11 February 2024 , 10:00
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A dismayed man ran into his ex-girlfriend at a market five years after they split up when it became all too apparent, thanks to her appearance, that she had lied to him during their romance.
When it comes to relationships, everyone has a deal breaker. For some it might be that they can't be with someone who is selfish, or doesn't ever remember special occasions. For others it could be something as simple as them never picking their dirty undies up off the floor.
For, one man, his deal breaker was not being able to have a family as he'd always dreamed of becoming a dad.
Because of this dream, the unnamed man broke up with his ex-girlfriend Amy, as she'd told him she couldn't have children and wasn't interested in exploring other options such as adoption. It was a tough decision to make, but the guy ultimately thought he'd made the right call.
Five years after they called it quits, he ran into his ex at a farmer's market and was shocked to learn that she was expecting a baby - and had been lying to him the entire time they were together.
'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'
The guy explained the mixture of emotions he felt afterwards in a letter to an advice column. Writing to Slate.com's Dear Prudence in 2020, he admitted that he had felt "awful" about leaving Amy, but having kids was "important to him".
"We just couldn't imagine a future where we were happy. Then about a week before [lockdown] started, I ran into Amy.
"She was six months pregnant. We talked for a while, I congratulated her, and she asked if I was a dad yet. When she found out I wasn’t she said that this baby could have been mine if I’d passed her test."
He's struggling with what he found out (stock photo) (Getty)It then came to light that Amy had been 'testing' him the entire time they'd been together. She claimed she'd never actually been infertile, but she just wanted to know whether he would love her enough to give up having a baby, before she fully committed.
He continued: "She lied for over four months until we broke up. I can't get over it. I don't know if it is because I'm stuck inside on my own or what, but it just eats at me.
"The fact that I felt guilty for years because of a lie makes me feel like an idiot. The fact that she came up with this out of nowhere makes me feel like I never knew her. Who does something like that?"
The advice columnist was just as stunned as the man, proclaiming the whole situation to be "unutterably bizarre".
Prudence, sympathised with him heavily, adding: "It was beyond a weird thing to do. Of course you find yourself wondering whether you ever really knew her and have trouble squaring this bizarre, awful, unloving trick with the idea of an otherwise normal person/employee/wife/mother. I’m so sorry you’re going through this."
What do you think of the ex-girlfriend's test? Let us know in the comments below.