I (28F) am currently sitting in my car outside a coffee shop because I can’t even look at my boyfriend right now, and I genuinely don’t know if I’m about to break up with someone over a misunderstanding or if my gut instinct is screaming at me for a reason.
I’ve been dating Ryan (31M) for about eight months. Things have been good—like, really good. He’s sweet, attentive, always surprising me with little gifts. Flowers on random Tuesdays, my favorite snacks when I’m stressed, that sort of thing. He works in tech, makes decent money, and has always been generous without being showy about it. I liked that about him.
So yesterday, a package shows up at my apartment. It’s addressed to Ryan, but shipped to my place. This isn’t weird—he stays over a lot, and sometimes he has stuff delivered here because his apartment building has issues with porch pirates. I texted him: “Hey, got a package for you. Want me to hold it or should I bring it over?”
He texted back like two hours later: “Oh yeah, just hold onto it. I’ll grab it this weekend.”
Cool. No problem. I tossed it on my kitchen counter and didn’t think about it.
But then this morning, I’m making coffee and I see the box sitting there, and I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was boredom. Maybe it was curiosity. The box wasn’t even taped that well—one side was already kind of open, like it had been damaged in shipping.
So I opened it.
Inside was this gorgeous jewelry box. Like, expensive-looking. Black velvet, gold trim. My heart literally skipped because I thought—oh my God, is this for me? Is he planning to propose? We’ve talked about the future, but eight months felt fast… but also, my brain was already racing ahead to how I’d tell my friends, what the ring would look like.
I opened the jewelry box.
It was a necklace. Beautiful. Delicate gold chain with a small diamond pendant. Definitely not an engagement ring, but still really nice. I smiled, closed it, and was about to text him something cute like “I may have peeked 👀” when I noticed there were more boxes in the package.
Three more jewelry boxes. All different.
One had a bracelet. Another had earrings. The third had a different necklace, silver this time with what looked like sapphires.
And they were all different styles. Completely different. Not like a matching set.
My stomach dropped. Why would he buy me four different pieces of jewelry? That’s not a gift, that’s… I don’t know what that is.
Then I saw the receipts at the bottom of the box. Four separate receipts. Four different names and addresses for shipping.
Jessica. Melissa. Amanda. Keira.
I just stood there in my kitchen, holding these receipts, feeling like I was going to throw up. My hands were shaking so bad I had to sit down.
I called him immediately. He didn’t answer. I called again. Nothing. Sent a text: “Call me NOW.”
Twenty minutes later, he called back.
“Hey babe, what’s up? Everything okay?”
“I opened your package,” I said. My voice was weirdly calm. “Who the fuck are Jessica, Melissa, Amanda, and Keira?”
Silence. Long silence. Then: “Wait, what?”
“Your package, Ryan. The one that came to my house. It has four pieces of jewelry and four receipts with four different women’s names on them. So I’m going to ask you one more time: who are they?”
“Babe, I can explain—”
“Then explain.”
He sighed. Like, this long, tired sigh, and that pissed me off even more because how DARE he act like I’m being unreasonable right now?
“Okay,” he said. “This is going to sound weird, but I promise it’s not what you think. I’ve been running a side business. Reselling jewelry. I buy pieces at wholesale, mark them up a little, and sell them online. Those are orders I need to ship out.”
I laughed. Actually laughed. “You’re telling me you’re running a jewelry business and you never mentioned it? Not once? In eight months?”
“I didn’t tell you because my parents think I work corporate. They’d lose their minds if they knew I was doing entrepreneurial stuff on the side. They’re super traditional—they think anything outside of a 9-to-5 office job is risky and stupid. I’ve been keeping it quiet from everyone.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I know how it sounds—”
“Do you? Because from where I’m standing, it sounds like you’re buying jewelry for multiple women and I’m just another name on your list.”
“That’s not—babe, come on. You know me. You really think I’m cheating on you with four different women?”
And honestly? I didn’t know what to think. Part of me wanted to believe him because the alternative was too awful. But also, who the hell runs a secret jewelry business and doesn’t mention it to their girlfriend for eight months?
“Prove it,” I said. “Show me the business. Show me your seller account, your inventory, whatever.”
“I can show you tonight when I come over. I’ll bring my laptop, show you everything—the website, the orders, all of it.”
“Fine. Tonight. 7 PM. And if you’re lying to me, Ryan, we’re done.”
I hung up.
That was three hours ago, and now I’m sitting here spiraling. I’ve been going through our entire relationship in my head, looking for red flags I missed. Has he been distant? Not really. Has he been secretive with his phone? Maybe? I don’t know anymore. Everything feels suspicious now.
My best friend thinks I’m insane for even considering believing him. She’s like, “Girl, he’s 100% cheating. No man runs a secret jewelry business. That’s the dumbest cover story ever.”
But another part of me is thinking… what if he’s telling the truth? What if I’m about to ruin a good relationship because I’m paranoid?
I looked up the names on the receipts on social media. Found a Jessica who lives in the city near us—she’s married with two kids. Found an Amanda who’s like 19 and appears to be in college. Couldn’t find the other two. None of them are connected to Ryan on any platform I can see, but that doesn’t mean anything.
He’s supposed to come over in four hours with “proof.” But what if the proof is faked? What if he’s had time to create fake screenshots or a fake website? I don’t even know what I’m looking for.
Honestly, I feel like an idiot either way. If he’s cheating, I’m an idiot for not seeing it sooner. If he’s not cheating, I’m an idiot for opening his package and not trusting him.
So… what do I do here? Do I believe him? Do I end it? What questions should I ask tonight to figure out if he’s telling the truth?
I’m so lost right now. Has anyone dealt with something like this? Am I being paranoid or is my gut right?
What would you do?
