You open Instagram. There they are again: the soft-lit selfies of happy couples holding hands in cafés you can’t afford, kissing on beaches you can’t get to, captioned with quotes about “finding your forever.” You scroll faster, but it’s everywhere. Apparently, everyone is madly in love except you. Maybe you’ve just been dumped. Maybe you’ve been single so long you’re…
I’ve been in love enough times to know it’s not always candlelight and slow dances. Sometimes it’s betrayal in the form of a text. Sometimes it’s silence where there used to be warmth. And sometimes it’s watching someone choose someone else while you’re still holding all the memories. When it happened to me — the breakup, the rejection, the slow…
A while ago, I reconnected with an old friend from childhood. It felt serendipitous—like the universe had handed me a second chance at something special. We had a great first date. The conversation flowed easily, the laughter came naturally, and the comfort of shared history made everything feel warm and familiar. Then, a few days later, my phone lit up…
Success and self-growth change you — and, inevitably, they change your relationship, especially when the person you share your life with liked you better before you dared to want more. At first, the signs are small. They dismiss your new goals. They make jokes about you “thinking you’re better.” They roll their eyes when you talk about the future you’re…
Ah yes—the classic insult thrown when someone runs out of clever arguments:“No wonder you’re single.” As if that’s supposed to burn. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. If anything, it reveals more about their mindset than your marital status. Let’s be honest. Being single is often the result of high standards, not low value. It’s the reward for not settling, not a…
There’s a certain moment in modern dating when a man hands you something—nicely boxed, maybe expensive, maybe even imported from Korea—and says, “I got this for you.” You open it and there it is: a whitening cream. Or a slimming tea. Or some collagen powder meant to “help your glow.” And for a brief moment—after the forced thank-you and the…
You supported him. You paid for things. You were there through every job hunt, every failed plan, every excuse. And he said, “Just give me time. When I get on my feet, I’ll marry you.” That was years and years (and years!) ago. Here’s the truth: You were acting like a partner, but he was treating you like a placeholder.…
There’s a painful truth many don’t want to hear: If you’re always waiting, you’re not building a future. You’re being stalled. It starts with love. Then comes sacrifice. You say yes to supporting his studies, covering the bills, cheering him on while he “figures things out.” You believe in his dreams. You plan your life together. But then, the months…
“No wonder you’re still single.” There’s a strange kind of pity reserved for single people, especially those of us who’ve been single long enough to appear comfortable. It’s not always spoken outright. Sometimes it’s wrapped in concern: “Don’t you want someone?” Other times, it’s offered like a curse: “No wonder you’re still single.” As if solitude were a punishment instead…
I didn’t know what to call it before. I just knew I had this recurring pattern—where I’d slowly, methodically, and almost politely start backing out of whatever messy half-thing I’d gotten myself into. Now, thanks to workplace jargon leaking into real life, I’ve found the term: quiet quitting. And I’ve been doing it in situationships for years. You know the…