I Went On A Date Thinking I’d Met Someone Special, But His

A Promising Start

I thought I’d met someone who had it all together. He ordered the most expensive items on the menu, talked about fine dining and Milan getaways. “This one is a catch,” I thought.

Then the bill came—and he wanted to split it. I didn’t react, but minutes after parting, he texted:

“Hey! I just noticed you still owe me $3.75 for your half.”

He had reviewed the receipt and found a missed coffee refill.

Petty to the Extreme

Two days later, he messaged again—with a photo of an espresso receipt from after dinner.

I’d sipped half.
“It’s about fairness. Little costs add up,” he said.

That’s when I ended it. But at a rooftop party days later, he approached me again:

“You still owe me for that sparkling water you ordered at the party after dinner.”
“It was complimentary!” I snapped. He smirked: “Nothing is really free.”

Reputation Revealed

My friend Maribel later said he had a reputation: charging women for napkins, bread, even “wear and tear” on his car. Then came the final twist—a charity gala where I saw him slipping envelopes from the donation box. He was escorted out. A donor messaged me days later: “Thank you for protecting us.”

The Real Story

Six months later, I saw him at a grocery store. Gone was the flashy image. He admitted:
“I guess I deserved it.”
He was drowning in debt and used control as a coping mechanism. He apologized and said he was working two jobs and learning to treat people better.

The lesson? When someone values cents over sense—believe them. But remember: even the worst behavior can come from hidden pain. Just don’t carry it as your own.