Chip Chick
This 24-year-old man and his girlfriend, 24, have been in a relationship for four years. Two weeks ago, his girlfriend turned 24, and he made a reservation at a fancy restaurant. Four of his girlfriend’s friends would be attending the birthday dinner, along with him and his girlfriend.
Since he has a significantly higher income than his girlfriend, and they live in an apartment together, he pays their rent and utilities. His girlfriend pays for their groceries and other monthly expenses.
“While at the restaurant, I noticed how she and all her friends ordered some of the most expensive items on the menu,” he said.
Because he assumed he’d only be paying for his and his girlfriend’s meals, he wasn’t worried. Later, the waiter came over to their table with the bill. The waiter asked him if he needed the bill split, and he said he did, explaining he’d be paying for himself and his girlfriend while her friends would be paying for their meals.
“The bill totaled around $1,200. I remember the smiles being wiped off their faces as soon as I said that. I ended up paying for my girlfriend’s and my food while her friends paid for theirs,” he explained.
During the car ride home, his girlfriend didn’t say a word, and he repeatedly questioned if something was going on. She assured him nothing was going on and that she was just exhausted. He later learned this wasn’t true. For the following week, she refused to speak to him, and whenever he asked what was going on, she never gave him an answer.
He began to wonder if the problem related to his girlfriend’s birthday dinner when he only paid for her and himself, but he brushed the thoughts aside, telling himself she would never be stupid enough to assume he’d pay the entire bill.
Last Monday, he couldn’t deal with his girlfriend ignoring him anymore and ordered her to tell him why she wasn’t speaking to him. Finally, she said he humiliated her in front of her friends when he didn’t pay for their meals. He questioned why he was expected to do so, and she claimed that since he planned the dinner and was “‘the man,'” it was his duty to pay the entire bill.
The conversation escalated into a tense fight, and he left their apartment to stay with his parents. He needed space for a couple of days to process everything. Last Friday, he returned home, and his girlfriend was still angry with him. She hadn’t changed her views on the situation at all.
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