When my girl Sarah started acting shady last month, I didn’t know what was going on. Figured it was work stress messing with her head. Then boom – stumbled on her text history full of late-night chats with “just a coworker.” My gut twisted. That’s when I finally opened my damn eyes and started really tracking things.
The Wake-Up Call
First, I went back through our last two months. Noticed patterns. Big stuff hit me later in the shower one night. The little things stacked up like bricks:
- Her phone became Fort Knox. Always flipped screen-down. Jumped like a cat if it buzzed near me. She’d carry it to the freaking bathroom to charge.
- Plans turned to jelly. Tuesday dinner? “Forgot.” Weekend trip? “Too tired, let’s Netflix.” But suddenly had energy for “girls’ night” every weekend when I asked about Friday night.
- All talk, zero action. Promised forever during pillow talk, then avoided meeting my family for five months straight. “Busy season at work!” she’d claim, while posting margarita pics with friends.
I felt dumb. How’d I miss this? Kept making excuses for her. So I tested my doubts.
Putting It to Practice
Started small. Asked about meeting my folks again on Sunday. Watched her face tighten. Classic avoidance dance: “Ugh, traffic will be awful,” she said, grabbing her keys. Three hours later, tagged at a downtown rooftop bar with her squad.
Tried another angle. Mentioned seeing that new movie she wanted to watch. Her face lit up! Then… “Actually, Jessica might need me tonight?” Priority zero. That night? Her IG story showed a blurry club selfie with some dude’s arm around her waist.
The kicker? Gaslighting 101. Called her out softly. “Feel like we’re drifting.” Her reaction? A masterpiece. Tears. Accused me of pulling away. Said I changed. Classic move. Distract, blame, reverse it all onto me.
How It Shook Out
Stopped pushing. Played clueless for one brutal week. Watched her vanish Thursday night. Her “dead phone” for four hours conveniently worked when she posted group pics at midnight. The writing was neon.
Confronted her calm the next day. No accusations. Just “This isn’t working.” Saw relief flash in her eyes before she faked sadness. She packed fast. Took the fancy skincare and my spare charger.
Learned three big things:
- Trust your gut. That churning feeling? Valid.
- Patterns matter more than apologies. Words lie. Actions scream.
- Self-preservation isn’t selfish. Walking away saves months of slow torture.
Should’ve seen the signs sooner. But next time? Oh, I’ll be watching.
