A young woman recently shared her dilemma on the popular “AITA” subreddit, seeking advice after her boyfriend blamed her for getting banned from his favorite restaurant during his birthday dinner. Let’s dive into the details and explore what happened.
The Vegetarian Conflict
The woman, who is 18 years old, has been in a relationship with her boyfriend, John, for almost a year. While their relationship is generally healthy, there has been one ongoing source of tension: her vegetarian lifestyle. She has been a devoted vegetarian since she was 11 years old, driven by her strong moral beliefs.
However, John has been bothered by her refusal to spend her money on meat. Whenever they went out to eat, she would either split the bill or offer to pay for both if he chose a vegetarian option. But oddly enough, he rarely took her up on that offer.
The Birthday Dinner Drama
A few days before the incident, the young woman and her boyfriend went to his favorite upscale restaurant to celebrate his birthday. He ordered the most expensive steak on the menu, along with a side salad and a bottle of wine. When the meal was over, she asked the waiter for separate bills, which took John by surprise.
He assumed that she would foot the bill because it was his birthday, claiming that he hadn’t budgeted for the meal. Confused by his expectation, she reminded him of her rule about not spending her money on meat. But he couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation, other than it being his birthday.
She tried to find a compromise by offering to pay for the wine and the side salad, while expecting him to pay for the expensive steak. However, this only fueled his anger further, and he stormed off to the bathroom in a fit of fury.
The Aftermath
As the minutes passed and he didn’t return, she paid for her own meal, the wine, and the salad, hoping he would come back. But after waiting for 20 minutes without any sign of him, she decided to leave. To her surprise, she found him sitting on a nearby bench, completely unaware that she had already covered most of the bill.
Instead of accepting responsibility for his actions, he unleashed a barrage of accusations, calling her selfish and immature. When she suggested going back to settle the bill, he scoffed at her and walked away. Left with no other choice, she drove home alone, shocked by his unexpected outburst.
Seeking Online Assistance
The woman turned to the online community for advice, sharing her story and questioning whether she was in the wrong. She clarified that she had gone the extra mile by dipping into her savings to buy him a birthday present. Despite this, her efforts were not enough for him.
In response to those who questioned why she didn’t treat him on his birthday, she explained that it was actually his idea to go out for dinner in the first place. She also emphasized that the decision to split the bill was the result of their ongoing conflict over her vegetarian lifestyle.
Now, she is left wondering who is to blame for the incident and seeking opinions from others.
This situation raises some important questions: Was she being unreasonable by insisting on separate bills? Or was her boyfriend expecting too much from her on his birthday? We invite you to weigh in and share your thoughts on this story.
