My Bf Gave Me A 5-month Ultimatum To Lose Weight After My Dad Died. I Lost The Weight, But Rejected His Public Proposal In Front Of Everyone. Was I Wrong For Humiliating Him?”

Moving day felt exciting instead of stressful because we worked together instead of him telling me where everything should go. Antonio asked what I wanted before making decisions about furniture placement or wall colors. We painted the living room together and got paint all over each other and laughed instead of fighting about doing it wrong.

Setting up our home felt like building something together rather than fitting into someone else’s space. I kept thinking about how Justin controlled every detail of his apartment and never asked my opinion about anything. Antonio wanted my input on everything from which couch to buy to how to organize the kitchen cabinets.

3 weeks after we moved in my mom called to tell me she ran into Justin’s mother at the grocery store. She said Justin got engaged to the woman he started dating a few months after we broke up. Mom asked if I was okay hearing that news.

I realized I felt nothing except sorry for his new fiance. I hoped she had better luck than I did but suspected Justin hadn’t changed his standards or conditions. Mom said she told Justin’s mother that I was very happy now and didn’t ask any questions about him. I appreciated her protecting me from more information I didn’t need or want.

Two months later Antonio and I finished our usual morning workout at the gym. We were the only ones there at 5:30 on a Tuesday. He asked me to wait a minute before heading to the showers.

He got down on one knee right there on the gym floor where we first met. No audience. No phones recording. No performance.

He said he loved me exactly as I was right now and would love me exactly as I would be in the future. He said he wanted to build a life with me based on who we both really were. I said yes immediately because I knew he meant every word.

The ring was simple and perfect and he put it on my hand with shaking fingers. We sat on the gym floor together for a while just holding each other before going home to call our families.

Now I’m planning our wedding with Antonio and it feels completely different from how I imagined planning with Justin. We’re picking things we both like instead of what looks best for photos. Small ceremony with close friends and family instead of a big show.

I keep thinking about that moment in the restaurant when I said no to Justin’s proposal. Saying no to his conditional love was the first time I chose myself in 6 years. Everything good in my life now came from that one decision. My job that values my work. My relationship with Antonio built on respect. My confidence that doesn’t depend on meeting someone else’s standards.

I’ve never been happier or more sure of who I am.