I Went On A Date Thinking I’d Met Someone Special, But His Next Call Changed Everything

I went on a date thinking I’d finally met someone impressive. He ordered the fanciest dishes, talked about trips to Milan, and spoke like money was no object. I thought I’d found a catch.

Then the bill came.

He suggested we split it. Fine. But minutes later, my phone buzzed.
“Hey, you still owe me $3.75,” he said seriously. He’d reviewed the receipt and realized my coffee refill wasn’t included.

I sent the money just to avoid more messages. Two days later, he texted again—this time with a photo of an espresso receipt from after dinner. Apparently, I owed him for “half a sip.”

When I asked if he was joking, he replied, “It’s about fairness. Little costs add up.”

That was the end for me.

Later, my friend Maribel explained it wasn’t personal—he was known for charging dates for car “wear and tear” and arguing over complimentary bread.

A month later, I saw him at a charity gala slipping envelopes from a donation box. Security escorted him out after we alerted the staff. Days later, a donor thanked me for speaking up.

Months after that, I ran into him again—this time at a grocery store self-checkout. He looked exhausted. He admitted he’d been drowning in debt and pretending to be wealthy by controlling every penny. He apologized.

The lesson? Pettiness often hides private struggles—but that doesn’t mean you have to tolerate it. Set boundaries, walk away, and believe people when they show you who they are.