Chris and Breanne seemed to be the perfect couple. All of their friends were envious of their easygoing relationship and how well they got along. They were right, up until one awkward holiday visit to Chris's parents that turned everything upside down...
A Perfect Fit
The holidays marked Chris and Breanne's two-year anniversary, and Breanne always made sure to plan something special. She loved giving people gifts and putting a smile on their faces. To Breanne, there was nothing better than planning the perfect surprise. This year, Breanne had something special in mind that she and Chris could do together...
A Love For Travel
Every time Breanne hinted at what an awesome Christmas they were going to have, Chris hoped that meant she was planning a trip. They'd already been on a few vacations together, so it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. What Breanne had in mind wasn't exactly that extravagant, but was still something she was sure he'd love...
Workout Partners
One thing they also loved to do together was exercise. Their friends admired them for being partners who trained together, and Breanne truly loved that about Chris. They motivated each other to work hard and be better. That played into Breanne's Christmas and anniversary present for her partner...
Christmas Past
On their last anniversary, Breanne had surprised Chris by signing them up for a marathon in the spring. Fitness and health were things they both valued and enjoyed adventures together. Even though it wasn't something material, Chris still appreciated the gesture...
Holidays With Family
This year, Chris and Breanne were going to spend Christmas with his family. They had to travel all the way from New York City to Delaware where his parents lived, but they always made the most of the journey. They talked about what they were going to do with all their time off from work and who they were most excited to see. Chris knew his parents were hoping this would be the Christmas he asked Breanne a very important question, too...
In The Back of His Mind
This year, the thought of proposing to Breanne had been in the back of Chris's mind. He knew his parents were hopeful about it, and it was something Breanne had hinted at wanting as well. He wasn't sure if he was ready yet, but that didn't mean it was off the table...
A Cozy Christmas Eve
Breanne decided to give Chris his present on the night of Christmas Eve. She knew it was nothing to be super excited about, but she just wanted to do something nice for him. She eagerly watched him open it and hoped he would like it...
Something He'd Always Wanted
To Breanne's surprise, Chris loved it. She'd picked out an Apple watch that would track his exercise, fitness, and heart rate. She was so glad he liked it and couldn't wait for him to use it during a gym session. She didn't know that it was going to be good for tracking more than just a workout routine...
Not Exactly What She'd Expected
In return, Chris gave her a necklace. It wasn't really what she'd been hoping for. Still, even though he hadn't given her a ring, she was happy that he picked out something thoughtful...
Back To Their Routine
After a long holiday weekend with family, and no engagement ring, the drive home was a little tense. Breanne didn't want to bring it up, and Chris didn't want her to bring it up, so they drove home in silence. Breanne was just hoping to get back to their normal routine as quickly as possible so she wouldn't feel disappointed for long...
Chris Seemed Absent
As they started to get back into the swing of their normal life, Chris seemed a little distant. He was out later after work and wasn't as present when he was home. Breanne worried that it was because she'd made him feel pressured about getting engaged, so she hoped to talk when he got back from the gym—except this time, he didn't come back...
Out All Hours of the Night
Where could he have gone? He wasn't answering Breanne's messages, and by then it was nearly four in the morning. She was worried something had happened to him. Then, she realized how she could find him...
A Breach of Trust
Normally, Breanne wouldn't resort to something like this, but she was worried about where Chris was. They both had the same kind of Apple watch and their accounts were linked. Though she couldn't see his location, she could see something else...
Something Wasn't Right
When Breanne checked Chris's activity level, it said he was relatively calm from midnight to 3 a.m. Then, around 4 a.m., he had a significant increase in his heart rate. He told her he was just going for drinks after the gym with some friends, but it looked like he'd gone somewhere else, with someone else...
Sneaking In Early
That morning, Chris snuck in before he thought Breanne was awake. He was hoping to convince her he'd been home the entire night and had just gotten back after she'd fallen asleep. Unfortunately, she was ready to confront him...
She Felt Suspicious
When Chris walked in, Breanne was already awake. He didn't think he'd get caught, but she told him she'd seen something weird on his fitness tracker. He was so caught off guard that he wasn't sure how to handle it. She had a bad feeling about this...
He Had to Tell The Truth
Chris figured there was no use lying when she had the evidence right in front of her. He'd been careless to cheat in the first place, but he was humiliated that she'd caught him with the very gift she'd given him so they could work out together. He admitted that he hadn't gone out for drinks with friends but was in fact seeing another woman behind Breanne's back...
Who Was She?
Chris said he'd met this other woman through friends, and he'd never intended to start anything with her, but things just sort of happened. He felt guilty and awful and begged Breanne for forgiveness. She didn't know what to think...
And She'd Wanted an Engagement Ring
Breanne felt sick. She couldn't believe she'd wanted to marry him. Worst of all, she was upset that she had to catch him and he couldn't just tell her himself...
She Was Ready To Be Done
After weeks of odd behavior and distance, everything finally made sense. She knew they couldn't move past this, especially if he didn't want to get married. He claimed she'd broken his trust by searching for him in the night, but he'd done something so much worse. Breanne just didn't see a way through this...
He Couldn't Apologize Enough
Chris felt terrible that he'd hurt her with such a stupid mistake. Instead of not telling her he didn't want to get married yet, he should have just communicated. Now, he realized he'd just made the biggest mistake of his life, and she wasn't willing to forgive him...
She Kicked Him Out
Chris stayed at Breanne's place most of the time, and she wasn't going to stand for that anymore. She threw his bags at him, threw his clothes out of her closet, and told him to leave. When he asked where he was supposed to go, she suggested he go back to wherever he slept last night...
He Couldn't Argue With Her
Chris wouldn't fight her on this. He knew he'd messed up, and he knew he deserved everything she said. He sadly picked up his bags and left her apartment. He didn't know if he should go back to Kate, the girl from last night, but he had no other option...
Unexpected Visitor
When he arrived back at Kate's place, she hadn't been expecting to see him again on the same day. She was confused when she saw his bags, and she let him in when he said he had something he needed to explain. He had a bad feeling she wasn't going to like his story, either...
Caught Completely Off Guard
Chris explained the entire situation, deciding to be honest this time, and hoped Kate understood. She was shocked—she didn't know he had a girlfriend, and she had no idea that she played a role in their breakup. She felt terrible for Breanne and was furious at Chris for involving her...
She Wouldn't Let Him Stay, Either
As he expected, Kate didn't want anything to do with him now. He realized that he had nowhere to go. He was too embarrassed to go back home considering they'd just seen his parents a few weeks ago and they thought they were getting engaged any day. He had no choice but to call his friends and take the walk of shame...
His Friends Weren't Shocked
When Chris explained to some of his friends that he needed a place to stay, they weren't surprised at the situation. They'd seem him and Kate flirt when they were all out in a group and had even pointed out that he hadn't brought Breanne with him any time he knew Kate would be there. They were disappointed in him, too, but let him stay with them anyway...
Time to Unlink
Chris decided he should probably unlink his Apple account from Breanne's. He also thought he needed to deliver a more heartfelt apology. No, he hadn't been ready to get married, but he didn't want to break up with her, either. He needed to think of a way for her to forgive him...
Weeks of Space
After giving Breanne some time to herself, Chris came over to her apartment one day. He brought her flowers and asked if they could talk. He looked upset, so she agreed. She knew why he was there, but decided to hear him out...
There Was No Going Back
Despite Chris's seemingly heartfelt apology, Breanne knew she couldn't take him back. That type of betrayal wasn't something she could so easily forgive, and he understood. She hoped he'd learn from this in the future and would be upfront with is feelings with the next girl.