I thought proposing to Natalie would be the start of our forever, but it quickly became a nightmare. It didn’t take long to realize I never really knew her.

The proposal was perfect—tears of joy, a sparkling ring, and dreams of a future together. For the first week, everything felt right as we shared the news with our families and started planning the wedding.

But things changed when I came home one night to find six women in my kitchen, eating my expensive food and drinking my best wine. I didn’t know any of them.

Natalie waved it off. “These are my inner circle. I didn’t introduce them sooner because I wanted to wait until we were a ‘sure thing.’”

Over the next few days, they kept coming over uninvited, treating my home like it was theirs. By the fourth visit, I’d had enough and told Natalie I’d lock up the fridge if it didn’t stop.

Things escalated at a dinner with her friends. They grilled me about my job, my income, and my house. When the bill came, one of them slid it to me. “You can cover this, right?” she said.

I paid for myself and left. The woman I loved had turned into someone I didn’t recognize. Natalie was more interested in impressing her friends than in our relationship. It wasn’t long before she planned a party at my house without asking. I said no, but she ignored me.

So, on the day of the party, I changed the locks and left. My phone blew up with missed calls, but I knew I had made the right decision.

When I finally answered, she yelled, “How dare you change the locks?”

“We’re done, Natalie,” I said, and hung up. That was the end. The woman I thought I knew was gone, and I felt nothing but relief as I walked away.