For my birthday, my husband gave me lavender shower gel—the one scent he knew I hated. I cried and poured it down the toilet. When I asked why he chose it, he hesitated, saying he “thought” I liked it. That’s when I knew something was off.

Days later, I saw a message on his phone: “Did she like the gift? ” — from Mira, his ex. Turns out, they’d been talking. She’d suggested the scent, remembering what she used to wear in college.

I confronted him. He claimed it was just friendship after her mom passed. But letting her guide a gift meant for me? It felt like betrayal.