Guys, you have no idea—absolutely no idea—with what ease and speed these bloodthirsty, ruthless harpies can destroy your relationship, and do it so fast that you won't even have time to figure out what hit you.

But now, on to the story.

I was seeing a girl; everything was going well, and after about four months, we decided to try living together. If anyone thinks that’s moving too fast, there’s a nuance: we had known each other for a long time—our paths just hadn't crossed romantically until then—so we weren't exactly strangers to one another.

So, we’re living together; everything is fine, and there isn't a single sign of trouble on the horizon.

At some point, however, she started communicating much more frequently with her female friends—the ones she’d kept from her college days. She told me she hadn't been in touch with them before because her ex-boyfriend had forbidden it. At the time, I thought, «No big deal.» I figured, «Let her talk to them; it’s not like I mind» (and boy, was I wrong...).

As time went on, misunderstandings began to crop up between us—along with strange hints on her part that something was «off» in our relationship, that she was starting to feel dissatisfied, that she was unhappy about this or that—basically, a bunch of murky nonsense that seemed to come out of nowhere (though later, of course, it became perfectly clear where it came from).

Eventually, things escalated to the point where she started telling me—almost openly—that we probably weren't right for each other, that she needed someone else, and that it was high time for her to get married and have kids. This was despite the fact that, initially, she had said she wasn't ready yet and didn't plan on any of that for another three to five years. (I firmly believe that this is a topic that needs to be discussed *before* you get serious.)

Ultimately—and naturally—we broke up. I simply didn't need that kind of emotional rollercoaster in my life. But oh well—screw it. These things happen. Later on—after some time had passed—I learned from mutual acquaintances that those very same girlfriends of hers (all of whom were either single moms themselves or whose own love lives were a complete trainwreck) had been whispering in my ex’s ear, telling her that I wasn’t the right match for her, that there was no future with me, and so on and so forth. And she, of course, listened to them.

Then, true to form, she quickly hooked up with some guy who—without giving it a second thought—knocked her up; yet he never proposed, and a couple of months later, he simply rode off into the sunset.

That’s the kind of «friends» some people have!