AITAH for leaving my “autistic” fiancé in Target?
In the quiet tension of their shared life, a man watches as his fiancé, Katie, transforms before his eyes—her ident*ty unraveling and reshaping around a new, uncertain truth.
What began as casual curiosity sparked by online voices now consumes her, pulling her deeper into a world he struggles to understand, even as he tries to hold onto the woman he thought he knew.
Caught between love and doubt, he wrestles with the fragile reality that Katie’s claim to autism might be more than a passing phase—it might be a profound shift in who she is.
His heart aches with the fear that the diagnosis she seeks could change their future forever, leaving him to question how much of her is real, and how much is a reflection of the digital echoes she’s embraced.
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The original poster (OP) is experiencing significant frustration and conflict due to his fiancé's sudden adoption of behaviors he attributes to newly found online content about autism.
He feels her actions, especially the public display at Target, are attention-seeking or mocking, leading him to abandon her when she became distressed.
The central conflict is between the OP's perception that his fiancé is faking symptoms for validation and her potential genuine distress, whether self-diagnosed or otherwise.
Was the OP justified in leaving his fiancé on the floor of Target after her public emotional display, believing her behavior was an act, or did his lack of empathy place him in the wrong?
How should a partner respond when they suspect a significant behavioral change is being mimicked due to external influences rather than a confirmed medical condition?
A Wave of Opinions Just Hit the Thread:
It didn’t take long before the comment section turned into a battleground of strong opinions and even stronger emotions.