My Ex-Boyfriend Hid Me from His Friends Because He Thought I Wasn’t “Up to His Standards”

My ex-boyfriend used to hide me from his mates because, in his opinion, I wasnt on his level. I knew it from the very beginning, yet I stayed. He came from a wealthy family in a small English town his dad ran a successful business, his mum didnt work, they lived in a big house and drove a new car. I grew up in a modest neighbourhood, worked as a cashier at the supermarket, and helped my mum with bills at home.
We met at a local café where I would grab a coffee before my shift. He started calling, texting, inviting me out. At first, everything seemed lovely but strangely distant. He never took me to the places he frequented with his friends, always choosing more remote and discreet spots where no one knew us. If we walked through the city centre and ran into someone I knew, hed immediately drop my hand, saying, Lets head this way. When I asked him why, he replied, My friends are terribly judgemental, I dont want gossip. I swallowed that excuse.
The first time I truly understood was at a party. He invited me and I made sure to dress nicely, buying a simple but pretty dress. As soon as we walked in, he whispered, Stay here near the bar, Ill go say hello to a couple of friends. Twenty minutes passed. Then forty. I saw him across the room laughing, taking photos, hugging people. He never introduced me to anyone. When I approached him, he put his hand up toward me and said, Wait outside for a bit. Outside, he explained, There are important people here, I dont want any fuss.
Over time, the comments started to sting more and more. He would say I spoke far too common, that I should change the way I dressed, refused to share pictures of me on social media because his family was very private. He never took me to his home. I never met his parents. When I invited him to my mums birthday, he made excuses work, his car, being tired. Yet when events happened with his crowd, he vanished all weekend.
One day, I asked him straight out, Are you ashamed to be with me? He paused for a few seconds and said, Its not shame were just from different worlds. Youre a good person, but my friends operate on another level. I dont want their judgement. That sentence broke something inside me. I asked him, Are you able to judge me then? He simply shrugged.
The worst was seeing pictures on his profile with a colleague the daughter of a well-known solicitor in town. Restaurants, fancy events, smiles, tags. He posed with her proudly. I was invisible. When I questioned him, he claimed she was just a friend. We argued seriously. I told him I wouldnt be anyones secret. He replied, If you dont like things the way they are, then were done.
And that was it. We broke up then and there. I walked alone for several blocks, crying. A week later, he was official with that woman. I kept going to work, seeing his photos in stylish clothes, trips, dinners. He never apologised. Never acknowledged how badly he hurt me.
Today I know I was, for a whole year, the girl nobody was supposed to see. The one hidden behind closed doors. The one not good enough to be in the family photo. And that kind of pain doesnt go away easily.