A woman, 32 years old, had been in a relationship with her boyfriend, who was 39, for about nine months. He had two young children, and they loved eating out at restaurants. For most of their time together, the woman enjoyed spending time with him and his kids at various eateries. But something started to bother her every time they went out for a meal—a frustrating pattern that she just couldn’t ignore anymore.
It began subtly at first. Whenever they dined out, her boyfriend would somehow “forget” to bring his wallet. At first, it wasn’t a big deal. She simply paid the bill and shrugged it off. It wasn’t a huge problem, or so she thought.
But as the months went on, this started to happen every single time they went to a restaurant. His kids would eagerly order their meals, sometimes picking expensive dishes, and the woman, already tired of this pattern, would end up footing the entire bill.
The situation started to wear her down. She was getting tired of always being the one to pay. “This is getting old,” she thought. “I can’t keep covering for him every time!”
One evening, after getting paid from her second part-time job, the woman was getting ready to go out for dinner with her boyfriend and his kids. This time, she decided she wasn’t going to let it slide. She texted him before they left the house. “Don’t forget your wallet,” she reminded him. “Please!” Her boyfriend just laughed and brushed it off. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” he replied.
When they arrived at the restaurant, everything seemed normal at first. The kids happily picked out their favorite meals, and the group was ready to enjoy their dinner. But as they were about to start, the woman couldn’t hold back anymore. She turned to her boyfriend and asked, “Do you have your wallet this time?”
He gave her a surprised look and immediately patted his pockets. Then, he sighed. “I left it in a different pair of jeans,” he admitted.
Her stomach sank. She could feel her blood pressure rising. How could this keep happening? She didn’t want to make a scene, but after this happening so many times before, she had had enough. He began to search around his bag, acting like he could find the wallet at the last minute, but it was too late. “Could you cover this one too?” he asked sheepishly. “I’ll pay you back next time, I promise.”
That was it. She had reached her breaking point. She didn’t even want to look at him anymore. Without saying a word, she grabbed her purse and stood up to leave. Her boyfriend, looking confused and upset, called after her.
“Where are you going?” he asked, still not realizing the gravity of the situation. She turned to him, her face calm but firm. “I’m not paying for this again. I’m done,” she said. “I’m not covering for you and your kids anymore.”
She walked out of the restaurant, leaving him standing there, dumbfounded. He quickly followed her outside, but she didn’t turn around. She wasn’t backing down.
Later that night, her phone rang. It was him. His voice was angry and hurt. “You’re selfish,” he accused her. “You just left us there, hungry! I had to cancel our order and take the kids home. How could you do that? They were really looking forward to eating out!”
He continued to scold her, saying that she lacked sympathy for him and his children. “It’s not just about the money,” he went on, “You should’ve helped us out. They’re kids! They were excited. And now, because of you, they’re going to bed hungry.”
The argument escalated quickly. Her boyfriend made it clear that he was rethinking their relationship. “If you care about me, you wouldn’t have done this,” he said. “You let my kids go hungry. That’s unforgivable.”
Feeling conflicted and unsure, the woman turned to Reddit to ask for advice. She posted the situation and asked, “Was I wrong to leave and refuse to pay for everything? Should I have just paid and discussed it with him later?”
The responses from other Reddit users were overwhelmingly in her favor. Many of them believed her boyfriend was taking advantage of her kindness, and some pointed out that he was using his children to manipulate her into paying for everything.
One user commented, “It’s clear he’s been doing this on purpose. He’s not forgetting his wallet; he’s just hoping you’ll pay.” Another user said, “You shouldn’t be put in a position where you’re expected to pay for his family all the time. That’s not fair.”
The woman began to feel a little more confident in her decision. She knew she had done the right thing by standing up for herself. But deep down, she wondered, “What if I made a mistake? Could I have handled this differently?”
What would you have done if you were in her shoes? Do you think she was right to leave the restaurant and refuse to pay, or should she have just paid for the meal and discussed it with him later? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
