There are things in relationships you just don't do, and spending the night with your ex is one of them. Reddit user EmeArr did—and, predictably, got in trouble for it with his current girlfriend.
However, he believes he was simply helping his ex get out of a bad situation and claims nothing happened between them.
In a post on r/AITAH, the guy insists that after driving her back to his place, he slept on the couch while she took the bed, and then drove her seven hours to her parents' home.
Sometimes, things sound much worse than they really are
Image credits: denisapolka (not the actual image)
And this guy, who just spent the night with his ex, claims his girlfriend doesn't understand it
Image credits: EugenePetrunin (not the actual image)
Image credits: standret (not the actual image)
Image credits: EmeArr
Many people in relationships have doubts about their partner
According to State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025, nearly half (48%) of singles have suspected their partner of cheating at some point in the past. Women were more likely to report suspicion of cheating than men — 54% vs. 43%.
Among those who suspected foul play, 85% said they did something about it, including 32% who immediately confronted their partner.
Going no contact with your ex might help reduce the chances of misunderstandings or lingering emotional entanglements. As the phrase implies, the rule is about cutting off all communication after a breakup. This includes avoiding phone calls, texts, direct messages, "likes" on social media, and in-person meetups. Some even argue that simply looking at an ex’s social media posts should be considered off-limits.
"In addition to no direct contact with your previous partner, it also means not following up with mutual friends to gather any form of information about their lives," says Leanna Stockard, LMFT, at LifeStance Health.
While you will inevitably think of your ex-partner from time to time, eliminating contact and ceasing even innocent "check-ins" can help reduce how often your mind drifts back to them—or interferes with your current relationship.
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection (not the actual image)
What is cheating, anyway?
Another important thing to consider is whether you and your partner share the same definition of infidelity.
A YouGov survey asked U.S. adults about specific behaviors and whether they qualify as cheating in a monogamous relationship. Here’s how respondents answered:
- Sleeping with someone else: 93%
- Sending explicit photos to another person: 90%
- Falling in love with someone else: 82%
- Kissing another person: 81%
- Sending suggestive texts: 83%
- Lying about spending time with someone else: 80%
- Forming an intense emotional attachment: 73%
- Holding hands with another person: 64%
- Sharing your most private thoughts with another person: 46%
- Flirting with another person: 55%
t’s very possible that our Redditor and his girlfriend simply have different understandings of boundaries and are only now realizing it.
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
After the post went viral, its author provided more information on his relationship
Quite a few people said the guy mishandled the situation
However, some thought that both partners reacted reasonably, all things considered
