I’d never seen him so panicked. His face turned white as a sheet, and he started stuttering, “Wait, wait, don’t go. I… I need to tell you something.”
My heart raced. What could be so important that he was suddenly so desperate to stop me from leaving? I stood there, arms crossed, waiting for him to speak.
“Okay,” he began, taking a deep breath. “The truth is… you don’t stink. You never did.”
I felt a wave of confusion wash over me. “What do you mean? You’ve been telling me I stink every day for months!”
He avoided my gaze, looking at the floor instead. “It’s just… my mom. She… she always hated my past girlfriends and always found reasons to drive them away. This time, she told me that if I didn’t keep you away, she’d cut me off financially. So, I started saying you stank to push you away.”
I felt like the room was spinning. “Your mom? Your mom told you to do this? And you listened?”
He nodded, shamefaced. “I know it’s messed up. I just thought if I made you believe it, you’d leave on your own and I wouldn’t have to be the bad guy.”
Anger bubbled up inside me. “So, you thought lying to me every day, making me paranoid, and ruining my self-esteem was better than just being honest?”
He looked up at me, his eyes pleading. “I know I was wrong. I was just scared. Please, don’t leave me.”
But it was too late. The damage was done. I couldn’t believe he’d put me through that all because of his manipulative mother. I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “You don’t get to do this to someone you claim to care about. This isn’t love. This is control.”
I turned and walked out, leaving him standing there. As I stepped outside, the fresh air hit me, and I felt a sense of freedom and relief. I realized that I deserved better—someone who would cherish and respect me, not tear me down.
For the first time in months, I felt like I could breathe again. I walked away, determined to rebuild my self-esteem and find someone who truly valued me for who I was. No more lies, no more manipulation. It was time to take control of my own life.
