u/NearbyAbility3207

I'm 25F and my boyfriend is 27M. We've been together (on and off) for about three years.
Throughout our relationship, we've had the same recurring issues. I caught him lying multiple times, hiding conversations, talking to random women online, and even talking to his ex once. Every time I confronted him, he would tell me I was insecure, an overthinker, or that I needed therapy instead of addressing why I had lost trust.
Last December, after another argument, he broke up with me and told me I was "a burden." I was devastated and begged him not to leave. Our flights were booked for new year the very next day as well on 31st and yet he said he don't want to meet.
At the end of February, he came back. He apologized, said he had realized how wrong he had been, promised he would change, rebuild my trust, and even said he wanted to marry me. I didn't immediately take him back. I spent about two months thinking before giving him another chance.
Since we live in different states, we met again in May. Because trust had been broken, I wanted to see whether his actions would match his words. I asked him to do one simple thing: follow me on social media.
To me, it wasn't about gaining a follower. It was about whether he would make even a small effort to rebuild trust after everything that had happened.
It's now July, and he still refuses. He says he doesn't like showing that side of his life publicly. The part that confuses me is that he's an influencer who posts almost everything else—his purchases, daily life, achievements, and photos with his parents. He also follows and interacts with many other women online.
Whenever I bring this up, he still tells me I'm insecure and overthinking things.
For context, I've always been loyal. During these three years, I never entertained other men, even though I had opportunities to. I genuinely wanted to build a future with him.
Outside of this relationship, I have a full-time job, I'm the eldest daughter in my family, and I handle a lot of responsibilities. I'm not trying to control him or his career. I just wanted honesty, transparency, and consistency from someone who says he wants to marry me.
At this point, I don't know if I'm expecting too much or if I'm ignoring a pattern of broken promises.
AITAH for expecting his actions to match his words after giving him another chance, or am I being unreasonable?

I'm 25F and my boyfriend is 27M. We've been together (on and off) for about three years.
Throughout our relationship, we've had the same recurring issues. I caught him lying multiple times, hiding conversations, talking to random women online, and even talking to his ex once. Every time I confronted him, he would tell me I was insecure, an overthinker, or that I needed therapy instead of addressing why I had lost trust.
Last December, after another argument, he broke up with me and told me I was "a burden." I was devastated and begged him not to leave. Our flights were booked for new year the very next day as well on 31st and yet he said he don't want to meet.
At the end of February, he came back. He apologized, said he had realized how wrong he had been, promised he would change, rebuild my trust, and even said he wanted to marry me. I didn't immediately take him back. I spent about two months thinking before giving him another chance.
Since we live in different states, we met again in May. Because trust had been broken, I wanted to see whether his actions would match his words. I asked him to do one simple thing: follow me on social media.
To me, it wasn't about gaining a follower. It was about whether he would make even a small effort to rebuild trust after everything that had happened.
It's now July, and he still refuses. He says he doesn't like showing that side of his life publicly. The part that confuses me is that he's an influencer who posts almost everything else—his purchases, daily life, achievements, and photos with his parents. He also follows and interacts with many other women online.
Whenever I bring this up, he still tells me I'm insecure and overthinking things.
For context, I've always been loyal. During these three years, I never entertained other men, even though I had opportunities to. I genuinely wanted to build a future with him.
Outside of this relationship, I have a full-time job, I'm the eldest daughter in my family, and I handle a lot of responsibilities. I'm not trying to control him or his career. I just wanted honesty, transparency, and consistency from someone who says he wants to marry me.
At this point, I don't know if I'm expecting too much or if I'm ignoring a pattern of broken promises.
AITAH for expecting his actions to match his words after giving him another chance, or am I being unreasonable?

I'm 25F and my boyfriend is 27M. We've been together (on and off) for about three years.
Throughout our relationship, we've had the same recurring issues. I caught him lying multiple times, hiding conversations, talking to random women online, and even talking to his ex once. Every time I confronted him, he would tell me I was insecure, an overthinker, or that I needed therapy instead of addressing why I had lost trust.
Last December, after another argument, he broke up with me and told me I was "a burden." I was devastated and begged him not to leave. Our flights were booked for new year the very next day as well on 31st and yet he said he don't want to meet.
At the end of February, he came back. He apologized, said he had realized how wrong he had been, promised he would change, rebuild my trust, and even said he wanted to marry me. I didn't immediately take him back. I spent about two months thinking before giving him another chance.
Since we live in different states, we met again in May. Because trust had been broken, I wanted to see whether his actions would match his words. I asked him to do one simple thing: follow me on social media.
To me, it wasn't about gaining a follower. It was about whether he would make even a small effort to rebuild trust after everything that had happened.
It's now July, and he still refuses. He says he doesn't like showing that side of his life publicly. The part that confuses me is that he's an influencer who posts almost everything else—his purchases, daily life, achievements, and photos with his parents. He also follows and interacts with many other women online.
Whenever I bring this up, he still tells me I'm insecure and overthinking things.
For context, I've always been loyal. During these three years, I never entertained other men, even though I had opportunities to. I genuinely wanted to build a future with him.
Outside of this relationship, I have a full-time job, I'm the eldest daughter in my family, and I handle a lot of responsibilities. I'm not trying to control him or his career. I just wanted honesty, transparency, and consistency from someone who says he wants to marry me.
At this point, I don't know if I'm expecting too much or if I'm ignoring a pattern of broken promises.
AITAH for expecting his actions to match his words after giving him another chance, or am I being unreasonable?

Hi everyone,
I (25F) have been in an on-and-off relationship with my boyfriend (27M) for about three years. I'm feeling extremely confused and would really appreciate some outside perspectives because I don't know if I'm expecting too much or if I'm ignoring too many red flags.
Throughout our relationship, the biggest issues have always been dishonesty, secrecy, and how he responds whenever I bring up my concerns.
Over the years, I caught him lying multiple times, hiding conversations, talking to random women online, and even talking to his ex at one point. His explanation has always been that he's an influencer, so interacting with lots of people is part of what he does and that I should "give him freedom."
Whenever I questioned him or asked for honesty, instead of addressing my concerns, he would tell me I was insecure, an overthinker, emotionally exhausting, or that I needed therapy. Eventually, I started questioning whether I was actually the problem.
Last December, after another argument about these same issues, he broke up with me and told me I was "a burden." I begged him not to leave because I loved him. Around New Year's, while I was hoping we'd work things out, he stayed away, and that breakup felt like the biggest betrayal.
At the end of February, he came back saying he had realized all of his mistakes. He apologized, said he had been wrong, promised he would change everything, rebuild my trust, and that he wanted to marry me. He told me he would do whatever it took to make things right.
I didn't immediately take him back. I spent about two months thinking about it before deciding to give him another chance. We met again in May since we live in different states.
Because trust had been broken, I wanted to see whether his actions would match his words. I asked for one simple thing: to follow me on social media. To some people that might sound insignificant, but for me it wasn't about the follow itself. It was about whether he would make even a small effort to rebuild trust after everything that had happened.
It's now been months, and he still refuses. His reason is that he doesn't like showing that side of his life publicly. But what confuses me is that he constantly posts almost everything else—his purchases, daily life, achievements, and photos with his parents. He also follows and interacts with many other women online.
So from my perspective, it doesn't feel like a social media preference. It feels like he's choosing not to acknowledge me while continuing to present every other part of his life online.
Whenever I bring this up, he still says I'm insecure and overthinking things. That has been his response for years.
The hardest part is that I have never been disloyal to him. During these three years, I never entertained other men even though I had opportunities to. I always chose him because I genuinely wanted to build a future together.
Outside of this relationship, I actually consider myself a happy and responsible person. I have a full-time job, I'm the eldest daughter in my family, I have a lot of responsibilities, and I manage them well. I'm not someone who wants to control another person's life.
All I wanted was a life partner who would be honest with me, communicate openly, and make me feel secure enough to build a marriage together.
Instead, I feel like I've spent years asking for basic honesty and being told that I'm the problem.
I'm trying to be objective, so I'd really appreciate honest opinions.
Am I asking for too much? Is this relationship worth continuing, or am I holding onto promises while ignoring his actions?
TL;DR: I (25F) spent three years with my boyfriend (27M), who repeatedly lied, hid conversations with other women, talked to his ex, and called me insecure whenever I questioned him. Last December he broke up with me, saying I was "a burden." He came back in February apologizing, promising to change, and saying he wanted to marry me. After taking two months to think, I gave him another chance. Since May, I've asked for one small action to help rebuild trust, following me on social media ( which is not even a big thing) but he still refuses while continuing to post every other aspect of his life and interact with many other women online. He still says I'm overthinking and need therapy whenever I raise concerns. Am I asking for too much, or am I ignoring a pattern of broken promises?

This drama wasn't entertainment for me.

It was personal.

As someone who faced bullying in high school, watching the victims finally stand up for themselves felt incredibly satisfying.

Bullying isn't a "small phase" of school life.

It can impact confidence, mental health, and self-worth for years.

That's why stories like this matter.

They don't just entertain.

They make people feel seen.

And credit to South Korea for not being afraid to turn difficult social issues into powerful stories.

If you've ever been bullied, this series will hit differently.

Hi everyone,
I have a few questions about intimate grooming and hygiene, and I'd really appreciate hearing what has worked for other women.
What's the best way to remove pubic hair if I want the area to feel as smooth as possible? I've considered shaving, waxing, trimming, and laser hair removal. Which method gives the best results, and how do you prevent irritation, razor bumps, or ingrown hairs?

What are some safe and healthy ways to reduce or manage odor in the vulva/vaginal area? I understand that a natural scent is normal, but I'd love to know what hygiene habits, clothing choices, or lifestyle changes have helped you feel fresher and more confident.

If you enjoy receiving oral sex, are there any grooming or hygiene routines you follow beforehand to feel clean, comfortable, and confident? For example, do you have a preferred washing routine, grooming schedule, or anything else that helps you feel your best before intimacy?

I'd appreciate any tips, personal experiences, or advice. Thanks!

My ex (26M) and I (25F) were together for 3 years, and I recently blocked him again after trying to reconcile. I’m devastated and honestly struggling to process everything.
Throughout our relationship, I often felt emotionally exhausted. Whenever I brought up concerns or things that hurt me, the conversations usually turned into me being “too emotional,” “overthinking,” or “insecure.” There were also issues with lying, secrecy, and things that made me uncomfortable, but somehow I always ended up feeling like I was the problem for reacting to them.
We broke up around 2 months ago. During the breakup, he said we had “differences,” that I stopped him from talking to other girls, and that he needed freedom. He also said some really painful things, like that I was a burden and that he was basically tolerating me.
After the breakup though, he kept reaching out consistently from February onward. He told me he realized my value, wanted a future with me, wanted marriage eventually, and would do whatever it took to make me feel secure and loved. Because I loved him seriously and always imagined a future with him, I didn’t rush back. I spent around 3 months thinking carefully before even considering giving things another chance.
We finally met again after 5 months apart, and honestly within 2 days I already felt the exact same dynamic returning.
One thing that hurt me was something small on the surface but emotionally significant to me: he’s a content creator/influencer who follows very few people publicly. Despite asking me to unblock him everywhere and saying he wanted us back, he still doesn’t follow me or engage with anything I post. When I tried explaining why that hurt me emotionally, he again told me I was overthinking, insecure, emotional, and creating issues unnecessarily.
He said he was “protecting our privacy” and “protecting me because he has haters,” but it just felt confusing because he has no issue interacting publicly otherwise. The issue for me was never just the follow itself — it was that he promised reassurance and consideration, yet the second I expressed hurt, I again felt dismissed and irrational for having feelings.
What makes this harder is that he genuinely is not a terrible person overall. He helps people, works hard, and most people around him see him as a good guy. I don’t think he’s evil, and I know I’m not perfect either. I can be emotional and sensitive. But after meeting him again, I realized I was already slipping back into the same cycle of overexplaining myself, doubting my feelings, and begging to be understood.
I finally blocked him because I couldn’t handle repeating myself anymore while feeling ignored or avoided emotionally. It became heartbreaking to realize that despite all the promises about change, I still felt emotionally unsafe bringing up my feelings.
Now I’m grieving all over again, and honestly this feels even more painful because I gave it so much thought before letting him back in. I really believed maybe things would finally be different this time.
How do you cope when you know you loved someone deeply, but the relationship keeps making you feel emotionally dismissed and exhausted?
TL;DR:
Ex came back after our breakup promising change, reassurance, and a future together. I took months before considering reconciliation, but after meeting again I quickly felt the same pattern of emotional dismissal, avoidance, and being called “insecure” for expressing hurt. I finally blocked him because I couldn’t keep repeating myself while feeling unheard, but I’m devastated and struggling to cope with losing the future I imagined with him.

Him (26M) and I (25F) were together for 3 years, and I recently blocked him again after trying to reconcile. I’m devastated and honestly struggling to process everything.
Throughout our relationship, I often felt emotionally exhausted. Whenever I brought up concerns or things that hurt me, the conversations usually turned into me being “too emotional,” “overthinking,” or “insecure.” There were also issues with lying, secrecy, and things that made me uncomfortable, but somehow I always ended up feeling like I was the problem for reacting to them.
We broke up around 2 months ago. During the breakup, he said we had “differences,” that I stopped him from talking to other girls, and that he needed freedom. He also said some really painful things, like that I was a burden and that he was basically tolerating me.
After the breakup though, he kept reaching out consistently from February onward. He told me he realized my value, wanted a future with me, wanted marriage eventually, and would do whatever it took to make me feel secure and loved. Because I loved him seriously and always imagined a future with him, I didn’t rush back. I spent around 3 months thinking carefully before even considering giving things another chance.
We finally met again after 5 months apart, and honestly within 2 days I already felt the exact same dynamic returning.
One thing that hurt me was something small on the surface but emotionally significant to me: he’s a content creator/influencer who follows very few people publicly. Despite asking me to unblock him everywhere and saying he wanted us back, he still doesn’t follow me or engage with anything I post. When I tried explaining why that hurt me emotionally, he again told me I was overthinking, insecure, emotional, and creating issues unnecessarily.
He said he was “protecting our privacy” and “protecting me because he has haters,” but it just felt confusing because he has no issue interacting publicly otherwise. The issue for me was never just the follow itself it was that he promised reassurance and consideration, yet the second I expressed hurt, I again felt dismissed and irrational for having feelings.
What makes this harder is that he genuinely is not a terrible person overall. He helps people, works hard, and most people around him see him as a good guy. I don’t think he’s evil, and I know I’m not perfect either. I can be emotional and sensitive. But after meeting him again, I realized I was already slipping back into the same cycle of overexplaining myself, doubting my feelings, and begging to be understood.
I finally blocked him because I couldn’t handle repeating myself anymore while feeling ignored or avoided emotionally. It became heartbreaking to realize that despite all the promises about change, I still felt emotionally unsafe bringing up my feelings.
Now I’m grieving all over again, and honestly this feels even more painful because I gave it so much thought before letting him back in. I really believed maybe things would finally be different this time.
How do you cope when you know you loved someone deeply, but the relationship keeps making you feel emotionally dismissed and exhausted?
TL;DR:
Ex came back after our breakup promising change, reassurance, and a future together. I took months before considering reconciliation, but after meeting again I quickly felt the same pattern of emotional dismissal, avoidance, and being called “insecure” for expressing hurt. I finally blocked him because I couldn’t keep repeating myself while feeling unheard, but I’m devastated and struggling to cope with losing the future I imagined with him.

My ex (26M) and I (25F) were together for 3 years. The relationship was emotionally exhausting for me a lot of the time. Whenever I brought up concerns, he would usually say I was “overthinking” or “being insecure.” There were also issues with lying and secrecy that made me uncomfortable, but somehow the conversations always turned into me being the problem.
We broke up 2 months ago. During the breakup he said we had “differences,” that I stopped him from talking to other girls, and that he needed freedom. He also said really hurtful things like I was a burden and that he was just tolerating me.
After the breakup, he kept reaching out consistently from February onward, saying he realized my value, wanted a future with me, and even talked about marriage. He said he would do everything to make me feel secure and loved. Because of that, I took around 3 months to think carefully before even considering giving him another chance.
I met him again 2 days ago after 5 months apart, and honestly I already feel the same problems starting again.
One issue that upset me was something very small/basic to me: he’s an influencer/content creator, follows very few people publicly, and despite asking me to unblock him everywhere and saying he wanted us back, he still doesn’t follow me or even engage with anything I post. When I tried explaining why that hurt me, he again said I’m “overthinking,” “too emotional,” and “insecure.”
He says he’s “protecting our privacy” and “protecting me because he has haters,” but it feels confusing because he has no problem interacting publicly otherwise. I’m not even focused on the follow itself — it’s more that he promised consideration and reassurance, yet the moment I express hurt, I’m again made to feel irrational.
What confuses me is that he genuinely isn’t a terrible person overall. He helps people, works hard, and everyone around him sees him as a good guy. I also know I’m emotional and not perfect either. But I loved him seriously and always saw marriage with him, so this decision feels very heavy to me.
Almost everyone in my life thinks I’m ignoring red flags and that nothing has actually changed.
From an outside perspective: does this sound like someone genuinely trying to rebuild trust, or does it sound like the same dynamic repeating already?
**TL;DR:** Ex came back after breaking up with me and saying hurtful things. He promised change, reassurance, and a future together, so I took months to think about it. After meeting again, I already feel dismissed the same way as before whenever I express hurt or concerns. Am I ignoring obvious red flags?

My ex (26M) and I (25F) were together for 3 years. The relationship was emotionally exhausting for me a lot of the time. Whenever I brought up concerns, he would usually say I was “overthinking” or “being insecure.” There were also issues with lying and secrecy that made me uncomfortable, but somehow the conversations always turned into me being the problem.
We broke up 2 months ago. During the breakup he said we had “differences,” that I stopped him from talking to other girls, and that he needed freedom. He also said really hurtful things like I was a burden and that he was just tolerating me.
After the breakup, he kept reaching out consistently from February onward, saying he realized my value, wanted a future with me, and even talked about marriage. He said he would do everything to make me feel secure and loved. Because of that, I took around 3 months to think carefully before even considering giving him another chance.
I met him again 2 days ago after 5 months apart, and honestly I already feel the same problems starting again.
One issue that upset me was something very small/basic to me: he’s an influencer/content creator, follows very few people publicly, and despite asking me to unblock him everywhere and saying he wanted us back, he still doesn’t follow me or even engage with anything I post. When I tried explaining why that hurt me, he again said I’m “overthinking,” “too emotional,” and “insecure.”
He says he’s “protecting our privacy” and “protecting me because he has haters,” but it feels confusing because he has no problem interacting publicly otherwise. I’m not even focused on the follow itself — it’s more that he promised consideration and reassurance, yet the moment I express hurt, I’m again made to feel irrational.
What confuses me is that he genuinely isn’t a terrible person overall. He helps people, works hard, and everyone around him sees him as a good guy. I also know I’m emotional and not perfect either. But I loved him seriously and always saw marriage with him, so this decision feels very heavy to me.
Almost everyone in my life thinks I’m ignoring red flags and that nothing has actually changed.
From an outside perspective: does this sound like someone genuinely trying to rebuild trust, or does it sound like the same dynamic repeating already?
**TL;DR:** Ex came back after breaking up with me and saying hurtful things. He promised change, reassurance, and a future together, so I took months to think about it. After meeting again, I already feel dismissed the same way as before whenever I express hurt or concerns. Am I ignoring obvious red flags?

My ex (26M) and I (25F) were together for 3 years. The relationship was emotionally exhausting for me a lot of the time. Whenever I brought up concerns, he would usually say I was “overthinking” or “being insecure.” There were also issues with lying and secrecy that made me uncomfortable, but somehow the conversations always turned into me being the problem.
We broke up 2 months ago. During the breakup he said we had “differences,” that I stopped him from talking to other girls, and that he needed freedom. He also said really hurtful things like I was a burden and that he was just tolerating me.
After the breakup, he kept reaching out consistently from February onward, saying he realized my value, wanted a future with me, and even talked about marriage. He said he would do everything to make me feel secure and loved. Because of that, I took around 3 months to think carefully before even considering giving him another chance.
I met him again 2 days ago after 5 months apart, and honestly I already feel the same problems starting again.
One issue that upset me was something very small/basic to me: he’s an influencer/content creator, follows very few people publicly, and despite asking me to unblock him everywhere and saying he wanted us back, he still doesn’t follow me or even engage with anything I post. When I tried explaining why that hurt me, he again said I’m “overthinking,” “too emotional,” and “insecure.”
He says he’s “protecting our privacy” and “protecting me because he has haters,” but it feels confusing because he has no problem interacting publicly otherwise. I’m not even focused on the follow itself — it’s more that he promised consideration and reassurance, yet the moment I express hurt, I’m again made to feel irrational.
What confuses me is that he genuinely isn’t a terrible person overall. He helps people, works hard, and everyone around him sees him as a good guy. I also know I’m emotional and not perfect either. But I loved him seriously and always saw marriage with him, so this decision feels very heavy to me.
Almost everyone in my life thinks I’m ignoring red flags and that nothing has actually changed.
From an outside perspective: does this sound like someone genuinely trying to rebuild trust, or does it sound like the same dynamic repeating already?
TL;DR: Ex came back after breaking up with me and saying hurtful things. He promised change, reassurance, and a future together, so I took months to think about it. After meeting again, I already feel dismissed the same way as before whenever I express hurt or concerns. Am I ignoring obvious red flags?

Hi everyone, I am 25F.
I’m looking for some genuinely helpful self-help book recommendations. I’ve been going through a phase where I want to focus more on healing, improving my mental health, and building confidence.
I’m not really looking for overly “motivational” or surface-level books, but something practical, insightful, and actually useful in real life especially if it helps with self-worth, anxiety, or emotional resilience.
If any books have personally helped you or changed your perspective, I’d really appreciate your suggestions. Indian authors or context-friendly reads would be a bonus, but I’m open to anything good.
Thanks in advance 🙂