Internet commenters were outraged after one woman revealed why she was forced to change clothes just moments before her brother’s wedding.
In a viral Reddit post published on r/TrueOffMyChest, Redditor u/throwra4209975 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said her husband objected to the dress she chose for the wedding—and went to great lengths to ensure she couldn’t wear it.
Titled, “My husband splashed water on the dress I was going to wear to my brother’s wedding because he thought it was too revealing,” the post has received more than 15,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments in the last day.
“My husband and I were invited to my brother’s wedding,” OP began. “I had a knee-length dress with straps on the shoulder and back to wear.”
Continuing to explain that her husband felt the dress was “too revealing,” the original poster said she brushed off his criticism and refused to change into something else—much to his dismay.
“He waited [until] I was wearing it then splashed water all over it,” OP wrote. “I was in shock!
“He was already in his suit ready to go to the wedding [and] he told me he’d be waiting for me in the car while I change,” OP continued. “I screamed at him to f*** off and get out.
“He didn’t even apologize! Just kept ranting about how I ignored his feelings towards the dress and disrespected his opinion,” OP added. “We’re not speaking…and he thinks he did me a ‘favor’ and kept my ‘dignity.'”
Relationships, no matter their duration, can turn fragile quickly.
And where some couples are able to maintain a high level of respect and adoration for decades, certain behaviors exhibited between partners are likely to erode trust and, in turn, their relationship.
Exerting control over a partner’s choices, where they go and how they dress—frequently associated with cases of abuse—is one of those behaviors.
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A partner’s need for control, according to licensed marriage and family therapist Lia Huynh, is most often rooted in insecurity, and can leave other partners feeling judged and suffocated.
“Underneath the need for control is fear,” Huynh told Newsweek.
There is much greater potential for relationship issues when those fears are not communicated in a clear and respectful manner. And when issues are ignored and left to fester, larger problems are sure to arise.
“By the time you’re pouring drinks on each other, there probably have been layers of struggle in the relationship underneath that need to be addressed,” Huynh told Newsweek.
Throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post, many Redditors echoed that sentiment.
Many more Redditors, however, encouraged the original poster to reevaluate her relationship completely, speculating that her being doused in water was more indicative of a trend than an isolated event.
“Something tells me this isn’t the first incident of this kind of behavior from him,” Redditor u/SaveusJebus commented, receiving more than 12,600 upvotes.
“I guarantee this isn’t the first time he has criticized what she has worn, nor resorted to petty antics to get his way,” Redditor u/StevesMcQueenIsHere added. “It’s abusive behavior, plain and simple.”
“Time for a safe exit plan,” Redditor u/schwarzmalerin chimed in.
In the post’s top comment, which has received nearly 14,000 upvotes, Redditor u/Fine-Trouble8442 said the original poster should have kept the dress on, to show her family what her husband did.
“I’d wear [it] dripping wet just to spite his insecure a**,” they wrote.
“And if anyone asks,” Redditor u/Soobobaloula commented, “[Say] ‘my husband threw cold water on me.'”
Newsweek has reached out to u/throwra4209975 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
Have you noticed any red flags that made you end a relationship? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
