When a relationship that you thought would last forever, like a marriage, ends, there is no shame in starting over, either by casually dating or pursuing a new long-term relationship.
But both people have to want the same kind of relationship for the situation to really work, cautioned the members of the "Am I the A**hole?" (AITAH) subReddit.
Redditor Crazy_Bad9429 met a woman who was going through a divorce and who was interested in a casual relationship, which he was fine with.
But when she began to change her tune less than a year later and wanted to not only move in with him but also move her teen daughters in from her previous marriage, the Original Poster (OP) could see the finish line for their relationship rapidly approaching.
He asked the sub:
"AITAH for wanting to break up with my girlfriend when she said she wanted to keep things casual eight months ago and now wants to move in with her kids?"
The OP thought that he was in a great, effortless relationship.
"I (34 Male) have been seeing this woman (41 Female) for the past eight months or so now."
"She was just getting out of a messy divorce and wanted something casual and fun."
"I told her I wasn't looking for anything serious either and made clear I never wanted kids because I knew she had two daughters in high school."
"We've had effortless chemistry, but we've never gotten more serious over the time of our relationship."
But then the OP's girlfriend suggested taking things to the next level.
"A few days ago, she brought up the idea of her and her kids moving into my place."
"I figured because I live on the beach, she just wanted an upgraded lifestyle, but then she brought up how the town I live in has a much better public school system than the one she's living in now."
"She's super sweet, and I've met her daughters, and they seem very nice, but I'm like, what the f**k, how do we go from a casual relationship to moving in and me becoming a stepdad overnight?"
The OP couldn't see how the relationship could continue.
"I don't see a path that involves me saying how I felt and her just accepting things as they are. I feel like if a woman wants to move in with you, you're beyond the casual stage."
"She's even joked a couple of times recently about how she knows she can't give me anything I don't already have, but she can always give me a cute baby..."
"Like I said, she's really nice, but this is just way too much all at once."
"AITAH?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some pointed out that the OP and his girlfriend wanted very different relationships.
"Time to have a serious conversation. You two are clearly not on the same page regarding the relationship." - Impressive-Food4371
"You can't be building a treehouse while the other person's drawing blueprints for a skyscraper. Gotta sync the blueprints before someone ends up living rent-free and emotionally confused." - jacobesonex34
"Looks like they skipped the part where it stopped being casual."
"But sadly, due to experience, I'm wary of this omission. It was purposefully done to me so she could move in, have me support her and her kids, and then go sleep around because 'we were never official.' Red flags everywhere. Avoid them at all costs, OP." - serene_brutality
"She wants one thing, and you want another. Sit down like adults and discuss this."
"Have a conversation. Say no, I don't want you to move in. She can say okay, it's just an idea."
"Plus, why move high school-aged kids? NTA." - WeAreTheMisfits
"His admission is that it's casual, which to me sounds like they don't see each other very frequently. It didn't even sound like they necessarily call each other boyfriend and girlfriend."
"And for what he says, they're not even in the same area. No matter what, it's still not nearly long enough to introduce children into this, let alone have them move in with him."
"I know I waited over a year to meet my ex's daughter because I didn't want to drive this child through meeting me if this relationship wasn't going to last." - Roadgoddess
"NTA, but... Bud, it wasn't overnight. It was over eight months, and you missed all the signs." - hobofireworx
"NTA. She's joking about a baby and wants to move her family into your place?"
"I'd break up before she 'accidentally' gets pregnant."
"Because speaking as a woman... she's not joking. She's telling you your future."
"One of my old friends managed to baby trap a jackpot of jackpots, and I cannot believe this guy didn't see it coming. 18 more years. He was separated with two kids in high school. Moved the divorce along quickly, at least. 18 more years." - Dangerous_Prize_4545
"Get out before she legit baby-traps you. The comments about how she 'could give you a cute baby' are a warning. Treat them like the red flag they are."
"This situationship has run its course, and it's time to move on if you don't want something serious with her, before she 'gives' you an 18-year commitment." - Proof-Mongoose4530
"Don't do it, it is way too soon, and her moving in with kids is going to be a BIG change. She just wants to have somewhere to live for free. I would say you remove yourself from that situation and don't look back." - AROD-AR
"If you aren't seriously in love with this woman, do NOT move in with her. If she isn't the one and she moves in, it will be very difficult to move her/them out when it inevitably falls apart. Especially tragic if the children bond with you."
"She's newly divorced. She needs time to figure herself out. You're not a saviour. Don't do it, man." - chillibeana
"NTA. NO. Break it off. She doesn't want YOU; she wants your zipcode. Have you been around her kids a lot?"
"Teens are the worst time to step in for a step-parent as far as acceptance, etc. If you don't want serious and don't have kids, then don't date single parents with kids. They don't do casual well. At some point t it becomes more serious." - khampang
"Bro, if they 'move in,' you de facto become step-dad, and your living situation changes from dating to parenting. She's doing this to save rent for starters. She's also seeing you as her best option for a coparent."
"Make no mistake, you're getting a whole family. If that's what you want, cool. If not, time to move on." - milagr05o5
Others were very concerned about the OP's girlfriend's behavior for a variety of reasons.
"NTA. Quite frankly, I really worry about a woman who is newly divorced and is already at the stage where she wants to move her two minor children into the home of a man she's not in a committed long-term relationship with."
"You need to have a very frank and open discussion, and quite frankly, you probably should end the relationship at this point."
"If I were you, I would be very mindful of your birth control going forward because this sounds like she may try to baby trap you." - Roadgoddess
"Why should these two people move two teenagers, unless both daughters are being bullied? 'It's a better school district' is a pretty bad excuse to make them move away from all their friends."
"And if their friends from the old school live within reasonable driving distance, his beach house is going to end up full of teenagers on the weekends."
"Lots to consider here. NTA." - KonradWayne
"If you're truly childfree, get a vasectomy to protect yourself. Prevention is your only defence." - sikonat
"Even if she's the best girlfriend in the world, she's being a s**t parent, and that should be a huge red flag for the relationship and their future."
"I mean, those kids are barely through their parents getting divorced, and she's already eight months into introducing a new stepdad to them and moving them in already!" - Ok-Point4302
"Any woman willing to move their kids, especially GIRLS into another man's house who she isn't even in a serious relationship with is insane and will 100 percent try and trap you. Especially if you are better off than she is, she's going to try and lock you down." - mexiiweeb
"Birth control fails all the time, and she could poke holes in his condoms, lie about taking the pill, or anything else with other birth control. The only way to guarantee she doesn't baby trap him is to stop sleeping with her!"
"Dropping those 'jokes' about a cute baby, she is already planning to get pregnant if she hasn't already. Time to show her the door and never look back." - Responsible_Most_686
"NTA to both of you."
"Sounds like she likes you, and is happy. She wants her life to be easier. It's horrible being a single mom. But eight months is not enough time."
"As a step mom myself, I would warn you against becoming a stepdad. It's not a great life. It might not be great being a single mom, but that doesn't have to be your problem unless you want it to be." - Smile-Cat-Coconut
The subReddit could not fault either person for what they wanted from a relationship, but it was clear to them that the OP and his girlfriend did not want compatible things.
It was also clear to them that the OP should break up with his girlfriend before the relationship became somewhat "irreversible," especially since she was joking with him about "gifting" him a baby.















Woman Breaks Up With 'Clingy' Boyfriend For Making Joke About 'Getting With' Her Sister
As much as we might want to date someone, there's no point in trying to gain the attention and affection of someone who does not want to reciprocate.
Dating someone "similar" to fill that void isn't a good look, either, cringed the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor Flashy-External1666 had been long-distance dating a guy from her friend group for about a month, even though he'd expressed his attraction to her older sister repeatedly before they started dating.
When her sister entered a new relationship, the Original Poster (OP) was hurt and disgusted that her boyfriend insinuated that he could have been trying to "get with" her sister while he was instead busy dating her.
She asked the sub:
The OP was aware that her boyfriend had his eye on someone close to her before dating her.
"I (19 Female) am with M (21 Male), and we've been together for a month. We were friends before this, for a while."
"For some background, when we were in a friend group, he'd always talk about how my sister (23 Female) was super hot and how he wanted her, but she was in a relationship at the time."
When he found out that her sister had been in-between relationships, he had an unsavory reaction.
"Earlier today, I mentioned to him how my sister started seeing this new guy, and I was super proud of her, because she went through a lot with her last relationship."
"His immediate reply was, 'Dang,' one month too late' with a sad emoji, insinuating that he was one month too late to get with her, because we've been together for a month."
You can see the text message exchange here:
The OP was immediately turned off by the idea of dating him.
"After I got upset and he apologized, he immediately sent me a reel that said, 'When she's already upset about me, but I have a second joke in mind.'"
"I feel like he genuinely doesn't care about me."
"He has also gotten weirdly clingy within the month, like red-flag clingy."
"He keeps trying to say how he loves me, wants to marry me, and wants me to go live with him. But he also always brings up my exes and gets super jealous when HE mentions them."
"I don't know what to do. Should I block him??"
"He's mentioned before that I would need to block him on everything if we ever broke up because he'd never leave me alone (we are currently long-distance)."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some were grossed out by the boyfriend's text message and understood why the OP was upset.
"The fact that he wrote all that out and even added a little emoji at the end and still decided to send it, knowing it would be hurtful for you."
"Seems like he’s texted that to see if he could get away with it. Either way, you don’t say something like that to someone you care about…" - Oven_Traditional
"NOR. Ew! That’s so disrespectful coming from someone who should be thrilled to have you."
"I’m team 'dump him.' If he has a brother, maybe ask for his brother’s number as you end it just to see how he likes it." - Entire-Tonight-1463
"NOR. He's not joking about your sister. Based on what he's said about her in the past, it would have been a wise move to NOT date him at all. PERIOD."
'There's a possibility that he's clingy/close to you for the purpose of indirectly keeping an eye on your sister. Release him and let him go, thereby setting yourself free from foolishness." - AtlJazzy2024
"He’s not for you… Break up with him and block him. You deserve a guy who treasures YOU!" - Muted-Lynx-8745
"He might be your boyfriend, but you're not his girlfriend. In his mind, your sister is." - Save-your-spoons
Others urged the OP to block her boyfriend and move on.
"Girl, it's been a month. Let that loser go." - sleepymelfho
"He kept OP as a backup, while circling her sister's orbit. What has happened to transparency and honesty in relationships? All I read now is obnoxious men doing obnoxious things to their partners."
"OP, he's keeping you around to stay close to your sister. You deserve better... NOR." - ColdHandGee
"NOR. You know that he's not joking about wanting your sister. He told on himself before you even got together, talking about how hot she was. Believe him."
"Break up with him and cut him off immediately. I can't believe you ever agreed to date him in the first place. I'd never want to date someone who had the hots for someone else in my immediate circle, whether that was a sibling or a friend." - Lanky_Mud_8148
"You’ve been dating one month, and that’s one month too long."
"He’s not joking about your sister. He fancies her more than you, and you’re the consolation prize. He will pursue her given the chance."
"Time to dump him." - Special_Wind_6708
"NOR. He can't have your sister, so you're just the next best thing. Him being a clingy weirdo that 'will never leave you alone' is the cherry on top."
"You know what to do. Dump him and block him on everything. If anyone from the friend group asks, just tell them what you told us. And you REALLY should warn your sister; you have receipts." - sdoM-bmuD
"Ditch him. Honestly. What are you waiting for?" - forget_me_not_uwu
"NOR at all. Cut this loser out of all channels of your life."
"I wouldn’t block, though. Just ghost so that he can watch you become happier without him as the ultimate revenge because I’m petty like that, and he clearly deserves it."
"ALSO, if he's as creepy and clingy as he sounds, you can have him muted, so he can see your activity, but you won't have to see his... But you'd have all of his messages as receipts if he ever became threatening or stalkerish for police purposes."
"For more context: My mum started dating my dad (when she was 19, too), who initially tried to go for her older sister (two years older) and got rejected."
"After three years of dating, seven years of engagement, and 20 years of marriage where she put up with an incompetent man-child that wouldn’t do anything for himself and expected her to completely cater to him while he berated her and treated her like s**t..."
"...it ended in him cheating on her with a waitress for over a year and denying it until my mum had literal photographic evidence, to which he had the audacity to respond with the reasoning that she was the reason he was 'driven to cheat' (as if that was even remotely close to the truth and the only option to solve his ‘problems’)."
"Save yourself, girl. This man-child can learn to pine over you and your sister from afar as you both skip into the sunset together, moving on with your lives and into better relationships that fulfill you the way you deserve!" - peachycritter
Some cautioned the OP to also cover her tracks after the breakup, as he sounded worse than "clingy" to them.
"The actual scary part isn't even the sister joke; it's, 'he said he'd never leave me alone if we broke up,' only one month in."
"That line gave me chills, and that alone would have me Googling how to block someone on every platform that exists." - babydoodle91
"Ew. These super clingy guys right out the gate are scary. Please watch your step, and erase your tracks." - Immabirb
"He sounds like a stalker... Drop him now, fast. And block him everywhere." - Admirable_Program720
"NOR, yes, you block him, and you keep him out of your life, and you tell mutual friends that if they try to facilitate contact between you two, you will block them as well. He isn't joking." - JustAsICanBeSoCruel
"I watch way too much crime for this!"
"Girl, block him. Also tell your sister to block him, too; he’s obsessed with her." - MrsRoronoaZoro
"NOR. You're underreacting, honestly."
"He wants your sister, but you're close enough. He's obsessed with her and won't give it up even though he has someone he 'wants to marry.'"
"Also, he's not lying. He probably will stalk you online afterwards; please be careful." - Phoenix-Phire-38
"NOR at all. Your post kept adding on more red flags with each additional sentence. I know you’re young, but he’s toxic, and yes, you will need to block him."
"Breaking up with someone you have strong feelings for is really difficult, so when you leave, you should make sure to lean on friends and family and keep yourself distracted with things you like and find engaging." - query_tech_sec
"The s**t with your sister is nothing compared to the love-bombing and jealousy. This guy is trouble, and scary, and you will have done the right thing when you leave him and maintain the distance between the two of you. NOR." - potatomeeple
After receiving feedback, the OP posted an update, but it seemed to be only the beginning.
"Thank you for making me feel less crazy."
"I blocked him on everything and deactivated my Instagram."
"He DM'ed a girl that I had posted ONCE on my Instagram Stories, asking about me."
"I'm not sure if he's going to keep trying to talk to me, but I hope not."
The subReddit's internal alarm bells were ringing while reading the OP's post, and they hoped that she'd leave her boyfriend in every sense of the word. They already lived long-distance, but she needed to cut him off in every other sense.
Not only was it obvious that he wanted someone else and was with the OP to "make up for it," but his "promises" of not leaving her alone if she ever broke up with him were love-bombing and stalker-like, at best.