This happened last weekend, and I can’t stop replaying it in my mind. My boyfriend (30M) invited me (28F) to his company’s Christmas dinner. I was excited but also a bit nervous—I really wanted to make a good impression. I spent a lot of time picking the perfect outfit, doing my hair, and making sure I looked my best.
Initially, everything seemed fine. I introduced myself to his coworkers, who were polite if a little formal. But as the evening progressed, things started to go downhill.
During dinner, my boyfriend made a joke about my job. I’m an event planner, and he works in corporate finance. He said something like, “She just plans parties for a living while I’m out here making real money.” People laughed, but I felt a lump in my throat. I’m proud of my work and put in a lot of effort, so hearing him trivialize it like that hurt.
I tried to brush it off to avoid making a scene, but he didn’t stop there. Someone asked me about my favorite event that I’d planned, and before I could respond, he interjected, saying, “Probably one of those kids’ birthday parties. That’s her level of expertise.” Again, everyone laughed, and I just sat there feeling humiliated.
The final straw came during dessert when people were sharing funny stories. He decided to recount an embarrassing moment from early in our relationship—a personal story involving a mishap when I first met his parents. I’ve explicitly asked him not to tell this story, but he went ahead anyway. I was practically pleading with him to stop, but he ignored me and kept going.
As the room erupted in laughter, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I quietly told him that I wasn’t okay with what he was doing, but he dismissed me, saying, “Don’t be so uptight—it’s all in good fun.”
At that point, I’d had enough. I politely excused myself, thanked the host, and left the party. When he got home later, he was furious. He accused me of embarrassing him by leaving, saying I made him look bad in front of his coworkers. He also claimed I was overreacting and being overly sensitive.
Now, he’s refusing to apologize and insists that I owe him an apology for “overreacting.” My friends are divided—some say I should have stayed and dealt with it later, while others believe he completely crossed the line.
So, AITA for walking out of the party?
