A woman unexpectedly approached me while my partner and I were out and shoved a sanitary pad into my hand. “You need this,” she remarked quietly, with a serious, even nervous expression on her face.
I couldn’t understand. I didn’t have my period. Nevertheless, I immediately rushed to check in the bathroom. Nothing. There’s no justification. However, something about her face made my stomach turn. It was urgent.
I then opened the pad.
Two words were written on the inside in hurried handwriting and unsteady red ink:
“Look him up on Google.”
As I tried to understand what I was reading, I just stared at it. My partner, with whom I had just been dating for two weeks, was the only one I was with. He appeared normal, kind, and focused. In fact, I had begun to get enthusiastic about him.
But I couldn’t get the message off my mind.
Curiosity took over. I took out my phone and looked up his name, hoping for nothing or, in the worst case scenario, a little deception like an outdated profile or a false age.
My blood ran cold when I discovered what I did.
He wasn’t just a stranger. He was well-known on TikTok. His videos become widely shared. Even worse, he’s been dating or befriending people for a month and then posting about them online as if they were a part of some social project. Private moments, faces, and reactions—turned into entertainment.
My chest constricted. Two minutes ago, I had butterflies, but now I’m just disgusted. I had been secretly trying out for his upcoming material rather than actually developing a relationship with him.
I refrained from arguing. I didn’t ask for clarifications. He stood there silently while I simply turned to leave.
I’ll probably never find out who that woman was or why she warned me, and I never saw her again. However, I can’t even begin to describe how thankful I am for her. Before I dug any deeper—and before I turned into another “episode” on his page—she saved me.
