I found out that he had a girlfriend in another state, a baby on the way (by another girl) and he hocked my ring.

—Laura

Aftermath: Mere hours

We stopped hanging out as much, because “people were after him” and he was getting in fights. I was suspicious because his injuries always seemed to look too neat. I discovered a few days later that he was cheating on me and cutting himself with a scalpel to simulate wounds from fighting.

—Angel

Aftermath: That was it. I couldn’t stay with a guy who would rather injure himself than man up.

I had been dating him for 5 years and I was 7 months pregnant when we went separately to the county fair. He had no idea I was there and saw him kiss another girl. He came home and asked why I was pissed. When I told him, he said “Can’t I have you both?”

—Shay

Aftermath: We ended our relationship. I am getting married to an amazing guy.

At a cook out, he shared with his boss that I was pregnant with twins and used that opportunity to ask for an increase in pay. I was not pregnant, did not look pregnant and we had only been dating for a month at that time.

—Ma Chell

Aftermath: It ended that night. I saw his boss about a year later and he asked about our kids, as he got regular updates from my ex on how they were doing. I told the truth to the boss and the ex lost his job.

I was seeing this girl for a few months. We had unprotected sex multiple times. One night, she was drunk/crying and said she had something to tell me. We went back to my place where she told me, “We can’t have sex tonight.” I asked why. She told me she had genital herpes and was having an outbreak but not to worry, because it “goes away” in a few days.

—Lucky

Aftermath: Her herpes never “went away” and she is currently back together with the guy she got herpes from. I have been tested six times since and still am not convinced I don’t have it regardless of what my results tell me.