I Thought My Husband Made A "Mistake" Then He Got Suspended For Doing It AGAIN!

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER_00] Hey Waffle Gang, I do hope you are well. My name is Mark and today we're checking out some more Reddit stories. And if you do love a Reddit story, why not consider a like, subscribe, maybe that notification bell too. And let's crack on with today's first story. Much love guys. Now today's first story comes from FullAct7668 from the RelationshipAdvice subreddit. And it says, my 37 female husband, 38 male, was fired for sexual harassment.

[00:00:32] [SPEAKER_00] I, 37 female, have been married for eight years to my husband, 38 male, who we have two kids together. Last week, my husband was fired for sexual harassment. He told me that he was flirting with a coworker who is not his direct report, but is lower on the hierarchy than he is. He says that she initiated the first flirtation, but after then he found her on Facebook and started messaging her. She ended up showing the messages to HR and he was fired. He deleted the messages so I don't know what was said, but he claims he was fired.

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00] He asked her to send a close picture. I am at a loss for what to do here. Do I stay with him and try to move past this or is it a big enough deal to leave him? Other potentially relevant information. I know he has messaged at least one other woman. I saw those messages and they were not sexual, but they were flirtatious. I only work part time, so leaving him is complicated by the fact that I would also need to find a job. She doesn't have anywhere else to stay, so we have to keep living together at least until the job situation is resolved.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_00] Edit to add, because so many comments have brought up the closed part. I asked him about it. He claims they were talking about Halloween and he asked her to send a picture in her costume. It may be the reddit in me with these stories, but the first thought that always comes into my mind when I see stuff like this is trick or truthing. And clearly because of the edit, OP mentioning people commenting on the clothes part and that stood out to me as well. He's asking for a picture of her clothed. Yeah, righty.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00] The top commenter said to OP, I feel like there's a lot more to the story that you don't know yet. OP says that is one of my concerns. I don't think I have the whole story and I really don't think I ever will. Blue says this is serious because it wasn't simply online and online cheating is serious enough, especially after a marriage commitment. Okay, so he was trying to have sex with somebody else that he works with, which is a complete betrayal of your marriage. It wasn't quote, just flirting, unquote. And now he has a poor job history.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00] Stay with friends, stay with family. Hopefully no children are involved. Please get away from him. And I hope you trolled the B word that was flirting with him because I don't believe that she was innocent at all either. If she was innocent, there would have been one message from him and she would have immediately gone to human resources. He probably told her it wasn't going to end the marriage or decided her job was not worth risking. This is not a salvageable situation and you deserve so much better and will be so much happier without this horrible betrayal.

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_00] OP replies, unfortunately, I don't know who the other woman is. He deleted all the messages and has always deleted every message and text since I met him. I definitely see this as a red flag now, but because he always did it, I didn't think much of it until now. A downvoted commenter says to OP, why do you only work part-time? That's your first mistake to be honest. Staying with him is your second. Never let yourself become dependent on a man, much less a bad one.

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00] OP says, I only work part-time because my full-time salary was less than the cost of our childcare. So I work outside of normal business hours so we don't have to pay for childcare. Another commenter says, um, it's interesting that his work thinks it's inappropriate enough to fire him. But you don't think it's a big enough problem to divorce him? Plus no man alive has ever asked a girl for a clothes photo. Think about it. She would have had those posted on the Facebook he went looking for. OP says that's actually a really good point.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_00] I guess he would not need to ask for clothes pics if he could see her social media. A commenter says, ask her what was said or talk to HR directly. Your husband cheated on you and you should get tested since you know he can't be trusted to tell the truth. OP says, I don't know who the woman is and I read what HR gave him. But it was just information regarding unemployment and benefits. A commenter says, yeah, he didn't get fired for flirting or asking for a clothes photo. There's a reason he deleted those messages before he told you.

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00] Even hypothetically, if she told him she was going to report him, he would have known that she could just show HRO logs. The only person he could have conceivably deleted them to hide them from is you and then take it further. He didn't think to delete the other flirty messages with a woman. So they definitely weren't on the same scale as whatever was going on with her. Otherwise, they would still exist. OP says he did delete the other flirty messages. He's deleted every message and text since before we started dating. I know about the other messages because the woman sent me screenshots.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_00] Another commenter says, he's the primary breadwinner in your house and he risked and lost his job over another woman. That to me is just as bad as if he actually cheated. He didn't say if you have children. Is that why you work part time? If you do, that's even worse. He destroyed your family's financial stability. You have family you can go to until you get on your feet. OP says we have two kids. Yes, that is the reason I work part time. I work outside of normal business hours to avoid paying for childcare.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00] Odd setting quotes OP saying he doesn't have anywhere else to stay so we have to keep living together at least until the job situation is resolved. And then says you don't have to house him. OP replies saying both of our names are on the house. Can I just really kick him out of his own house? Five and a half months later, OP comes in and says we are getting divorced. I decided to end the marriage shortly after making this post. However, he had a pretty intense mental health crisis so I then continued to live in our house until the situation was more stable.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_00] He ended up getting a job after a few months but he is now suspended from that job for once again sexually harassing someone. We will find out within the next couple of days if he still has a job or not. But I know he will very likely be fired. I told him it's time for him to find somewhere else to live even if he doesn't have a job. While I hope he is able to work on his mental health, I don't believe it is my problem anymore. I'm currently getting ready to sell the house while the kids and I will probably move in with my parents while we get back on our feet. Thank you all for your advice.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_00] I think when I made this post, I knew deep down what I needed to do. I just hadn't come to terms with the fact that my life was going to change so quickly and completely. A commenter says he needs inpatient care if he's so stupid as to lose two jobs for sexual harassment. A complete lack of self-preservation. OP says yes, I very much agree. Unfortunately, he is pretty resistant to seeking any kind of treatment. Before the second incident occurred, I was able to convince him to see a therapist.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_00] But if he loses his insurance, then I'm not sure he'll be able to continue with that. A commenter says does he have bipolar or a brain tumor or some kind of dementia? Are these behaviors completely new for him? Makes me wonder if he has a medical condition. OP says he definitely has some undiagnosed mental health issues. A therapist suggested that he may have borderline personality disorder. But he started seeing a different therapist shortly after that. Quick Justice says so he didn't do it before but now can't control himself.

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_00] Sudden personality changes wants a visit to a neurologist. It may be nothing. It may be something. Something very serious. OP responded saying I suppose it's possible that there is a neurological problem. Unfortunately, he is pretty resistant to any type of help and is also not very honest with healthcare providers. So I doubt he will go to a doctor. Sparky says I'm so happy for you for taking control of your life and getting out. Twice! One thing I didn't see someone mention. You should seek full custody and supervise visits only, if any.

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_00] This kind of behavior has an insidious way of working itself into the psyche of the kids and you don't want history repeating. If this were me, I would seek therapy for you and the kids both to heal and prevent. OP says I'm seeking full custody and so far he's not fought me on that. And one more comment from Canadian Jedi Council. He says not really your problem anymore. But maybe his parents should take him to a doctor to make sure he doesn't have a tumor or something. Unless he's always been a creep. OP says he has not, to my knowledge, always been a creep. But he is not on good terms with his family.

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_00] I will suggest to him that he discuss these issues with a doctor. But he has always been resistant to any sort of medical help so I don't think he will follow through. And there was lots of people talking about mental health issues, brain tumors etc. Other people saying, you know, some people are assholes and they're just being assholes. Of course other commenters were saying his mental health is his responsibility, even while married. But what do you guys make of this situation? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. And let's move on to another story.

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_00] Now our next story comes from QueasySpring4039 from the Am I the Asshole? Would I be the Asshole? public subreddit. It says, this hair clip can't be innocent, can it? So this started Friday morning and I still haven't gotten a straight answer or even any real acknowledgement. I, 30 female, have been dating my boyfriend, let's call him Dave, 31 male, for two years. That morning I found a hair clip clipped to his dresser. Not mine, definitely not mine.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00] I have blonde, straight slash wavy hair. His hair was dark and coarse. The clip had product on it. I don't wear that kind. I didn't bring it and don't wear cream gel slash product. I've never seen it before. I asked him, whose is this? His response, yours? With an angry tone. And I said no. And I guess maybe it belonged to his friend's girlfriend who'd been over a long time ago. We call her Emily. I even offered to text her and ask her. He went silent. Then I followed up again and told him it wasn't hers.

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00] Still got no real response, just, I don't know Alexis. And that was it. I asked for space because I was confused and felt like this was really shady. Since then, not a single word. Total radio silence. He didn't try to check in. Didn't offer any theories. Didn't defend himself. Didn't say he'd look into it. Nothing. I even called him. I was stranded and needed a ride. And he refused to pick me up. He acted pissed off like I was punishing him.

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_00] He eventually told me I'd regret this and to get the fuck out and shut the fuck up because he didn't do anything wrong. His one defense via text after I left and said I'm not letting this go was that it's not in his character to do this. He doesn't have the time or energy. Oh, and this is the second time this exact thing happened. In October, I found a random pair of panties. Same deal. Silence. Denial. No explanation. I chose to believe him then after we did a session with my therapist.

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_00] Now this just feels like deja vu with even less effort on his part to clear things up. It's been 72 hours. If he were innocent, wouldn't he want to clear it up? Wouldn't he say something? Right now it just feels like he's avoiding it until I either drop it or break up with him. And honestly, I'm not sure which one he wants more. So Reddit, is the headclaw innocent? Or for being upset he hasn't addressed this at all? Or is it fair that I give someone a few days of silence when they're processing? Opie also comes in and says this was his exact text.

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00] Saying this as clearly as I can. I didn't cheat. Not now. Not ever. On everything I love, including you, I swear that no one else has been here. In my bed or in this house with me like that. I don't have the energy for it. And more importantly, I wouldn't do that to you. I spend all my free time gaming. And the only reasonable time that could have happened is yesterday. When you were gone all day. And you saw the state of me when you got here. Greasy. Unshowered. And not exactly in the state where I'd hang out with someone. I don't know how I can prove this to you.

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_00] But I will. You've got nothing to worry about. Promise that on God. And you're the last person I tried to sneak having someone here by. You're too intelligent and hypervigilant. And in touch with your intuition and observant and all other things. You'd feel it and know it. Even if there was no evidence. And I have an unbearably overwhelming guilty conscience. So I couldn't lie to you. Just not me. Opie replied to him saying I really just need some space and time to think. I can't think of anyone who is in our circle. And has that texture and curl of hair.

[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_00] That clip wasn't there when I tried turning your light on. Just the other day. I also looked for baseball caps in your dress. So the day I wore that bucket hat. And it wasn't then either. So I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around what's happening here. Now it's not just about the hair clip in this one. It's the pattern of behavior. As we see in many of these stories. You know. One mystery item with zero explanation. Couldn't be just because it's weird right? Even though it's a fucking pair of panties. Two separate incidents. Panties and now a hair clip. Plus the silence and hostility. The pattern of behavior. Again.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_00] It's not just suspicious. It's just straight up disrespectful. Now if. And for me. A big if. He somehow didn't cheat. An innocent person doesn't go completely silent for 72 hours. Get angry at being asked a reasonable question. Refuse to help their partner in a basic situation. And then tell you to shut the fuck up. What the hell? At this point. I wouldn't even be focusing on solving this mystery. If you're like. I'd just be focusing on whether this relationship is actually giving you trust and respect. And basic support.

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_00] Because right now. It's not. Every coach says to the OP. If you use a laundromat. The panties could have been left in a washer he used. And got into his dryer load. But the hair clip on the dresser isn't an accident. My guess is someone left it there for you to find. And he's trying to act oblivious about his existence. But if he's been in an unstable relationship prior to this. Where he was constantly accused of cheating without proof. And I can see why I'd be resistant about wanting to address it at all. But his radio silence is a big red flag. Whether he's guilty or avoiding the subject.

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_00] If he's not even willing to talk to you about it. That would be a deal breaker for me. He's either carrying resentment from a prior relationship into yours. Or he's guilty as fuck. OP says. It was my own washer and dryer. Every relationship in his family dynamic has been beyond unstable. Him not cheating doesn't make sense. Because I've only had people over two times in eight weeks. I work a lot. And they do not have that course of hair. And their hair wouldn't fit in the clip. Too long slash too short. So like it came from somewhere and him trying to blame me.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_00] This morning he literally tried making me believe it's mine. And I just forgot about it. Ooh. Gaslighting. Commodore says. Ma'am. If you don't have a ring cam. Then I hope you have a neighbor that does. Or is nosy or observant. This is real shady. And one move would be to ask to check his phone. But if he's slick. It could be clean. It does sound like the man doesn't care. Because you sound like you were going through it. Mind racing. Trying to find alternative explanations. And he's just being dismissive. I hope you find answers. And peace. OP replies saying.

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_00] He freaking unplugged the kitty cam. And the outside cam. He never offered it. And I never asked. But if it was me. I would have thrown my phone at him. Like check it. I'm innocent. A commenter who was downvoted says. From a dude. I would have run from you. Dudes react just as your ex-boyfriend acts. When they're innocent. And don't know what's going on. We don't know. And we don't really care. As far as we're concerned. We didn't do it. Move along. If you thought he was guilty. The panties should have thrown the house into disarray. But it didn't. I get an odd feeling. That there's been drama in your relationship.

[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_00] For a very long time. OP responding saying. But then. There are dudes on here saying that. They too would have been mystified. And needed to know where it came from too. Objects don't just randomly appear. In a two person. Dink household out of the blue. Not having any concern is weird. The panties did send the household into disarray. But the therapist's advice. And how to move forward brought us back. I don't nag. Don't go through his phone. Don't typically live in a world of untrust. However this and the panties is a teetering point.

[00:15:22] [SPEAKER_00] How could two random women's objects that are not mine be found within eight months? I'm not sure in what reality that can just be ignored. Or how I'm drama when I just need to understand what the fuck is going on. I've asked twice in person. Once when I found it. Once this morning. And neither time he reacted with anything but I don't know. Then tried blaming me like I forgot I left it there. I wasn't home and there's no explanation. Women's items don't just appear from thin air. So Opie comes in with an update and says so here's the update.

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_00] I've barely slept since the most recent incident. This morning of 7.30am he came into my room and apologized tearfully. He said he was sorry for being so angry. And explained that his explosive reactions come from deeper trauma. He was bullied in 7th grade for something he didn't do. Again in 9th grade by the entire school and later by nurses at his job when someone lied about one of his patients and he ended up being bullied in that environment too. He said his anger is rooted in that same feeling. Being punished for something he didn't do.

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_00] He admitted he can't prove he didn't cheat but said if I checked his gaming activity from that day it would show he was online for nearly 16 hours. He even told me to talk to his friends who could vouch for that. He said I'd know if something happened but I'd smell the sheets. I reminded him that the last time this happened right before my grandma's funeral. He hadn't changed the sheets then either. His response? We weren't dating. I replied, my point is you're capable. And he said it's different now.

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_00] As for the cameras being down conveniently during the time I was gone and both items appeared. He said the wifi modem was changed because he was setting up the soundbar and didn't realize it disconnected the security system. I pushed back. He's incredibly smart and strategic. He could have even set it up ahead of time. He insisted it was just poor timing and reminded me that he told me to check the cameras himself. I told him again he's asking me to let go of all the logic and just believe him despite

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_00] past situation shit behavior, conflicting stories and too many coincidences. I said you're asking me to close my eyes and pretend I didn't find what I found. He said he's reached out to a counselor he used to see which I asked him to do earlier in the conversation because his anger response is not normal. I told him I still need time to think. I can't let the clip and panties go. I literally watch crime shows for fun. I need evidence to believe someone's innocent when logic and context suggest otherwise.

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_00] I'm not trying to punish him by still having him move out but I just can't silence my instincts either. So yeah, that's where I'm at. Still being gaslit? Lol. I was really starting to question myself because he ignored me for so long and didn't address any direct questions etc. And my second thought is the way he reacted should be a deal breaker in itself irregardless of his trauma. A commenter points out, online gaming with no wifi. Is that possible? Opie says he changed the modem like 48 hours before the clip was found.

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_00] Opie comes in with what was titled their final update and says for the last 22 days he's been perfectly pleasant, love bombing me, giving me extra attention, sex, cuddles, going out of his way for me and honestly it almost worked. We were fine keeping the peace, had all the cameras plugged back in and working again. Sure he was still gaming basically 24-7 but whatever. Fast forward to me leaving for this trip. 4 hours later, boom, the front door camera is unplugged. I only noticed because I was drunk, missing my dog.

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_00] He's babysitting him and I went to check in. I called and told him to plug it back in. Instead of just doing it, he argued that he doesn't want to be spied on and then throughout I'll just move out now if you can't trust me. Like sir, why would I trust you when this is your move the second I leave town? After weeks of the cameras being just fine, you unplug one almost immediately. Anyway, I'm honestly blown away but I guess the upside is he'll be gone a few weeks earlier than I planned when I get back. The top commenter on the back of this said to Opie, okay when you get back he may try

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_00] the love bombing thing again. When he does, do not have sex with him. He needs to understand that it's over. If your therapist really convinced you to let it go, that's a bad therapist. Iz on the other hand, she simply asked you how you were feeling and what you planned to do, then you talk yourself around in circles until you convince yourself to let it go. Get a new therapist anyway. You need one who's going to guide you in the work you clearly need to do on yourself. Finally, if there is a next time, remember. If you feel the need to check up on your boyfriend and watch him on camera to convince you that

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_00] he's not cheating, the game is already over. Trust is gone and it's not going to come back with camera evidence, hidden or otherwise. Opie says I deeply regret the sex. If that weird post and pre-nut lol, he was doing all the work if you know what I mean. And I didn't have enough of a backbone to say no because you know, the heart isn't as smart as the brain, but I knew we were at the end. She said grey area and I said, how the fuck is this a grey area when these literal black and white panties are in my hand, lol. And you're absolutely right.

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_00] Opie says I thought you really dumped him, not going to lie. Opie says I did, but then I fucked up by giving him six weeks to move out so he could save up money. Opie says I'm confused. He went back and he tried to kiss you. Did you leave again or are you both now living in the house? If he's still there, see if you can get some friends or family, preferably men, to basically stay over for a few days or at least show up every day and cramp his style. You also better officially start the eviction process just in case he tries to fight you on staying. And when he finally gets out, do a sweep of the apartment to make sure he didn't leave

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_00] any unwanted devices behind. He's definitely doing some kind of cheating. Opie says, so my sister went back and plugged in the camera. And he came home at 1am Thursday night, which is probably why he wanted that unplugged, lol. I came back from my work trip and he was still here. Noticed I was home for a few hours later, then tried greeting and kissing me. I was literally shocked. Nothing packed. He called off work Thursday night to pack and get some things aligned. He works super part time, one to two days a week, my best friend.

[00:21:05] [SPEAKER_00] This morning, he's keeping to himself in gaming, lol. Like, do I understand what the fuck he thinks is going on? I mean, the guy was just a bunch of red flags, right? The random panties, the random hair clip, the cameras accidentally getting unplugged. Cameras unplugged again the second you leave. He's defensive, he's angry, then suddenly sweet when he's about to lose you. That's a pattern of absolute bullshit. Hopefully he moves himself out soon and Opie doesn't look back because the only thing that's been consistent here is him acting shady as hell, right?

[00:21:34] [SPEAKER_00] But what do you guys make of this situation? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below. So our next story comes from SciFiSquirrel from the Today I Messed Up subreddit and says, Today I messed up. I thought a cute guy was ghosting me, only to find out I was actually ghosting him. I was at a party two weeks ago where I only knew two people. Went in walks this guy who immediately gave me this really big smile and I thought he was so gorgeous. We ended up talking in the same circle and he introduces himself.

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_00] We started chatting and quickly find the circle around us has disappeared and it's just us. He's so smart. His smile is outrageously cute and I love how he seems laser focused on me instead of one of the many attractive women that have now joined the party and are now talking about their cool, ryer dates. As the night wore on, I found myself talking to various different groups, but each time this guy would appear again and would end up just talking to each other again. Someone who neither of us knew came up and said we made an attractive couple and realized

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_00] how somehow in the span of two hours we're already acting like a couple. It wasn't just being sexually attracted to him. I felt so comfortable around him and he was so attentive to my needs. I told him offhand I had allergies to the dog at the party. Hours later when I started sneezing, he immediately knew why and moved us outside. His smile was the thing that immediately caught my attention, but it was the thoughtfulness that made it so at the end of the night we catch an Uber home together and end up kissing. Before the Uber drops him off, I give him my number.

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER_00] Sunday comes, don't hear from him. Okay, okay, I get it. We both got home at 4am and I too just wanted to sleep the day away. Monday comes, silence. Tuesday, even more silence. I know I've read about how it is uncool to text a girl immediately because you want to seem super cool and wanted, but we're both in our mid-30s and I hope realize that these mind games are bullshit. If you like someone, text them when you can. Life is too short to be with people half interested in you.

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_00] Wednesday comes and I'm a mixture of angry and over it and insecure at the same time. How dare he lead me on like this? Well, I guess I'm glad I only wasted one night on this asshole. Was I not pretty enough? All these thoughts raced through my head and coalesced into me typing his name and workplace into Google to see if I can find him. Turns out, it was incredibly easy to find. I was planning on just looking at him because I missed his face, but I accidentally clicked the link that brought me to his LinkedIn page. Yikes.

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_00] Now he'll know that I stalked him, which made me feel even worse. I'd probably look crazy. Welp, since I was on his page, I guess I'd have looked at where he'd worked. Maybe he wasn't really interesting and I'd feel better about him ghosting me. Nope. Turns out, he's not only very smart, but also humble because his resume listed a dozen different cool jobs, impressive schools he's attended, things he's worked on. Great. I probably wasn't impressive enough for him. About 30 minutes later, he friends me on LinkedIn, but seemed surprised that I was reaching out.

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_00] He'd evidently text me that night and again the next day, only to not hear anything back. I had ghosted him. And this is how we found out about my fuck-up. When I gave him my number, turns out I was off by a digit. Turns out tipsy me isn't so great at typing or proofreading. If I hadn't been a creepy LinkedIn stalker, it could have been months, if ever, before we would have seen each other again. Right now, we're laughing about it and setting up our first real date. Wish me luck, Reddit. Oh, this is cute.

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_00] So, a year later, Opie came in with an update and says, A year ago, I met a cute guy at a party. Accidentally gave him the wrong number, then found him again on LinkedIn. The last post stopped at the point where I had now given him my correct phone number. We decided for our first date to walk around a park near the city, then grab a drink. I was anxious as soon as the date was set. Besides the normal first date jitters, I also carried the secret that I had posted the story of how I reconnected with him on Reddit. Some 35,000 people had upvoted it. Thousands more had seen it.

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_00] I needed to tell him about the Reddit post, but I was scared of how he would react. He probably already thought I was weird for looking him up on LinkedIn. I had no idea if he would see me posting our story on Reddit as a breach of his privacy or attention-seeking or just plain weird. The day of our date, I waited for him by a park fountain. When I saw him walking towards me, my heart skipped. I made fun of it in my last post for how much I complimented this guy's smile and I don't even care. Seeing him smile made me immediately happier.

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER_00] It also made me even more worried that I had messed up even the possibility of us becoming a thing by posting our story for the world to see. We walked around the park and sat to talk under a pair of trees. It was a beautiful late summer day. I found myself holding his hand. Slowly, we headed to a nearby bar and by this time I was shaking. When I got my drink in hand, I took a few sips and the words tumbled out. I thought our reconnection story was funny so I posted it to Reddit. I had gotten maybe 20 upvotes on anything I'd ever posted before this so I expected much

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_00] the same. Then I started to get dozens of notifications from hundreds of people commenting on the post. A friend sent me the post because they thought I'd enjoy it. My sister called and asked if I'd written it because she recognized my writing style. Her newspaper wrote an article about it. The post had taken on a life of its own. Then I showed him the Reddit post. He read it quietly. When he was done, he stood up, came over and gave me a kiss. With that, I breathed the biggest sigh of relief. I learned he himself uses Reddit and thought the post was sweet.

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_00] The rest of the day was read the comments together and laughed about the whole thing. Later that week, he came over to my apartment and we cooked dinner together and talked more. Our conversation turned to the fact that neither of us liked casually dating multiple people at the same time. We didn't know exactly what this was yet, but we knew we already liked each other. With that, it seemed we were dating. The first few weeks of dating sped by, filled with apple picking, hiking and many soup dumplings.

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_00] I learned at late night karaoke that he has a beautiful singing voice and he learned that I definitely did not. Lol. I told a friend later that we were dating and she asked yes, but is he your boyfriend? Evidently, in this new world of constant casualness, you could be monogamously dating just for the fun of it, but becoming a boyfriend or girlfriend meant you saw this person as someone really important. In previous relationships, I felt like I was supposed to wait until the guy said he wanted to be with me and it would look desperate to say, I love you before the guy did.

[00:27:46] [SPEAKER_00] This relationship felt different. There was no feeling that he was waiting to text me back to look cooler and more unavailable. There was no avoidance of talk about the future. It felt like just two people that were enjoying learning about each other, which in turn made me feel comfortable being open and honest with him. So after six weeks of dating, but maybe not being my boyfriend, I wrote my feelings down on a card and asked him to be my official boyfriend and he accepted. The rest of the year has been filled with adventures to foreign places where I proceeded to get us lost. Twice.

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_00] In a place after dark with no streetlights. Still sorry about that one, babe. And many trips to the grocery store that were thankfully a little less tumultuous. We've danced late into the night at concerts and cuddled in bed watching TV. We just finished Avatar The Last Airbender, the animated series. I've fallen asleep on his chest to the sound of pattering rain. My last thoughts at the brink of sleep, I never felt so safe. I've woken up next to him and looked over at his face that looks so young and relaxed in sleep, but the hair that falls over his face already has some grey in it.

[00:28:45] [SPEAKER_00] Seeing it fills me with sadness that our time together on this planet is finite. Over the last year, he has shown me in a thousand small ways that he is not only a great boyfriend, but a thoughtful friend and a caring son. My friends and family love him, and that makes me love him all the more. He makes me feel heard and seen, and builds me up in a way that makes me feel like the best version of myself around him. He's brilliant and competent at his job, which is sexy as hell. He's serious enough to have his finances in order, but will still let loose and do silly dance moves with me while we're cooking breakfast.

[00:29:15] [SPEAKER_00] He's very clean, so I've never once felt like I shouldered the burden of housekeeping. I'm actually messier than him, and I've put a lot of effort into being cleaner out of respect. Not once has he raised his voice, and throughout this whole year, I don't think we've gotten into an argument. This relationship feels healthy and happy and calm. I got a few comments from my last post about looking up someone on LinkedIn when they haven't text is crazy. Please know that if he had turned me down on LinkedIn, I would have respected this

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_00] and not contacted him further. It is just within a few hours of meeting this man, he felt inexplicably important to my life. I'm glad I trusted my gut to try and find him. This last part is to my boyfriend, who wanted to be surprised by what I wrote. Over the last year, you've become my favorite person and my best friend. I'm so grateful that I met you, and grateful for each day I get to wake up next to you. I can't wait to see what this next year brings for us. I love you very much.

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_00] So two years later, OP went into the subreddit Engagement Rings and said, help me find the ring of my dreams. And says, hey there, my fiance, actually really asked the question, but we didn't want to tell others until I have a ring. It's totally my fault since I'm both picky and indecisive, so I'm hoping you'll help me. Once white gold, two pave is it, preferably with mill grain on the edges, three tapered cathedral setting, preferably lower set, four lab oval diamond,

[00:30:33] [SPEAKER_00] around 1.75 carats. Excellent cut and as close to colorless as possible. Five, 1.8 the two millimeter band, and six prong style, six core style prongs around the diamond. Does anyone know a jeweler that can help me in the New York City area? I'd ideally love the budget to stick around $3,500, and I'd love to work with a smaller jeweler if possible. And someone suggests where to go. Then OP updated in another subreddit, which was r slash name nerds, and says my husband and I are

[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_00] expecting a little boy in a few months. And the only name we both seem to like is Cassian. It seems the only meaning it has is Greek for hollow or vain. We just like the way it sounds. We both live in America. I'm white and Jewish and he is Chinese. The commenter says, I personally love the name, but with it being a main character in Sarah J. Ma's book series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, I'd be worried that people will only associate the name with that. I'm a big fan of the series, so I don't think I could do it. However, it's a real name and has been

[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_00] around longer than the book series. OP says, I've never heard of the series. It sounds nice though. The commenter says, I like it. It's the name of the main character in a TV show, Andor, which is in the Star Wars universe. That character was in one of the big movies too. He's a great character, actually, so the association is not bad. I also like how it sounds. I like the shortened version for shouting across a playfield. Cass. One more commenter says, I think it's a handsome name. It sounds on trend, but isn't too common and has nice nicknames.

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_00] The origin is Roman, though not Greek. OP says, whoops, sorry and thank you. Ending on a wholesome story. Absolutely love to see it. And it's one of those ones where they say on Reddit, time to turn off and go to sleep. Unless it's morning for you, of course. Anyway, what do you guys make of this situation? Just a huge thank you for being here today. Getting involved in the stories, your love, your support, your time. It always means the absolute

[00:32:25] [SPEAKER_00] world to me. So thank you so, so much for being here. And hopefully, I'm going to see you in the next one. Take care and much love.