Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some honest opinions or personal experiences.

I (27f) was in a relationship with someone I loved very deeply (together 2 years) . He ( 27M) wasn’t all bad,in fact, there were a lot of things I appreciated. He was loyal, respectful, and in his own way, very caring. If I was sad, he’d often travel to see me just to be there. When we were in a good place, he felt like home. But there were things that chipped away at my trust. One major issue was around lying and how he handled situations emotionally.

For example, there was one day he told me he was already at work in “X city” (about two hours away from where he lives) to make it seem like he was being productive and professional. I later found out it wasn’t true as he hadn’t started work yet. But when I confronted him (asked him to send me his location because I felt something was off) , instead of just admitting it, he actually went all the way to X city that day just to maintain the illusion of his lie and sent me his location from there finally. Eventually, he admitted he had lied just to seem more impressive. He said it was attention-seeking.

Another time, I planned an entire trip for us, booked flights, hotels, activities. I asked him multiple times beforehand if there was anything he wanted to do. He said no. But once we were there, he got upset I hadn’t taken him somewhere he had apparently “mentioned once.” He later admitted he was in a bad mood and being selfish, but at the time, it really hurt to be blamed for something I had tried so hard to get right.

The biggest turning point came when his parents were supposed to come speak to mine about moving forward with a nikkah. On the day his parents were suppose to come , he suddenly ended things. He told me he felt overwhelmed. But later, when we spoke again, he was extremely apologetic. He said he was immature, that he took me for granted, and that he had no idea how much I meant to him until I was gone. He’s been reaching out ever since, asking for another chance.

He’s admitted to a lot, saying he was selfish, short-sighted, and even once said something like, “I used to think I was a puppeteer and everyone around me was just reacting.” He says he manipulated people because he think he is so smart and can control them with lies. He said he now realizes how toxic that mindset was and claims he’s trying to change.

A part of me still loves him and misses the comfort. Another part of me is scared that I’ll fall back into the same cycle. He’s asking for one last chance, and I don’t know if this is real growth, or if I’ll just end up back in the same hurt. What should I do???