After a painful breakup, I thought I’d finally found someone special in Brennen. He was thoughtful, remembered little details about me, and made me feel safe. After almost eleven months together, I was even considering moving in with him.
Then, during a dinner with his friends, I noticed Adrien repeatedly staring at my ankle.
When I confronted him, he pointed to my small red butterfly tattoo and turned toward Brennen.
“Brennen, I thought she knew.”
Brennen slammed his hand against the table and demanded that Adrien stop talking.
But Adrien finally revealed the truth: before Brennen ever contacted me on a dating app, he had shown my profile to his friends and made a bet with Caleb that he could make me fall in love with him within six months.
The prize? $500.
Suddenly, every romantic moment felt different. The flowers, the thoughtful messages, and even the day I told him I loved him might have started as part of a cruel game.
Brennen insisted that his feelings had become real, but he had kept the truth from me even as we discussed moving in together. Worse, after I left, he tried convincing his friends to lie about the bet.
I returned his apartment key and ended the relationship.
For weeks, I struggled to understand how someone I trusted could turn my feelings into entertainment. Eventually, I reconnected with my best friend Nina and began rebuilding my confidence.
Then I looked at my red butterfly tattoo again.
I had gotten it after my previous breakup to remind myself that I deserved a fresh start.
Brennen had used it to make a bet about me — but the tattoo was still mine, and so was my life.