AIO need honest opinions because I genuinely don’t know if I’m overreacting
TL;DR: I’m a doctor (26,F) dating a lawyer for past one year. He told me he earned 20 LPA when we started dating, but I recently found out it’s actually around 10 LPA. The money itself is not the only issue — it’s the fact that he lied and let me believe otherwise for a whole year. I’ve also caught him being misleading about other things in the past, including details about his ex/live-in relationship. I always believed honesty mattered more than money, but now I feel like there’s a pattern of dishonesty and a mismatch in ambition/values. Am I overreacting for feeling deeply betrayed and reconsidering the relationship?
Detail-
I’m a doctor (MBBS) currently working in hospitals with a decent package, and I’ve been dating my boyfriend for about a year. He’s a lawyer. Before we started dating, he told me he earned around 20 LPA, and I believed that the entire time.
He would sometimes act financially insecure or overly careful with money, but I assumed he was just disciplined. He also spends quite a bit on me — trips, food, gifts, etc. — so I never really questioned anything.
Recently, I found out his actual salary is closer to 10 LPA, and I feel extremely shocked and betrayed. The issue is not just the amount itself, but the fact that he knowingly let me believe something else for an entire year.
Honestly, my mindset in relationships has always been that even if money is not extraordinary, two honest people can still build a happy life together. But over time, I’ve slowly discovered a pattern of half-truths and lies from him.
For example, earlier in the relationship, he was vague/misleading about aspects of his past relationship and live-in situation with his ex. I kept forgiving things because each individual incident seemed “small,” but now it feels like a larger pattern of dishonesty and image management.
He’s 32 and often says things like “lawyers earn a lot later in life,” but I honestly don’t see much ambition, planning, or drive from him currently. His family background is modest and he seems more emotionally invested in helping his father’s small business than aggressively building his own career.
Now I’m confused whether I’m upset because:
- He lied about something fundamental,
- I feel manipulated,
- Or because I’m realizing our values, ambition levels, and financial expectations may not align at all.
If you were in this situation, would you see this as a serious breach of trust? Can relationships realistically recover from repeated dishonesty like this?
Posted May 8, 2026, 3:47 PM UTC · locked