I met this girl online, and at first, she seemed distant. She'd never want to video call, always saying her hair was messy. But then, she told me something that made me start treating her differently: she had autism. I listened as she shared her past—her ex abandoned her, and she was seeing someone else who dumped her. She was vulnerable.

But things kept getting weird. She’d cancel plans last minute, saying she was hurt or uncomfortable. After one robbery incident, I almost lost contact with her, but she didn’t seem to care. It was like I was the one putting in all the effort.

She’d talk about her pets and how her nephews had autism too. But when her cousin mentioned she drank with her ex, she flipped. It was clear she had some deep insecurities.

After weeks of mixed signals, I finally convinced her to go to the cinema with me. We kissed during the movie, but afterward, she pulled away. She told me, "Maybe we should just be friends." But then, she invited me over. We went to a motel, but things were tense—she was nervous and wouldn't let me turn on the lights. Suddenly, she switched moods and was affectionate, but again, she kept me at arm’s length.

The more I tried to get close, the more she pushed me away. She didn’t want me to meet her family. She was always distant, even when she invited me to her friend's party and then seemed to want me to back off. Then, out of nowhere, she asked me to help her find another girl. I was devastated. After a big argument, I ended things, and she blocked me.

But then, she reached out, saying she missed me. We started talking again, but things weren’t the same. I found her on a dating app. She told me to find someone else. I was angry, but she insisted she was just trying to help her friend find her ex. It didn’t make sense.

Then, she called me, asking me to go to her mom's birthday party. I didn't go. Her mom reached out, asking if I loved her. And when I finally tried to talk about it online, she saw it and accused me of using her. She said it was all her insecurity, all because of her autism. She blocked me again.

In the end, it felt like I never really knew her. And now, I’m left wondering: was it all a game, or did I really just fail to understand someone who needed more help than I could give?