Unearthing a shocking secret about your partner can turn your world upside down.
When in a long-term relationship, you’d hope to know everything there is to know about your other half. But what if your partner has been concealing something monumental?
One woman found herself in that very situation when she realised the boyfriend she thought she knew inside-out, whom she’d been dating for two years, was not quite the person she believed him to be. This revelation came to light after she noticed oddities in his text messaging patterns.
The pair were in a long-distance relationship, so her primary modes of communication with her boyfriend were texts and calls. Over two years, they nurtured a “beautiful and deep emotional connection”, and she felt “so lucky” to have found someone who shared her values.
But around a month ago, a strange change began to surface in her boyfriend’s texting style. While he previously kept messages short, he started sending “long paragraphs” that were impressively written and very different in tone from what she was accustomed to.
This sudden shift, which she said seemed “artificial” and “robotic,” piqued her suspicions. Eventually, her fears were confirmed – her boyfriend had been using an artificial intelligence chatbot to write his replies.
The woman’s concerns were realised when she expressed to her partner that she was feeling “tired and frustrated”, only to be met with a list of suggestions on how to boost her mental health, which included advice such as staying hydrated, reducing stress in her life, and “staying positive”.
She vented her feelings on Reddit, saying: “I feel betrayed, like he has forgotten about us, the fact that he is now 100% relying on a machine to have a conversation with me. Every time I receive these texts I feel revolted, and this is happening every single day. I feel this uncanny valley vibe in all of them; these words are all affected and so unnatural that it feels like they are mocking the realness and messiness of true human communication.”
The troubled girlfriend mentioned her decision to address her boyfriend about his peculiar texting habits, expressing she would prefer “short texts” from him even if they were brief but genuinely written by him. The comments on her post echoed her concerns, suggesting a reconsideration of the relationship due to his apparent lack of involvement.
Responding to the feedback, she shared her painful admission that, although it “breaks her heart”, parting ways might be the correct step forward.
A commentator said: “If he can’t bother to reply to you himself, not sure he’s that into you. He may be doing this to several girls at the same time. Or he’s very insecure. Either way, you now know he’s ok with not being honest with you.”
Another added support to the advice given, saying: “I agree with the commenter that said to set him up with your own chatbot and just move on. If he can’t even be bothered to fulfil the bare minimum requirements of being in a long-distance relationship, you don’t need him.”