On my birthday, I thought my fiancé Sean was going to surprise me with the $200 dress I’d been dreaming of for months.

Instead, his mother walked into my party wearing it.

Sean handed me a $50 Sephora gift card and grinned like he’d pulled off something clever. Later that night, when I asked why he gave the dress to his mom, his answer froze me:

“Because I wanted to humble you. It was a test.”

I packed my things and left.

A week later, his mother called me in tears. She said Sean had lied — told her I wanted him to buy the dress for her. She returned it to me and apologized, admitting she was ashamed of her son.

That was the moment I knew I wasn’t just leaving Sean — I was saving myself.