When Natalie first met Evan, she thought he was the one. At 39, he was charming, funny, and an amazing dad to his two kids, Liam and Emma. Natalie, who was 32 and didn’t have kids of her own, admired how Evan balanced fatherhood and life so effortlessly. He seemed like the perfect guy—until she noticed something was off.
It all started with dinner.
Every week, Evan would take Natalie and his kids out to eat. Sometimes it was a casual diner, other times it was a fancy restaurant. The kids loved it—they’d squeal with excitement over desserts and try new dishes.
Natalie didn’t mind at first. She thought it was sweet that Evan wanted to create special memories with his kids, and she was happy to be part of it.
But then, something strange happened.
The first time Evan “forgot” his wallet, Natalie didn’t think much of it. “Oh no, Nat!” he said, patting his pockets with an apologetic smile. “I must’ve left it at home. Can you cover this one? I’ll pay you back, I promise.”
Natalie shrugged and paid the bill. No big deal, right?
The second time it happened, she raised an eyebrow. The third time, she felt a little uneasy. By the fifth time, she knew it wasn’t an accident. Evan was always forgetting his wallet when it was time to pay.
But what could she do? The kids were there, and they didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of an argument. Natalie didn’t want to ruin their fun or make them feel uncomfortable. So, she kept quiet—even though her bank account was screaming for mercy.
“You’ve got to say something, Nat,” her sister Laurel told her one day. They were sitting in Natalie’s kitchen, eating freshly baked pecan pie. “This isn’t fair to you. Evan’s taking advantage, and it’s only going to get worse if you don’t put your foot down.”
“I know,” Natalie sighed, cutting another slice of pie. “But I feel bad. The kids love these dinners, and I don’t want to ruin that for them.”
“The kids will be fine,” Laurel said, taking a bite of pie. “But you won’t be if you keep letting Evan walk all over you. You work two jobs, Nat. You can’t afford to pay for his fancy dinners every week.”
Natalie knew her sister was right, but she kept hoping Evan would change. Maybe he’d realize how unfair it was to keep putting the burden on her. Maybe he’d start paying her back. But he never did.
Instead, Evan let his kids order whatever they wanted—and I’m not talking about cheap kiddie meals. Liam and Emma would go all out: seafood platters, giant milkshakes with donuts on top, and desserts that cost more than Natalie’s weekly grocery bill.
“They deserve to enjoy themselves,” Evan would say with a smile. “Life with their mom is strict, so I want them to have fun when they’re with me.”
Natalie would nod and smile, but inside, she was panicking. How was she supposed to keep up with these expensive dinners? She was already working two part-time jobs just to make ends meet.
And Evan’s excuses? They never changed.
“I forgot my wallet.”
“I left it in my other jeans.”
“I didn’t think we’d need it tonight.”
Every time, he acted like it was no big deal. “You’ve got this, Nat,” he’d say. “I’ll pay you back, or I’ll cover the next one.”
But he never did.
By the time they’d been together for nine months, Natalie had paid for more dinners than she could count. She was exhausted, frustrated, and starting to resent Evan. But the final straw came on a Friday night.
Natalie had just gotten paid from her second job and was looking forward to a quiet evening at home. She’d even bought new nail polish to treat herself. “I’m going to relax and do my nails,” she told Laurel over the phone. “I deserve it.”
“You do!” Laurel agreed. “But you’d have even more money to treat yourself if you weren’t paying for Evan’s dinners all the time.”
Natalie sighed. “I know. I just… I don’t know how to bring it up without causing a fight.”
“Sometimes you have to fight for yourself, Nat,” Laurel said. “You can’t keep letting him take advantage of you.”
Natalie hung up the phone, determined to stand her ground. But when Evan and the kids showed up at her apartment, her resolve wavered. The kids were full of energy, and Evan was in a great mood. “Let’s go out for dinner,” he said. “The kids had a rough day with their mom, and I think they need a treat.”
Natalie hesitated. “I haven’t gotten paid yet,” she lied, hoping Evan would take the hint.
“Don’t worry,” Evan said with a grin. “I’ll cover it this time.”
Natalie agreed, but she had a bad feeling. She texted Evan before they left: Don’t forget your wallet this time!
His reply? A laughing emoji.
At the restaurant, Evan went all out. He ordered appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks, racking up a bill that made Natalie’s stomach churn. When the waiter brought the check, Natalie leaned over to Evan. “You’ve got this, right?” she whispered.
Evan’s face froze. Then, like clockwork, he started patting his pockets. “Oh no,” he said with a sheepish chuckle. “I must’ve left my wallet in the other pair of jeans.”
Natalie stared at him, her hands gripping the edge of the table. The kids were busy laughing over their milkshakes, oblivious to the tension. “You’re joking,” she said flatly.
“Come on, Nat,” Evan said, flashing that familiar grin. “You can get this one. It’s just one dinner. I’ll pay you back.”
But Natalie had had enough. She stood up, grabbed her purse, and looked Evan dead in the eye. “No, Evan. I’m not paying for this dinner.”
He blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m done being your backup wallet,” Natalie said, loud enough for the waiter to hear. “You’ve done this every time, and I’m not doing it anymore.”
Evan’s face turned red as the kids looked up, startled. “What are you doing?” he hissed.
Natalie smiled politely at the waiter. “Separate checks, please. Just for what I ordered. The rest is on him.”
The waiter nodded and walked away. Evan started to panic, patting his pockets again as if his wallet would magically appear. “You can’t just leave us here!” he said, his voice rising.
“Watch me,” Natalie replied.
She turned to Liam and Emma, who were watching the scene with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, guys. But this isn’t fair to me.”
Then, she grabbed her coat and walked out of the restaurant, her heart pounding but her head held high.
Later that night, Evan called her, furious. “Natalie, you embarrassed me in front of my kids!” he shouted.
“No, Evan,” Natalie said calmly. “You embarrassed yourself. You’ve been using me to pay for your meals for months, and I’m not doing it anymore.”
Evan tried to argue, saying he was a single parent and money was tight. “And so is mine!” Natalie snapped. “I work two jobs, Evan. Two. And yet you’ve let me pay for every meal without so much as offering to pay me back. That’s not a mistake—that’s a pattern.”
Evan fell silent, but then he muttered something that shocked her. “Maybe we need to rethink how you treat my kids. They deserve better.”
Natalie laughed, bitter and tired. “No, Evan. They deserve better than a father who manipulates people to get what he wants.”
She hung up, blocked his number, and never looked back.
Breaking up with Evan wasn’t just about the money. It was about respect. Natalie realized she deserved someone who saw her as a partner, not a meal ticket. Someone who took responsibility instead of making excuses.
As for Evan? She hoped he learned something from that dinner—and that his wallet had been getting a lot more use since she walked away.
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