Some friendships certainly turn into more than ‘just friends.’ Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, and showing your true feelings to somebody can lead to rejection. That’s okay! It’s part of life. However, a New York woman was completely caught off guard when she received a present from a friend, along with a note. Now this seemingly nice gesture would change everything about their relationship. She’s asking Reddit if she overreacted to the situation.
On r/AmIOverreacting, OP asks, “AIO? Homeless friend asks me to be his girlfriend.” She goes on to say she heard from a friend, who has been homeless several times, and he asked if he could borrow some money in order to get to his new job. OP lent them $20 and expected that to be the end of it. However, she was surprised when she walked into her workplace to find an edible arrangement with a typed note, a rose, and a balloon exclaiming, “I love you”. To OP, a boundary has been crossed.
The note reads: “We have known each other for a while now. And I don’t know anyone more deserving of my best then my self is you. I love you as much as there’s stars in the night sky. I guess what I’m trying to say is will you be my girlfriend.”
Furthermore, it happened at her place of employment and her manager was the first person to see it. She goes on to admit she doesn’t have romantic feelings for this person or a relationship, for that matter. She wonders if she is overreacting or if her feelings are valid: “This for me is the final straw! Can any one relate?” After all, it was done in public, rather than privately.
One commenter stated, “It doesn’t seem like he actually thought about you when he pulled this stunt off.” It’s a good point. Why not just give the money back, instead of buying gifts OP may not be interested in? There are bold moves, then there’s this.
Another commenter pointed out that “He has issues with boundaries.” Others agreed this could be a situation that turns out to be dangerous instead of loving and sweet. One person shared their story, “A family member of mine was murdered by her ‘boyfriend,’ who had no car, no apartment and he was living with her using her stuff. Multiple ex-gf’s came out after the fact saying he bummed off them too and only dated women with transportation and housing. Don’t mess around with men who can’t provide for themselves.”
In other words, OP has to protect her peace (and most of all, herself) with those she chooses to have in her life. It would also help if more people understood boundaries and consent!