Dirty texts to your girlfriend

TW: talk of 🍇 and S🅰️ (reddit moderators don’t like me)
Ok. this has gone on in my brain for too long and i’m ready for answers because i don’t know the answer.
in 2019, i asked this boy (when i was 13) in middle school, on a date as a dare over text. he said no cause he wasn’t interested in me and had a girlfriend. i respected that and left his phone # in my inbox. 15 minutes later, i get texts from 3 guys telling me they want to 🍇 me, have ykw with me, and saying I deserve better this kid, and other stuff that i have blurred from my memory. i hate myself for forgetting this, but from 5 years ago, im surprised i remember that this moment even happened. they would not stop spamming my inbox. obviously, i am shaking and terrified. why the heck am i getting these messages? i’m crying my eyes out. i continue to ask them to stop over and over strong but nicely but they wouldn’t stop spamming me. i also reply with a few “what the heck?”s. i finally man up and tell one of them to flip off and leave me alone. i suffer from OCD (diagnosed, OK) and i pick my bug bites, sometimes causing me to bleed. kids always notice the scars on my legs. i even once ate a scab. (disgusting, i know, but im a curious kid). this kid said “no one likes you because you pick your scabs and eat them.” i started shaking. how did he know?! i have been so secretive. without thinking, i deleted all three and went downstairs. i was scream sobbing to my mom. i told her what happens and she asks for my phone. i give it to her but the numbers were deleted. i never knew who those kids were. turns out, he posted my message on snapchat on his story and i didn’t see it because i didn’t have it then and those three guys saw my number at the top of the screen. they saw it because he didn’t crop my number. since then, i moved schools and exposed him for his acts on social media.
so reddit, am i a victim? i’m sorry if that is truly insensitive but im so so so confused and need answers.
also, any victims, please please don’t come for me. i know you know the answer, and im so sorry for any of that shit that has happened to you. i am always open to talk. i just truly need closure.

I 20m have been with my 19F girlfriend for a little over 2 years. We've lived together for about a year now. I work 30+ hours a week and my GF 40+ hours week.
For context me an my girlfriend have always had a rocky relationship. In the beginning it would be small things like me falling asleep on call at 2AM when she was talking about something she liked. Me being late for stuff or just plain braking promises I shouldn't have made because I knew I properly wouldn't be able to live up to them. For the first year we would have 2 good weeks and then a bad week because I messed up by falling asleep, being late, buying the wrong fries/burger, not calling early enough among other things. I had a hard time apologising in the beginning, but learned how to do it after hard work. Whenever we would get in an argument I would apologise immediately and tell her how sorry I was. I understood I had made a mistake that hurt her and I should be better. I started seeing a mentor at school to work on why I had such a hard time keeping promises and breaking them. After a few sessions the mentor flat out told me I shouldn't be with my girlfriend and called it "emotional terror" on her behalf. I talked with my girlfriend about what I had discussed with my mentor. My GF told me that what I was telling wasn't the whole truth so of course that was the response I was getting from the mentor. I agreed and everytime I went to see the mentor I would also defend my GF in every scenario we talked about.
Cut to some time later where this cycle of 2 good weeks 1 bad week had continued and we had moved in together. She worked a lot and I tried my best to handle all the cooking, cleaning laundry while working my own job and my other hobbies. I started feeling really drained and began to slip on my chores. During this time my GF would also work a lot more (around 65-75 hours a week) primarily cleaning at night. She would get paranoid around 02:30 to 03:30 so I would drive to her work and sit in my car. Some times for more than 5 hours just so she had me close(for the record it was a brand new top of the line car warehouse(picture lambos, Ferrari and such) so she was safe).
When I finished school it's tradition to party in a truck with your classmates and so of course I did. We drove around for 10 hours and with me being drunk I didn't text my GF at all. We drove for 2 days and on the last day I had arranged with her to meet me at a bar so we could celebrate my graduation together. I ditched my classmates to go see her and when I met up with her she wasn't happy at all. Long story short she was mad I hadn't texted her and it ended up in me following her home apologising and crying until I feel over and had to be driven home by a stranger. I still regret not celebrating my graduation more than what I did.
I talked with one of my coworkers about all of this and more like me seeing a therapist to work on the problems from earlier, driving spending hours on hours waiting for her to finish school and work. Her having full access to my so she could check it whenever she wanted and I wasn't allowed to see hers (I've never really suspected cheating. One time I spent my lunch break at work to drive home and make sure she got up and drove her to work because she got up too late and didn't answer my calls. Anyway my coworker said the same the mentor said and this time I made damn sure to tell the whole story and showed proof so I could get straight answers. He suggested she might be a narcissist. I ended up spending a night at his place where she spammed my phone with calls and messages which I didn't respond to per his advice. He along with every else I have talked with has suggested I should break up with her, but I just love her much. I eventually went home to her and talked with her. She said she was sorry about everything and would be more forgiving of me making small mistakes like buying the wrong fries or not having done the dishes. It's been 4 months since that happened. I talked with my long time friend about it and he told me the same. He had just come out of a 2 year relationship at that point so he knows how hard it is. He suggested I set a date in my head where if things haven't gotten better by that date I should end it. So I did. The date came and went and I couldn't make a decision. Some things had gotten better, but some didn't. I still do all the chores except laundry. She works less so she's taken that. I couldn't bring myself to make a decision by the date so I just didn't. I haven't kept her up to her promises to me since I have forgotten what they were. My memory hasn't always been as bad as it is now though.
Anyway that bring us to today. She asked me to wake her up at 11:00 am today. I'm home with a bad ankle sprain (trying to find transport to see a doctor) and she took a day off from school. I woke her up at 11:00, 11:02, 11:05, 11:07.... I tried to wake her for 15 minutes, shaking her and talking to her, but she would get up. If I could get a lift by 11:25 I could see the doctor today (I didn't) so I after she only woke up a little bit at went back to sleep I gave up. I tried again at 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, but she just wouldn't wake up more than a quick second. She woke up now at 18:30 being really mad at me for not waking her up. I tried to tell her that I did my best at waking her, but she just wouldn't get up. She wasn't having it a told me it was my fault she didn't get up and missed her own doctors appointment which I had no idea about. It apparently was a meeting to get a new prescription for her ADHD medication which she needs this week. She noticed she was running low last week so I don't understand why she waited until now since she also had Wednesday to Friday off last week. I don't think it's my fault she didn't get up as I told her I'd try to get her up. I did try my very best. She's asked me to wake her before where I tried, but had to go since I was running late for work. I told her she should have set alarms if it was this important and she knows I barely slept due to the pain in my ankle. she's old enough to get up herself without relying on me as she does every day.
she used to say she "knows I'll disappoint her". She's said this a lot in the past and did today.
I know I wrote a lot, but I feel like I'm going crazy some days. I know I'm far from perfect, but I can't be that bad. I wish I could have followed her when said she was leaving 45 minutes ago to "go somewhere not here", but since I can barely walk I didn't follow her.
I just want to know if I'm as bad as she says. What should I do? I do truly love her and want to be with her, but some days it seems like a big mistake.
Tl;dr I have made mistakes which friends, family and professionals have told me isn't my fault and I'm being abused, but I fear I explained things so poorly they're not giving me real/biased answers/advice in the situations me and my GF have been in.
I'm really emotional right now so let me know if I did anything wrong or just have questions.

For about 2 in a half 3 weeks now a co worker has been approaching me telling me how beautiful I am and how he'd like to get to know me, I was skeptical about it because a few months prior I was in a terrible relationship that caused a lot of trust issues. Fast forward a week in a half ago he asked for my number I gave it to him and the first few days we hit it off great he texted non stop and it was something I wasn't used to that I got used to, he gave me compliments every day.... Good morning beautiful.....how's your day beautiful.....you're very beautiful etc etc ... We hung out outside of work he was still the sweetest guy I've encountered. Recently we've been working shifts at work from 5pm to 5am 4 day in a row so I didn't realize I did not respond to one of his messages until he brought it to my attention, he was a little upset by it but then later he was fine but I was confused because he knows that we are only getting to know each other nothing more at that time. Fast forward a day or two later he asks what would it take to make it official as in starting a relationship I told him time and building trust he understood at least I thought he did. So we go back to work the next few days and one of OUR CO WORKERS is communicating with me about work and work only and he flips, he becomes upset telling me I'm too friendly and he doesn't know if I'm someone he'd want to make his girlfriend, and I was so confused because he talks to females all the time at work and the same co worker who spoke to me casually about work also holds conversations with him as well. So now for the last 2-4 days he's barely texted, he's been distant, he's telling me I can't be trusted because I talked to this other co worker and it's confusing. So I responded back to him letting him know that I don't have time for the childish back and forth games especially in the talking stages and that if he couldn't communicate what was wrong like an adult then he should just be by himself and figure out what he wanted. After that message he responded back fast as ever telling me I'm giving up on him and he's used to it. So I read it and didn't respond until 2 hours laters which was 5/13 9pm last night just for him to not respond at all and its almost 2pm 5/14

Obviously, I'll be vague about the more sensitive or identifiable details, but here is a rundown of what has happened.
Recently moved back from overseas and looking for employment. This is in England.
Nov '23 - Interviewed for a role. I was told I was the last person to be interviewed on the way out, but an interviewer corrected that as an Executive was wondering whether to approach someone else about the role. A couple of days later I was told that I wasn't successful, but that they're putting me forward for another role that I might be suitable for.
Dec '23 - Meeting about the other role. It sounded great, and it was strongly suggested that I was the only candidate for the role. I got positive feedback and was told by the person in Talent (let's call them TK) that there needed to be a meeting to confirm the specifics of the role. This got pushed back a few times and I was told that it was definitely going ahead in the new year. As I had been living with family whilst I found my feet, I asked for a firm assurance that it would as I needed to move for the role, and my living arrangements were increasingly unstable and I'd need to move to a different city. I got firm assurance, and so my girlfriend and I moved into a flat closeby with a year's lease.
Jan - Feb '24 - The meeting kept being pushed back, or was vague. TK didn't keep me up to date and wouldn't always reply to texts/emails within a reasonable time. I got repeated assurance that the job was going ahead shortly. I was eventually told the job description had been finalised and I was sent a copy to review. I read it and said I was happy to move forward. I was emailed a conditional offer of employment document that was referred to as a contract. The conditions were;

1. Evidence I am eligible to work in the UK
2. Successful medical
3. Satisfactory references
4. Evidence of qualifications
5. Security clearances (incl overseas checks for the 2 countries I'd lived in outside of UK)
6. Successful 12 week probation
7. Agreement that employer can deduct any liabilities from salary
8. Acceptance of T&Cs in job offer letter

I signed the document and returned it. The week afterwards, I attended my medical and provided my ID documents for the checks to be carried out. The week after that, TK called to say that a new Executive had decided to take a different strategic direction and that the team I would be a part of had been pulled. For this reason, my job offer was withdrawn. I asked about the contract that I'd signed and TK said that they'd check. They called back the next day to explain that my overseas checks hadn't come back yet so they didn't owe me anything.
March - May '24 - I wanted to see if my checks would eventually come back, as that would satisfy another of the 8 conditions. My UK and one of the overseas ones came back clear, but the second overseas one was cancelled by the employer. I had independently had one carried out in this process and that came back clear, so I know I wouldn't have failed it. Following ACAS rules, I had already informally raised my concern over the phone, and so a formal grievance was the next step. The job offer had been withdrawn, but there had been no conversation around the document that was referred to as a contract, not even verbally. In that document, there are two sentences next to each other that are a little unclear:

Your notice period to \employer* will be 3 months from either side.*
\employer* will give you 1 month's notice for the first 4 years of employment and an additional 1 week for each additional full year of service up to a maximum of 12.*

These are right next to each other, but seem to contradict. I've also never seen the phrase "from either side" before.
In my grievance, I explained the negative effect this has had on my financial stability and mental health, and pointed out the notice period above. I also mentioned that I was now locked into living in an unfamiliar city, and that my future job search was now very limited to the area. I didn't ask for a specific outcome, just that I'd like to start a constructive dialogue and that I'd like to see their grievance policy. They've replied and reinforced their position that they don't contractually owe me anything as I didn't satisfy condition 6 - the probation. They also said that they'd offer 4 weeks' wages as an ex gratia. I haven't replied, as I'd like to properly understand my options.
Questions

1. How do you interpret the notice period?
2. Can a company withdraw a job offer and a contract without honouring a notice period for the reasons they've given (change of strategic direction / haven't completed probation). I haven't been given a chance to complete the probation and so it's not like I've underperformed or been frequently absent.
3. Is there a difference between a job offer and a contract, and do both have to be formally withdrawn?
4. Am I right in saying that because they haven't followed the ACAS Code of Practice for Grievances?
5. Do you think I have a case that is worth pursuing in ACAS' Early Conciliation / Tribunal?
6. Is there anything else I've missed?

Thanks so much, this has been a huge headache over the last 6 months.

I am 30 weeks pregnant living with my boyfriend and his grandma, which is his mother figure in his life. They moved into this new house about 2 years ago because it was given to them after a family member passed, the two of them made an agreement that this house would be for him to put a mortgage down, set him up for the future , and that she would have a tiny home or trailer moved out onto the property or just completely move away. This was their plan before I ever came along.
I moved in a year ago after me and him got really serious, we want to really make this house a home and have a future together. I got off my birth control, however I was told it would take a good amount of time to get my cycle back in line and normal, but I got pregnant so fast. Which we are not unhappy about at all.
But it is now the end of the world for Gigi, his grandma. For months it has been nothing but a living hell. She has done everything in the book you can think of when it comes to in-laws from hell. My entire pregnancy she has ignored me, given me zero advice, fights with me over every small thing I do in the house trying to make this a baby safe space. It is only a 2 bedroom house, she has the master bedroom. Our plan has been to switch rooms because we have ZERO baby space in this other room, we didn't want to rush her into moving out because times are rough now of days, so to give her extra time I have been okay with sharing the master bedroom with our baby until that time comes. For months that has been the plan and she always seemed on board. But now. She refuses to finish cleaning her room and tells everyone that we are forcing her out, destroying her home, and getting rid of her stuff, when have done nothing but try to make it fair for her. Every time I clean any room in the house, she will go behind me and make a mess or undo shit I have done reorganizing. If I am alone with her, she whispers smart remarks about everything and anything, like about how she isn't allowed to do anything, for example she will grab a water bottle out of the fridge and ask if it is allowed to drink water in this house or she will just completely ignore my existence. She makes a fight about every small thing I do. If I close a curtain, she will come behind me and slam it open. If I move a dish in the cabinet, she will slam the cabinet doors and throw dishes around. She has woken me up many times slamming doors. Also she will hide the bills from us, lie about paying them, we have had a late fee charge so many times because of her. Even had the lights and water cut off. She will buy 2 of everything for only her and him. She has even stolen my makeup and clothes. She will pull my laundry out and throw it around. She will never clean up after herself, I am ALWAYS cleaning EVERYTHING, if I do not, it will not get done. And worse of worse she made my gender reveal all about her. Thats a long story but she ruined my party. And still till this day she hasn't asked me anything about the baby or shows that she even cares about me or my baby.
There is so much more, I could just go on forever. The rude things she says to me blows my mind. She even brings up his ex girlfriend and compares her to me in bad ways. She comments on the clothes I wear to my boyfriend, while I'm literally dying pregnant trying to fit my clothes lol. Anyways when my boyfriend gets off work, she acts PERFECT. She never speaks to me directly still but she will act like she is the sweetest person around, acts like she could never do wrong and plays it off when he confronts her about the stuff I tell him.
My problem is, before I got pregnant, we all lived in harmony. Everything I do now was okay before. I'm a very shy, non confrontational person, and I dont have any family myself, so I'm not family understanding and for these 7 months, I've just stuck to myself and done my best to not stress out for my baby's sake. My health hasn't been great and I was ordered to be on leave for work at 5 months. We even have had a defect scare on our baby as well. I've just had faith and hope in my boyfriend to set things right with her, but now at 30 weeks, with no progress from her, her room still so dirty, while I have our room all packed up ready to switch, I'm losing hope. I am to the point of not wanting her around me or my baby at all. I stress so much having to do everything last minute, I just didn't want to not lose faith in my man , he takes care of me so well but now I'm lost. He loves this land and house, he wants to raise our family here and doesn't want to move, he loves his grandma and doesn't want to just kick her out with no where to go, but Gigi just shows to not care at all about my health or this baby and it breaks my heart. No matter how many sit down talks we have she manipulates the situation. I'm worried that I will go into labor early because of her honestly. My man hears my cries and tells her about all the health issues and everything but she will not stop. I try my best to ignore her and do what is best for me, but its SO hard now of days. I am now feeling distant from my man because he asks me what he can do, but in reality it seems like we either have to move out or really kick her out. But i dont want to put that onto him at all. But then again I feel I have been so understanding and supportive for these 7-8 months trying my hardest to ignore her, all I asked is that we dont have everything be done last minute and we just switch rooms. And now it feels as if Its all too late and I worry about the future when the baby comes.
Everyday I overthink and regret everything. I cry so much and I feel as if no one cares enough, I know my boyfriend cares so much. But how can he see it be like this? I dont know what I expect him to do... but there has to be more right? He tells me there are other pregnant moms out there dealing with much worse and I understand that SO much, but idk... I am just so tired of being unhappy and uncomfortable. I have a baby on the way, it should be a happy experience but its just not anymore and I hate it.
Any advice? Please share your thoughts or tips. Sorry its a book to read.

A couple of years ago I tried writing my own version of Stones Abbigale. I never got past the first couple scenes, but I'm considering returning to it. I wanted to basically rewrite and change up a lot of things, mainly focusing on Abbi and Davis and changing some elements. Let me know what you think!

1
It's almost four in the morning and Seth is threatening suicide again. Good. Fuck him. I hope he does it. I don't text him that because I read about this girl who told her boyfriend to kill himself. The irony was that when he actually did it she got charged with second degree murder. My life is fucked as it is I don't need to make it worse. It's almost two in the morning and I have to be up for school in a few hours. I’m shivering under my comforter because we’re halfway through November. I think about the turkey that won't get made this year and the family I won't see. I think that's swell. Seth is still texting.
Its like u dont even care after everything that happened and after everything we did together i saved ur life and i stayed with u when u cried and i hugged u and i did everything for u but that wasn't enough was it? i try so hard and all u ever are is a bitch to me that's not fair u want me to die and u hate me and u dont even care and im sick of it abbi why is is so hard for u to care about me?
I don't respond. I don't like how I feel about this. This should be easy. He won't actually do it. He won't. He’s too self involved to kill himself. I put my phone face down on my bed. The sheets shake around it as he sends message after message. I was sleeping on a ticking bomb so I got off of it. My feet stick to the floor, I struggle to step. I might as well have been standing barefoot on ice. I trudge to my window so I can see my street at night. Winter is really coming. You can't hear as many birds as you used to. They've all gone. They've all flown away. I can see three streetlights from where I’m standing. If you can from right to left you can see the concrete fracture into the sand. I open my window and brace for the chill. I stick my head outside. The ocean is not far away. I hear it hitting the shore over and over. Waves of water splashing incessantly, almost beating out my text notifications. The street lights flicker. I think of last summer. When Seth and I got really high after the news broke that my Mom was cheating on my Dad. I was making out with that bong. Emptying bowl after bowl, clanking the glass on the road to empty it out. Just thinking about it makes me feel the street pole against my back again. I was laughing and crying. Seth leaned in and hugged me. “I’m a sure thing,” he said. “I love you and I always will.” I caught my reflection in his sunglasses. I looked awful. I shiver at the memory. My phone is still buzzing. I try to catch my breath. I shut my window and start to walk back to my bed. A room always looks different in the dark. Maybe you think you know where you are, but there is always something that can jump out at you on the floor. Like a ghostly paper bag or a vengeful shoe. Objects that seem to move on their own with the sole drive of tripping you. I crawl back into bed. There's the phantom of Dad’s snoring . I know he's not sleeping in his room, he fell asleep on the couch after finishing his seventh fifth. Sometimes my brain fills in the gaps so I can hear it everywhere. Funnily, I haven't actually heard him snore since Mom left. That's the one thing I ever heard them fight about. Before she turned out to be a whore, I guess. BZZT.BZZT.BZZT. I can't bring myself to read any of his messages. They're coming so fast all the paragraphs are lost to motion blur. Seth’s arms wrap around me and I think about the beating of his heart and the warmth of his lips against my skin. I open up the texts, ready to respond.
I love you
I text this over and over until I fall asleep.
Davis was the only senior on the bus. Somehow, everyone else had a car or a ride. It’s all right, though. James would probably give him one if he had a car, but he skated to school every morning. That's why he barely ever rode the bus with him. The bus thumped along the under paved roads. Davis forgot his earbuds at home, so the only music that accompanied him was his racing thoughts. Two sophomore girls popped their heads over. “Ohmigod, Davis!” One of them shrieked.. “As I live and breathe,” he smiled. “Nice,” she said. “I’m so excited to see your finished painting.” Davis took the lower level art class for a requirement. Like most things, he's not taking it very seriously. For their pop art unit, he's painting a portrait of the art teacher with a warthog face. It's one of his funny disruptions. He knows Mrs. Stanley is going to have a real field day with it, but it doesn't matter. Artistic liberties, he’d profess. “She's such a bitch, isn't she?” The sophomore girl turns to her compatriot, who only nods in response. “She's just jealous,” Davis says. “It must be depressing to teach art and see the youth soar above her.” “For sure,” the girl doesn't get it. Class clown is a semi-heavy burden. Davis doesn't really feel like talking to these girls, but his position demands it. Comedy informs everything about him. To the giant thrift store jeans, to the loud Hawaiian shirt. He and James are the ultimate combination, at least he likes to think so. Quiet brooding begs for bright distraction. The girl is still trying to talk to him and Davis is saying his preprogrammed lines. The bus stops in front of James’s street. Surprisingly, James is standing there. “Like I’m this close to just filling my hydroflask with vodka, yaknow?” says the chick. Maybe she's just trying to get a rise out of him. “Better be prepared to give me more than a sip,” Davis is watching James grumble towards the bus. The sun is beating down on the forming ice puddles. James stomps through them with small shattering steps. James turns up the bus aisle and plops in the seat next to Davis. Davis’s smile is genuine now, but he fights it from getting too wide. “Crash your vehicle?” Davis asks. “Something like it,” there's something off with him. Davis doesn't want to push it. “Well damn, hope insurance covers it,” Davis wants James to break and laugh. Is it just another mood or did something actually happen this time? “It won't, I got bad credit,” James grins and it's like heaven. “What's the move for you today?” “Surviving art and physics for me,” says Davis. “Those bastards love to keep me down.” “Who doesn't,” James eyes the girls who have since returned to whatever they were doing before. It's the judgement stare, as Davis calls it. James likes to observe his peers like a zoo-goer. Breaking them down to taxonomic types. Davis likes to think that James doesn't do this to him, but he knows he probably does. “It sucks you decided to be bad at school and take baby art,” James is still dissecting the sophomore girls down to their tropes. “We could have done Art II together.” “I wouldn't want to get between you and Alex. I know how you love it when people piss in jars next to you.” “That's disgusting,” James breaks his glare at the girls. “It's performance art, it's beautiful,” Davis gets up out of his seat to yell. “Everyone witness the wonderful work of Alex Madov! Disengage yourself from the shackles of capitalism by shouting with me: Poopy, pee pee, poop!” Davis gets a few chuckles from the other kids on the bus. “Sit down, fatso,” mumbles the bus driver. “I will not be silenced! I’m a messenger of the good word, sir!” “More of this shit and I’m skipping your stop!” “Fine, but I will make Alex remember on the day of judgement,” Davis sits back down. James is full belly laughing. “You're so retarded,” James wheezes. Davis can't even come back with a response. He's high off of it.
The bus pulls into the school lot with a short stop. The mobs get up and begin to race out. Davis follows James down the line. “You know Abbi?” James asks. Davis feels a little pit form in his stomach, but he doesn't change his expression. “Vaguely, what about her?” “She's in my art class,” James begins. “And I think … well you know, I’m going to talk to her.” He walks down the steps and out the door. “Doesn't she have a boyfr-” before Davis can descend the driver's arm blocks him. “I’ve had enough of your shit, kid,” he says. “If you keep being obnoxious, I’m gonna find a way to make you pay for it.” James looks back, but he can't stay. Davis knows that he's gotta get to class. James does a little wave goodbye and Davis salutes him. “Are you even listening to me?” the bus driver seethes. “Yes, sir. Divine retribution, got it.” Davis ducks underneath his arm and exits the bus. James has already disappeared into the crowd.
I pass the bong to Ashley. She starts another bowl. She’s the transport and I provide the material. The little things that keep our friendship afloat. I look at the clock in her car. “It's 8:45,” I pick a piece of bagel out of my teeth. “So that's it, we officially missed first period,” Ashley tops it off. “They won't mark us, you know. It's a study.” “Yeah, but when's the last time we signed in? I heard they're changing the policy again. Do you still have the lighter?” I toss it to her. I don't get it. It's always her idea to pick me up so we can smoke before school, why now is she suddenly caring about attendance? “We're pretty girls, we can get out of it. I’m next,” I tap on the clock. “Are you sure it's not fast?” She shakes her head as she takes a snap. We're parked in the pond area a block or two from the school. It's our designated smoking spot. I like it, even at the end of fall it's pretty. I’m so engrossed that I don't realize her tip out the bowl and put it back in the cup holder. “I don't know if it's wise to keep up the activity, we should probably get going soon,” she starts up her car again. “Okay,” I say. She reverses and swings out of the lot. We lean into the silence and it's super weird. “Seth texted me last night,” I wait for her reaction. “Oh,” she grimaces. “What did you say?” “That I loved him.” Silence again. Ashley's trying to put together something well-meaning while understanding that I’ll probably ignore whatever she has to say. “Abbi, I’m not trying to tell you how to run your life, but …” Her expression is now quizzical. She's said what she is about to say a number of different ways all ready. She thinks and thinks and decides to say nothing. Good call, I would have screamed at her. Not because what she thinks about my situation isn't true, I’m just in a ‘screaming at people mood’ because of it. “I’m going to dye my hair again,” she changes the subject to avoid conflict. Classic Ash. “Oh yeah? What color this time?” “I don't know,” she checks her reflection in the rear view. “The red has faded out, maybe blue or pink this time.” “You should go with a softer pink,” I say. “Since you're a soft spring.” “Yeah, maybe.” We enter the school lot. “Listen, do you want to get together when I do it? Maybe you can dye your hair too.” “I don't know, I might be busy,” I say. “Seth might want to do something,” I pause for her to protest. “Okay,” she says. She parks and we get out.
I barrel into art class. I don't care if I reek, out of all the teachers I can tell Mrs. Stanley smokes the most. It would be hypocritical of her to care. It looks like I’m the first one. Weird. I check my phone. It's 8:45. Well, fuck. Looks like Ashley needs to fix her clock. Mrs. Stanley is at her desk. She looks at me knowingly. “Eager to create today, Abbi?” I just nod and sit at my desk. I’m really feeling it. I open up my precalc notebook and just start sketching. Birds, eyes, trees, whatever. Kids start coming in. Their chatter echoes around me, I try to focus on what I’m doing. Someone bumps into my table. I look up. It's this lanky blonde kid, I think his name is James. He presses his hands underneath the desk as he leans up to talk to me. “Eww!” He shouts. Some kids turn and laugh. I don't. I just stare at him. James goes red and sits next to the kid who pissed in a jar. Once an adequate amount of students are in the room, Mrs. Stanley starts her lesson slideshow. On the screen is a dirty urinal. “How many of you are familiar with this work by Marcel DuChamp?” she asks. At this point, Jason, the designated meathead jock, enters the room. “Sorry I’m late, Mrs. S,” he booms. He looks at the slide. “We building bathrooms today?” Mrs. Stanley glares at him. “Wouldn't you like that? Considering you spend all of your time in there.” “Whatever,” Jason brushes his mullet behind his ears. “No, not whatever. Would you like me to move you into the sophomore class with Davis? Believe it or not he's getting much better marks than you are getting in here.” Jason rolls his eyes and takes his place in the chair next to me. “Up to a little extra curricular activities before art, Abbi?” he motions a joint in his fingers. I scoff and go on my phone. There's another text from Seth.
sorry about last night
and
im reading it all right now that was fucked im sorry
I start to respond, but before I can Mrs. Stanley outstretches her hand. “Give me your phone, Miss Hagerty. I’m sick of giving you warnings.” I don't have the energy to fight, I just give it to her. “You can pick it up at the end of the day.” My jaw actually drops. Jason must have really set her off, she's not usually such a cunt to me. “Anyways, found art. What is it? Well, found art is the use of everyday objects to convey an altered meaning. It can be something you find on the street or something that once held value to you. For example, My Bed by Tracey Elim.” She pulls up a picture of a messy bed that looks suspiciously like my own. “So for your final unit of the semester, you will be making your own found art. I really want you to take this project a little more seriously than most of you have been taking this class. I’m giving you the privilege of picking your own partners, but I’d like to remind you to be thoughtful with your choice. This will be worth more for your grade.” I look around. I don't have any friends here. I toy around with the idea of asking Jason for convenience and he looks like he's about to pull that move. Behind me there's that James guy. He’s sheepishly looking at me. He seems kind of nice. Okay. I don't feel like getting up so I just turn around in my chair. “Hey James, wanna be partners?” He balks a bit and then smiles at me. “Yeah, totally,” He's beaming and it's somewhat endearing. Alex and I switch seats and now I’m next to him. “I’m gonna be real with you …” I begin. He stops and shifts a little. “I have no idea what we're supposed to be doing for this.” He regards me oddly. Like he's trying to piece me together. It doesn't bother me. “She said we have to bring in an object that's special to us and present it artistically basically,” he rubs his chin. Damn, I must be baked to hell. I didn't hear her saying that at all. “So got any stuffed animals we can cut up and make Lovecraftian monstrosities out of?” “I got a hamster cage, hold the hamster,” I say. It comes out kind of weird and I probably sound stupid, but he doesn't seem to care. “Let's make a fucking zoo.” “Perfect!” He’s kind of cute actually. In a way. Something about this feels fun. I realize the bell will ring soon. “So um,” I rip out a page of my precalc notebook, still fresh with my drawings. I scrawl out my number and push it to him. “Call me so we can figure out the project some more.” I pack up all my stuff and start to head out. I can feel him watching me and it's not that bad. “I sure will,” he says. Everything feels really groovy. There's a lightness now. I’m halfway out the door when I remember my phone. I can't believe that I just forgot about Seth. I think about begging for my phone, but I feel too above that. Still, something shakes the good feeling as the bell rings.

Hi all. I’m struggling on how to move forward in this relationship and I want advice on if it’s even possible to move forward or if we simply aren’t compatible.
Forgive me, for this post is going to be a long one, and I’m not sure I’ll get my point across well. I’m really struggling and incredibly upset and I’m not sure how well this will come across.
I’ve been dating my girlfriend for almost a year now. The connection was incredibly intense right off the bat and it’s honestly the best connection I’ve ever had. We can talk for hours, have buttloads of fun and the intimacy and sex is incredible. I’ve never been more happy. The first 4 months of our relationship was long distance and that’s when the problems started to arise.
We’ve had issues with trust from the beginning. Essentially: My girlfriend firmly believes that she should be able to make any choices she wants and I should unconditionally support them no matter what. And if said choices make me uncomfortable or uneasy, she gets super upset because that means I don’t trust her.
Some of the problems in the relationship:

1. She has primarily male friends and expects me to be okay with them hanging out in any setting and at any time of day. Even hanging out 1 on 1 late at night at each others apartment.
   
2. She goes clubbing alone and wants me to trust that she can keep herself safe doing so even after she’s been roofied and assaulted multiple times. I know she’s an adult and can take care of her herself, but on top of this she also insists on walking home after the club late at night because she doesn’t want to get an Uber. Again, alone late at night in the dark.
   
3. She questions my discomfort and asks for an explanation. It isn’t enough that I feel uncomfortable about something, there needs to be a valid reason. She believes that my discomfort should be worked on to remove it, so that she can continue to do the things that make her happy. I need to work on trusting her so that I’m not uncomfortable with anything she does so that she can not stress about doing said things.
   
4. She believes boundaries are restrictions. Early on with all this I explained that these things make me very uncomfortable and that they cross my boundaries. I believe that boundaries are healthy and that respecting your partners boundaries is something that is expected. If you can’t respect each others boundaries then you simply aren’t compatible.
   

In my past relationships we’ve never even had to have the discussion of boundaries. It’s already been unspoken that friends of the opposite sex are generally professional relationships or group settings. Of course long term friendships that have been built on trust have occurred in the past and I have absolutely no issues with this. But I’ve never had a partner hangout with her male friends the way my partner does.
I’ve compromised and moved my boundaries quite far in saying that I’m comfortable with her hanging out in public settings, texting them, calling and even going out to eat, coffee, drinks etc. It still makes me a bit uneasy cause I’m not quite used to it, but I’m trying my best to compromise to make her happy. I’ve expressed that intimate one on one settings like being alone in someone’s apartment or alone on the beach at night is something I’m quite uncomfortable with and would like to keep in our relationship. I want to stress that I do not think my partner would cheat, but I am still uncomfortable with this. Also staying the night at a friends place is something we both agreed we are not comfortable with in this relationship.
A situation that arose last weekend was she was going to a concert a couple hours away in a different city. After going to the concert, her male friend offered to give her a ride to the after party. I’ve never heard of him before but I’m told by my girlfriend in the moment that “he’s a long term friend and I trust him”. I say okay, that’s fine I trust you. She then goes out drinking and partying and tells me she’s going clubbing with him. Again, I’m not stoked on this but I don’t get upset or anything. She doesn’t end up clubbing with him because she doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable and ops to go alone instead and lets me know about this which obviously makes me feel like the bad guy. Considering she stated her preference was to go with him. Anywho, this morning she tells me she texted him thank you for the lift and she felt bad because he was struggling with personal issues and she never asked him how he was doing. I told her I’m glad she reached out to him and is offering support. The next thing she asks is that she’s going out of town again next month for another concert and he’s offered her a place to stay while she’s there. He lives in a shared house with other random people and she may have to crash on the couch. Considering we’ve discussed this situation in the past and she agreed this was not appropriate, I am visibly confused and stressed when she asks. I didn’t know what to say, because I’m scared of upsetting her and making her think I don’t trust her. Well exactly this still happens because she noticed and she’s super upset. I call her and we have a long discussion and she basically says she believes we should have blind trust in this relationship and that she agreed to that before hoping I would eventually change my mind and be comfortable with it. Basically, she never intended to respect the boundary completely.
I’m completely lost. I love this girl beyond words and I truly believe she is my soulmate. But I’m having the hardest time ignoring red flag after red flag. Every time something comes up she has an explanation ready, how she is different from other people and that she’s not like the rest. All my friends and family are worried about me when I tell them what’s going on. I don’t want to ask them anymore with the fear they might be biased.
I’ve moved my boundaries as far as I possibly can to the point where I’m still quite uncomfortable but not to the extent I can’t live with it. But today she pushed them again and with something I thought we agreed would never happen. She’s insisted in the past that if I give her full trust she won’t push and try and get more. But she did just that today.
I can understand her point of view if this is all normal to her and she’s expressed her past partners were fine with all of this. I can imagine it must absolutely suck for her to feel this way and I can see how it can feel controlling or restrictive. The last thing I want is for her to feel that way in our relationship, and she’s expressed that this makes her feel those things.
I believe trust is earned, not given. I’m not comfortable with blind trust and I’m not going to unconditionally support something I have concerns with. How can I support something I deem unsafe and might hurt the person I love or myself?
I’m sure I’ve gone in circles and left context out. I’m very happy to clarify in the comments if something seems missing. I want this relationship to workout. I’ve envisioned marrying and starting a family with her. But I don’t see how we can both be happy moving forward. I can’t give her blind trust. And she won’t feel like she can make choices on her own. I’m lost.
TLDR: My girlfriend believes she should be able to make any choice she wants and I should unconditionally support them and blindly trust her. I believe trust is earned not given. I’ve completely moved my boundaries when it comes to how she hangs out with male friends, goes clubbing alone and trust itself. But it’s not enough and she pushed it further today. I’m lost.

Hello. I’m making this post because I am unsure of what to do. I’m 17 and my girlfriend is 16. We’re very close but are long distance. (4 hour drive) Her mother (actually her grandma technically??) has been abusive towards her up until she was 14. The last time she was physically abused her mom grabbed her hair and made her stare at her. It was much worse before that. When she was around 10, she was hit with charger cords and slapped and had dishes thrown at her. She had bruises but always said they were from other things. After being abused, she was bought things to keep her quiet I assume. Such as stuffed animals because her mom felt “bad.” She would also do this thing to her where after hitting her she would sit her down and say “give me your pain.” And hold her head against hers. I assume the only reason she stopped hitting her is because she knows she’d tell people now. I used to stay at her house for a week at a time. She has 2 brothers, I believe 8 and 10, who I would wake up to every morning screaming as they’re getting hit with spoons and slapped. I saw the youngest with a large bruise on his face. They used to do in person school, now they only do online, likely because of their mom hitting them and her not wanting to be caught. I had known about her hitting her brothers for a while but I hadn’t stayed at her house until August. It was seriously every single morning. I also knew about the abuse she received since middle school as she had told me about it then. We were very close friends. This past week, maybe more, her mom has been very rude towards her. She’d call her things like ugly and ignore her when she tried to talk to her. This current fight is about someone in Walmart giving my girlfriend 40 dollars to buy a shirt she wanted. She didn’t ask, it was just a kind person. She ended up getting a cheaper one as the one that was 40 ended up being too big for her. Her mom freaked out on her and said she was misusing his generosity. Saying she was an ugly person. Yesterday, she came into her room and lectured her about the money. She was screaming at her and saying she’s a selfish brat. She also brought up how she didn’t get her a gift for Mother’s Day. I heard all of this because I happened to call her right before her mom walked in. She came in and said something like,” are we going to talk about this?” My girlfriend wasn’t really saying anything as she’s very passive with her mom. After a bit, her mom was going crazy and screaming at her that she loves her no matter how mean she is to her?? Now, before we had called, we had been talking on text and she had been bringing up all the abuse things her mom has done. I assume my girlfriend was checking something on her phone and hung up so her mom didn’t see us on call. I only know what she told me on Xbox as they forgot to take that away—-

Background: My brother and I have a very strained relationship dating back to childhood and a traumatic upbringing. Our mom died back in 2015, she had 2 cats - I took the boy and he took the girl (my brother hated the boy). In 2/2023, I went on a cruise with his wife/my SIL and found out just how much of a toxic and abusive person he is. He’s also a functioning alcoholic/drug addict. Anyway, after a particularly loud fight they had in front of me, I lost my shit on him and told him he was a narcissist and undeserving of his wife and he needed therapy. He basically told me to F off and die. Her and I remain close and they are currently separated pending divorce. Him and I gradually started communicating again over the last year.
Situation: FF to 12/2023, he asked if I could take the cat for now since his lease was up and his new place didn’t allow pets. I was ok with that. When she came, she had a few masses and a very bad case of ear mites so I took her to the vet 1/2024. Breast cancer and at 12, she had never been to a vet and was never spayed (which caused her cancer, common in cats if not spayed). I told him, he told me to just put her down, but they told me they could remove the masses so I said I would rather try surgery. He said he wasn’t paying, I told him I would. A month later as they were preparing for surgery, it was noted she had progressed rapidly (more visible masses) and she was deemed terminal but luckily asymptomatic so I took her home on palliative care/hospice. During this entire time, he never came to visit, never brought food or litter, never offered money to care for her, nothing - not even a text. I didn’t consider her a burden though and I had 3 other cats. Last week she started showing symptoms and I told him it was time. I scheduled it for 5/10 and he said he’d be there. He texted me an hour before and told me he couldn’t make it, “sorry, just put her on ice and I’ll get her later”. So, I went. Alone. And I loved her very much despite only have her a short time, she followed me everywhere, slept with me or on me, and just made this place her home. My eldest helped me bury her in our garden. Yesterday, he lost his shit on me and said “it’s not your fcking cat, you fcked up, you’re unhinged, you can’t make the decisions, if you needed supplies then you should’ve asked, I wanted to bury her and you fcked that up…” it went on and on like that until I blocked him. My SIL said she could see both sides but several of my friends told me she became my cat when he showed numerous times he couldn’t be bothered with her. Now I’m feeling so guilty wondering if I should’ve just let him have her; however, I feel like he was fine with me doing the dirty work and now wants to be the martyr so I don’t know.

My boyfriend and I met in December 2023, started dating February 2024, and have now been together for almost 3 months. We live three hours away but see each other 2-5 times a month and call every day.
In January 2023, both my boyfriend and I went through long term breakups with our first loves. I had been with my ex boyfriend for 3 years, and he had been with his ex girlfriend on & off for 4 years.
When they were broken up, he was still very much obsessed with her. He would date and sleep with other people, but never seriously. He would leave relationships for her and block people once she would tell him she wants him back.
Their relationship was a toxic, vicious cycle that neither could break. But she was always the one that had the most power over him and would initiate all the breakups, while he would come back to her any time she was done dating other people for a little while. The final time she came back, he even proposed to her and they were engaged for a few months.
My past relationship, on the other hand, was a consistent one, and I didn’t have much dating experience after we broke up. My current boyfriend is my second relationship ever, so I’m still learning how to love someone while we both have pasts.
He acts obsessed with me. Super in love, always taking pictures of me and posting me on his social medias, spending so much money to visit me, calling me every night, making a private couple Instagram devoted to our pictures, but still brings up his ex a lot. We both had that problem a bit, but I slowly stopped doing it as often when I realized it wasn’t healthy. However, he always compares me to her. “() would do this.” “() liked this kind of music.”
Well in March, after a year of no contact between them, she (like always based on what he said) finally texted him just to see where he lived now and tell him she’s back in their hometown, asking how he is. He told me they had a short texting convo. I was a little jealous, but since he told me about it and it seemed small and short, I didn’t think too deeply. But it sent him into days worth of a spiral thinking about it. I tried not to bring it up too much.
Then one time in April, he got super depressed and wouldn’t tell me anything. I figured it was about his ex, as he still seems sad about her sometimes and talks so often about her. He got so bad that he drove the 6 hours back to his hometown where his parents live, took days off of work, which is also where she’s from and they met, and stayed with his parents.
I was dumb and suggested that he calls her to finally get some closure. He didn’t tell me if he would or not, until a week later after he was a bit himself again, he confirmed they talked but said “it’s just between me and her.” I said okay and didn’t bring it up even though it bothered me to know what the talked about.
We’ve been doing good since then, but he gets REALLY jealous of me talking with any guys at all. Like REALLY jealous. He likes to look through my phone and read my messages sometimes, which I don’t mind bc I have nothing to hide. But he don’t let me see his. Then two weeks ago, I got curious to see if he did really meet with his ex, and I saw the dreaded messages when he was sleeping (I know, it’s not good but I had suspicions).
During that time he was depressed, they didn’t call but he asked if they could meet in person. It seemed like she was really distant and not interested before or after their meeting, but he texted her things after they met up like, “I would’ve really regret if I didn’t get to see you before going to work abroad for 3 months.” And, “Are you sure you don’t have any feelings for me?”and, “I could never hate you, why would you think that? Please talk to me, I want to hear how you’re feeling.”
I tried to silently leave his apartment while he was asleep, but he woke up and cried, begging me to stay and that he’s over her, he loves me, he just needed closure to confirm she doesn’t have feelings for him so he can move on.
But it hurt me that he needed to know she doesn’t have feelings before he could continue a relationship with me. It makes me feel like if she wasn’t so distant and did have feelings, he would’ve left me immediately. I feel like a placeholder.
He also never told her about me, and told me that the reason he’s taking a work trip abroad for 3 months is because she always comes back in the summer and is scared she’s gonna final his new city and address and he won’t be able to turn her away. That was his explanation while crying to me and begging me to stay. And I said, “So the reason I’m losing my boyfriend for 3 months is because you think your ex will come back again like usual, find your new address, and you won’t be able to say no?”
It caused a huge fight, him sending her a message saying he’s with someone new now and loves me, wants to be with me, and is saying goodbye to their relationship forever.
But then after saying he blocked her, I saw a few days ago he didn’t and only hid her chat. He also sent her contact to a no name social media account that I think is his second account so that he has another way to contact her when he’s away for three months, but he says it’s not.
He said it’s the account of a friend that liked her while he was dating her and wanted to get with her if they ever broke up, so he sent her contact to this friend (which is still weird). But there’s no call or chat history with this friend. Just her contact.
So I’m wondering, should I break up with him? Is he still attached to his ex and I’m the idiot rebound?

(I understand this is a bit of a read so I included a tl:dr at the bottom)
This may end up becoming a wall of text so I apologize in advance. I'm not sure how to properly start this so I'll just jump into it. I've been living with my best friends for the past 8 years. The 4 of us moved in together in early 2016 after deciding it would be beneficial financially and because we all get along so damn well that we knew there wouldn't be any issues living under the same roof. Fast forward to today and although 2 them have moved out, I'm still living here with my one buddy and his girlfriend. Things are still great there, no signs of friendship deterioration, tolerance or anything that might cause friction between us. However, I've been witness to a few things as well as started experiencing health issues that have completely changed the outlook I had on life back when we moved in together nearly a decade ago.
A little over 3 years ago I began dealing with awful IBS issues that to this day are still not properly being treated as doctors can't figure out what's wrong with my gut. Over the past 4 months I have begun dealing with nearly debilitating anxiety that has left me pretty much unable to leave the house except for doctor's appointments or the extremely occasional outing to a family or friend's house where I'm only able to stay for about an hour before having to leave. I do see a psychologist as well as a psychiatrist and I am on medication for both the IBS and anxiety, which helps but is in no way a cure. Due to these issues, I have become a shell of the person I used to be. No longer do I wake up and just decide to take a drive to the Jersey shore, a trip to Six Flags or head into the city to catch a Phillies game. Instead, I sit in the house and play video games or watch youtube as doing almost anything else is sure to set my anxiety or IBS off which may or may not land me in the ER.
My buddy that I still live with has been through absolute hell the past few years but luckily he's the kind of person who can just raw dog life (as in, he doesn't deal with any physical or mental issues, rarely gets sick and has no trouble going anywhere, doing anything, can eat whatever he wants without issues, etc.). He lost his mom to cancer last year. She passed exactly one week after Mother's Day. She lived here with us for about the final year of her life. Me and him have been friends for a good 20+ years at this point so his mom was like a mother to me as well, especially being as I don't have a proper relationship with my own mother. Watching her suffer through years of cancer only to pass away at 54 years old was heartbreaking. At least she's finally at peace now, of course. Now, his dad is also going through cancer treatment which is a recurrence of cancer that was found years ago, which automatically makes it stage 4. His prognosis is not grim but to many of us, his dad just seems done with it all. He stays here with us on weekends and with his sister during the week. We can see how much of a toll it's all taking on him. He won't admit it but we know that he doesn't want to put his son through all of this again after losing his mom just last year. If he was given a choice to "go" right now, he would take it, 100% to alleviate any more potential suffering at his or anyone else's behalf. His (my friend's) girlfriend also deals with chronic health issues both physical and mental which has helped open his eyes to the things that other people (who can't just raw dog life) go through on a daily basis. She lost her father when she was in her early 20s so it's helpful to him that she understands what losing a parent feels like.
Watching all of this happen just makes me realize how little our health care industry and government actually seem to care about our true wishes regarding life and death. Why did his mom have to suffer all those years with a terminal diagnosis? Why does his dad have to suffer now? Just because they're both in their 50s and not elderly it seems like care is always about treatment and not giving them the option to leave this life with their dignity intact. I myself would choose to leave this world if the door was opened for me. That does not mean that I am currently having thoughts of killing myself. It means that if the option was presented to me, to go out on my own terms, I would take it. Suicide is still extremely taboo in our society for some reason. Religion and government would have you think it is a crime against humanity but what is more humane than letting someone decide on their own terms that they're ready to move on? We are given this broad illusion of choice as children that we will get to grow up to be who we want to be and if we just try hard enough, we can accomplish anything. But for the vast majority of us, that is just not true. It is an illusion. We work and work and work just to barely earn enough money to survive and many end up in unhappy marriages solely because that's what society made them think they had to do as an adult.
Watching someone you love like family suffer and die will change you. Developing health issues that flip you from being someone outgoing, spontaneous. hard working and passionate into the complete opposite of those things will change you. Discovering that our healthcare system and government will do everything it possibly can to keep you as a "functioning member of society" no matter whether you're going through cancer treatment or dealing with chronic health issues will change you.
I'm 37 years old and I've never felt older in my life than I do right now. It's been almost 3 months that I've been on FMLA from work for the second time in 3 years. I'm wearing a heart monitor because my cardiologist wants to rule out any issues as my heart racing/palpitations are most likely just due to anxiety. Medication doesn't feel like it's doing much of anything and I'm watching the people around me grow older and deal with new problems every day. Yet our society says that we must keep going, no matter if you're suffering because the gears must keep turning. If we truly have the choice to do whatever we want to do in life, why aren't we allowed the choice to leave when we are ready? Why is it taboo? People kill themselves in horrific fashion every single day, more than once every *minute* worldwide. They want a way to fix that and the solution is right there in front of them. Give people the option to leave on their own terms. I've had plenty of conversations about this with friends and family and almost every single one of us would choose to leave on our own terms, when we are ready if the option were available. Hell, even my psychologist agrees with me on this. There's always a big debate about the ethics of it all but until you witness firsthand someone suffering and dying or begin dealing with your own health issues there really isn't any way to understand it. The vast majority of people are out there just raw dogging life and thoughts like these never cross their mind even once. But once it's brought up to them, they understand and accept it, at least in my own personal experiences from talking with friends and family. Ethics, health, religion, government, society, all of these things play a role in determining our fate. I just hope that someday a program is put in place so that people no longer have to suffer.
Finishing up, I understand that my condition is nowhere near as bad as what many others may be dealing with. Some people will look at me with disdain for wanting to walk through the door at only 37 years old while others will understand exactly where I'm coming from and feel the same. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I am appreciative of the healthcare system while also criticizing its flaws. I'm glad that religion provides so many with the means to live a happy and healthy life while also believing that many views (and laws) put forth by religious folk are vile and extremely outdated. I am glad that there are systems in place to help people in their darkest hours while also understanding completely why so many choose to leave. At 37 I still have plenty of my life left ahead of me, even if I don't want to get old. I still have things to look forward to such as video game releases or a new series to watch that keep me going. But I also acknowledge that there is a part of me that is ready to go. I have seen what life has to offer. I have lived with my family, on my own, while in a relationship and with my best friends. I do not want to get married or have kids. I do not want to work until I'm 65 (retirement age is likely to rise during my lifetime anyway). I do not want to get old and become a burden on anyone, either family/friends, healthcare workers or the average citizens who would have to pay for my social security.
Lose the illusion of choice and give people the option to go when they are ready.
If you managed to read through all of that, I just want to say thanks! Life is a beautiful thing and I am incredibly thankful for all of the amazing people I've met over the years and for the things that I've been able to do and see. This is not a post about wanting to commit suicide, it's main focus should be that we are forced into this world against our will and given the illusion of choice but when it comes down to it, we really don't have that much choice in how we live our lives and especially not when it comes to wanting it to end. Life can be incredibly fragile and many of us took that for granted until health issues decided it was time to show their ugly faces. I truly do not believe that feeling like you are ready to go should be considered taboo in any way. It should be something that everyone is provided a safe and comfortable space to discuss, whether with loved ones or medical professionals. For all of you out there just raw dogging life, I see you and I hope that someday I can get back to that, I really do miss being able to do whatever I wanted without a second thought. And of course, for anyone who knows what it feels like to be ready to go, to feel confident and comfortable with that decision, I see you as well and hope that the rest of society someday sees that as normal.
tl:dr I am 37 years old and over the past half decade I've watched family and people who were like family to me suffer and die from cancer or other health-related issues. I also deal with debilitating anxiety and IBS issues which obviously are nowhere near the level of something like cancer. However, I've discovered I have a feeling of "being ready to go" and I believe that people should be able to choose to leave this life with dignity and on their own terms without having to do something horrific. The healthcare industry, religious beliefs or government should not force us to remain here against our own free will just so we can keeps the gears of society turning. Let people leave on their own terms when they know that they are ready and get rid of the stigma surrounding talking about death.

Hello, to begin with I want to add that I never judge people by their look and I do not make assumptions based on that, but in this story I will describe the people as they looked so u can feel it more.
The story that happened to me today:
I had a broken arm and went to the doctor today. In our country, the waiting time in hospitals for such a check is up to 3 hours. The waiting rooms are post-communist, old, white walls and blue uncomfortable chairs. After about half an hour of waiting in a waiting room full of people of all ages, who were also after some sort of injury, a 2-meter middle-aged man came to the waiting room, who at first glance looked somewhat strange. He sat down on a chair and his girlfriend or sister came behind him, I don't know what of those two it was, but she looked even weirder than him. The guy had a tucked-in T-shirt in his pants with the inscription PRAGUE and the Czech flag on the front of the t-shirt. He had rustler pants pulled up high. His posture was stooped. He had brown, thinning hair and thick-rimmed glasses. Blue eyes that only had an empty look. Huge palms, since he was about 2 meters. The woman who was with him was missing several teeth. She was overweight and of average height. She was wearing gray leggings, a t-shirt that was short so part of her stomach was visible, and an unzipped dark green jacket. Both of them showed that they were not completely in order and looked a little dirty, but not like street dirty, more like they just dont take care of them self AT ALL dirty. The woman looked much dirtier. They sat down not far from me and at first it was quiet. Subsequently, the guy started talking, first in silence and to himself, he started commenting everything around him. For example, another patient in the waiting room was wearing a cap and the strange guy said. "Look, the moron still has his cap on. Can you understand that?!? haha" He always laughed really unpleasantly after one of his drastic comments. Horror type laugh. He could be heard and people were looking around at him. As we were all waiting in the waiting room, a nurse came out and according to the ordinary number, called a very old lady who had broken her arm and was going to be checked. The strange guy was sitting closest to the door, so everyone was walking around him. As the grandmother slowly got up from her chair (obviously because she is old), the strange guy aggressively shouted: "WELL MOVE, MOVE, COMMON!!!" Everyone pretended not to hear him and no one ever spoke up. As he commented, he said something that I didn't fully understand, something like: "And what does this tattooed moron think of himself???" That should have been on me because I was the only one in the waiting room with tattoos on my body. So I looked at him and asked him: "You talking to me?"
The strange guy aggressively raised his voice and answered: "YES, I SAID THAT ABOUT YOU AND WHAT DO YOU CARE, DO I MIND YOU?" type shit, to which I replied that he was shouting in a waiting room full of people like he is out of his fucking mind and that's when it started. The guy started almost shouting on entire waiting room: "OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND? YOU CAN BE SURE THAT I AM OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND, I'M 100% SCHIZOPHRENIC. I WILL KILL YOU AND I WILL NOT EVEN GO TO JAIL. THEY WILL JUST LOCK ME IN AN INSTITUTE AGAIN :)… YOU WILL END UP UNDERGROUND BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T WANT YOU IN HEAVEN! YOU WILL DIE!!! AND YOU KNOW WHAT, AT LEAST THERE WILL BE ONE LESS BRAT. A VEIN IN YOUR NECK WILL RUPTURE AND YOU'LL BLEED OUT, YOU'LL SEE. BUT I DON'T WANT TO RETURN TO THE INSTITUTE... I DON'T WANT TO RETURN. MRS. GUIDE I DONT WANT TO GO BACK”. The woman who was with him just watched blankly, motionless, without emotion. I didn't answer him, I shook my head and gave a thumbs up as he aggressively said he was going to kill me. I felt a slight fear and a rush of adrenaline, of course I did nothing. WTF? The guy was visibly sick in the head and god knows what would happen if I reacted to this. Afterwards, he kept talking. Totally random stuff. "Look at how he stares at the phone, that's even worse than alcohol, he's addicted. I saw that on TV" again at me. The woman was silent. A hospital bed arrived in the waiting room, on which lay a very old grandmother who had probably fallen and hit herself somehow. She was lying and holding her head up, she told her daughter that it doesn't hurt, when she hold her head up like that so she has to have her head up. The guy heard it and to the entire waiting room: "YOU DON'T HAVE TO. THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS DIE. HAHAH. OTHER THAN THAT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. HAHA :) NO ONE HAS TO DO ANYTHING BUT EVERYONE HAS TO FUCKING DIE. END UP UNDERGROUND. HAHAHAHA. PSST PSST… SHUT UP, BE QUIET” he said to himself and started rocking in his chair. As the patients went in order, he was angry that there were people ahead of him. The nurse called the next patient in line to the ambulance. It was a mother with a baby in a stroller. The guy said out loud, "WHY ARE YOU GOING? YOU AND YOUR CHILD ARE SOMETHING MORE?”. No one in the waiting room noticed him, people just nodded their heads. After the check-up, the mother and the child came out of the doctor's office and this strange guy said: "WHAT, YOU'RE FINALLY GOING AWAY. WHY WERE YOU THE MAIN???" The woman said with a very calm tone: my child is sick. The strange guy: "And you work?! You have a job!?" The woman said yes and when she saw that he was aggressive, she started walking away. While she was walking away, the guy was talking louder and louder at her: "DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID? SHE THINKS I'M STUPID AND THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE'S ON KINDERGARTEN WITH HER BABY! HAHAHAHA” . It was really terrible, I was really afraid that he will attack somebody. The guy also said things like: "NO. NO. I DON'T WANT TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY AGAIN. Pssst, psssst. SILENCE!..... I have to drink, I have dry in my mouth. dry like sahara i am. DRINK, BECAUSE YOUR KIDNEYS WILL DRY UP!” The doctor called number 12 in, which was me, and this strange guy was sitting about 2 cm from the door to the ambulance. He said something again, but I didn't even listen to his words anymore, I was just careful when I walked by, that I wouldn't get hit or that something would poke me. I went to the doctor and the doctor asked who was screaming like that. I told him what it was about and he told me that I shouldn't pay attention to such people. He checked my hand and I went away. As I was leaving, the guy was talking loudly: "NOW GO. AND YOU HAVE FREE TIME, EXCELLENT HAHA” . And I walked away.
All this was very strange and my first encounter with such a sick person. ou could see on him that he really mean those things. The whole time I had a very bad feeling. The guy looked exactly like some kind of psychopath, like some serial killer who keeps the heads of his victims in the refrigerator so that he can feel dominance over them forever type shit and cant tell the difference between good and bad. I wouldn't be surprised at all if in a few years I see him and his wife in the news that a dead body was found at their home.
Did you have any encounters like this? I want to know

Alright, so long time member of reddit since the good old days, first time posting. So this morning, while attempting to unlock a phone linked to my live in girlfriend, ended up in one of what looked like many message threads that involved what most would describe as a honeypot(not sure if this is the correct terminology) essentially what looked to me like ~10 different threads with men going back and forth flirting very sexually, with the first one finding the most explicit of the content, full nudes of her, as well as plenty of non naked pictures.
Most of said men I have to assume that she has indeed met in person, due to the fact that she often will disappear with my vehicle to go to the casino(she never tells me this, always excuses that she is actually not at the casino, generally lying pretty badly as I am not stupid and have been in a relationship with a frequent cheater before.)
Full disclosure, it is not like I completely made a real stand against this type of thing, and in fact before at one point I was complicit and gave her a picture that I had received from a female that was essentially an ass shot with lace panties on. This fact had made me I guess just assume that the boundary was set that I would most likely not be ok with this type of thing happening with real pictures of her, although that conversation was not really ever had. So now while I am a firm believer of the fact where if you feel the need to go through your significant others phone at all, the two of you should not be together in the first place.
Therefore in the multiple years we have been together (admittedly, the relationship was fairly casual at some points, and some people had referred to her as my dog watcher in the past. Even I was someone who made some comments in this vein but this was many years ago now.)
Generally it would go in a cycle of becoming more serious, then her doing something such as taking the car to get groceries, but disappearing for days. This fact being a serious red flag and not to mention that I basically have PTSD from my previous ex taking my vehicle to go have sex with and seemingly short(?) relationships with other dudes, which I had most definitely disclosed to her many, many times, which was a fact that was most definitely ignored, and had zero effect on her actions. It would seem a lot of the time that when things would get more serious between us, shortly after there would be something in which I would feel as a betrayal, and once again things would become more casual.
That being said, I am certainly guilty of talking to other females, such as my ex, during these times. So, all of these facts, leads me to today, where I am feeling like this should be the much needed end to a series of events filled with a lack of honesty, and a general disregard on her side for my boundaries, that I have made sure to communicate.
She is of course taking the stance that since I knew that she got money from guys, that I should have basically known and put two and two together. While I had definitely kept that thought in my mind, I was basically just trying to trust her and thinking that maybe she is just really good at talking, or maybe using other girls pics like the time I gave her the pic to get money from the one guy.
Now, as for physical interactions, it is up in the air as I was pretty disgusted by what I saw and didn't feel like reading every word in every thread in order to see if anything physical had actually happened. There had been a recent attempt by an old acquaintance of mine to basically come onto her in I assume his car at the casino and she said she denied him completely, and that was at least corroborated by a mutual friend that I had ask the guy in a way that he wouldn't lie.
On top of all of this, she has been without a job for ~6 months now and money is very tight. The money she got from these guys has in no way been disclosed to me or shared with me, while as I am currently a full time student (wasted 7 years of my life homeless and using drugs, currently recovering addict, same as her, except when we started living together she was still using.) . I was wanting to kick her out and move on when she began disappearing with my vehicle, just due to the fact that I communicated so many times what my ex had done, and how this would affect me. Basically to this day I have to more or less physically keep the car keys from her, or else she will disappear to the casino.
So, my fellow redditors, is this a dumpster fire that should have ended years ago like I truly believe, or was the fact that she had gotten money from guys in the past and I was "ok" with it (with her definitely knowing that I would never be okay with her doing anything with them, just never specifically talked about the sending of explicit pics that are actually her.) She says the pics are like 5 years old and is taking the stance that that makes it better in some way and that she has never cheated on me. Sorry about the long and complicated backstory, and we have been more or less together for 4 years now.
TL:DR Girlfriend who I knew received money from males, turns out was sending nudes and overall going way further than I know for a fact that she knew I would not be okay with this, at all, this also being proven by the fact that in a similar past situation, I gave her a picture I had received in the past of a different girl, to satiate the guy, to receive money.
Also sorry about the formatting and kind of just vomit of text, my headspace is not great right now as I have also been up all night working on homework, to then now find this all in the early morning. Thanks in advance reddit. As a user of this site since its infancy, I decided that you scholarly gentlemen would be able to diagnose this situation much better than I would. Should this be over, as I truly believe, or have I just been naive and have too high of expectations?
Edit: There is one more aspect of this whole situation. She would essentially be homeless (again) if I were to kick her out. Wondering about opinions on how I should navigate that part of things. Much love to those putting in their two cents, this is what makes this site so great.

Me (19M) and my younger sister (17F) both live at home with both our parents, along with my girlfriend, my older sister and my younger brother. My older sister and girlfriend both agree with me when it comes to disliking my sister.
It all kinda started when she got into highschool, she began hanging around the wrong people, just being a general delinquent, constant detentions, behavioural issues ect. That then turned into her an asshole, breaking peoples things like my neighbours wall, she once also through flour all over another neighbours garden for literally no reason, and then refused to apologise and denied it, going into supermarkets and breaking things giving the staff abuse just trying to make a living just general shit like that.
Anyways that was all years ago but as time has gone, she has just gotten worse and worse. She got kicked out of school and put into a kind of disciplinary school which she never tried in and failed all her exams getting no grades whatsoever. She then had to get a job, which she got fired from for constantly being late despite her shifts always starting in the afternoon. So now she does nothing while being at home. For example my dad works weekdays and my mum works Tuesdays Wednesdays, and on those days it’s only her at home and she doesn’t help around the house cleaning but instead leaves it for whoever comes home from work first which is me or my mum most of the time and it isn’t fair. So that’s one part of my hatred
The second part is her blatant ignorance and selfishness. She stays up on the phone with her shit friends till about 3-4am waking me and my dad up, playing music, singing just everything to be annoying. She purposely talks loud because she has to be the centre of attention. She goes live on multiple apps just to argue with people and act hard towards them which again is because she’s so attention hungry but then shows me and my family in those lives despite not wanting to be on camera to a bunch of strangers. That’s essentially the second part.
The third part is her horrible disgusting boyfriend Cameron (m19) this dude is no more than a dirty little rat who constantly cheats on my sister (and I’m serious when I say he cheated with a 14 year old when he was 18). Anyways she excuses everything he does, he once threatened my 11 year old brother, he’s threatened me also, and when I removed him from my house for threatening me I was the bad guy to her. She is so selfish that she’d let this low life wannabe druggie gangster threaten her 11 year old brother? But when one of my friends watched my sister get beaten up and her things smashed up, I cut ties with that friend for that. But no my sister can’t cut ties with someone who’s much worse.
The final part comes to her and other peoples property, I live in the UK so I’m legally allowed to drink, and I’m not a heavy drinker but have a stash of spirits for occasions which she constantly steals from, both her and her friend do. And when they drink they take my car key and drink and smoke in my car stinking it up with the smell of alcohol and smoke. And when telling my parents they say “she’s not doing any harm sat in your car” “it’s better her be there and not on the streets” and when I bring up the alcohol “you probably drank more than you thought” I never drink heavy enough to forget, and my older sister has the exact same issue with her alcohol being stolen.
That’s about everything
Am I the asshole?

Getting an iPhone in India is basically a huge deal for an individual. It involves a lot of financial planning and timing to get the latest iPhone. I come from a middle-class Indian family and I am no different. When Apple released the iPhone 14 Pro series with the Dynamic Island, I was really into it. But, working as a tech writer and having the knowledge that Apple would add the same to the lower-end iPhone 15 models, I waited a year, and Apple did add the Dynamic Island to the lower-end iPhone models in 2023.
As I was already planning to get the iPhone 15, I had saved for it. Hence, without a second thought, I got the device in October 2023. It was a blue iPhone 15 and it was a big deal for me!
Fast forward to February 2024, I was going on a planned trip to Kasol with my friends. We had to catch a train from Sealdah, Kolkata, and to get there, we planned to take a local train to Sealdah station. So, we got to our nearest local station and were waiting for the train. During that whole waiting time, a person was standing right next to us and was fiddling with his phone but also giving questionable looks to us.
The train finally came and if you are an Indian, you would know the amount of struggle that one needs to go through to get on a packed local train. We all had rucksack backpacks and went through the struggling ordeal to simply get on the train. That was not all! During the whole ride, I could not move anywhere or any body part due to the sheer amount of people surrounding me.
When we reached Sealdah, our final station, I got down with my friends. Then, my mother called my girlfriend's phone to check on us and told her that she could not call me as my phone was switched off. I thought that my phone was not switched off and should be right in my pocket. I went on to check my pocket only to find out that it was gone! It most probably was the guy who was giving the looks to us when we were waiting for the train.
Naturally, I started panicking big time and went straight to the Railway Police station nearby to report it. By the time we filed a report, our main train left the station and as a result, our entire trip was canceled. Without a phone in my hand and after having a dreadful day, I went back home.
Find My [The Savior]
Now, as my girlfriend also had an iPhone 11 and was a part of the Apple Family plan, I used it to put the stolen iPhone 15 in Lost Mode via the Find My app. I checked the location of the phone in Find My and it showed a station that falls between our local station and Sealdah.
My aunt is in the police force, so I informed her about the stolen device. She told me that as it is an iPhone, it would be difficult to locate its position. However, she got the IMEI slots of the device blocked and said that if anyone puts a SIM card in it and tries to use it, the device will be marked. Only then the police could locate the user and grab him.
I knew that no one would be able to unlock it and put a SIM to use it. Apple has some great security features that prevent thieves from accessing personal information stored in an iPhone. Hence, I was sure that he would never be able to unlock or reset the device.
Someone once told me that stolen mobile devices are taken to Bangladesh and sold in black markets. If the mobile devices are locked, they even open up the parts and sell them individually.
Days went by and there were no updates about the phone, neither from the police nor from Find My. As I work with iPhones and as it was so dear to me, I broke an FD to get another iPhone 15 in the meantime. I also closed the EMI for the previous device with the same and accepted the situation.
Now, a few weeks ago, the stolen iPhone 15 started pinging locations in Find My on my iPhone. In the meantime, my girlfriend also got an iPhone 15 and started checking the Find My app obsessively on her device to track its locations daily. Some days it showed multiple locations, and some days it was stagnant.
The more regular locations from where the iPhone was pinging were near a place called Canning. The place is known as the "Gateway of Sunderbans" and is one of the biggest crime hubs. If you search for Canning on YouTube or Google, you will get a gist of it.
Citing the last known location of the iPhone showing Canning station, I and my partner went there one day despite the risks, dangers, and warnings. Although we did not get any further location updates that day, we scoured around the place but did not talk to anyone. While returning home disappointed, we stopped by the police station there to let them know about the situation.
The next day, the iPhone showed multiple locations near the city of Kolkata, though none of them were much closer to my home. However, the day after that, my girlfriend woke me up in the morning to show that the phone was pinging a location that was very close to my place. Not only that, the phone pinged the same location thrice since she started checking the Find My app. So, I immediately got up and went to the location.
It was in a place called Dover Lane (Kolkata), near a residential tower and a hotel. I went there, parked the car, and started hovering around the place, trying to locate the person who we suspect stole the phone. During that time, the phone pinged the location once or twice, and at one point, it even showed that the device was "With You" in Find My.
I stood at the location for four hours and tried to spot the suspect. During that whole time, I kept the Find My app open on my current phone to aid the stolen device ping the location. However, it showed location was updated 3 hours ago.
Hopelessly, I sat in my car, thinking of returning home without the device. Just then, I saw this guy with a red t-shirt passing by my car. He looked like a young migrant worker or a daily laborer. His t-shirt was a bit torn and his pants were pretty dirty. I don't know why I looked at him in the first place but that is when I saw him take a phone out of his pocket.
"Is that a pale-blue colored phone?" Yes. He turned on the screen. "Is that the iPhone's Dynamic Island?" Yes! "Why is he on a setup screen?" I have no idea!
Right at that moment, I check the Find My app. After 3 hours, the location was finally updated and the "With You" tag was back. I hurriedly got out of my car and followed the guy for a few meters. He stopped at a local shop to get a beedi. Just when he was about to light it, I went up to him and said "Show me your phone, brother!". He answered, that there was no balance to make a call. I said that I didn't want to make a call.
"Just give the phone. I want to see it once!", I said. He immediately got it out and handed the device. During my usage, I once dropped the iPhone 15 and that made a tiny dent on the chassis, just above the screen. I checked for it, and it sure was there!
I grabbed the phone tight and said "Let's go to the police, kid!" Bewildered, he said, "That is not my phone, I got it from a friend! My own phone was stolen a few days ago and my friend gave this to me for the time, until I get a new one. If you want to go to the police, I sure can but believe me I did not know that this phone was stolen."
Now, it is worth noting that this guy was not the guy who we suspected stole the device. He was 25-28 years of age. This guy was just 18! He was still a kid.
I asked him where does he live and what does he do for a living. He said that he lives near Canning and works as a housekeeper in the city. Then I asked him, you cannot use this iPhone whatsoever, it is in the setup-screen and is showing locked to owner, so what exactly are you doing with this device? He said that when my friend gave it to me, I liked this phone. So whenever I leave the house, I carry it around just for "fancy"!
We knew that if we took him to the police, they would lock him up and beat him. The kid was just 18. So, after taking his name, address, and father's name, we let him go!
I emailed the GRPS at Sealdah where I first filed the FIR that I got the phone back.
To be honest, I had zero hopes of getting back the stolen iPhone, and that too with Find My. But thanks to my girlfriend who never lost hope and also motivated me to try and retrieve the device.
After all this, I have a newfound respect for Apple's Find My network and am surprised that it works so very well. It is one of the most underrated features of an iPhone that more people need to appreciate.
So, that is my iPhone story. If you ever lose your iPhone or have it stolen, do not, I repeat, DO NOT underestimate the power of Find My, and above all, never lose hope!

GPT-4o is an omni model. It accepts any combination of text, audio, and image as input and generates any combination of text, audio, and image as outputs.
There's 100s of applications it will enable. I'll cover a few of them below.

1. Language Learning

Duolingo Stock fell by $65 in the last 5 days. That should tell you the entire story.
Duolingo Stock
For context, Duolingo is a language-learning app. Now GPT-4o can easily translate terms in other languages by just pointing it to the ChatGPT's Camera.
This is massive if you want to travel globally as a nomad. You don't have to know a language now. You can just translate on the fly in any random country.
The accuracy won't be 100% but it would be close enough. And the AI keeps improving.

2. Solving School Problems For Students

I wish I had this in school. Learning could've been more efficient and faster.
Most students fear asking questions because they feel it might be dumb. Now you can ask ChatGPT any dumb question.
It even solves math problems for the Salman Khan's (founder of Khan Academy, not the actor) Kid.

3. Bed Time Stories For Kids

Since ChatGPT can talk now with a humourous and sultry voice, you can use it to tell stories to kids. It can be used in the voice of their parents or grandparents.
You can even use a Soft Toy that does the talking to the kid. Earlier, there used to be toys that did that but it only spoke the same sentence. Now it can do back and forth.
You can make special toys that teach kids letters and alphabets. Target it to 2-3 year olds.
Hat tip to Whyme-__- for the Bed Time idea.

4. Be My Eyes For The Blind

Best damn use-case for the blind. Now using a Phone is a bit too much for this but when smart glasses come, every blind person will have a walking companion.
The future is great for the blind.

5. Be My Friend

Too many people are lonely nowadays thanks to technology. It can be a boon for some but a con for others.
You can build a specialized app that gets you an AI Friend since you can talk to it now and it can talk back, it will be great.
I am 100% sure Therapy AI will be much better now with Audio/Video integration. In future, we will have fully featured Robots like Tesla's Optimus and Figure that will have such functionalities built-in.
I bet this comes in <2 years judging by the pace at which AI and Robotics are accelerating.

6. Comic Books

Now that text can be easily created with ChatGPT, why not create Comic Books easily.
Its a huge creative exercise for comic creators. Webtoons have exploded in popularity and many KDramas are made out of them like Death's Game and Marry My Husband.
This will increase the creativity exponentially.

7. Font Creations

Fonts are expensive. Like really expensive.
Funnily enough ChatGPT can create fonts easily now. Take the most popular fonts, tweak them a bit, and create entire new sets of fonts.
Look at the creations explode on Creative Market. Font directories like Typewolf can now create their own fonts easily as they already have distribution.
Open AI GPT-4o Text to Font

8. Brand Placements

It solved for Brand Placements too.
You can put your brand in places you never imagined without using too much effort.
Open AI GPT-4o Brand Placement

9. Poster Creation for Movies or TV Series

Posters are hard to get right but as you know there are only finite variations.
Open AI GPT-4o Movie Posters
You can fine-tune it on popular movie posters and solve Poster Creation once and for all.
Open AI GPT-4o Poster Creation
What use-cases can you come up with? Give me your best ones.
PS: If you'd like to read the full post with images, you can do so here.
PPS: You can find more AI-related posts here covering AI Girlfriends, AI Photo apps, Startups from 1st-wave of AI that made it big and more.

Brother me and my girlfriend started dating in 2015 both 15 , we moved in together at 21- as of now basically almost 24* (im 23 shes 24 , a couple months older) , she had her own dark world and toxic household and so did i. Difference is i had a complete “family” , she was raised by her mother who treated her indifferent because she is her dads twin. She gave the most purest and sweetest love . It even gives me chills to write about it. She surprised me countless times , validated my feelings , took care of me more than own mother did bro. She put her ass on the line for me whenever and vice versa. We traveled to her country mu country and countless other places at a young age all alone . Im gonna be honest i cheated by grabbing another girls ass in 2018 and a year later in 2019 the girl from hs called her to tell her and she waited for me in my house but i was such a coward i kept denying and denying even though she knew exactly what had went on. Fast forward in 2021 shit got so rough my family always hated her for no reason (jealousy is a real thing bro) and so much happened. And imma be honest in 2022 i was taking care of her since we moved in together but 2022 i told her quit her job around early January February i told her i got us cause i found a job paying great so why not? That was my baby you know? So that year i went to a whorehouse with this dumbass loser i was working with and i fell for the temptation. Mind you this was a bad year for her she gained weight up to 260 and her family (mom and sister) they always treated her like shit and always was jealous of even me getting her stuff and just loving her and supporting her. Im not gonna lie yes i cheated and she found out about it the same day cause i fell asleep and went through my phone. My dumbass recorded a voice note that those whores can’t even give oral correctly they use all teeth , so when she found out that was a dealbreaker. Bro i destroyed her with that and i know i fucked up so bad this chick had a hot meal from scratch ready for me every single day after work.
Anyways fast forward to 2023, she told me when i get a job i got you and everything you ever did. She got the gastric sleeve surgery in September 2022 so 2023 in February she had started losing weight drastically and then eventually got a job the same month. Brother she was destroyed and still gave me food everyday still helped me still gave me sex just still was trying not giving up. I unfortunately didn’t see it this way due to my own internal problems and trauma and my selfish and stupid ways. Anyways even for my bday she took me to miami wasted $3k on the trip and it was amazing. Eventually it got toxic i got fired around October and i wasn’t really fully employed after that for a while so she had to pick up alot and my egocentric ass said hey i did it for you whats the problem a couple months you hold me down? (She should of been left me) but it got toxic and the stress from work her family me and me not working she was crashing out she would spazz on everyone and i dont blame her looking back she was just going though alot. We started cursing eachother out really bad and even got physical. Not fists punch or slaps just grabbing eachother , breaking stuff, throwing stuff out, breaking property.
Anyways for her birthday we went to paris (February 2024) and it was great till we argued (i really shouldn’t have gone cause i got a job in February the whole month and first month on the job i requested a week off already and i lied saying it was something else but it was really this trip i had) anyways after this trip she someway somehow forced me to quit my job because i was out from 6am-7pm everyday monday through Friday. March came and dont get me wrong guys my family i am blessed enough that they were sending me little amounts of money here and there to get me through they know i needed to pay rent food etc. march came and someway somehow when she said something to me she slammed the door and walked out so i immediately reacted and then slammed the door open to chase her . I come back the whole door is ripped off the frame . All the hinges ripped off. I ran away like a coward because she kept screaming at me and cursing me out saying you gotta replace it now but i didnt have 1$ to my name and im asking my mom and she is being a bitch on purpose. Long story short that was march 23rd i get arrested 4 days later because of property of destruction and then get out on limited order of protection. We ran into eachother a couple days later and we spoke she invited me over and i lived with her again the whole month of April.
Anyways in april im still just relying on my parents at this point because all these jobs im applying for are not in my favor to respond to me (no one hit me back up) . So towards the end of the month literally the Sunday before the 1st of May we get into another heated argument she said you dont do shit around here you a grown ass man this that and that and tbh bro i can show you my cashapp my mother send me like $1500 that month and every time she would send me $100 here or $300 there for food or something she would tell me waste it on weed. (We kinda of had a weed addiction we were wasting $40 a day 7days a week on weed, you do the math) so anyways most of the money my mom is sending me is being spent very inconsiderately and bad . I didnt think much of it cause i thought hey fuck it man im here whatever she wants to make her happy.
Anyways fast forward after the argument sunday before may 1st the weekend before may 1st i leave again because it got so crazy i wasn’t trying to spazz out so i walked out and left. Monday she tells me come back ik your mom isnt cooking im not heartless i still wanna be friends with benefits or friends . Whatever she said and also she said i built this bond with you no one knows me like you do. (We lost our virginity to eachother , we literally told eachother our deepest darkest secrets , met eachothers families, did all this together was very intimate) so i went back and as she said we ate we cuddled etc. the next day after work we go out the whole day because her and mom and sister arent on good terms i forgot to mention we lived in a basement and her mother on the 1st floor. The whole month of april they were on bad terms (just walking by eachother not even talking or acknowledging eachother) so we go out the next day after that Tuesday before May 1st. After work we do all that and come back home at 6/7 ish . I havent checked her phone in ages cause i fucked up alot and honestly i kind of had a feeling if i did i was gonna see exactly what i was looking for.
Anyways i still did it cause im a stubborn hardheaded motherfucker, and ofc i saw her texting sexual with some guy she told me she was talking as friends on and off for since November. The convo went like him: im dying to find out i just wanna carry you on top of me , her: omg i forget you’re so tall i love it , him: omg i forget you’re so short i love it, her: Stoppppp omg with the emojis, him: plus if you aren’t gonna wear that dress when we go out atleast where it when you invite me over :p , her: lol i guess im small ( she posted a picture in a shirt blouse showing her curves and body and curly hair) , bro i saw this and went back inside from checking her phone in the middle of the road and said is this what you’re doing to me ? Are you serious? She laughed in my face and said well you’re reading it aren’t you? I lost it and spit in her face and called her a nasty you know what just like her sister. How shes just like her sister (her sister fucks any guy to fill her void and to get money/gifts in exchange. (Going back as to why they weren’t on good terms in april her and her sister got into a physical fight because her sister wore her deadstock jordans i got her from 2018 that are now worth $700 and fried them . What blew my mind during the fight was her sister looked and me straight in the eyes that day and said i know alot about you as if she got something on me. That made me wonder alot. Also she called my ex gf a slut which made me think what the fuck) anyways fast forward after i catch her cheating on me she chases me in her underwear for 12 blocks and im toying running around cars with her at that point and i threw her phone on the ground and she ran right past it. Long story short i got arrested and now im facing a felony cause of that and its no contact as of rn till July when this court date happens. I miss the fuck out of her and regardless of anything i wish her the best and miss her dearly . Side note my brother showed me she was what appeared on a date Yesterday

First, a while back I posted about hanging out with a guy (M33) whose acquaintance had warned me that he’s not to be trusted nor taken seriously. I’ve officially been hanging other with him for over a month now. I had initially decided to cut things off with him but we ended up working out together and then I thought about asking him what he wants but the words of the acquaintance ringed loud in my head that I figured WTF let me just date other people and keep him around as a friend.
Well… we have spent more time together and the more time we spend, the more I discovered his softer side. For example: one of the things that surprised me about him is that he is a man of his word and I’ve seen how much taking care of me when I visit his apartment which seems to make him happy.
Last week I slept at his place because we were doing some home exercises and honestly I have gotten comfortable in that if I go there; I’ll spend the night on his couch. Anyways, I was wearing white leggings that got dirty, the next day he left me alone in his apartment and I ended up wearing his clothes when leaving; I left him a note and thought he would be annoyed by the whole thing but instead he text “please take good care of my favourite shorts ;)”
Anyways, I have never been so confused by a person’s behaviour before and have somewhat come to realize that he may appear to be not serious about women because he doesn’t want to communicate or have any intense feelings; looks like his tough act is a cover because his behaviour is of such a softie.
The more time I spend with him the more I like him. Now I don’t know if I should let my guard down and see what happens or if I should just continue being just friendly and casual with him.
Second thing is about dating multiple people. How do you guys separate your feelings? I went on a date with a very sweet guy(M37) yesterday and it was a good date but I noticed how much this person made me think about M33 even though him and I are not dating. When M33 and I met, I had something with M40 and I felt so guilty the first time I slept over at M33’s place because it felt disloyal and now I feel like M37 is awesome but doesn’t challenge me intellectually as much as M33 does and is not as ambitious :( but at least he knows what he wants.

Having recently been released from prison my father(58M) decided that it would be right to visit me and I, out of some deranged sense of fillial responsibility decided to agree. He got through the visa waiver surprisingly quickly and I thought fortune was blessing us.
anyways he texts me about a week before saying that due to "other responsibilities" (what fucking responsibilities ur on a tourist visa bitch) he can't come visit me and i would have to come vist him in norfolk- because he wanted to see my (half) sister(22F) too. 🙄🙄🙄 ok whatever, sure ill come !!! he agreed to put me up in a hotel for the duration of the stay. whatever i have to say about him that was very nice and i am thankful
i was a bit tense but overall enthusiastic, and when im finally visiting him i notice two things, one that he seems really distracted and generally just, out of it and secondly i meet his new girlfriend. idrc about her but i can tell she's uncomfortable. my sister was also clearly uncomfortable with her too. when we're talking i tried to keep on my tiptoes about what to ask him. avoid jail talk etc. instead i just let him drone on about business and sports and eventually he got bored of that and asked us about our lives.
me and my sister were pretty clearly bored but we answered to the best of our wavering abilities. i talked about my first year in college. overall pretty ok, but there was an undercurrent of bad vibes.
anna said she had to leave and i jumped at the opportunity to leave too. im not exactly sure what happened but here's my loose understanding of the events that happened
Me and my sister leave, I go home and immediately fall asleep.
My sister goes back to where my dad is staying bcz she lost her purse.
My father's girlfriend made a comment about the purse
My sister and my father's girlfriend get into an argument.
i wakeup with my sister blowing up my phone and i tell her ill call her later. from reading her texts i kinda figure out somethings wrong but i stupidly come back to wher my father's staying to say goodbye and all that we talk for a few minutes. then he mentions the argument from last night, and i say I heard from my sister and im not getting involved. he tells me that my sister said some very rude things about her, especially that she looked like "a pig who just rolled in the dirt* (she does) I said that, while i got his point it's so ridiculously rude to bring a woman to a housecall with your children that she has the right to say whatever she wants. We start arguing badly, i cried and said some nasty things as well.
two days ago(i guess for mother's day?) he texted me to say he's sorry for how he acted. super conflicted now bcz i don't want to disrespect my sister but i feel like i might want to apologize too. after all i didn't check in with my sister about the whole girlfriend thing. was i enough of an asshole that I should?

Source: 🔗 Chat with Lifelike Virtual Personalities — talkiemate.com
If you are a visual storytelling fan and strive for creativity through fictional characters’ eyes, you’re in the right place. Character.ai is an amazing tool that lets you do just that! But what if you crave a different experience, with more tools or a specific character in mind? Fear not, for we have gone through 35+ options and picked the top 10 paid and free Character AI alternatives, each offering a unique experience tailored to your preferences. Whether you’re a writer looking to enrich your stories, a history buff eager to get deeper into the past, or simply someone who loves engaging with AI in a new way, keep reading if you’re:
A tech enthusiast curious about the intersection of AI and storytelling.
A gamer eager to experience AI-driven narratives in your favorite games.
A marketer looking to use AI for content creation and engagement.
A researcher interested in the psychological impact of AI-generated characters on user engagement.
A storyteller seeking new ways to engage your audience through AI-generated content.

1. TalkieMate

Website: TalkieMate
TalkieMate is the best free alternative to Character AI, providing users with a plethora of options to create their personalized AI girlfriend. With TalkieMate, you can engage in deeply immersive and uncensored conversations on a wide range of topics, including NSFW content. The platform offers customizable characters, allowing users to tailor their experience according to their preferences. Whether you’re looking for a companion for deep discussions or just casual chat, TalkieMate offers a unique and engaging experience.
Pros:
Completely free with no subscription fees.
Highly customizable AI girlfriend with personalized features.
Uncensored NSFW chat options for mature interactions.
Ability to create personalized AI girlfriend with specific traits and characteristics.
Cons:
Some advanced features may be available only in premium plans.

1. Candy.ai

Website: Candy.ai
Candy.ai is one of the leading AI Girlfriend apps with which you can talk on a range of NSFW topics and have a deep conversation. Candy Ai enables users to adjust their virtual girlfriends to their preferences and experience real conversations and engaging dialogue. Candy Ai also has a unique function that enables users to generate a specific image or audio message that boosts the reality of the experience.
Pros:
Customizable characters are not only limited to appearance and personality but also provide users with a tailored experience.
NSFW chat options for more mature interactions and more audience satisfaction.
Numerous features to be explored, satisfying the tastes and preferences of different people.
The free plan comes with necessary functionalities and the chance to upgrade for extra benefits.
Cons:
The majority of features are availed in the Premium Plans which may constrain the access of some users.
Pricing Plans:
Free Plan: Offers basic features and AI companion engagement without cost.
Premium Plan: Starts at $9/month, unlocking advanced features and enhanced user experience.
Custom Plans: Tailored to specific needs, with varying pricing based on customization requirements.

1. Botify AI

Website: Botify AI
Botify AI offers an innovative character AI style. It presents a revolutionary system that allows users to communicate with real people or characters from their favorite TV shows, films, or literature. Thanks to the flexibility of Botify AI, you have the possibility to create your own digital character and customize every detail like appearance, emotions, voice, and backstory.
Pros:
Free version accessible.
High-quality editing tools.
Intuitive interface for users.
Cons:
Relies on outdated data in some instances.
Utilizes Automated style writing, which may not suit all preferences.
Pricing Plans:
Essential: Starting from $35 per user per month, suitable for simple websites requiring comprehensive SEO data and recommendations.
Pro: Starting from $55 per user per month, ideal for businesses heavily reliant on organic search, aiming to protect and expand their organic revenue.
Enterprise: Custom pricing for large, complex organizations needing accelerated scaling, support, and security.

1. Replika

Website: Replika
Replika is a personal AI assistant that you can talk to. It was designed to give the user a deeply special and personal experience. Made to be a friend, a confidant, and an emotional support, Replika utilizes the learning ability of machines and natural language processing, thus bringing to the fore the ability to engage in empathetic and contextual conversations.
Pros:
Highly personalized and customized stories and avatars.
Ranges from new features to improved or enhanced capabilities, are constantly being forwarded.
Provides not only free but paid as well on the conditions built-in subscription options.
Cons:
One main shortcoming lies in the fact that chatbots’ uses go beyond the conversation stage.
The question of privacy and usage of users’ personal data is one of the aspects, which is a crucial issue when talking about social media.
Impact of user dependency and emotional attachment as prospective risks.
Pricing Plans:
1 month plan: $19.99
12 months plan: $5.83/month (billed annually)
Lifetime plan: $299.99 (billed once)

1. Anima AI

Website: Anima AI
MyAnima AI is our super smart AI chatbot. It has been developed to be the best friend for you who likes playing the role of a human and can do this like nobody else. With Anima AI, a user can easily pick any relationship status of their choice: AI-Girlfriend, -Boyfriend, Virtual Wife, the other way round, or even a custom-made Character AI. Whether it is a friend who will be a help and support, a virtual companion with whom you can role play, someone with whom you share your emotions, or a chat partner you can discuss any topic that tickles your fancy, Anima AI can help you out.
Pros:
Unlimited unique stories.
Anima AI is an AI bot that is warm and conversational.
Ability to respond to your messages instantly when you need to talk.
Cons:
Some features are called back in the Free version.
Pricing Plans:
Anima AI offers a free version with basic features, allowing users to create a customized AI virtual companion after signing up.

1. DeepFiction

Website: DeepFiction
DeepFiction narrates a plethora of stories that include captivating and thrilling sagas to touching and heartwarming fables. What sets it apart? You can, however, change your characters and the scenery to your taste. That is the AI-powered mechanism that enables the production of compelling and well-connected stories with the help of natural language processing and machine learning.
Pros:
Unlimited unique stories.
Customise characters and settings.
Sparks creativity and imagination.
Suitable for all ages.
Cons:
Limited control over the plot.
This chatbot is not interactive like most other chatting bots.
Pricing Plans:
DeepFiction offers a single pricing plan at $5 per month.

1. StoryMate

Website: StoryMate
StoryMate is your virtual reading partner, but without a library sound ban. It’s essentially there to bring the wonder of literature to life, providing you with an extensive collection of books and amazing narration methods to send you exploring faraway lands or to make you acquainted with unforgettable characters.
Pros:
Elicits a desire for reading.
Enhances writing abilities.
Provides diversified choices of relevant titles for different age groups.
Facilitates collaborative creativity.
Cons:
May not be suitable for all those that seek highly sociable experiences.
Chiefly concerns a child’s literature.
Pricing:
Free

1. Kajiwoto

Website: Kajiwoto
Kajiwoto offers the same experience as Character AI to users creating human-like chatting with AI characters having their own character features. It is a cool platform for both AI fanatics and those who are creatively inclined. In Kajiwoto, the users can choose whether they want a free or paid membership to fit their needs. Yet, it has this 200-character restriction on one-on-one dialogues.
Pros:
Free option available.
Customizable mood for your Kaji.
Unlimited chatting.
Permits NSFW content.
Cons:
Premium subscription required for business idea development.
Paid subscription can be expensive.
Pricing Plans:
Free Plan: Unlimited chat and access to basic features.
Kajiwoto Plus: $7.32/month, includes unlimited AI voice usage and private rooms.
Kajiwoto Pro: $25.00/month, offers all features of Kajiwoto Plus plus more, for the ultimate AI experience.

1. KUKI.AI

Website: KUKI.AI
KUKI.AI is a conversational AI with award-winning applications, providing exceptional functionalities. This virtual assistant employs the most advanced AI methods to allow the users to have very natural talks, thus qualifying it as a good chatbot application. Through direct and indirect semantic cues analogous to GPT, the KUKI.AI aggregates its knowledge base. Through the dissection of phrases into two inputs of “core” and “wild card”, it is able to expand its vocabulary for more understanding of multiple speech patterns. To use KUKI.AI without being limited by the number of questions one can ask, the chatbot answers all queries while making sure conversations do not repeat themselves.
Pros:
Infinite question handling capability.
User-friendly interface.
Cons:
Absence of graphics, a text-only trip.
Pricing Plans:
$75/month (100,000 chat)
$1500/month (Dedicated service plan)

1. In World AI

Website: In World AI
Inworld AI is a leading platform that allows you to chat with AI characters or even create your own if you wish, similar to Character AI. On Inworld AI, you can have conversations for free with the characters but if you want to have access to features like API integrations, and unlimited character creation, you have to get their premium plan which starts at $20 monthly. Inworld AI utilizes the power of the OpenAI models meaning that accurate information will be delivered by the chatbot.
Pros:
Through it, you can design characters.
Available at no individual cost for chatting.
The paid version starts at a subscription fee as low as $20 per month.
Cons:
It can only be accessed through an internet browser.
The app has not yet been launched and is only accessible through mobile browsers.
Pricing Plans:
Free — $0–200 API integrations and minutes, 60 virtual characters, customization options.
Pro — $20 per month — 2000 API integrations and minutes, unlimited virtual characters, customization options, shareable workspaces, access to Discord community.
Conclusion
So there you have it – 10 alternatives for Character AI, each with a distinct personality and feature set. Keep in mind that selecting the ideal chatbot for your clan involves striking the ideal equilibrium between amusement, education, and age suitability. With the right AI companion by your side, you can make learning an adventure, and turn screen time into quality time.

Have you ever felt upset because your partner texts other people in a flirty way when they're mad at you? It's a situation that can leave you feeling confused and hurt. Today, I would like to answer the question of what you need to do when your partner sends dirty texts to others because they’re mad at you. This situation arises when you mostly raise a concern about the relationship, but instead of resolving the matter, they get mad and sext someone else. Of course, you will feel bad about it, and when you’re afraid of the relationship ending, you may end up apologizing for doing nothing.
Actually, the first thing you need to realize when you’re in this situation is that you’re not in a healthy relationship. This is because if someone goes to that extent of not wanting to solve the issues in the relationship, then there are only two options: either you end the relationship or you just stick with it but end up getting hurt.
Also, when your partner flirts with other people, and then you find yourself asking for feedback in forums, it simply means there’s a problem in the relationship and the problem can also solved by you being honest with yourself and the reality of the relationship. It's about going back to the basics—what are your boundaries? What are some of the things you cannot tolerate in a relationship?
When you don’t have a great relationship with yourself, or when you're neglecting yourself consciously or unconsciously, you tend to ignore the significant and clear red flags because you're afraid of what will happen if you acknowledge the truth about the toxicity of the relationship.
When your partner constantly avoids conflict or gets mad when you raise something, that is an avoidance of conflict, and you will end up getting hurt. You may want to keep the relationship and seek solutions, but often, the desire to maintain the relationship stems from fear of abandonment or being alone. When you're emotionally and physically dependent on someone else, you'll do whatever it takes to keep them because you're not accustomed to standing up for yourself. If your partner flirts instead of resolving issues, ask yourself why you're staying in that environment, or even question if they have the energy to flirt, then they should have the energy to address those issues.
Also, when someone avoids concerns and consistently engages in behaviors you dislike, it indicates that you, too, are avoiding the inevitable. You're sidestepping the reality that perhaps you're not standing up for yourself or that you're tolerating your partner's behaviors. This pattern is common in many relationships, especially unhealthy ones. Over time, you may become accustomed to tolerating hurtful behavior until it becomes normalized, and you're unsure how you reached that point. It often begins with seemingly minor issues.
Therefore, it's crucial to address problems in a relationship as soon as they arise. If you find yourself hesitant to raise concerns, recognize that it's about you. You may be grappling with deep-seated insecurities, such as fear of abandonment, rejection, or not pleasing others. Addressing these fears is key. Once you confront them, you'll realize that perhaps the relationship isn't right for you, or you may need to explore other options.
Note from the Author
If you’re ready and you’d like my help with healing, finding peace in life and breaking free from these toxic patterns, then you can book a FREE BREAKTHROUGH CALL with me HERE. Happy healing 💙💙. Feel free to share and comment! Use this information with caution, it comes from my own thoughts & bias, experiences and research😊.