Rebecca Meyer
During his freshman year of college, when he was 18, this 25-year-old man met his now ex-fiancée, Ashley, also 25.
They started out as friends, but they soon developed a romantic relationship. They had a strong connection, and everything in their relationship flowed easily and without trying too hard.
Over the years, people often would express how much they admired their relationship and how envious they were that they had such a perfect relationship. People would even say, “‘If those two broke up, then love doesn’t exist.'”
In his view, Ashley was the perfect woman for him. She was hilarious, intelligent, humble, and prioritized family, and she was looking forward to having a life with him. Throughout their relationship, both his and Ashley’s families got to know each other really well and bonded. It was as if their families had already joined together before their marriage.
One year ago, he proposed to Ashley, and she said yes.
However, after their engagement, things started to shift. Over the next several months, he noticed that Ashley started to pull away, and she seemed distant.
At first, he tried to brush it aside, assuming it was just wedding jitters. But now, he wishes he’d listened to his gut because, deep down, he knew something was wrong.
“She always went out with her group of friends on the weekends. I’ve been on these outings before. Usually, it’s clubbing and drinking. It’s not my scene, but I trusted my girl, so I had no problem with her going without me,” he said.
But as time went on, Ashley started going out drinking with her friends more often. He continued to trust her, and he attempted to push away the bad feelings he had. In the back of his head, he worried that something was going on.
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