He spent months saving for the perfect ring. He planned the proposal down to every last detail, hoping to give her a moment she’d remember forever. She cried. She said yes. And just like that, he thought he had found his forever person.
But a few months later, his world collapsed.
She had been having an affair — not just a one-time mistake, but a full-on second relationship with someone else. While he was working 60-hour weeks, juggling two jobs and finishing his PhD to support their future, she was living a double life.
When he confronted her, she didn’t deny it. She got defensive. Angry, even. Said he had been distant. That he was the problem. That gaslighting hit harder than the betrayal.
Despite his exhaustion, he had always tried. He cooked for her. Cleaned the house. Made playlists when she felt down. Rubbed her back when she had cramps. He even held back parts of himself — his own needs, his intimacy preferences — to make the relationship work.
Then came the final blow: she insulted his appearance, mocked his trauma, laughed at his family, and walked out. No apology. No closure. Just Instagram pictures of parties, festivals, and random guys. Like she had won the breakup.
He never reacted. Never exposed her. Just… disappeared.
Now, weeks later, he hasn’t spoken to anyone outside of work. The only thing keeping him grounded is his dissertation — which recently landed a book deal. But behind the professional success, he feels completely hollow.
Friends say he’s isolating too much. That he should “process it,” or “get back out there.” But how do you move on when the person you were ready to marry betrays you, blames you, and walks away smiling?
He’s wondering:
AITAH for cutting everyone off and keeping to myself… when I feel like I’ve lost everything?
Ending Text:
He stayed silent. She moved on. And now he’s left trying to rebuild from the ground up — alone.
Would you isolate too, or try to heal out loud?