TeenConnect: Trending November 29, 2021 Issue

How I got out of a toxic relationship

Kendall Tuchkova

Originally appeared online in the teen series Trending - October 5, 2021.

He was British, living in Paris. I was an American living there, too. We met at the cafe where I was waitressing. He was funny, friendly, and easy to talk to, and he invited me to visit the aquarium where he worked. He seemed a bit of a flirt, so I was apprehensive but also intrigued; I’d never had a boyfriend before.

I’d never been in love before, and I was afraid to lose him.

Then, less than three months into our relationship, I found out he was cheating on me. When I confronted him, he denied it. I believed him, and we stayed together. But the cycle continued. I’d find evidence of cheating and confront him. He’d deny it, tell me he loved me, and I’d believe him. I’d never been in love before, and I was afraid to lose him. I also naively thought I could help make him into the man I was sure he could be.

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