Woman Walks Out of Boyfriend’s Holidays Work Party, and the Internet Agrees

A woman left her boyfriend’s office Christmas dinner after he publicly belittled her, and the internet has backed her decision. Redditor u/Master-Ad-1534 shared her dilemma in the subreddit “AITAH [Am I The A*****],” where it garnered 28,000 upvotes. She explained it happened at his company’s festive get together, where she felt nervous but eager to make a good impression. Although things started well, the evening took a sudden turn. “During dinner my boyfriend made a joke about my job. I’m an event planner, and he works in corporate finance. “He said something like, ‘She just plans parties for a living, while I’m out here making real money.’ People laughed, but I felt a lump in my throat. I work hard and I’m proud of what I do, so hearing him belittle me like that stung,” she wrote. AITA for leaving my boyfriend’s office Christmas party after he repeatedly humiliated me in front of his coworkers? byu/Master-Ad-1534 inAITAH The woman attempted to laugh it off, but her partner continued to demean her. When a colleague asked her what her favorite event to plan had been, her boyfriend interrupted and answered for her: “Probably one of those kids’ birthday parties. That’s her level of expertise.” The OP said she felt “mortified.” The final straw came when the group was exchanging funny stories, and her partner shared an embarrassing anecdote she had begged him not to share. “I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Everyone was laughing, and I wanted to disappear. I quietly told him I wasn’t OK with what he was doing, but he brushed me off, saying, ‘Don’t be so uptight—it’s all in good fun.’ “At that point, I couldn’t take it anymore. I excused myself, thanked the host, and left.” Stock image of an unhappy woman at a party. The internet has rallied around a woman and said she was right for leaving a party after her boyfriend made fun of her job to his… Stock image of an unhappy woman at a party. The internet has rallied around a woman and said she was right for leaving a party after her boyfriend made fun of her job to his colleagues. MarianVejcik/iStock / Getty Images Plus Her boyfriend was enraged when she returned home. He accused her of embarrassing him and demanded an apology for “overreacting.” “My friends are split—some say I should’ve stayed and dealt with it later, while others think he crossed the line. “So, AITA for walking out?” she asked the Reddit community. Expert Insight Leigh Norén, a sex and relationship therapist, provided insight into the situation with Newsweek. “I wonder if the boyfriend might have been trying to impress his colleagues with humor; however, he did this at the cost of his girlfriend’s feelings, which is not OK. “This situation is a clear example of how we often end up policing one another’s feelings in relationships and disregarding them because we can’t relate. She felt belittled and hurt, and instead of him accepting this and apologizing, her boyfriend tells her she’s overreacting because he doesn’t understand why she feels that way. “I wonder if they perhaps both felt insecure at the party, but the difference was that he tried to cover his insecurity with humor at her expense, whereas she was trying to fit in and not ‘make a fuss’ when he joked at her expense.” She said it is not unusual for couples to end up in a dynamic where one member of the partnership ends up the brunt of the other one’s jokes. An honest conversation between the pair needs to take place to address why she felt belittled and why he felt the need to joke in that manner. “Until they can do this, they are likely to struggle in future social situations,” she shared. Reddit Reacts The Reddit community overwhelmingly supported her decision. “NTA [Not The A******], why is he still your boyfriend? Dude is a huge AH. Ditch him and whichever friends are siding with him, they’re all trash,” one Reddit user commented. “NTA. Why are you with this jealous, insensitive, very low self-esteem douchebag that gets to feel like ‘the man’ by putting you down? “He doesn’t respect you. You apologize when he grovels for forgiveness… but do you trust him after this?” asked user dragon_porra. “NTA. If he doesn’t understand that he publicly humiliated you and tries to make himself the victim, that’s a big red flag,” said mikoline97. Newsweek reached out to u/Master-Ad-1534 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. Newsweek‘s “What Should I Do?” offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.