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Me [31/F] with my Fiance [33/M] Fiance best friend [33/F] have a weird relationship, driving me insane (10 Year New Update)

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/nathaliebeta

Me [31/F] with my Fiance [33/M] Fiance best friend [33/F] have a weird relationship, driving me insane

BoRU 1

TRIGGER WARNING: >!Stalking, obsessive behavior, controlling behavior!<

Editors Note: because of character count and length, all previous posts will be summarized. The previous BoRU has all full posts

Original Post  May 3, 2015

In the original post concerns OOP and her fiancé regarding his lifelong best friend, Sandy. Who he selected to be his female "best man" at their upcoming wedding. While OOP tried to accept their exceptionally close bond which included daily contact, late-night phone calls, and open expressions of love, she became increasingly uncomfortable with their history, lack of typical boundaries, and a tip from a friend hinting at a potentially sexual past between them. The final straw came when the fiancé admitted that during a past trip to Jamaica when they were both single, they participated in a "couple swap" with another married pair. Though he insisted that he and Sandy never actually slept with each other.

Update 1  June 6 2015 (1 month later)

OOP confronts her fiancé, demanding that Sandy be replaced as best man and cut out of their lives entirely. When he refuses to abandon his best friend but offers to ease contact and skip the bachelor party, she gives him an ultimatum to choose between them prompting him to immediately call off the wedding and end the relationship stating that if she cannot trust him after years of complete honesty, it isn't worth the trouble. Before leaving, he confirms the Jamaica story but clarifies that while they were all naked and swapping did occur, he and Sandy only slept with the other couple's respective partners and never with each other. In the aftermath, OOP realizes she acted out of jealousy and regrets sending harassing texts to Sandy, and desperately tries to win her fiancé back only to find he has packed his things, left his keys and cut off all communication completely.

Update 2  Dec 29, 2015 (6 months after last update)

In update 2 OOP reveals that months of stalking and harassment towards her ex and Sandy led to a meeting with Sandy, where OOP realizes how everything is messed up and she went too far. Things such as following the breakup OOP repeatedly tried to corner her ex-fiancé at his workplace, tracked his movements and flooded him, his sister, and his parents with messages leading her ex to block her and change his phone number twice. Sandy eventually met with the OOP to deliver a final warning that the ex-fiancé was preparing to file a restraining order if the harassment did not cease. OOP tried to downplay her behavior as a series of misunderstandings and blamed Sandy for being toxic and threatening, the intervention OOP to come to terms that the engagement was permanently over and that she needed to cut contact, focus on her own therapy and attempt to move on with her life.

New update

10+ years update consequences and lesson learned  June 22, 2026

Have not been in reddit for a while here is the original: https://www.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/34r6ah/me_31f_with_my_fiance_33m_fiance_best_friend_33f/

Hello

I am Alive...well, it has been a little over 10 years from my last update.

The other day I was listening to some facebook reel, and what do I find? My old story, I haven't been on reddit for a while and had a hard time tracking my old account and my password, I have some news, this is going to be long.

First let me tell you I am doing much better, I had to move in with my mother as her health has not been the best, I am a single mother and have a wonderful daughter unfortunately due to circumstances she lives with her father. My sister is not doing so good, she has struggled with weight issues and depression , things are improving for her and she has some lovely pets to keep her company.

I am in a much better place now, I have had a lot of therapy and it has helped me cope with a lot of issues, understand things differently, making me a better person. My life has been a lot tougher than I expected, I am trying to focus on being a good mother, a good daughter and good sister.

I have some nice co-workers. Sometimes we go out and hang out after work, just a shade of the old social life I used to have. It has been humbling.

I have not been lucky on the dating scene.

I will be as honest as I can, it's been a long time so I can't remember every detail, however I believe it to be therapeutic to get this out.

I did get served with criminal charges for stalking and harassment, it was a lot of trouble for me, it is too long and painful, but the highlights are.

My sister and I could not contact my ex in any way.

I had to stay some distance away from him, I could not contact him via third parties nor use anyone else to get messages to him.

His family was off limits

I could not contact his work

I could not go to his house

I did not see him in person again, it was all through his attorney.

I had to get a lawyer, at first I thought I did not need one, in my hubris I believed I was in the right and had nothing to fear, I was angry and felt wronged, however my ex's  lawyer contacted me and told me I needed one asap because this was no civil court, the charges were coming from the state, he told me I would most certainly go to jail, my mom helped me pay for one, it was not cheap.

It was humiliating and very eye opener, we met with someone from the prosecutor’s office (can't remember the title) they presented a large number of printouts of the messages I had sent my ex, sandy and his friends. There were prints out of the social media post I made, there were recordings of the voice messages me and my sister left him, his sister, Sandy and a couple of our friends, there were call logs of when I contacted his work, recordings of said calls, statements from our old group of the people who I believed were my friends, from his family, from his sister including the ones in which I was just venting, emails I had sent, emails my sister had sent, even some from fake accounts in which I pretended to be someone else. They did not paint me in good way, now all these years later I admit they were too much, in particular the ones were I threaten him.

There were incident reports from his HR department due to the harassment I had done, there were several police reports as well, video of me driving by his house, parking outside of his new place, he took the videos. He knew I was watching so we weren't as sneaky as we thought we were.

The final incident that made me think long and hard and convinced me to snap out of it was when me and my sister were following him in her car and we got pulled over by the police, we were detained, my ex had called emergency services... that was .. the moment that made me realize I had gone too far, that was of course included, it scared me.

My mom was devastated when she saw all the information. She was crying and weeping asking me and my sister on how we could have done this.

Believe me it was damaging, did not paint us in a good way, and there was no excuse for what me and my sister did, I can't believe how unhinged I was.

My ex's lawyer was not working for the state, he was the one who gathered everything, he was very friendly and not aggressive at all, he told us my ex just wanted this solved, and be done with it, very professional, not like they appear on tv or shows, he was like: you messed up bad, but we don't want to screw you 100%

At that time I asked my attorney if we could fight the charges or do something about it, he said we could but we would have to find someone else, he was not taking it. He told us this had been going on for a long time and we would be lucky if I stayed out of prison, he did not hold back, there were tears, fights and blames between my mom, my sister and me.

I contacted my uncle, my moms older brother who has always been a father figure, he met with the lawyer as well, when he saw all the evidence and heard all the story his eyes filled with tears, he could not believe what we had done, still 10 years later our relationship has not recovered, he looked so shocked, he said he had failed. The look of disappointment in his face is something that still haunts me

He told the 3 of us to take the deal, accept the restraining order, the probation, the misdemeanor, as it was the best we could get and it could get very ugly if we fought it, including possible jail time. We came to an arrangement, he would reach the prosecutor.

I had to go in front of a judge and admit to it all, the prosecutor was there, he was the one that recommended the terms. I would accept the restraining order, no contact... probation for 3 years, community service, a big fine, therapy, group therapy, my ex was not present, his lawyer was but said nothing.

The Judge was very harsh, she did not mince words, she told me people have done prison time for less, that I was lucky my ex fiance had spoke kindly about me to the prosecution otherwise she would have imposed a more severe punishment, she asked me directly if I knew the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor? - she explained it- She asked how would we feel if the roles were reversed and my ex had done all these things to me,how would my family feel about it? That one hit hard and we all cried. Terrible terrible things I did. She had me read out loud some of the emails, texts and transcripts of the voice messages I had sent my ex and Sandy, it was so bad that it still rattles me, she asked me what I was I thinking? My attorney several times tried to say something, telling the judge that it was summarized, but she told him to shut up and to keep reading, she said I had to be accountable for all this, I was crying so hard when I read the messages, it was terrible, even when I was sobbing, the judge made me pause, compose myself and then to keep reading, the ones we sent Sandy were the worst of all, she made me read them all, my mom, my sister and me were crying the whole time, my lawyer was shocked about the reaction of the judge, It was horrible, long, time consuming, expensive and it was all on me, the Judge said at the end that she was not pleased with the results and if it were up to her my punishment would be severe. My lawyer was rattled and told us we were lucky, as he had worked with this judge before and had never seen her so upset. I had to get a bank loan at terrible rates to pay my mother and all this mess.

My ex did not want any restitution, so he did not go the civil court way, which my lawyer told me that once again we were lucky because we would have to pay a lot of money due to the amount of evidence and the length of time it had been going on. We got a separate private agreement, the lawyer made it clear that this was not a reward for my actions but a generosity as he wanted to move on cleanly.

At the end my ex would let me keep the car (it was his, I was using it ) transfer the title to me, and he would pay for therapy.

I did not see this coming, I was so caught up with the drama and thinking stupid scenarios that it bit me hard, still at the end he was being the better person.

The Lawyer provided me with a list of therapists, the first 2 were no good, the third one was the best.

After the 6 months were up I contacted his attorney and asked if my ex would be willing to pay for more sessions, his lawyer said my ex agreed if I kept my part of the bargain and not contact him ever again, he paid for an additional year of therapy that was in 2016 - 2017

He got married in 2018, of course I was not invited to the wedding.

All of my old group of acquaintances who I thought were my friends, stopped contacting me and cut me off. That tells me something right?

The wife of one of my ex friends, let's call her Jenny, was pretty much the only one of that group that had anything to do with me, She got divorced from her husband shortly after my trial, even though she did not say, I believe it was related to all this Sandy ordeal. We meet every once in a while. Later on She was the one who showed me the posts and the pictures of my ex wedding.

His wife seems nice enough, however looks simple and bland. They have 2 kids now.

I had a meltdown when I saw the pictures and it took me a lot to contain myself. Regarding Best friend Sandy, what can I say She was indeed the best man at his wedding, she wore a tux with bow tie and everything.

She seemed very close to his new wife, they had plenty of pictures together being friendly and going out, some at the beach. They had a bachelor party at San Diego instead of Las Vegas, I Believe for a convention or event or show of some sort, costumes and all that, a lot of pictures, some at bars smoking cigars and drinking,  couple of male friends with them as well, some I knew and recognized, some I didn't .

The old group was at the wedding.

I had a ton of question in my old posts that I could never answer so I will  do it now:

  • I did not kill myself ,neither did my sister

  • yes I  checked his phone, he didn't care about it, no he did not check mine, he could if he would have wanted , he did not.

  • Yes I was honest, I did leave out some parts, like finding his new place and calling his work, following him around, and some more things I can't remember.

  • Yes I lost my job at that time , that's the main reason I had so much time on my hands.

  • The box of toys were not sex toys, they were some action figurines and some ships? cars?

  • I stopped posting because my lawyer told me to shut it all down, I told my therapist about it and she said It was not the smartest move to take advice from stranger who only get a fraction of the story and even though it was a nice way to vent, it was not good to follow shitty advice

  • Yes I was definitely a lot to handle and making demands were not the correct way to go. I can see it now, sad.. a very sad time for me. I have no excuse

  • Yes I had feelings of abandonment

  • Yes I have gotten help, a lot of help

  • Yes I was angry, mostly angry with myself.

  • Yes I was an idiot and got exactly what I deserved

  • His family is not wealthy, they are maybe above middle class american, he did, does? very well in his work. He also has a younger sister whom I did not mention, she was nice to me at first then she just stopped interacting with me, I think she did not like me, this was way before the break up.

  • I was immature and learned that ultimatums are not good unless you can live with the results of them.

  • I was selfish and entitled, boy was I entitled

  • Mom was very protective of me and my sister, I was kind of like the golden child so I felt I deserved things that were not my right.

  • I was focusing on the wrong things

  • My job was in retail, still is.

  • Yeah she was always happy to see him

  • No she was never rude to me , no she did not insult me

  • No my Ex did not pay her things, not that I was aware, she was ok financially but I think that's because the father of her kids

  • Pretty sure my ex was not the father of her kids, they are very similar to their father.

  • I am not sure about the sneaking around when they were teens, she would sleep at his house, maybe in the same bed? His parents didn't care or didn't know, yes one time he was gone for about a week for something school related and she stayed at his parents house in his room while he was away,

  • Yes when they were in collage she would stay in his dorm? apartment? cant remember

  • He works in IT or worked in IT? made? makes? very good money. He was an expert in ZAP or SAP or TAP  (I remember he spoke about it all the time)

  • I have to admit I was stalking him, I crossed the line and did not respect his limits, I was not thinking straight I noticed some of the messages were egging me on, and telling me I should confront him, find his new place, send him messages ..not to beg....that I would wear him down...that he would come crawling back ...not very bright on my part. Only a couple of people called me out and told me I was wrong and acting crazy, some offered help, some contacted me directly telling me to reach out to a professional, some let me vent, thank you from the bottom of my heart, The rest was just feeding my anger, my ego, my entitlement, I recently read all the crap I wrote, I can't believe some people would think it was ok or justified to act the way I did, it is not completely understandable to demand an answer or an apology from someone who has made clear that does not want to be contacted, Only one redditor posted that they were only getting one side of the story and that the community should stop enabling me, thank you.

Some things I did not mention, like the car was his, I was the one using it, he paid our rent and all the services at our apartment, when he left he removed himself from the lease and paid for the last 3 months I was on my own after that and could not afford it , that was the reason why I moved with my sister.

Yeah he left all the furniture and electronics when he moved, he only took his things even though he had purchased all the rest. I sold some, took some and gave a little bit away.

Jenny from the friend group, used to say Sandy wasn’t “one of them,” and at the time I didn’t question that the way I should have. I think that was the same reason my ex's older sister did not like her, she was always a little snobbish, she said Sandy was like a stray that her brother had adopted. When I asked her to elaborate  she said it was because her family was trailer trash (sandys), she was always at their house, that my ex would feed her, teach her manners, help her at school and then send her on her way back to the hood and for that reason sandy followed him around..hence a stray. My ex and his family grew up in a very nice neighborhood, sandy family was on the other side of the road.. if you get the meaning.

How did they meet? I think it was some kind of summer camp when they were 8- 9 years old? elementary school?

How did we meet? He was with some friends, I was with my sister at a bar and they bought us a round of drinks and invited us over to join them

He was very extrovert and friendly , very confident, I am kind of introvert and not so friendly

He was  handsome, was tall, wore thick rim glasses and that gave him a nerd look, he did not like to wear contacts, he was in shape and had a nice smile yeah in those days I would think that Sandy was way out of my ex fiancee league

Regarding Sandy ex, he was wealthy, older than us, a couple of times he took us on holidays all inclusive on his dime. I don't know the reason why he divorced, but at my ex wedding I saw him in the pictures.

He did not seem to care about my ex and Sandy relationship. He was really sophisticated guy and seemed like a good father to his kids

After Jenny's divorced all the friend group cut her off. I am still in touch with her every once in a while but would not consider her a friend

Yes, my ex paid for the holidays and the trips. We went to Germany once for some work training, I did not like it very much as I was alone for the whole time.

Yes I was judgmental and I think the social status clouded me

No I am not still stalking him, every once in a while curiosity gets the best of me and I snoop on his wife's social media or on one of his friends

My therapist mentioned one thing that the judge said, that has stayed with me. How would I feel or how would my family feel if my ex did everything I did? It would be scary..very scary and I would probably be traumatized.

I wanted to post this long update because it is very important to get the message  across, actions have consequences I faced and still am facing mine. We are only getting one side of the story, I must confess when me and my sister did all those things we felt right and justified, for some reason I believed I could change the outcome of something I had created, if it was a man doing these things to me, my sister or my daughter, I would be terrified. I have been to support groups, therapy session, victims advocacy, did a lot of community service, I heard horrifying stories, with horrifying results, justice was kind to me, I do not know what my ex told the prosecutor or if he spoke with the judge or sent a letter, but I was lucky, people have gotten more for less, my ex could have been cruel, he could have requested the judge for the maximum penalty, a felony charge that would most certainly have landed me in prison, he could of taken his car back, he could have not paid for the therapy, he did not, he just wanted to be left alone, The judge made it very clear that she was not happy with the end result, my lawyer told me so.

Help your friends, help your community if someone close to you is having trouble with obsessive behavior, anger issues, harassment, depression, trouble thoughts, get them help, listen to them, if you are in a dark place, it's ok to ask for help, there is no shame in it. Once in a relationship it is on you and on your partner how much you have to reveal about your past, honesty is good, but not a deal breaker, we all carry luggage and we all have a past that we cannot change.

No means No

This will definitely be my last update, I am done with this saga. It's been 10 years and that's enough, also I finally learned what TLDR stands for so

TLDR: Girl finds old reddit post, updates, gets what she wants, gets consequences, gets help, learns, and gets better.

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP

DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

reddit.com
u/Angelia_the_Nephalem — 5 days ago
🔥 Hot ▲ 8.1k r/OzMedia+1 crossposts

I (34f) found a text thread where my fiancé (32m) told a friend he is worried about our wedding photos

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/notyourdadjustadingo

I (34f) found a text thread where my fiancé (32m) told a friend he is worried about our wedding photos

Originally posted to r/relationship_advice

TRIGGER WARNING: >!Body shaming!<

Original Post - rareddit July 19, 2020

My fiancé Dave and I have been dating two years and live together. Earlier today I was using his iPad to watch a show in our room because I wasn’t feeling well and we don’t have a TV in our room. We don’t use the iPad much, maybe a couple times a month.

While I was watching he was getting texts from a friend of his Mike. The banner just said “text message” so I kept swiping up but they were coming on so fast. At one point I accidentally opened the text convo.

So to start I’m not a beauty. It doesn’t mean I’m not confident though. There’s rarely a day that goes by where I look in the mirror and am unsatisfied with my appearance. How people treat women who do not fit any mold of “attractiveness” is a story for a different day but, I’ve often been referred to as a “starter girlfriend” or “stepping stone” and that my exes had no confidence since they chose to date me, or were closeted, and every guy I’ve ever asked out has always said no. I’m not someone to date just to date, I don’t chase guys anymore, generally I’ve stayed away from dating.

It took some time to trust that someone was interested in me and wasn’t going to drop me when someone “better” came along.

So the texts were Dave sending pictures of me to his friend trying to figure out what my “best angle” is. Mike said that my left side is “tolerable I guess, if anything you should tell the photographer to focus on that side.”

Dave expressed his frustration like “I think I do want to marry her but maybe you’re right just ask the photographer to edit some things here and there.” And Mike said, “it would make you both feel better. Maybe just have photos of her straight on since she looks best that way.”

I was more offended than hurt, and I’m still more offended than hurt. I know I’m not attractive but to say I need editing in my own wedding pictures is so rude and demeaning.

I took screenshots with my phone and handed the iPad back to Dave so the first thing you see when you open it is the conversation.

He asked me how the movie was and I told him it was great, then we had lunch. I wear my heart on my sleeve and he knew immediately something was up and kept pestering me about it.

I kept saying I was still feeling off but he kept asking. So I told him he should talk to Mike about his concerns, since he and Mike have so many opinions about me. He kinda turned white for a second before asking me what I meant. I handed him his iPad and I went to our bedroom and shut the door.

He hasn’t come to talk to me for a few hours which is killing me. We usually talk things through but I don’t know what to do. I know he hasn’t left the apartment.

TL;DR: Caught my fiancé telling a friend he wants our photographer to post-edit my appearance in our upcoming wedding photos. I am so offended and don’t know how to approach this.

TOP COMMENTS

witty_punny_name

>Oh man. My heart broke for you reading this. You don't need to settle for someone who doesn't love you completely, and unconditionally. It's true when they say love is blind. Someone who truly loves you wouldn't be worrying about how you will look in your wedding photos, and he absolutely wouldn't be allowing his friend to put you down for your looks. I know the thought of spending your life alone is scary and depressing, but trust me, it is way better than spending your life in a bad relationship. You deserve so much better.

~

anonymys

> I've typed out the beginning of several replies, OP, hoping I could be reasonable, but honestly, I'm just so fucking pissed for you. > > You deserve someone who has more respect for you than to discuss behind your back how best to make you "palatable" in his wedding photos. You deserve someone who thinks you're gorgeous all of the time, regardless of what society at large thinks. You deserve someone whose only concern for your looks in the wedding photos (and every day for the rest of ever) is whether he's lucky enough to be the reason for the huge, lovely smile that's gracing your face. > > I don't know if you can forgive him, or whether you even should. But I do know you deserve better than to be treated like someone's accessory.

~

snortgiggles

>I "think" I want to marry her? What the hell does that mean?

toomanyrougneds

>> He's settling for someone he thinks is his inferior. Why that is I can't imagine, unless he was hoping she would be too afraid of being alone to leave him. >> >> His attitude is so, so "Mr. Darcy before Hunsford".

Update - rareddit Aug 16, 2020 (1 month later)

I posted this post about a month ago.

There were a lot of comments, but more often than not the comments told me to leave and how I don't deserve him. And all that.

We had a civil conversation (our first for a while) and he told me he had been wanting to break up for a while but didn't think it was right. Apparently he cares about me but had been wanting to break up for a while, but he felt bad. And said he doesn't know how to handle criticism about our relationship from other people.

So I took that advice and left.

It only took a few days, and I hired movers to take my things. We talked a few times but I was really busy with work and packing that we stayed away from each other.

I found an apartment for rent and here I am. It's a really nice place, and I'm happy it is. But I can't say that I'm much happier. If anything I might be a little worse off, I guess.

Like in my original post, I mentioned how I'm aware of how I look. And now that I'm alone it's all I can really think about. Talking about it with my family just leads to things like, "oh you're great, you're too beautiful to deal with someone so ugly," just kinda of made it worse. All my friends are pretty and the way we are treated in public is just a reminder. Going out in a group to a club is a photographer getting shots of them, and one asked me to take a picture of him with everyone else. I've generally paid for more than half of everything (I'm not saying guys should pay for anything, but my friends are always getting things from their boyfriends or husbands, even cars). And I'm definitely excited for them but it is just a reminder.

I've been trying to work out more because I gained about 20lbs since we started dating, so I work out some but more often I snooze my alarm. There is a novel I am trying to write and I've gotten some written but I am having trouble staying motivated. I read and then I get inspiration and write like 200 - 400 words once or twice a day which is good so far. I found my 360 and have been playing Oblivion again lol. And I draw a little. But my apartment is an absolute mess.

And like I don't miss him or anything, it's actually quite nice being on my own. But I am just so... sad? I don't have a distraction maybe? I can't really put my finger on it.

But overall I am doing well. Everyone was right about leaving him, because we'd both grown pretty agitated with one another and it was reaching a breaking point. Living alone has helped a lot.

TL;DR: Broke up with fiance over him saying he didn't think he wanted to marry me. Now I'm kinda going through a depression but I'll be ok.

TOP COMMENT

Mindtaker

> Look all your feelings are valid as fuck, so feel those feelings and I hope you get better regarding being depressed. > > I will just say this then let you get back to slaying monsters and kicking ass. > > I was my wifes first actual boyfriend. She is disabled and she doesn't think she is pretty (I think she is gorgeous). She was 36 when we met. > > You are never too old, you never don't have enough "Experience" lifes just an unfair bullshit game that we all have to play. Enjoy this time to yourself, use it to remember why you do kick ass, so that when you meet the right person, you love yourself, which is the only way you will be capable of fully loving someone else. > > Cheers. Oblivion is an awesome game.

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP

DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

reddit.com
u/Angelia_the_Nephalem — 8 days ago
▲ 13 r/OzMedia+1 crossposts

The saga of the nice-guy boss who thought his female co-worker was in an abusive relationship

I am NOT OP. Original post by u/menumessages in r/relationship_advice

This is a famous nice guy reddit post that went viral in 2017. Long with many parts.

Update - this post was originally autodeleted and approved 1.5 days later, which is why I reposted it to my profile and the niceguys sub.

Original: Me [32M] with my coworker/friend [24/F] of one year, how do I let her know she is in an abusive relationship with her bf[24m] - 12 July 2017

So a little background to start off with:

I work for a nonprofit where I'm the supervisor of 10 people that work under me. Last fall a young woman, lets call her Jennifer started to work with us through an outside fellowship. Now she's the kind of person that just commands attention as soon as she walks into the room. She is very pretty but just has one of those personalities that everyone likes you know? I had to train her when she first started but was very surprised by how quickly she picked everything up. We do a lot of legal work and it's not easy for people without previous experience to learn so quickly. So this should give you a good idea of the kind of person she is.

I immediately took a liking to her because of her work but also how easy she was to talk to. During our training, I would say we became pretty close. So much so that I would text her outside of work about non work related stuff. Also she sends me snapchats a lot, random stuff like shows shes watch like friends do. We even go to happy hour alone sometimes and I think I am the closest to her at work. One time she even had lunch with my mom and I when my mom was visiting town.

So she is someone I consider a very good friend and want the best for her.

Now here's the problem. About two months into her working with us, I found out she has a boyfriend. TO CLARIFY I DO NOT HAVE ANY ROMANTIC INTERESTS AND DO NOT CARE THAT SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND. I really don't care that she has a boyfriend but felt a little manipulated that she never mentioned him before. I am supervisor, been training her for a few months, we have been talking about a lot of stuff so it just comes off as hiding something. People who work in small offices will know what I'm talking about.

It was a little hard for me to trust her after that but I kept it to myself. She was still a great employee and her having a boyfriend did not change anything because apparently she has been with this guy for 5 years now. He doesn't live in the same city and they barely see each other from what I understand.

So months go by and everything is going really well. So much so that I was even thinking about recommending her for a promotion. We became even closer during this time. About two weeks ago our parent group is hosted a fundraising gala. I asked Jennifer if she wold like to go with me and she said yes. I always have a great time with her so I was really looking forward to it. The night of the gala I called to see when I should pick her up and she said her boyfriend was in town and he would drop her off so she will just meet me there.

This is the first red flag I noticed. Is this guy really that insecure that he can't even let her date take her to this gala? Five years and this insecure? That's a problem. But I just agree and say okay I will meet her there. I get to the gala and start to mingle. She eventually gets there but I don't approach her. Honestly, still pretty bothered by what happened earlier so I wanted her to come to me and apologize. She came up to me and we talked but she never apologized for what she did but I ignored it. Soon we were talking just like before and honestly really enjoying each other's company.

Here's when I noticed the second red flag. Jennifer and I were talking to another couple when she excused herself because she had to take a call from her boyfriend. I thought it was pretty rude and she has never done something like this before. A little later she comes back and says that her boyfriend is picking her up and she will leave early.

THIRD RED FLAG. She was very much looking forward to this night and suddenly she wants to leave early? You know when you can just tell someone isn't happy in their situation? Yeah I definitely felt it right away.

A little while later he gets there and I shit you not, this idiot walked into the gala wearing shorts and a t shirt. I almost wanted to laugh but I didn't want to embarrass him. Jennifer introduces me to him and I make pleasantries but I do make a joke about how must feel a little out of place. He says something like "nah, not really sticking around so not a big deal." Okay? I don't really get what that has to do with anything. My point was that he was at a black tie event dressed like he is going to the gym, I don't care if you're for five minutes or five hours, that's weird. So you can already see he is getting an attitude with me for no reason. I follow up with, "well there are some really important people here" and his response was something like, "I've met senators wearing flip flops, I think I'll be okay."

Holy shit, I'm getting angry writing this. But you see what I'm talking about right? He completely rubbed me the wrong way. So anyways, as she is leaving, I tell her to let me know if she gets home okay.

It gets around midnight and she hasn't sent me a single message. So I sent her a text and no reply. I sent her another around 1am saying I am worried and just to let me know if she is okay. No reply. I have a hard time sleeping that night because I am genuinely concerned. It's just the kind of person I am. I need to know my friends are okay or it bothers me.

I wake up the next morning after getting really bad sleep and she still hasn't responded. This makes me upset because I can see she has uploaded pictures on facebook but yet won't respond to my text. The only explanation is that her boyfriend is the reason. She always responds to me and at most a few hours later. So Sunday night I finally send another message really detailing how upset I was with how she was treating me. Also how I think how much control I feel her boyfriend was exerting over her was really making me lose respect for her. I always thought she is this strong independent woman and suddenly this guy is controlling who she can or can't talk to. Of course I get no reply.

Monday, inevitably we see each other at work and she confronts me the first thing in the morning. Before I even get a chance to speak, she says I made her uncomfortable and she wants to just finish her last two months of fellowship without any contact that is not necessary for work.

This was about two weeks ago. I was really upset at first but honestly I've done a lot of reading. When you are in an abusive relationship, you stop seeing the world the way it is and only the way the abuser wants you to see. It makes me really sad that I am losing a good friend because her boyfriend has insecurity issues.

So a few concerns here. She started dating him 5 years ago meaning she was only 19 and therefore this is pretty much the only adult "relationship" she knows. Also the guy is a lobbyist! She wants to work in public service, help immigrants and refugees but yet dates a lobbyist? Does she really not see the contradiction here?

I think over the past five years he has done a good job gaslighting her and it's to the point where it's affecting her relationship with other people and it breaks my heart to see this happen to a good friend.

My question is this: what is the best approach to let her know of these concerns I have? How can you make someone who refuses to see reality to actually see what is happening? I have spoken to my mother and we both agree it would be best that she is also there when I approach Jennifer. However, do you think it should just be me alone or it would be better having a motherly figure also there to talk about something this serious? And if we have this conversation and she still refuses to break up with her abusive boyfriend, what are the final steps that I should take? To be frank, I'm not sure I can remain friends with her if she continues to date him. I'm simply not the kind of person who will stick by someone who is willingly ruining their own life.

I can't stop thinking about this and haven't gotten any work done today. I really look forward to your suggestions and thank you for all your help. For any of you that are currently in an abusive relationship, get out before it's too late.

tl;dr: My pretty good friend is in an abusive relationship but won't notice it. How do I get her to notice for her own good but also the future of our friendship?

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UPDATE 1 (July 12, 2017): OP posts a modified version of the story to a new sub, r/relationships on the same day. This post was deleted and I cannot find an archive copy, but since this post went live a helpful redditor (who asked not be cited as a source) has contacted me with a transcription of the post

Me [32M] with my good friend [24F] duration, want to help her get out of abusive relationship

Edit: The other post had a lot of irrelevant information that caused people to troll and locked. I am seriously looking for advice to help a friend. Please only give advice based on information on this post. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY ADVICE REGARDING THIS POST AND THIS POST ONLY PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT.

I’ll keep this short. Basically I work with a girl who is very self confident, independent, and all around a good person. A few weeks ago I met her boyfriend of 5 years and noticed a lot of changes after he met me.

She was not allowed to text friends back, she had to cancel some plans with me, and he even forced her to say she couldn’t speak to me for the rest of her fellowship. She is someone I consider a really good friend and it breaks my heart to see someone as strong as her losing all her friends because her boyfriend is now controlling who she can speak to.

What is the best approach I can take without making this worse for her?

tl;dr: Really close friend is in an abusive relationship and she does not know how to get out. How can I help?

Here are some top comments and OP's responses.

(top comment) Funny, the last time you posted this, you had a lot more details which made you look like a creepy, controlling "nice guy" who is massively overstepping his professional relationship with a coworker by trying to save her from an imaginary abusive relationship based on your own twisted conclusions. Luckily, it's still in your post history so everyone should take a look. She told you to leave her alone. Do that.

(another comment) Her wanting to spend the little time she has with her boyfriend, with her boyfriend, does not mean she is an abusive relationship. It means she is in a normal relationship. To be completely honest, you seem like an entitled narcissist. You can't imagine that a coworker would rather spend time with her boyfriend than you, so you create a fantasy where she is a damsel in distress and you are the hero. The only abusive relationship she is in, is with you.

(OP's reply to above, via profile) Nope again twisting my words. You are saying I am upset that she wants to spend time with her boyfriend and that is not the case. I am upset because a good friend is being abused by her boyfriend.

I wasn't upset he drove her to the party, I was upset that he was so insecure he wouldn't let her go to a gala with her friend already had plans with.

I wasn't upset he picked her up, I was upset he made her leave from an event that she was really looking forward to, got all dressed up for, and would meet really important people that will help propel her career.

I wasn't upset she was bus with her boyfriend instead of messaging me. I was upset that he is deciding who she can and can't text after meeting someone for a few fucking minutes.

You're twisting my words and pretty badly I might add. Don't quit your day job.

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On the same day OP also posts the following on r/legaladvice

UPDATE 2 (July 12, 2017): NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Is it possible for an employer to get a restraining order for a friend on her behalf?

Let's say I have friend who is currently in an extremely abusive relationship to the point where it is affecting her work. I am also her supervisor. Would it be possible for me to ask for a restraining order from her boyfriend? Let's say she is in such a bad state the she cannot ask herself, is being forced not to. But me, along with a few other people see how bad it is and want to get her out. Therefore if we have several people that can attest to this, could this make a difference? Like can we make an argument that she has been abused so badly she cannot make this decision for herself? If this is not technically possible, what is my next best course of action?

Thank you for your help.

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It appears OP is feeling a lot of anger towards his coworker, posting the following updates in r/offmychest

UPDATE 3 (July 12, 2017): And you think you're better off now? laughable

I tried to help you and you gave me a giant middle finger. Hope you enjoy the hell you got waiting for you in the future. But you probably think you're better off. This cracks me up. Just wait when you come running back and asking for forgiveness and I will just laugh at you as I am doing now.

Good luck you terrible excuse for a human being! oh and FUCK YOU.

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UPDATE 4 (July 13, 2017): She is a walking contradiction and I'm the only one that sees it

You care about refugees soooo much right? You want to help immigrants? You like social justice and want to keep working at non profits? Yeah looks great in a fucking resume doesn't it?

How about you tell everyone that you're also fucking a lobbyist who raises money for the very people creating those problems to begin with?

You're a fucking liar and you may have tricked a lot of other people but I see right through you. Karma is going to hit you like a bitch and don't come running back then.

I'm only going to leave this door open for a little while longer. I hope you see the light soon because you are only fucking up your own future.

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UPDATE 5 (July 13, 2017): Comment on r/askreddit on 'What gets you hopping mad?'

When people ignore all the warning signs and then complain when things end up bad. Like hey, everyone warned you but nooo you don't want to listen.

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UPDATE 6 (July 20, 2017): Comment on r/askreddit on 'Who is the most delusional person you've known?'

A friend whose delusion is slowly ruining her life. But at a certain point, there's only so much you can do.

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Things turn ugly, fast, on r/offmychest

Update 7 (August 3, 2017): Why did I even try?

Fucking bitch. I've been in this profession a decade longer than you. I COULD HAVE HELPED YOU MOVE FORWARD IN YOUR CAREER.

Now you're talking shit? You're really going to try to ruin my reputation when all I did was try to help?

Do you know the connections I have? You think when you leave in a month you'll just slide in easily in some new job? I will fucking ruin you and make sure everyone knows how terrible of a employee you were.

Let the games begin you dumb bitch. Try to keep your fucking legs closed for a few minutes while I fix the damage you caused. You really have no idea how nonprofits work do you? This is such a small world and you attack the one person who has helped you from the beginning. Oh and thanks for NOT showing up at my boxing match. Even though we talked about it months ago and you said you would come. This just confirms that you were never a friend and just using me. We don't need users like you in the business. I have helped 100s of people and will have 100s more. Can't wait for you to go back into your cushy life where you don't what real pain is. Leave the real work to people like me who genuinely care about helping.

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OP gets reflective on r/offmychest and r/UnsentLetters

Update 8 (September 26, 2017):When you finally see the light, I won't be at the end of the tunnel anymore.

Dear friend,

Where do I even start. This Friday will be mark a month since you left. Three weeks ago marks a year since we met. I wonder if you even think about any of that, lol. Honestly, you probably do but I know he wouldn't ever let you show it.

Do you know that I haven't even had the strength to go on social media or reddit for awhile now? It reminds me too much of the memes we shared on snapchat. But I'm tired of holding back my happiness because you choose to be dense.

I remember like yesterday when you first walked in, nervous, unsure, but beautiful nonetheless. I immediately introduced myself (this is something I never do as I have to maintain a role of authority but something about you was different, well I thought so anyways). I could see that just speaking to me changed your demeanor. I had an effect on you. You never really worked in an office before and didn't realize how cold it would be. I offered you my blazer and you were so thankful. It put a smile on face but it was also when I first noticed that we would become good friends. Man, how things changed, huh?

To be honest, I probably never should have become such a good friend to you. There lies my biggest mistake. People always tell me I'm too trusting and friendly and until now, I really didn't want to believe it lol. But I took you under my wing. With my help you picked things up so quickly, faster than anyone I saw in a decade of this business. You had a future in this, you were promising. See how I said had? lol

I still get a smile when I think about that meeting we had to present to Roger. You were so nervous, visibly shaking. Do you remember who gave you the encouraging words so you could go out there? Do you remember how delighted he was and all the compliments he gave you? You were ecstatic. You were made for this and I was the one to show you that you could do it. On our way back from the presentation I took you the Halal food truck. I still can't believe you never tried it! Haha, but you loved it. You would snapchat me every time you went.

But you threw it all away because you were weak. It really isn't your fault I know but I can't help but be angry that you were so weak. You let him gaslight you, abuse you, control you. He decided who your friends were, he decides who you text, he decides how long you stay out. But at the end of the day, you accepted it. You let him and for that I don't think I can ever forgive you. I tried so hard to get through to you but instead you turned on me. You almost ruined everything I worked for but alas you came to your senses and at least dropped the ridiculous accusations. I guess I can at least respect that.

It's just really sad. There was a position open that you would have been perfect for. I told you it was going to open up very early on when we met. I was preparing you for it. IF you didn't leave, you would be starting Monday. But no, another more qualified person will. Someone who actually wants to help people and not just themselves.

What truly hurt is when you didn't show up to my match. I told you about how hard I have been working and you pretended to be so supportive. You promised you wouldn't miss it, but where were you? I know you had nothing to do that night, I saw you status about how you started binging True Blood (something I introduced you to btw), so what was your excuse? Gross. Your behavior is just gross.

We could have built an empire. But I will now build it on my own. I was always going to, I just thought I would help a friend along in the journey. But it will be truly interesting when you're broke, lonely, and depressed in a few years because of this terrible mistake. When you come back to me looking for help and I will no longer be the guy who bends over backwards for you. I hope you remember that

YOU made this decision.

YOU chose him over your future.

YOU chose him over your career.

YOU chose him over your friends that really cared for you.

It's sad, pathetic really. I feel bad but also amused and angry.

Today has been just hard because I found out the person we interviewed will start Monday. It just brought back a lot of memories and I just had to vent.

But you probably don't care. You were acting just to boost your own ego, not because you ever cared about the people we helped. You are a sad and broken person. You are pathetic and it disgusts me how you acted at the end.

But you will just be a smudge in my memories.

Good luck kid, you're going to need it.

Sincerely,

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One last, snarky comment that may or may not have been about 'Jennifer'. Recovered from OP's user profile.

Update 9 (October 7 2017): comment on r/AskReddit What was the worst case of computer illiteracy you have ever witnessed?

An employee of mine (younger btw, 20s) didn't know how to turn a word document into a pdf. On the application she wrote "proficient at microsoft word and excel." Lol, yeah okay.

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And last but not least, a twist! A response from 'Jennifer's' boyfriend after OP's first post appeared in r/niceguys on July 13. May or may not be bullshit, but adding all the same.

Comment from throawaya0101:

I'm a little late but I'm pretty sure I'm the evil boyfriend this guy is referring to.

I actually had difficulty remembering the details because of how untrue and inconsistent the OP's descriptions of the events were. Super eerie and surreal all around though.

(on being asked if his girlfriend went to HR) HR was pretty cool with with her and let her transfer to a different part of the company. I don't really know the details but she's working with brand new team than her previous one.

(on asked if OP wass disciplined) There was an official report about the incident but no word on any actions after that. We haven't had any other contact from Mr. Niceguy either.

(longer response in comment on August 12)

Sorry I'm late again but yea we've talked over the details a couple of times while this incident happened. I'll just note the severe inconsistencies

  • It wasn't a gala, just a normal fundraiser. Most people had buttons ups and slacks on

It was during the fundraiser that he started being really creepy towards her. He started by introducing her as his date and kept insisting they were more than friends. Eventually he became overly touchy, always trying to grab her lower back or always reaching to hold her hand. She finally had enough when he offered the two of them go somewhere "quiet" together. She called me and told me to pick her up immediately.

's interesting the note that his version included a conversation between us but that never happened. I was picking up some free food and drinks when my girlfriend immediately grabbed me and introduced me to the guy. I said hello and he didn't say a word. He kind of glared at me and muttered something I couldn't hear. Then he awkwardly tried to give my girlfriend a hug but she quickly turned away and he said to call him when she comes home. She said she almost threw up when he said that.

The whole thing really caught her by surprise because my she said he was a really nice guy for the majority of the year. It was only around summer time, he started acting strange. She only has a couple weeks left with that company and she's going to be moving with me to to a new place, so I don't really care what happens to that guy. Hope he find Jesus or something though.

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**Reminder - I am not the original poster.*

u/Angelia_the_Nephalem — 24 days ago