Looking back on your early dating years can feel like revisiting an entirely different version of yourself. Back then, you would tolerate behavior you absolutely wouldn’t today.
Eight years ago, when TikToker Katherine (@kdelafuego) was dating her now ex-boyfriend, they made plans to grab some food and then go to the movies. He picked her up from her house, and they went on their way.
But then, his mom called and asked him what he was doing. He let her know his plans, and she proceeded to tell him that she had made dinner, so he should come home for dinner instead.
When he asked her if Katherine could come over for dinner, she said no.
“And so, you would think that we would then go get dinner together somewhere else and then go to the movies, but actually what happened was we went to his house, and he made me wait in the car while he went inside and had dinner with his family, and then we went to the movies,” Katherine concluded.
She waited for an hour and still stayed with him after that. She was only 19 years old at the time, still figuring out boundaries, self-worth, and what she should or should not accept in a relationship.
Overall, they were together for four years until he ghosted her without explanation one day. In hindsight, it was a fitting ending to a pattern of inconsiderate behavior.
Now, she can clearly identify red-flag behaviors.
Several people could relate to her experience and recalled putting up with similar treatment during their younger years in the comments section.
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“I remember when I was dating this guy when I was 19. He took me out and brought three of his friends, and then he ordered and paid for food for himself and his friends, and then had me order my own food,” commented one person.
“When I was that age, I put up with all sorts of things I shouldn’t have, and it wasn’t really until years later that I was able to analyze earlier life very thoroughly. It sounds like his mother was especially awful. What family member’s girlfriend is not welcome at dinner? Anyway, you are very beautiful, and I hope that things are happy at this point,” wrote another.
“My boyfriend came and picked me up, and then stopped at a bar, and he said he had to do something real quick, so after about 30 minutes, I got out of the car and walked home. Ex-boyfriend now,” added someone else.
It just goes to show how common it is to accept less than you deserve when you’re younger. What once felt normal can later become a clear lesson in self-worth.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
