We were both going abroad and wouldn’t see each other for 7 months. He said he couldn’t do distance, even though we were long distance for several years in college. We went on a break.

—Delfina

Aftermath: He started dating a girl from the country he visited. They’re still dating 3 years later, and they’re continents apart.

He spent the night out at a “friend’s house” after ignoring my phone calls all day. He told me that he “didn’t think I’d care” that my live-in boyfriend “got drunk and passed out” at some random girl’s place.

—E

Aftermath: We broke up a month later, got back together, then broke up six months later when he decided he’d rather sleep with his graduate assistant than me.

We attended four weddings on successive weekends and I felt nothing except a feeling of being trapped and heading toward mediocrity. I really wanted to love her the way she loved me and tried very hard to, but in the end I couldn’t force it on myself.

—Heartbreaker

Aftermath: I had this revelation after a year of dating and almost ended it then, but relented when she began crying. We dated two more years. I broke up with her the week after the last wedding. It was heart-wrenching to hurt someone so bad. I hope to never have to do it again. She met someone else and we are both better off, I think…

I came home one night to find him totally smashed & angry about something. In his drunken stupor he told me, “You better be careful, or you’re gonna be taking a dirt nap.”

—Alive & Well

Aftermath: I started looking for a place the next day, moved out 2 weeks later and broke it off.

I went over to his house for a chance to spend some romantic time alone. We ended up looking in his basement for his long lost Lego set, and I watched in amazement as he spent over an hour building himself Lego architecture on the floor, smiling like an 8-year-old.

—Clo

Aftermath: I left his house early that night, and about a week later, I ended it and never looked back.