It started with a casual Bumble date, eating appetizers at a local brewery making small talk about our lives. It ended with one of the best interactions I’ve had with a stranger yet. And no, I’m not talking about the guy. I’m talking about his girlfriend.
When something about him just didn’t seem right, I started to investigate who he really was. That’s when I found his Facebook page and the dreaded “in a relationship??? status accompanied with cute photos together from the past year.
First, I cried. Cried for the fact that I just hurt a girl I didn’t even know. Cried because I let myself get fooled. Cried because I was ashamed of how naive I could be.
Second, I freaked out. Do I tell her? Do I not? I debated with my closest friends for days.
Eventually, with the support of my friends, I reached out to her. I told her straight up that he had cheated on her. That I was sorry and that had I known, I would have never let it happen.
I knew that if I had been her, I would have wanted to know. I would want to know if my loving boyfriend was actually a lying POS that didn’t give a damn about my feelings.
But mostly, I told her because girl power, that’s why.
Girls don’t look out for each enough. Often times, we’re against each other. But not this time.
I was so nervous that she would take it out on me, resent me, be enraged with me. Maybe she wouldn’t believe me that I genuinely didn’t know about her. Maybe she would think I was to blame.
But to my surprise, none of that happened.
She thanked me up and down. She told me how appreciative she was. How she almost moved in with him. How it was his fault, his problem; not mine or hers.
She understood that it wasn’t easy for me to tell her. She assured me not to feel bad and that she was sure I was a great person.
But most importantly, she told me, “Girls like you give me faith in humanity.???
I had restored her faith that people could do the right thing in a tough situation. Not just people but that a girl could look out for another girl – and a stranger at that.
We even ended the conversation by wishing each other luck in finding a better guy!
I received some backlash from my guy friends, saying I shouldn’t have told. That it wasn’t my place. Wasn’t my responsibility. Wasn’t my business.
They felt bad for him. Said it was a “low blow.??? But you know what’s a low blow? Putting a stranger before your year long relationship. That’s a low blow.
But I don’t care if it’s none of my business. Girls don’t look out for lying scumbags. Girls look out for other girls.
