away the pain of how he’d just humiliated me. I made a decision to ignore him before blocking his number.
I spent that night staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t get over the betrayal, the embarrassment, and realized that I had never really known him at all.
But the worst part? The next night, he showed up on my doorstep!
For illustrative purpose only.
He kept calling my name and knocking!
I opened the door just enough to look him straight in the eyes and threatened, “If you come near me again, I’ll file a restraining order.”
That’s when his smirk finally disappeared, and he left.
I sat in my tiny apartment, unable to stop thinking about what had happened. I reached out to my best friend, Kara, for support but her response left me more confused.
“Are you sure you want to dump him over this? Don’t you want to reconsider?” she asked me over the phone.
I was stunned by her question. “He humiliated me.”
She sighed. “Yeah, but he paid in the end, didn’t he? It was just a joke. He’s rich, Jess. Maybe he was trying to impress his parents or something.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Wealth doesn’t make someone a good person.”
Kara replied, “No, but it makes life a lot easier.”
But inside, I wasn’t so sure.
What do you think, dear reader? Am I wrong?
