Guy Baffled After Discovering GF Quit Her Job Half A Year Ago, But Pretended She Still Had It

Did you know that fake coworking spaces have recently appeared in China, where employees – mostly young people – can still pretend to be working after losing their jobs. They get up every day, pretending to go to work, in an attempt to make a favorable impression on their parents. The coworking space, however, is often paid for by the parents as well.

Well, the girlfriend of the user u/Stock_Case_7184, the narrator of today’s story, could very well have used such a coworking space if it existed in the US. At least, the woman successfully fooled her boyfriend for almost six months, pretending to be working. Okay, let’s just cut to the chase now.

More info: Reddit

Many young Chinese people, after losing their jobs, still pretend to have one, paying for special fake coworking places – so did this American lady

Couple sharing a cozy morning together as girlfriend pretends to go to work, boyfriend mortified by the truth later.

Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The author of the post is 32 years old, he has a well-paid job, and covers almost everything but food and cleaning in their couple’s life

Text post revealing discovery of girlfriend secretly unemployed for six months, sharing background on financial agreement.

Text on a white background stating keeping expenses separate because it was what worked, related to GF pretending to go to work.

Man reviewing tax documents, discovering his girlfriend’s gross income is surprisingly low after quitting her job.

Text excerpt explaining confusion about payroll provider switch in a story about girlfriend quitting job but pretending to work.

Text excerpt showing a conversation about work, highlighting the theme of pretending to go to work in a relationship.

Couple sitting on floor, reviewing documents with serious expressions, reflecting concerns about GF quitting job secretly.

Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Recently, the man suspected something strange in his girlfriend’s tax documents, but she just shrugged it off

Text excerpt showing a conversation about work issues related to W2 forms, hinting at GF pretending to go to work.

Text excerpt describing a girlfriend pretending to go to work while hiding the truth, leaving boyfriend mortified.

Text describing a girlfriend pretending to go to work while having quit her job, keeping it hidden for six months.

Text excerpt revealing a girlfriend who quit her job but pretended to work for six months.

Text excerpt about GF quitting job and BF mortified six months later, discussing job market and firing.

Woman in a polka dot shirt covering her face with hands, looking worried and stressed about quitting job secretly.

Image credits: margonikolskaya / Freepik (not the actual photo)

However, she confessed later that she lost her job about six months ago and pretended to still work, taking money from her dad and collecting debts

Text excerpt revealing a girlfriend who quit her job but pretended to go to work, leaving her boyfriend mortified.

Text image showing a confession about quitting a job while pretending to work, impacting the boyfriend after six months.

Text excerpt about girlfriend quitting her job but pretending to work, causing boyfriend distress after six months.

Text excerpt about a girlfriend who quit her job impulsively and hid the truth from her boyfriend for months.

Text excerpt about difficulty confessing after pretending to quit job, related to GF quitting job but pretending to work.

Text on a white background stating emotional struggle after GF quits her job but pretends to go to work, BF mortified six months later.

Image credits: Stock_Case_7184

Then the woman confessed that she impulsively quit, and was too embarrassed to tell this to her boyfriend

So, the Original poster (OP) tells us that he and his girlfriend usually had separate financial responsibilities. The man usually took care of the apartment, the cars, and utilities, and the woman provided food. Our hero admits that he earns enough to support them both. Still, their relationship has developed so that the girlfriend pays for food and cleaning out of her salary.

And so, in recent months, the author began to suspect that something was wrong with his partner’s gross income. More precisely, it was listed as incredibly low on her tax documents. Our hero assumed this was a mistake, and the woman confirmed that they had switched payroll providers at work. She said she would log in and get another one soon, but time passed, and nothing changed.

And finally, the girlfriend confessed to the author that she had been fired from her job six months ago, and all this time she had been asking her father for financial assistance and collecting debts via credit card. Moreover, upon detailed questioning, our hero also discovered that no one had actually fired her – she had quit impulsively, because she just didn’t like her job.

The woman confessed to the OP that she just felt too embarrassed to tell him about it, and with each passing day, her resolve just waned. The author was surprised because, from his perspective, if the girlfriend didn’t have a job, she could help around the house – but she never cooked or cleaned. And now he’s in two minds about how to perceive this and what to do next.

Couple in tense conversation on a couch, woman upset and covering her mouth, man showing concern and support.

Image credits: gorynvd / Freepik (not the actual photo)

In fact, in recent years, statistics on impulsive quitting among workers – especially among young people – have shown a rising trend. For example, CNBC claims that by 2023, 72% of Gen Z and 66% of millennials said that they were contemplating a career change in the next 12 months. These figures have only increased in recent years.

Among the main reasons for such behavior, this study published at the National Library of Medicine cites, in particular, “stagnation in career exploration,” “low evaluation from affiliation,” “upward comparison of careers between friends and acquaintances,” and “lack of work-life balance.” At the same time, other studies show that young people are more likely to seek exciting, enjoyable jobs.

“Rather than being trapped in jobs with low pay or unstable schedules, these workers sought out roles that were a better fit for their own personal and professional goals,” notes Daniel Schneider, Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy. On the other hand, accumulating debt and deceiving significant others is definitely the wrong approach.

By the way, as we said, the author’s girlfriend isn’t actually alone in her approach. For example, various media have repeatedly reported on the phenomenon of young people having lost their jobs, still pretending to be at work. For social media, to impress their parents, to avoid “losing face.” Some similar cases have already occurred in Western culture, too.

In the comments to the original post, the author noted that he is 32 years old and his girlfriend is 29, so the emotional immaturity sometimes characteristic of teenagers cannot be blamed here. Many commenters expressed extreme bewilderment at the woman’s behavior and even called on the guy to reconsider this relationship. So what do you, our dear readers, think about this case?

Many commenters claimed that this was way too immature on the woman’s side, and some folks even urged the man to reconsider this relationship

Screenshot of a Reddit conversation about a girlfriend quitting her job but pretending to work, with boyfriend shocked after six months.

Online discussion about girlfriend who quits her job but pretends to work, boyfriend shocked by truth six months later.

Text post from user 444oxe sharing a story about a girlfriend quitting her job but pretending to work, causing financial strain.

Comment text on a white background discussing a girlfriend who quits her job but pretends to go to work, surprising her boyfriend months later.

Comment on Reddit about girlfriend quitting her job and boyfriend learning the truth six months later.

Text comment about a girlfriend pretending to go to work while lying, leaving boyfriend mortified after learning the truth.

Text post on a social platform showing a comment about discovering a girlfriend's fake job after six months, boyfriend mortified.

Text from online comment discussing a girlfriend who pretends to go to work after quitting, leaving boyfriend mortified.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing GF quitting job and not contributing, relating to boyfriend’s mortification.

User comment about a girlfriend who quit her job but pretends to go to work, sparking boyfriend’s mortification six months later.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a girlfriend who quit her job but pretended to go to work, revealing relationship tension.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a girlfriend who quits her job but pretends to work and the boyfriend's reaction months later.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment advising not to trust someone who pretends to go to work in a relationship.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a girlfriend who quits her job but pretends to go to work, causing boyfriend distress.

Alt text: Online comment criticizing girlfriend’s behavior after she quits her job but pretends to go to work.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment criticizing immaturity and deceit in a gf who pretends to work while boyfriend is mortified.

User comment discussing a girlfriend who quits her job but pretends to work, and boyfriend's reaction after 6 months.

Reddit comment discussing suspicion about a girlfriend quitting her job while pretending to work, raising relationship concerns.

Screenshot of a forum comment discussing a girlfriend quitting her job but pretending to work, sparking a boyfriend's concern.

Commenter discussing a girlfriend who quits her job but pretends to go to work, shocking her boyfriend after six months.

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