In a post on the r/TrueOffMyChest subreddit, Redditor u/chronicallydrawing revealed her boyfriend secretly planned their “meet-cute,” and people are torn.
The confession came after a celebratory night out. Her boyfriend, drunk and sentimental, let something unexpected slip: “Could you believe we wouldn’t be this happy if I hadn’t watched you for so long?” Confused, she asked what he meant. The answer shook her.
Apparently, he had first noticed her while she worked at a local library during college. Instead of introducing himself, he silently observed her for months. He listened in on her conversations with coworkers, noted her favorite drinks, and learned what made her laugh. Eventually, he “accidentally” bumped into her at a coffee shop she frequented, where he just so happened to order her usual drink.
She had always believed their first meeting was a charming accident. They clicked instantly and she even joked that it was fate. But finding out it was all carefully constructed made her feel “lied to” and “frustrated.”
“It sounds like he was stalking me,” u/chronicallydrawing admitted.
Though she emphasized she never felt unsafe with him before, she started to reevaluate the foundation of their year-and-a-half-long relationship. The revelation also led her to question how much of his early interest in her hobbies and likes had been genuine.
“I mainly am just upset because I feel like our relationship was built on a lie, even if it was a smallish one,” she wrote.
A divided response: romantic or red flag?
Reddit’s reaction was immediate and deeply split. Some commenters praised the boyfriend’s effort, calling it “romantic” and “sweet.” They compared it to movie scenes or books where love interests pull off similar plans. To them, it showed dedication, not deceit.
@thechosenberg tweeted, “A) this is romantic B) you thought a meet cute was organic in 2025?”
However, many others saw it differently. They argued that intentionally learning personal details by eavesdropping and planning an “accidental” meeting blurred the line between charm and manipulation. One user wrote, “Well, if he can lie about this and hide it for so long what else do you think he could be lying about? After hearing that, I would assume there would be more things hes been lying about.”
The post prompted a larger discussion about consent, trust, and how relationships should begin. Several people pointed out that while his behavior wasn’t necessarily dangerous, it was deceptive, and that’s a problem in itself.
Despite the backlash, u/chronicallydrawing later added an update. She walked back some of her earlier anger, saying at the top of the post, “I was wrong. My boyfriend didn’t do anything wrong.” Meanwhile, in an edit at the bottom of the post, she acknowledged the need for an honest conversation with him and planned to talk once she got home.
The abrupt edit at the beginning drew concern for some Redditors, who asked if she was all right. She has yet to respond.
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