Is ghosting to break-up ever acceptable? One heartbroken woman has been left searching for answers after her boyfriend of almost six years snubbed her without warning
Have you ever ‘ghosted’ a long-term partner?
Abruptly cutting off loved ones and failing to say why may seem quite harsh. However, this didn’t seem to stop one man who completely iced out his girlfriend of five years, leaving her utterly ‘heartbroken’.
The anonymous woman, 45, was under the impression they had a ‘great relationship’ and couldn’t quite believe the man she loved would do something like this. But, incredibly, she’s still holding out hope, after receiving a bizarre ‘Easter Egg’ from him.
“We’ve always had a great relationship,” she stressed, delving into her story anonymously on Reddi t. “We have our own separate places, spend time together when we can, spend holidays with my family and have constant contact via text and phone.
“We are the type to text all day long (good morning, what’s for lunch, how’s your day going? etc)… Last month the texts were more sparse and I was the one to initiate a conversation. I kept asking what was wrong but was told everything was OK.”
Last week, it was the woman’s birthday and his strange behaviour only heightened. Although he wished her a ‘Happy Birthday’, he didn’t do anything to celebrate the occasion.
The next day, he blocked her. She continued: “I don’t understand how after being together for so long he can just ghost me. No conversation or anything… I dropped off his stuff at his house yesterday (no contact).
“I put a short letter in his box of things telling him how bad he hurt me and how wrong it was to ghost me instead of having a convo. I emailed him today (from my work email) to see if he got it and he only replied ‘Received’.”
In the days that followed, the woman sobbed, struggled to eat and go about life as usual. But just yesterday, the situation shifted ever so slightly when her ex-boyfriend ‘left an Easter Egg’.
While you may be envisioning a typical chocolate treat, it seems she actually meant a cryptic message that was texted to her mum’s phone. “Last night I texted him from my mum’s phone (I told him it was me),” she explained in an update.
“Told him how hurt I was and that I just basically wanted answers. He responded: ‘When and if I want to talk, I’ll let you know. But, just continuing to call doesn’t work for me. I told you before when I don’t want to talk I don’t want to talk’. I replied that I would respect his space and decided to stick to no contact.
“Pathetic to say, that one response gave me a little hope that maybe he will end up contacting me and we can work things out because he would absolutely tell me to bug off if that’s what he wanted. Today was the first day I haven’t cried. I am ashamed for holding onto hope but it’s getting me through the day and I’m refocused because I’m not obsessing on trying to get in touch with him.”
Unsurprisingly, this anonymous confession was quick to garner plenty of comments on the platform, with various users stressing that her ex-partner’s behaviour is unacceptable and shouldn’t be forgiven. Concerned, one person wrote: “I wouldn’t give someone who ghosted me after five years a second chance. What he did is unforgivable. Move on.”
Another added: “Avoidant attachment style. This is his problem not yours. You’re stuck in the anxious avoidance trap/cycle. Sorry, he’ll never give you closure. This happened to me.”
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