AITA for breaking up with my girlfriend after she kept joking about me having an “easy life”?
I (M18) turned 18 earlier this year, and my parents surprised me with a Tesla Model S. I know I’m really lucky, and I don’t pretend otherwise. My parents are well-off, but they’ve always pushed me hard about school and staying responsible.
I’d been dating my girlfriend (F18) for about a year. At first she was happy for me, but after a while she started making comments. Stuff like “must be nice” when I talked about stress, or “you don’t really have to worry about money though.” She usually said it like a joke, so I tried to brush it off.
The comments kept happening, especially around friends. If someone brought up the car, she’d joke that my parents basically set me up for life. People would laugh, and I’d laugh too, but it started to feel uncomfortable and kind of embarrassing.
I eventually told her it bothered me. I said I knew I was privileged, but the jokes made it feel like my problems didn’t count. She said I was being too sensitive and that she was “just being honest.” She also said that if people see me as having it easy, I should expect comments like that.
The other night with friends when she said, “Yeah, his parents basically handed him adulthood.” Everyone laughed again. Later, I told her it really hurt and made me feel disrespected. She got defensive and said I needed thicker skin and that it wasn’t her fault life had been easier for me.
After that, I realized it wasn’t really about the jokes anymore. It felt like resentment, and like she didn’t respect me. A few days later, I broke up with her. She said I proved her point by not being able to handle criticism.
AITA?
