I Proposed to My Girlfriend of 2 Years & She Immediately Showed a Startling Change in Behavior — I Didn’t Let It Slide

I thought proposing to Natalie would be the start of our forever. Instead, it was the beginning of a nightmare. It took weeks of betrayal to realize I’d never really known her at all.

I felt my heart pounding as I knelt down on one knee in our living room. “Natalie,” I said, holding up the small velvet box, “will you marry me?” Her eyes went wide with surprise, then softened as she smiled.

A man proposing his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney

A man proposing his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney

“Yes, yes, of course, yes!” she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw her arms around me, and I slipped the ring onto her finger. It sparkled just the way I’d hoped. I stood up, and we embraced, imagining the future we’d always talked about.

It felt perfect. We’d been together for two years, and it seemed like we wanted the same things—marriage, a family, a home. “We’ve always been on the same page,” I thought. “Same values, same future plans.”

A couple hugging | Source: Midjourney

A couple hugging | Source: Midjourney

For the next week, everything was blissful. We told our families, and everyone was excited for us. We started talking about wedding plans, making lists, and dreaming of our future together.

Then, out of nowhere, things started getting weird.

A couple planning their wedding | Source: Midjourney

A couple planning their wedding | Source: Midjourney

One night, I came home from work and found six women in my kitchen. I stopped in my tracks, confused. The countertops were covered with all the fancy food I’d been saving—caviar, fine cheeses, imported snacks—the works.

Natalie turned to me, smiling like everything was normal. “Oh, hey! You’re home!”

I looked at her, then at the women, then back at her. “Who are they? I thought I knew all your friends.”

An angry man in his living room | Source: Midjourney

An angry man in his living room | Source: Midjourney

She just laughed. “These are my inner circle. I didn’t introduce them earlier because I wanted to wait until we were a ‘sure thing.’”

They just nodded, barely acknowledging me. I watched one of them scoop out the last bit of caviar onto a cracker, and my stomach tightened. I pulled Natalie aside.

“I was saving that stuff for a special night. Why didn’t you ask me first?”

She waved her hand, brushing it off like it was nothing. “Don’t be such a buzzkill, David. It’s just food. We can buy more.”

A smiling woman brushing the subject off | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman brushing the subject off | Source: Midjourney

I bit my tongue, not wanting to start a fight. But it bothered me that she didn’t seem to care how I felt about it.

A few days later, it happened again. I came home to find the same group of women lounging on the couch, watching TV. More of my expensive snacks were gone. I felt my frustration building.

I waited until they left before saying anything. “Look, maybe next time we can plan this out? You didn’t even ask me.”

A man having a serious talk with his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney

A man having a serious talk with his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney

Natalie sighed, rolling her eyes at me. “You’re such a buzzkill. They’re my friends, and this is my home too now.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Was I being unreasonable? We were engaged, so maybe this was what sharing a life was supposed to look like. But it still didn’t feel right.

After the fourth unannounced visit, I finally snapped. “I’m locking up the fridge, Natalie. I’m serious.”

A serious man standing next to his fridge | Source: Midjourney

A serious man standing next to his fridge | Source: Midjourney

She just laughed. “You’re no fun,” she said, waving me off. “You’re acting like it’s the end of the world.”

Then she insisted I come to dinner with her “inner circle” at a fancy restaurant. I agreed, hoping it would help smooth things over, but the dinner was a disaster. She’d chosen a fancy restaurant, and I had agreed, thinking it might smooth things over after the last few weeks.

But the moment I walked in, I knew I’d made a mistake.

A woman in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

A woman in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

They were already seated when we arrived. The women were dressed up, sipping on expensive cocktails. As soon as I sat down, the questions started.

“So, David, what exactly do you do again?” one of them asked, leaning forward with a sharp smile.

“I work in finance,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.

Another one chimed in, her voice dripping with curiosity. “Finance, huh? That must be good money. What kind of house do you have?”

Women dining | Source: Pexels

Women dining | Source: Pexels

I blinked, surprised by how direct they were. “I have a place just outside the city.”

“Must be nice,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “How much did it cost?”

I hesitated. “I’d rather not discuss that.”

They exchanged glances, then changed the subject. But every time I asked them something, they dodged it.

A smiling woman in a cafe | Source: Pexels

A smiling woman in a cafe | Source: Pexels

“So, what do you do?” I asked the one across from me.

“Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that,” she said with a vague smile.

“Where are you from?” I tried again.

“Here and there,” another one said, shrugging.

A humble woman in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

A humble woman in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

I felt like I was being stonewalled, but they kept digging into my life, my money, my plans for the future. Natalie just sat there, smiling like everything was fine. I couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t the woman I knew. The woman I fell in love with had clear boundaries and respected mine. This was a complete stranger.

Then the conversation took a turn that left me speechless. They started talking about relationships, modern ones, and what they called “evolving dynamics.”

Women talking in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

Women talking in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

“Polyamory is so misunderstood,” one of them said, twirling her wine glass. “It’s all about love without limits.”

“Yeah, and staying friends with exes. It’s just being mature, right?” another added.

I glanced at Natalie, expecting her to be as uncomfortable as I was, but she was nodding along. “I mean, we shouldn’t be too hasty about these things,” she said lightly.

A man looking at women at the table | Source: Pexels

A man looking at women at the table | Source: Pexels

I nearly choked on my drink. “What?” I said, staring at her. “You’ve always been clear about wanting monogamy. And you’ve never been into staying friends with exes.”

She looked at me with a small, tight smile. “People can change, David. It’s important to keep an open mind.”

I felt like the ground had shifted beneath me. Who was this person? The woman sitting next to me, agreeing with all these strangers, wasn’t the Natalie I knew. I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat there, feeling completely blindsided.

A shocked man in the restaurant | Source: Midjourney

A shocked man in the restaurant | Source: Midjourney

When the bill came, I was already planning my exit. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. But then one of the women slid the bill across the table towards me.

“You can cover this, right?” she said, almost like it was an order.

I stared at her, then looked at Natalie, waiting for her to say something.

She just shrugged. “Come on, you’re the guy.”

A man talking to the woman | Source: Pexels

A man talking to the woman | Source: Pexels

I couldn’t believe it. My jaw tightened, but I didn’t want to make a scene. I paid for my part and stood up. “I’m done here,” I said, feeling utterly disrespected. I walked out without looking back.

The next day, I tried to talk to Natalie, but she brushed it off, saying I was being “fragile” and “toxic.” She apologized, blaming it on work stress, but I wasn’t buying it. Something was off, and I could feel it.

Then came the incident with the golf clubs.

Golf clubs in a bag | Source: Pexels

Golf clubs in a bag | Source: Pexels

I was at work when I got an alert from my Nest Doorbell. I checked the footage and saw Natalie and one of her friends carrying my golf clubs out of the house. My expensive set, the one my dad gave me.

I called her immediately. “Natalie, why are my golf clubs leaving the house?”

She sounded annoyed. “Oh, I told you I was lending them to Emily’s boyfriend, remember?”

“No, you didn’t,” I said, feeling the anger rise. “Get them back here now.”

A man arguing with a woman | Source: Midjourney

A man arguing with a woman | Source: Midjourney

She tried to argue, insisting that I’d agreed, but I cut her off. “You have one hour to return them, or I’m calling the cops.”

Forty-five minutes later, they were back, but they were dumped carelessly on the living room floor. No apology, no explanation. Just complete disregard for something that meant a lot to me.

I confronted her, but she started talking about my “toxicity” again. I’d had enough. “If this is your true self, maybe I made a mistake.”

A woman shouting at the man | Source: Midjourney

A woman shouting at the man | Source: Midjourney

She freaked out, begging for another chance, blaming it on stress again. But I was done. I didn’t want to hear any more excuses.

The final straw came when she planned a party at my house without asking. I told her no, but she ignored me. So, on the day of the party, I changed the locks and went to a friend’s house.

My phone blew up with 14 missed calls.

“How dare you change the locks when I’ve got 15 people waiting outside?” she shouted when I finally answered.

A woman shouting into her phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman shouting into her phone | Source: Midjourney

“I told you no party, Natalie. Actions have consequences. We’re done.”

I hung up, went home, and walked past the confused guests standing outside. I locked the door behind me and blocked her number.

And that was it. The engagement was over. The woman I thought I knew was gone, replaced by someone I couldn’t trust. I felt a strange sense of relief as I locked the door behind me, shutting out the chaos and reclaiming my life.

A calm man in his living room | Source: Midjourney

A calm man in his living room | Source: Midjourney

I sat in the living room, the silence almost jarring after weeks of chaos. The ring sat on the coffee table, a small reminder of what I thought we had. I stared at it for a moment, then leaned back, feeling a sense of peace and clarity I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Bride Doesn’t Want Her Dad in Wheelchair to Walk Her Down the Aisle until She Sees Him on TV — Story of the Day

A woman doesn’t want her father to walk her down the aisle because she is embarrassed by his wheelchair. However, when she sees him on TV a few days before the wedding, she regrets her decision and changes her mind.

When Lisa Terrell’s mother died when she was just two years old, her father, Edward, took up her care. Caroline Terrell had died in a terrible hurricane that hit their town years ago, demolishing their home and leaving Edward in a wheelchair due to a severe injury.

Nonetheless, nothing could stop Edward from raising Lisa with love and giving her the finest of everything. He was a well-known journalist and began working remotely following his injury to provide for them.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

However, most people in Lisa’s life were unaware she had a father until he paid her a surprise visit at her school one day.

Lisa had always told her friends that her father was too busy to spend time with her, which is why he never attended school functions or parent meetings. However, the reality was that the invitations never made it to Edward since Lisa was embarrassed by him and didn’t want her friends to see him.

She adored him as a youngster, but as she grew up, the image of her father in a wheelchair mortified her and wrecked her relationship with him.

She was confused as she looked at the television and noticed her father sitting alongside the host.

Still, Edward never reneged on his duties. He was always there for his daughter and saved enough money to send her to a top university.

On the other hand, Lisa did not want him by his side. In fact, when she met her boyfriend, Harrison, at university, and they decided to marry after graduation, she didn’t want Edward to be there for the wedding.

As a result, she freaked out when Harrison asked her to invite Edward to dinner at his parents’ place. His parents were wealthy and of the upper crust. What would they think if they saw an elderly man in their home in a wheelchair? Lisa was ashamed by the very thought of it.

However, based on Harrison’s enthusiasm in inviting Edward to dinner, Lisa realized she didn’t have an out this time. So she had to fake a grin and say she’d ask Edward if he was free.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

When Lisa told Edward about the invitation to dinner, he was more than just free. He was overjoyed for Lisa for finding someone who adored her.

On the night of the dinner, he dressed nicely in a suit and Harrison’s family received him warmly. The young man’s parents were impressed that Edward had reared a daughter on his own. Besides, Edward had a wonderful sense of humor, and everyone had a great time at the dinner. Everyone except Lisa, whose cheeks were flushed crimson with shame the entire time since the man in a wheelchair was her father…

A few weeks before the wedding, Lisa made up her mind. She confronted Edward one night over dinner and notified him that he would not be on the wedding guest list.

“Dad, I wanted to talk to you about the wedding,” she began, glancing at her plate and moving her fork around the spaghetti.

“Yes? What exactly is it, honey?” Edward inquired. “Is there something bugging you about the wedding, the expenses? If that’s the case, I have some bonds that we could use. After all, I did keep it for you…”

“No, dad! It’s just that,” Lisa paused for a moment, “Harrison and I intend to hold the wedding here in New York, but the problem is that we’re having it at one of the city’s largest hotels, and… I just thought it would be best if you didn’t attend the event. You know, there would be way too many guests!”

Edward’s smile vanished as he stared at Lisa, speechless. “I – I don’t understand…What’s the problem?”

Lisa sighed and fixed her gaze on him. “Look, Dad, it’s just that… The guests will be exclusive, and they’re all businessmen and high-class people. Imagine a man in a wheelchair walking his daughter down the aisle in front of them… I don’t know…It’s just weird.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

“A man in a wheelchair is weird?” Edward’s eyes welled up. He couldn’t believe Lisa was indirectly cutting him off the wedding guest list. But he grasped the cue and forced a grin, hiding his tears from her.

“Is that it? Oh, you’re right! After all, this old age is catching up with me,” he said, faking a laugh. “I may not be able to handle such a large gathering. It’s ok – it’s ok!”

“Thanks for understanding, dad,” Lisa said bluntly and went away to her room. Before dissing Edward, she didn’t think twice about all the years of love and care he’d given her, but eventually, she regretted it.

A few days later, she was watching a show titled “American Heroes” on TV when the emcee announced Edward’s name. She was confused as she looked at the television and noticed her father sitting alongside the host.

Soon after, the camera focused on a screen that displayed images of Edward in a wheelchair and the hurricane that had hit their town years before. He turned out to be one of the brave journalists who had managed to save his family and help his neighbors throughout the disaster.

Edward had a solemn expression as he narrated the whole story of how he’d managed to help people, especially his family.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

“I will never forget that day. It was terrible… we lost practically everything,” he explained. “My wife died in the accident, and my daughter was just two years old at the time. As the debris surrounding us fell, I noticed my daughter standing right there…underneath that spot where it was falling.

“I went to save her and took her into my arms, but as I ran, a large section of the ceiling cracked and crashed on my back, causing a spine injury that prevented me from walking again.”

Lisa’s jaw sank to the floor, and her tears welled up when she heard that. “Dad saved me?” she was shocked.

“It was hard for me,” Edward continued. “But you know, you can’t really avoid your fate. So I gathered courage, knowing I just couldn’t give up in life, especially because I know I had a daughter who was now reliant on her father.”

Lisa was utterly embarrassed about herself at this point. She cried after Edward’s interview, cursing herself for being a terrible daughter, and decided to make it up to him.

So on her wedding day, she did walk down the aisle with Edward, but before the wedding ceremony began, she needed to tell the guests something VERY important…

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

As she took the microphone near the altar, she approached Edward, who was sitting among the guests, fell on her knees, and hugged him. “I know this is one of the most important days of my life, and I’ve been waiting for it for so long!” she cried, holding his hands in hers. “But none of this would have been possible if my father had not been by my side.”

“Ever since mom passed away, I never saw dad saying even once how hard it was for him to raise me alone. He did have hard days, but he never showed me the slightest hint of it. But what did I do? I was about to remove him from the wedding list because I was embarrassed about him being in a wheelchair. Yes, that’s right!”

“If only I had known that dad is in a wheelchair because he injured his back while saving me, I’d have never ever done that. I have been horrible to the man who loves me the most!”

“So I’d like to apologize to him in front of everyone today. I apologize for being the worst daughter to you, dad,” she said, facing him. “You can hate me for the rest of my life. I am sorry.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash

Edward wasn’t expecting Lisa to own her mistake publicly. He was surprised but at the same time overcome with emotions at seeing his daughter realize her error, so he forgave her.

“Oh, come here,” he cried, embracing her. “Everyone makes mistakes,” he said. “But if you recognize them and work to fix them, you should be forgiven.”

Everyone was moved to tears and applauded the heartwarming reunion.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Love and respect your parents because they go above and beyond for you. Liza realized this when she heard her father’s story on TV and apologized to him for being rude.
  • Everyone makes mistakes, and if they realize it, they should be forgiven. Edward forgave her daughter when he saw she felt guilty for what she’d done.

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