Ex-girlfriend now says she’s straight and has a boyfriend. Has anyone else experienced this?

I was with my ex for about two years, but our relationship was completely secret. She wasn’t ready for anyone to know she was dating a girl, and while I understood how complicated that can be, it meant I had to hide a big part of my life. To everyone else, we were just friends.

Behind closed doors though, we were genuinely happy. Like, really happy. There are moments that still sit heavy in my chest. One in particular: we were lying in bed, doing nothing but existing side by side, and she told me she didn’t believe in fate or coincidence or anything cosmic but somehow she believed the universe made me for her. We laughed it off at the time, but it felt bigger than an “I love you.” And it wasn’t the last time she said things like that.

We eventually broke up, and it was my decision. I couldn’t keep hiding who I was anymore; from my friends, my family, everyone. I’d spent so long putting her needs before my own, and I thought that maybe space would help her come to terms with herself too.

A few months later, she started posting a boyfriend. At first, I didn’t think too much of it, sexuality can be fluid and I figured maybe she’s bisexual. I just wanted her to be happy. But then she did one of those “ask me anything” things on Instagram, and when someone asked her sexuality, she said she was straight. That honestly threw me.

Tonight, I saw her at a club with him. Some of my friends still know her, so we went over to say hi. She couldn’t even look at me, let alone respond. She seemed annoyed that I was even there. I ended up going to the bathroom and just crying.

I really thought we ended things on okay terms, so that reaction hurt more than I expected. I thought I was over her, but seeing her again brought everything back.

The hardest part is that I don’t really have anyone to talk to about this. Our relationship was a secret, and I’m not going to out her, no matter how much this hurts.