I never believed in “pausing” a relationship. It’s either on or it’s off. But when Jack said he needed time to “work on himself,” I didn’t argue. He left for six weeks and ghosted me completely.

At first, I was heartbroken. But I slowly rebuilt. I started volunteering at an animal shelter and ended up adopting a sweet old dog — something I’d always wanted but never could have, since Jack was allergic.

Three weeks later, Jack texted out of nowhere: “I’m back. Ready to unpause us.” The next day he showed up at my door with flowers, acting like nothing had happened. Then my dog padded into the room.

Jack’s face drained. “You knew I was allergic! You failed the test.”

“What test?” I asked.

He admitted he’d staged the whole “break” to see if I’d stay loyal — if I’d resist getting a dog without him. He even claimed he’d planned to propose.

I stared at him in disbelief. “So you ghosted me, lied about needing space, just to run a loyalty experiment?”

“Exactly,” he said proudly.

That’s when I opened the door and told him to leave.

Later, his mom even called me to apologize for his behavior, admitting he wasn’t ready for any real relationship. And she was right.

Because I didn’t fail a test — I passed my own. I chose peace, honesty, and a love that doesn’t come with conditions. And now I’ve got a dog who never makes me question my worth.