Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

I share an apartment with two roommates, Mia and Nora. Living in our city is incredibly costly, and the only way we could afford to stay here was by splitting the rent for a three-bedroom apartment. None of us could manage on our own, and even a two-bedroom would have been too much.

Mia and I were both single when we moved in, while Nora was dating a guy named Max. He's the quiet, tidy type who even chips in for utilities since he's over quite often.

Recently, Mia began seeing Leo, who is a mutual friend of Nora and Max. Leo has made some uncomfortable comments towards me including remarks about my weight and inappropriate sexual questions. When I brought it up to Mia, she brushed it off saying he was just trying to be friendly. Nora and Max echoed her sentiment, attributing it to his bizarre sense of humor.

The tension escalated last week when I overheard Mia and Leo in the apartment's only bathroom, which happens to share a wall with my bedroom. It was clear they were intimate, and they left the shower in a mess. Nora was away visiting her parents, so the responsibility of cleaning fell on me.

I tried discussing my discomfort with Nora upon her return, hoping she’d understand. However, she's not one to confront issues, and she casually mentioned that now Mia knows how I feel, she probably wouldn't repeat her actions. Despite her reassurance, I felt she didn't grasp the seriousness of the situation. Since then, I've been distancing myself from Mia and Leo.

My relationship with Mia has deteriorated, and Nora’s neutrality seems to inadvertently support Mia, which makes me feel isolated. Considering all this, I thought about moving out. We had renewed our lease for another year right before I met Leo, and according to our estate agent, I couldn't break the lease unless there was a contract violation.

Feeling trapped, I revisited our lease agreement and found a clause stating that only registered tenants could reside in the flat for extended periods. I used this to argue that Mia’s boyfriend staying over was a breach, citing a corresponding increase in our utility bills as proof.

This move allowed me to legally exit the lease. However, it led to an unexpected outcome: the landlord decided to evict Mia and Nora for violating the lease terms. They were upset, claiming I had blindsided them and left them scrambling to find new accommodation by month's end. Fortunately, I can move back with my parents who live about an hour and a half away, but Mia and Nora don't have that option since they're from another city.

I never wanted them to be evicted; all I wanted was to remove myself from an uncomfortable living situation. But when ongoing issues are dismissed, and there’s a clear lack of communication, drastic measures sometimes become the only solution.

Imagine if this whole ordeal was captured on a reality TV show. The drama, the confrontations, and these pivotal decisions would certainly make for riveting television. Viewers might sympathize with the unbearable living conditions I had to endure or vilify me for my actions leading to my roommates' eviction. The dynamic and responses would be unpredictable yet intensely engaging.

Last week, I encountered an exceptionally rude sales assistant while hunting for a birthday present, and I wonder if I may have overreacted because of it. There was only one attendant free at the shop, and it was apparent she preferred not to be disturbed. She avoided making eye contact and would walk in the opposite direction whenever I neared. After waiting around for another assistant to become available and realizing none would, it was getting late, so I reluctantly decided to approach her. Regrettably, her response was dismissive and unhelpful, leading me to resume my browsing alone as I awaited my husband's arrival.

Upon his arrival, it was as if a switch had flipped with the saleswoman. She became eager and attentive, quite the opposite of how she had treated me initially. My attention had been caught by a stylish bag earlier, which I might have even bought for myself had it not been for her earlier behavior. My husband noticed and asked if I was interested in purchasing it, but I refused, particularly because it would mean she’d earn a commission from the sale. Despite my earlier experience, she now seemed more than willing to assist.

A few days later, my husband surprised me with that very same bag as a gift. I inquired if he had returned to the same store and interacted with the same assistant, which he confirmed. Knowing this, I felt compelled to return the bag. I explained to him how her initial rudeness had spoiled my view of the purchase, and that I did not want her benefiting from the commission. While the commission seemed trivial to my husband, the principle mattered to me. He was quite upset when I returned his gift, not understanding why a stranger’s actions should influence our decisions.

Am I being unreasonable?

Navigating this situation on a reality show would undoubtedly amplify the drama. Picture the scenario being replayed to a room full of spectators, each weighing in on the ethical dilemma. Would the public side with my decision to stand against poor customer service, or would they perceive my actions as an overreaction detrimental to what was a heartfelt gift from my husband? Reality TV thrives on such conflicts, often escalating them to entertain the audience.

No matter what I do they still leave I try to be the perfect boyfriend but it doesn’t matter what I do they leave every time and I’m tired of being abandoned I just want a girl who won’t but I can’t seem to find one I’m tired of them leaving I just want someone to stay someone I can talk too but I can’t.

Our children, a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, are fervently committed to environmental conservation, a value my husband (41) and I (38) wholeheartedly endorse. We've always embraced the philosophy "use gently and conserve," which we trace back to the ideas promoted by the Roosevelts.

Recently, after returning from a summer camp where a well-known actor emphasized the urgent need to cut carbon emissions by 66% to avert an environmental disaster, our kids' behavior took a sharp turn. Despite his own use of a private jet and multiple properties, his message hit home with them. They became overly aggressive, confronting friends and relatives about their environmental habits, leading our son to vandalize a friend's Mustang as an act of environmental protest.

To curb this growing fanaticism, my husband and I decided to teach them a practical lesson by challenging them to reduce their own carbon footprints by 66% until the start of the school year. We simplified our home energy sources to demonstrate achievable cuts, but even then, they struggled. They now had restricted car use, limited air conditioning, a diet without meat, and minimal use of appliances to truly understand the impact of such a drastic cutback.

The reality of their choices soon hit them, and within two days, they were pleading to return to their normal lives. We explained the hypocrisy of advocating for a lifestyle they themselves couldn't bear to maintain and imposed stricter limitations whenever they criticized others' environmental efforts. Following a particularly public complaint on Facebook about their restrictions, we cut off their internet access, nudging them further towards their emission reduction goal.

This approach has garnered mixed reactions. While many relatives who had been targeted by the kids' criticisms felt vindicated, others, including my mother-in-law and father-in-law, accused us of being harsh and even reported us to family services. Growing up on a farm taught us the value of true grit, and we believe these lessons are crucial.

Imagine if all this were unfolding on a reality TV show! Viewers would likely be split, with some applauding us for teaching a tough lesson in responsibility and sustainability, while others might view us as too severe, creating drama and drawing in a larger audience intrigued by the clash of environmental ideals versus practical living.

I wonder, would being on a reality show change public opinion about our approach?

For my husband's birthday, I decided to surprise him with a homemade two-layer banana cake, knowing his appreciation for the flavor, despite his lactose intolerance. To accommodate his dietary restrictions, I meticulously prepared both a vegan frosting and a delightful vegan toffee sauce, which I was proud of. As we prepared to sing "Happy Birthday," I excitedly mentioned the special cake and its vegan components while he approached the dessert table.

Unexpectedly, in front of all our guests, he questioned the point of baking him a cake at all, given he hadn't enjoyed them for years. His blunt response left me feeling deeply wounded, especially since I had hoped to make his day special. It confused me further because whenever I bought him banana cake from our local bakery, he seemed to genuinely enjoy it, often praising it.

Despite the awkward moment, I tried to maintain a cheerful demeanor for the remainder of the party. Afterward, he sensed my dismay and inquired if I was alright. I expressed my disappointment and vowed never to bake for him again, to which he oddly thanked me, adding that I should have known better, making me feel even worse.

Compounding the situation was the fact that we share the same birthday, and I had also prepared a separate chocolate cake for myself, which now felt more like a solace than a celebration.

Can you imagine if this scenario played out on a reality show? Cameras rolling as the tension unfolds, capturing every nuance of the interaction and likely amplifying our expressions and reactions for dramatic effect. Viewers would probably be divided, with some sympathizing with my attempt to personalize a thoughtful gesture and others possibly siding with my husband, thinking perhaps there was some unspoken backstory explaining his harsh reaction. The discussion panels would buzz, and social media would light up with opinions and possibly even memes, turning our private moment into a public spectacle.

I certainly felt alone and misunderstood in that moment, but how would I have handled the amplified pressure of public judgment? Would the added scrutiny help mend our miscommunication, or would it drive a deeper wedge between us?

I keep replaying the moment in my head—when i told her i wanted a divorce. after twenty years of marriage, saying those words felt like ripping out part of myself, but staying had become a different kind of slow death. she’s not well, her health is fragile, and that’s what makes it all so much harder. i’m not heartless. i still care. but i was living with someone who chipped away at my dignity for years. disrespect doesn’t show up all at once; it creeps in slowly. a condescending remark here, a dismissive gesture there, and before you know it, you’re invisible in your own life. i tried. really. therapy, talks, compromises that only I kept. and when i finally realized that no amount of loyalty would bring back the man i used to be, i chose to leave. but how do you stop the guilt when someone you leave behind is struggling physically? it’s not a movie with a clean ending, it’s more like walking out of a burning house that still has someone you once loved trapped inside. except that person won’t take your hand even when you reach back;

some people tell me, “you did the right thing,” others ask, “how could you leave her now?” and i honestly don’t have a satisfying answer to either. the guilt isn’t just about her condition—it’s about the idea that maybe i should’ve been stronger, more forgiving, more patient. maybe i failed some unspoken moral test. yet at the same time, don’t i have the right to protect myself too? we don’t talk about that enough—how emotional erosion can kill you just as surely as illness. i wasn’t trying to escape responsibility. i was trying to escape becoming a bitter, hollow version of myself. but now, every time someone says her name or i hear that she's been in and out of the doctor’s office again, it hits me like a sucker punch. do i reach out? would that help her—or just help me feel better? is guilt something that fades with time, or something you carry like a scar?

i guess what i really want to ask is—how do you know when you’ve done enough? when does choosing yourself stop feeling like abandonment? i read somewhere that “self-respect is the fruit of discipline,” and i’m trying to believe that choosing to walk away was an act of discipline, not betrayal. but most days, the line is blurry as hell. i keep showing up for work, paying the bills, calling our grown kids, pretending like everything is fine. but underneath, it’s like dragging a bag of wet cement everywhere i go. maybe guilt isn’t something to get rid of. maybe it’s just proof that you still give a damn. but it’d be nice if it didn’t show up every time i sit alone in a quiet room. so yeah—if you’ve ever had to choose between staying loyal and staying alive inside, how did you stop feeling like the villain in your own story?

i dont really kno how to explain it but like most days i feel happy but sad at the same time, like im laughin with my friends and everything seem fine, i go to school, i joke around, i listen to music, i even get excited for stuff like a new movie or some game night or whatever, but deep down theres this weird sadness just sittin there and i dont even kno why, like theres nothin wrong exactly, nothing i can point to and say “this is why im sad” but it’s just there like a quiet shadow followin me everywhere even when the sun’s out, i could be in the middle of a good moment and then boom i just feel kinda empty, and it dont make sense cause my life isn’t bad, i got a roof, i eat every day, my family’s not perfect but they’re not awful either, nd i got a few real friends, not a lot but enough, so why do i feel like this? why do i feel like im broken or like something’s missin? sometimes i’ll be walking home and suddenly i feel like crying for no reason at all, and i dont cry, not really, but like inside it builds up and makes my chest tight, and i try to smile through it cause i don’t wanna be the sad kid or make things awkward for other people, like they expect me to be chill and upbeat cause that’s what i’ve always been but i feel like im fakin it more and more lately, like i don’t even know if the smiles are real or just habit now, nd then when i try to explain it to someone i feel stupid cause i don’t even got a story to tell, it’s just vibes, like this weird heavy cloud that dont go away even when the sky’s blue, nd sometimes i think maybe that’s just life and everyone’s like this and they just hide it better or maybe im just soft or weak for lettin it get to me, but either way it sucks, cause i wanna be happy for real, not fake happy or happy with a side of sad, just happy and done, but it never last, it’s like i reach it for a sec and then sadness taps me on the shoulder again and i cant shake it, nd maybe that’s what scares me the most, that this weird mix of happy and sad is just who i am forever and i’ll never feel one without the other again.

i don’t even know why I’m so nervous after all these years, maybe because I’m 54 now and everything feels more fragile, even the things I thought I had figured out. I’ve been working in this company for more than 20 years, through restructurations, new managements, endless workflow updates and all the “as per our last email” nonsense that comes with corporate life. and now that I finally have something for myself, my little office at home, the massage table set up, the kinesiology charts pinned on the wall, my magnets sorted in a drawer like some kind of treasure chest, I’m scared stiff of telling my boss I’m quiting. Isn’t that stupid? after two decades of performance reviews, KPI check-ins, regular compliance training and being told I’m “a strong asset”, I should be able to say one simple thing: “I’m leaving.” But he likes the job I do, he always says it, sometimes I even think he relies too much on me. And he doesn’t believe in kinesiology at all, he once called it “that body energy thingy you see on TV” and laughed. So how do I bring this up without sounding like I’ve lost my mind, or like I’m running away from the whole production chain just to go hug crystals ✨?

The weirdest thing is, I’m not unsure about the choice itself. I’m ready. really ready. I’ve read so many books, done trainings, passed exams, practiced on friends, even did a few sessions with co-workers who were brave enough to let me test muscle responses on them. One of them told me, “Honestly, it kinda worked,” which is still my favorite feedback ever. I’ve been doing the logistics too, registering my activity, checking insurance requirements, planning the client intake forms, trying to figure out how to explain muscle testing without sounding like a witch. everything is in place, even the scent diffuser that smells like eucalyptus went crazy last night for some reason. And yet, I freeze every time I imagine the conversation with my boss. He’s not a bad guy, just very...pragmatick. “Evidence-based or nothing,” he told me once when we were talking about stress. I know he’ll look at me like I told him I’m leaving to go join a circus. Should I try small talk first? Should I just say it straight? have you ever had to quit a job when the person in charge thinks your next career is bogus; because that’s exactly my situation and I feel like I’m rehearsing a script that won’t sound right no matter what?

Another part of me still remembers the early days when I was doing data-entry and he was still learning the ropes himself. there was this one time, during a big audit, where I stayed until midnight to help clean up the regulatory documentatoin, and he told everyone the next day, “She saved our asses.” That stuck with me for years, maybe too much. maybe that’s why I feel like announcing my departure is like betraying some old unwriten pact. But I can’t spend the rest of my life worrying about whether someone else is disappointed because I want to follow my own path. I’ve spent over two decades dealing with supply chain anomalies, preparing monthly reports, making sure the backoffice processes don’t collapse over a missing signature, and honestly it’s enough. My body is tired. My shoulders are constantly tight. last winter, I kept thinking, “If I’m helping everyone else stay on track, who’s helping me?” That was the moment I knew something had to change, even if the change made no sens to anyone else. My sister even told me, “At your age, people slow down, not start new weird careers.” But I’m not slowing down, I’m redirecting. Isn’t that allowed?

So now I’m drafting the resignatoin letter, with typos everywhere because my hands are shaking like an idiot. I wrote, “Thank you for the opprotunity,” and didn’t even correct it yet. maybe it shows how human this all is. Maybe it’s fine. The real challenge is deciding whether to explain everything or keep it short. Do I say “I’m becoming a kinesiologist and magnetizer,” or do I just say “pursuing a personnal project”? I keep hearing his voice saying, “We need you in the Q3 cycle,” and I know the timing sucks, but if I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it. life isn’t waiting for the perfect slot in the operational calendar; and neither am I. I keep thinking of that line from a book I read years ago: “Sometimes the door is open, but you have to be the one who walks through.” So maybe that’s what I’ll do. maybe I’ll sit down in his office, smile politely, and say, “I need to talk to you about something important.” And then I’ll just breathe and hope the world doesn’t fall appart. After all, if I can help clients align their energies, surely I can survive telling one man I’m moving on. Right?

I live in a broken family

My family was not like this, even if we weren’t perfect we all still loved each other and was somewhat okay. A few months ago my father had an issue with his job and left it, thus financial problems started. My sibling who is abroad does their best to support us. Our relatives from both paternal and maternal side cut contact with us and started talking behind our backs because we do not have the financial stability anymore, not even our grandparents talk to us or ask about us, even though we have never asked for money from them and never would have asked for it. But nobody even calls or texts us, instead they sometimes come over to spite us and leave us out of important familial information. This obviously broke my siblings and my heart but my parents are devastated because of this.

Gradually my parents started fighting more too, always creating this gloomy atmosphere at my house. My parents started blaming themselves at first for not being able to do the same for me as they did for my elder sibling then they started to blame me for not being a good enough student even though I’m working 24/7 to maintain a scholarship and earn money. Then my dad had to cheat. Well some might say it was not direct cheating but we caught him on a video call with another lady and saw their texts. My younger sibling hates his gut now, we had to adjust, cause what can we do, what else can be done. My parents aren’t in love anymore, not like before, I’m pretty sure if we did not exist they would divorce, at least that is what they tell me all the time.

90% of the time I feel dissociated, I don’t know if I’m supposed to thank “god” for keeping me alive or hate god for making us go through this. I hate living here now, everyone is always fighting, everyone is always depressed, it feels like even staying at my stupid university will be better than staying here.

I just want everything to end.

I met a guy online a little bit ago and we quickly discovered we had a lot in common and liked talking to each other. We eventually made plans to meet in person. (We confirmed we both were who we said we were and did all the proper safety steps like meeting in public etc) I traveled to where he lives. ( I know now that I should have had us meet halfway in a neutral location but it is what it is now.) we met in a public location and we had hugged and kissed and chatted a bit. He was very sweet but it was a little awkward. I figured maybe we just needed to get used to the in person dynamic. Things improved after a little bit of talking.I was feeling more confident. This is where things went south, I know I shouldn’t have but I did let him convince me to hook up with him at my hotel. I was incredibly uncomfortable and he even said he could tell I was uncomfortable. Not to mention it hurt horribly because he was very rough. He also said right after that he kept having flashbacks of his ex during it. We met up the next day for lunch and right in public he tells me he felt nothing when we did romantic stuff but he did like hanging out with me. I was floored by his coldness and the fact he would do that in a crowded restaurant. It was a relief in a way though because I felt uneasy about him to say the least. Intraveled home early and we have spoken since and he once again told me he could tell I wasn’t ready and that I was uncomfortable when we hooked up and that I was “lucky to have discovered that with him and he was caring enough to be patient with me”. I had tried to bring up some feelings I had from the whole thing like that it effected my confidence and he said it wasn’t fair to him for me to have feelings about the whole thing because he was moving on too. Am I wrong for feeling so torn up and gross about this experience? What do you think?

I used to believe that after my skin were nothing, hollow and I wanted to tear my skin out just to see if there were nothing or not, it wasn't really an utter belief but like 99% of it. I still believe it sometime, this skin doesnt feel human, they're not, too artificial to be one, im not human, but not a robot, im a doll, I act like one, its loose once you observe it. Slack if you notice. My mind is not of my own, it whisper to me with a languange i know and dont know, I have to decode quickly to understand. This body is clay, its not human, this body is a doll, its not a human, everybody feels like a doll but logic says differently but I dont believe what they say until I see the flesh, I NEED to see the crimson to believe it, will i? Or will I think its fake again? My "loved one" faces are different, distant and artificial, theyre not them, theyre not people I know. Observing further for more than 3 seconds break my perception of such experience, something beyond my consciousness is controlling how I see things, they want me to think that its them when its not, you can clearly see it, its so obvious! Yet I pretend to act for them, theres no believer here, only the theatre remained, the voice is like a machine repeating words my loved one said, the movement is too doll like to be an actual human, an animal doesnt move like that, i know that for sure! They move freely but my loved one does not? Its weird. The face, its like the fabric felt, its inhumane, everybody else doesnt have that, just my loved one, theyre not them. Somebody is trying to trick me, somebody not human, is it God? God won't do this right? Of course mercy is not bestowed upon me, but one will not give much more suffering right? I, am a sinner after all, yet I believe him, is that not enough? Is anything I do not enough? Everything i do is nonsense, my belief is just not enough for God to give me such presents. Surely, only the sinner will get such suffering, such immeasurable test are not for the loyal are they or does God think I can withstand such torment? Does he want me to bite my flesh off? See my own blood to see whether im genuinely human or not? Is it that? But the knife are scary, I cant even cut vegetables! Im scared but why such torment are to be upon me? There's no others reason except of insanity. The ringing calls me to do it, this body is not mine to control, i cannot do it, something preventing so, is it want to live? Is it not? You too shall question that should you but you dont, why be silent all of the sudden? You always talk in language I cant comprehend, or rather im not hearing you at all? How do I explain this in text? Another voice but incomprehensible unless I hear it yes! A subtle ringing in my ears, tell me opinion, debate with me, and sometime get loud, its clearly just thoughts, like im debating myself! Im not hearing things! Its only the conciousness beyond me, beyond my understanding of normality that tell me do so! And how coud i say no? Its going internally, its clearly not a hallucination!How long was it again 1 month? 2? 3? I don't remember the feeling of wanting to tore my skin off to prove to myself, an urge thats only controlled by distraction, incredible that I have stayed for that long without a scar is it not? Its coming back to me how strong that belief was, I still am in string with it, its not thoughts of 24/7 no but this skin is not what it is, its not biological, you cannot tell me it is, you think i havent tried grounding before? I have, i have, i have, nothing work and really what's the point? Does it matter really, I'll still be "alive" dont worry! Once I try you'll see there's nothing behind it, it act like plastic, is it supposed to be? I think so, im only using my fingers, theres no harm in doing so is it? There's nothing behind it, no blood so why would it damage such body? It may hurt, of course it would. I just taken my antiphyschotic after writing this.

You know. I have believed my attempt worked before too and this is all just purgatory. But that one was less convincing, the body part was really convincing though. The mirror me is different, im looking at stranger, THATS NOT ME, cant you see that? Look at it! The face is not even mine, that body is not mine, its a complete stranger i dont know. seometime i feel like the ringing might be God telling me to rip my skin off to see how he has made me as a sinner, he has me plastic because of my sins cant you see that? The ringing tell

me to end myself, i have indulged in too much sins they say.

It somehow comforted me, the question has been answered, I can lay in peace but can I?

God hasn't confirmed that ill lay as dirt, I'll do his command once I have confirmation

September 13

I don’t want to need people. I don’t want to want people. I don’t want to care about people. Like these couple of months (and can even say years) ive have really tried looking for someone , someone really close to like a best friend if someone would say. I feel like that’s what made me really sad like in movies it’s always ‘I will always have that one person’ like bro why can’t it be more idolized that people don’t have anyone, they have themselves ABD are still happy. I’m not tryna be depressed on this whole ‘self-isolation’ thing but it’s really not guaranteed that you’d ever find someone. Like I want to learn about be COMPLETELY happy alone. Like genuinely have tried making friends but NO everyone has their person. This doesn’t help that the shows I grew up with always revolve around friends and ‘best friends’ . And ik all that stuff about ‘humans are social creatures’ shut up .

Just trying to find someone leads me to disappointment and it just hurts tryna find my person. Wish I have the mentality of not needing anyone this week did somehow start like that. But a fight happened in school and I just taught of how nice it would have been to have friends to talk about it. Like so a lot of my plans have actually tried to make me cope with this by tryna find someone that also relates to my situation. But idek

Well I think that’s it?

Hopefully no one’s gonna be like ‘don’t worry you will find your person’ ‘it will be worth the wait when you get them’ ‘it’s hard having no friends’

Raised on my family's sprawling farm, my ancestors had tilled the soil for generations. Unlike them, I developed an early aversion to farm life, finding little joy in the endless dirt and the company of farm animals.

At the age of 18, I bid farewell to the rural lifestyle and relocated to a bustling city, embracing an urban existence I cherished, though I still visited the farm occasionally out of love for my family.

Sadly, three years ago, my mother passed away, and recently, my father died in a tragic accident at work. This left my younger brother, Daniel, and me as the only heirs to the family estate.

Having been financially supported by my parents throughout my life, I anticipated inheriting little and was content with just a few sentimental family items. However, during a meeting with the lawyer to discuss the will, Daniel and I were taken aback to learn that I had inherited three-quarters of the farm, with the remainder going to him.

The rationale behind such an unequal distribution baffled me, particularly since Daniel had devoted his life to the farm, unlike me. I suspected it might be because I have two children, but they were already provided for in the will.

Seeing Daniel's discomfort with the arrangement, I quickly assured him I would willingly transfer the majority of the land to him. Despite his initial protests, we agreed to resolve the matter privately at a later date.

I shared my decision with my wife, Lila, who was vehemently opposed. She argued that my choice was reckless, highlighting the farm's significant value. I contended that the land held value only for those with intentions to utilize it, which neither I nor our children had. Lila suggested keeping half the land just in case our children wished to farm in the future, an idea that I reluctantly agreed to.

Currently, Lila is not speaking to me, awaiting my final decision on the matter. This situation left me questioning: am I being unreasonable?

Picture this scenario playing out on a reality show. How would the audience react to such family drama and decision-making? Likely, viewers would be split, with some empathizing with my desire to do right by my brother, and others siding with Lila, arguing the practicality of retaining valuable assets. Reality television thrives on such conflicts, and this situation could provide ample fodder for dramatic scenes and viewer engagement.

I need some feedback to understand if my perspective on this family inheritance dilemma holds merit.

I can't self diagnose or anything but I'm 98% sure I'm autistic, the stories my family tells me about when I was younger add up to the autism symptoms I feel now. I've taken the Raads-R test or whatever it's called, I've actually take a bunch, all which lead to the general consensus that I do in fact most definitely have autism. I don't know how to tell my parents. they're asian and they told me a couple years ago that autistic people are weird and not normal or whatever and they probably dont believe anything i try to tell them. they dont believe im aromantic and that me being a tomboy is just a phase. life is becominig harder and harder and i dont know. i just cant do naything. the amount of stress increases every day and whenever i cry or say something about it theyre like oh its cause of that phone your addicted to. I barely have screentime because im so busy, i dance and im at school all day to the point where i only come home to sleep. they are. also pushing me to go to college, which I cant be bothered anymore. I dont. want to go to school anymore and I want to dance. I want to go to europe and dance or something like that. I don't know i dont thik my parents will support me. They'll probably be like u cant make a living, u have to go to college. you porblably got this idea from your phone didn't u. like idk anymore, what do i have to do to convince my parents

Okay, so this is super embarrassing, but I really need to get it off my chest. There’s this guy I’ve been crushing on for literally forever, and now I can’t stop thinking about him even though I know nothing is ever going to happen. Like, how do you even get over someone you never dated? It feels so dumb, but it hurts just as bad as if we’d broken up or something.

We met at this summer job last year, and at first, it was just small talk. But then, I don’t know, he’d always smile at me or laugh at my jokes, and I thought maybe he liked me back? I started imagining us hanging out, going on dates, all that cute couple stuff. Except none of it ever actually happened. He was super friendly to everyone, and I guess I wasn’t really special to him, even though he felt so special to me.

I didn’t even realize how deep I’d fallen until I saw him post a picture with another girl on his Instagram last week. It wasn’t even a super romantic picture or anything, but she was tagging him in all her stories, and they looked so happy together. My stomach legit dropped when I saw it. That’s when it hit me: he’s never going to see me that way. He probably never did.

So now, here I am, feeling like an idiot. It’s not like I can call it a breakup or cry to my friends about how “we” didn’t work out. There wasn’t a “we” to begin with. But it still hurts, you know? Like, why am I this upset over someone who probably never thought twice about me?

I keep replaying all the times we talked, trying to figure out if I just read the signals wrong or if I was just imagining the whole thing. Maybe I got carried away because I wanted it to be true so bad. And now, I feel so stupid because he’s out there living his life, completely unaware of how much space he’s been taking up in my head.

I tried all the “tips” people give for getting over someone. I deleted his number, unfollowed him on social media, and started distracting myself with other stuff like school and hanging out with friends. But no matter what I do, he’s still there, popping into my head at the most random times. Like, I’ll hear a song or see something that reminds me of him, and it’s like I’m back to square one.

What’s worse is that I feel so alone in this. Everyone else is dealing with real breakups, real relationships, and here I am, crying over a guy who doesn’t even know I feel this way. If this was a reality show, I bet people would just laugh at me. They’d be like, “Why is she making such a big deal over nothing?” And honestly? I’m kind of laughing at myself too.

But it doesn’t change how I feel. If anyone else has gone through this, like crushing on someone so hard and realizing it’s never going to happen, how did you get over it? Because right now, it feels impossible. I just want to stop caring so much about someone who was never really mine.