Chapter 1

Right after I landed a job with a six-figure salary, Justin said he wanted to throw a big celebration for me.

But that very night, I scrolled past a trending post on Reddit:

*I’m about to get married, but my girlfriend just got a $10k-a-month job. What should I do?*

The poster was a man, claiming he was terrified he wouldn't be able to "control" his girlfriend after they tied the knot.

People in the comments were all feeding him ideas. The top-voted comment read:

"Run a compliance test on her. For example, pretend your mom is sick, and offer her $500 a month to move in and be your mom's full-time maid."

The poster had liked that comment. I was just about to screenshot it and send it to Justin so we could laugh at this disgusting guy together.

Right then, Justin sent me a voice note. His voice was frantic:

"Babe, my mom just fell really sick. I can’t celebrate with you tomorrow."

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There was no way it could be this coincidental, right?

Landing a six-figure job, followed immediately by his mother getting sick. Both details matched the Reddit post perfectly.

The poster couldn't possibly be Justin, right?

But the moment the thought popped into my head, I forced it down.

After all, Justin was known as the ultimate golden-retriever boyfriend.

We had been together for three years. He never missed a single holiday, constantly showered me with gifts and surprises, and was always the "yes-man" in our relationship. How could a guy like him write such a toxic post?

Pushing the suspicion aside, I decided not to send him the screenshot. Instead, I messaged him with concern: "Oh my god, is Helen okay? Should I come over and check on her?"

He replied almost instantly: "No, don’t worry about it. Don’t you start your new job tomorrow? My mom’s fine for now, your career comes first."

Seeing how considerate he was, my heart melted a little.

But right at that moment, a notification popped up on my phone. The Reddit poster had replied to that compliance test comment.

* [Poster]: I did exactly what you suggested, bro. She offered to come over and check on my mom, but I played the caring boyfriend card and told her to focus on her new job first.*

Reading that, I felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head.

Coincidences don't just line up perfectly one after another like dominoes—unless the poster was indeed Justin.

A chill ran down my spine as the reality set in.

Was Justin’s sweet, caring persona all a lie?

When I called him earlier to tell him I got the job, he had literally spun me around in his arms, screaming about how proud he was of his "powerhouse girlfriend." Yet, the moment my back was turned, he went online to post this garbage.

Did he only date me just to control me? How had I never seen this side of him before?

Clinging to a shred of hope, I tapped on the poster’s profile.

I desperately searched for any evidence to prove this wasn't Justin.

The user had posted quite a bit. I scrolled down, my heart sinking heavier with every swipe.

Most of his posts were about basketball and corporate finance. Coincidentally, Justin’s absolute favorite sport was basketball, and he worked in the exact same field.

Every piece of evidence pointed directly at him. But just as I was about to lose all hope, I spotted a post from six months ago.

The title was: *Girlfriend is begging to go to Tulum. Need itinerary recommendations.*

But I hadn't planned any trips in the last two years.

Could I really be overthinking this? Was it just a massive coincidence, and the poster was actually someone else?

Was the universe just playing a sick joke on me?

While I was forcing myself to calm down, another voice note from Justin popped up on Snapchat:

"Babe, can we talk about something?"

"My mom needs quiet recovery at home for the next three months. You know I’m up for a promotion right now, so I really can’t take time off. Can you turn down that new job and come live with us to be my mom’s caregiver? It’ll give you a chance to bond with her, and I can pay you $500 a month on top of free rent and food. Honestly, it’s a win-win-win for everyone!"

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