Forgetting your wallet or credit card once in a while is something most people can relate to—mistakes happen. But when it becomes a repeated habit, especially in a relationship, it starts to raise serious concerns. That’s exactly what one woman experienced and later shared on Reddit, where she asked others if she was wrong for finally refusing to pay for yet another meal after her boyfriend “forgot” his wallet again. According to her post, she had been dating her boyfriend for about nine months.
He had two daughters from a previous relationship, and all four of them had developed a routine of going out to eat together once a week. From the beginning, she noticed that every time they went out, her boyfriend conveniently left his wallet behind, leaving her to cover the bill for herself, him, and his two kids. At first, she didn’t make a fuss and assumed it was a simple oversight. But as this scenario kept repeating itself, she started to question whether it was really just forgetfulness or something more manipulative. Before their most recent outing, she even sent him a friendly reminder via text message to bring his wallet. Instead of acknowledging the pattern or being embarrassed, he simply laughed it off like it was no big deal. When they arrived at the restaurant, his daughters eagerly ordered some of the most expensive dishes on the menu.
As they waited for their food, the woman once again brought up the wallet, asking her boyfriend directly if he had it with him. He acted surprised, checked his pockets, and then claimed he must’ve left it in the other jeans he had planned to wear. He then gave her a smile and asked her to pay “just this time.” That was the breaking point for her. Tired of the same routine and feeling taken advantage of, she grabbed her purse, stood up, and told him she wasn’t paying for dinner this time. When he asked where she was going, she told him to enjoy his evening with his kids, but she was done covering the bill. Later that evening, he called her angry and accused her of being heartless and selfish for letting his kids go hungry. According to him, he had no choice but to cancel the meal and take them home without eating.
He argued that she needed to reconsider how she treated his daughters and claimed that her refusal to pay showed a lack of empathy. Upset and unsure if she had overreacted, the woman turned to Reddit to get other people’s perspectives. The response was overwhelmingly in her favor. Most commenters agreed that she was absolutely justified and that her boyfriend had been manipulating her. They pointed out that forgetting a wallet once or twice is understandable, but doing it every single time, especially after being reminded, clearly showed a pattern of behavior. One commenter wrote, “NTA. Sweetie, you need to dump the loser. He will bleed you dry for the rest of your life and belittle you.”
@comfortlevelpodcast Nope. #AITA #redditstories #podcast #fyp ♬ original sound – ComfortLevelPodcast
Another added, “NTA. This guy is a manipulative AH. Red flags left and right. ETA: you’re my hero for walking out. Had you stayed, he would have gaslighted you into paying. This is a situation he created.” Many people commended her for standing up for herself and not allowing the guilt trips to work this time. They also criticized the boyfriend for using his children as a way to emotionally manipulate her into paying. A few pointed out how unfair it was for him to drag his kids into the situation and use them as leverage in a financial dispute. In any healthy relationship, both partners should contribute fairly and respect each other’s boundaries. It’s one thing to help out occasionally, but it’s another to be consistently taken advantage of under the guise of forgetfulness. This woman’s story struck a chord with many, and the consensus was clear—she wasn’t the problem.
