If you’re plagued by various suspicions, don’t rush to dismiss them as insignificant. It’s better to thoroughly investigate everything, not ruling out the most insane options. Yes, it might turn out that everything was just a figment of your imagination, as it happened in this story of ours. But sometimes, the opposite happens…
For example, this woman, six months after moving in with her boyfriend of two years, began to notice that strange incidents were happening to her right at home. Strange - and quite painful for her. The woman decided to believe her suspicions, and rightly so. Anyway, let’s just read on!
More info: Reddit
Sometimes, when you start suspecting something strange is happening around you, don't rush to brush it off, just for your own safety
Image credits: stefamerpik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
This woman had been dating her boyfriend for 2 years, and about half a year ago, they moved in together
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author says their relationship was quite nice, with ups and downs, but good overall
Image credits: frimages / Freepik (not the actual photo)
But recently, the author started experiencing some painful incidents right in their apartment
Image credits: drobotdean / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author first believed she was just being clumsy, but then she found evidence of her boyfriend allegedly setting traps for her across their home
Image credits: ufabizphoto / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman ended up calling her friend, and they started packing her belongings together to move out
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Apparently, the guy had cameras installed everywhere, because he suddenly showed up right in the middle of his workday
Image credits: Direct-Caterpillar77
The now-ex-boyfriend threw a massive tantrum and even called the police, accusing the author of theft, but she finally made it, leaving both him and that home
So, the Original poster (OP) dated her boyfriend for two years, and about 6 months ago, they decided to move in together. However, the last few months have been challenging for them, as the author has had to work the night shift, while her boyfriend, “Alex,” regularly works during the day as a CS engineer. So the couple doesn’t have much time to spend together.
Alex has been dealing with a lot of problems lately: he lost his father last year, and soon after, the couple lost their dog in an accident as well. Nevertheless, our heroine always considered their relationship to be rather good, despite its ups and downs. But what couple doesn’t have those, right?
But recently, the lady began to experience truly painful incidents right in her own home. First, a cabinet door fell on her, accidentally missing a hinge, then she painfully hit her foot on the bed, even though she was sure there shouldn’t have been a bedpost there. The OP initially suspected she was being overly clumsy, but then dismissed the thought.
One day, she found a door hinge, screws, and a drill in Alex’s linen drawer. Upon further investigation, she discovered that the bed had clearly been moved by someone. The bedposts left marks on the carpet, just inches from where they now stood. So the author began to suspect that, for some reason, her boyfriend was literally setting traps for her throughout the house…
Image credits: beststudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
In fact, this NIH article cites data from the national self-report survey, where coercive control is reported by 14% of men and 26% of women. And gaslighting is also an integral form of this control. This post on the GBV Learning Network clearly points out that gaslighting reduces the victim’s trust in their own feelings and decisions, thus only increasing their dependence on the offender.
The authors of this study at The Conversation also note that emotional attachment is sometimes used as a control mechanism to keep the victim in the relationship. Thus, monitoring, isolation, and gaslighting often go hand-in-hand in toxic relationships, serving not so much as a backdrop, but as a primary means of maintaining power.
People in the comments also wrote that the author likely found herself caught in a very toxic relationship with Alex, who was trying to find a way out of his mental health issues by secretly offending her. Many responders urged the woman to leave the relationship as soon as possible, and at least leave the apartment, just for her own safety.
Well, that’s exactly what happened. Our heroine called her friend, and they began packing her belongings in secret while Alex was at work. Apparently, the guy had cameras installed throughout the apartment because he soon showed up right in the middle of his workday and caused a terrible scene, accusing the author of stealing stuff from the house.
Moreover, the man called the police, so our heroine had to spend some time at the police station, explaining to the officers exactly what had happened. However, the most important thing she managed to achieve was to leave the relationship and the home intact both physically and mentally. So, what do you, our readers, think about this story?
Most commenters praised the author for dumping this guy quickly, claiming that she probably just dodged a bullet there
