The Toxic Dynamics of Love and Self-Worth

Abby deserves a partner who values her inner beauty over superficial appearances.

### Navigating Love and Self-Worth in Toxic Relationships
* 💔 "For the first time in so many years, this isn't about Matt. This is about me." The protagonist reflects on her journey towards **self-acceptance and love**, distancing herself from a past relationship that was **damaging**.
* 🥗 Conversations between friends reveal the **toxic expectations placed on women regarding their appearance**, emphasizing the **pressure to conform to societal beauty standards**.
* 👎 As the protagonist's boyfriend expresses disdain for her body, she grapples with feelings of **inadequacy**, leading her to consider **drastic changes** to earn his approval.
* 👩 A supportive friend encourages her to focus on her inner qualities, reminding her that "**maybe you should care more about what's on the inside than what's on the outside**."
* 💪 The protagonist begins to reclaim her self-worth, recognizing that **love should not be contingent on physical appearance or weight loss**.
* 🎉 After a series of confrontations with her boyfriend, she ultimately decides to **prioritize her happiness and self-respect** over a toxic relationship.
* 🌱 The narrative culminates in a celebration of **personal growth** and the importance of surrounding oneself with **supportive individuals who value inner beauty**.
* 💖 "You deserve so much better," a friend reassures her, reinforcing the message that **true love is built on respect and acceptance**, not superficial judgments.

[Music] Yes, what are you really going to eat all that? What do you mean? It's a small salad, and I haven't eaten all day. Okay, yeah, yeah, whatever. It's fine, it's fine, it's just a... Please just don't stuff your face so quickly. Sorry, I'll do better. You always say that, but every time I look at you, which by the way, it's really hard to miss 'cause there's just so much of you to look at, I just see this sad, lumpy husk of the girl I fell in love with. Do you want people to call us when we're out together? Hopefully a cute and happy couple? No, Kermit and Miss Piggy. Who says that? Everybody. I... It's so embarrassing for me. Okay, but whatever, it doesn't matter because we came here for a very special occasion. OMG, this is it, he's going to propose. Oh my gosh, yes. No, no, no, no, no, not yet. If you want the honor of being my wife, you gotta do something for me first. What exactly? Lose 10

lb then I'm yours forever. I mean, 'cause I doubt you can do much better than me anyways. Come on, what do you say? You said yes. Of course, I said yes. I'd do anything to marry him. He told you to lose 10 lb in exchange for marriage. I mean, he's such a jerk. He can be a bit harsh, but I mean, he's right. I'm not as thin and pretty as I used to be, and that's unfair to him. I'm sorry, but if you're considered that, then the rest of us are screwed. Then look, Abby. He knows you're insecure, so he's trying to manipulate you with these cruel comments. You deserve so much better. But I love him, and we've been dating since high school. I can't just throw away all these years of dating over some mean comments. Those mean comments are affecting you. I mean, you're working out twice a day, eating like a bird, and you just seem so miserable. You wouldn't get it. You've never been in love like I have. Okay, if this is what love is like.

I'd rather be single. Look, I can't stop you, but if you ever need a friend or a place to crash, I got your back no matter what. I doubt it'll ever come to that, but thank you, seriously. Now let's go finish our workout. We just did 3 miles, and I have six more to go to reach my goals. Come on, come on, let's go. Better go after her in case she passes out. Okay, I have a few hours before my boyfriend/slash soon-to-be fiancé gets home. I better look my best. W. Maybe I should eat something. No, I must stay thin to make him happy. I've planned something special for you tonight. Can't wait. So doing something special. Oright, my stupid girlfriend's trying to make dinner plans. That's so nice of her. At least you have a girlfriend to go home to. All I have is my pit snake, my sick grandmother. You don't get it, do you? Having a female is such a chore, having to constantly remind them.

to be beautiful, to watch their weight. It's so brutal. Well, that's not what a relationship's about at all. What do you know? Last time you had a girlfriend. Fair point. Yeah, I thought so. Dinner's going to suck. It's probably full of lard and all the disgusting things she usually eats. Why are you so worried about what she eats and how she looks? Shouldn't you love her for her? Because, Jasper, there's this thing called aging, and it makes women look terrible. You mean everyone looks terrible when they age. It doesn't matter for men. Men need to be strong. Women need to be hot. God, are you just getting this? I may not know much about relationships, but maybe you should care more about what's on the inside than what's on the outside. If you're not careful, you might find yourself alive. Blah, blah. You know I need to get back to work. Shouldn't you do the same? How could someone talk about the love of their life like that? How do I look like someone who's trying

too hard. Where's my food? Um, it's almost ready. Hurry up. Don't worry. Let me go grab it. God, you sound like a stampede of elephants. Could you have more grace? Of course, faster, more feminine. God, can you hurry up already? You don't understand who's starving. Of course, smells good, too good. Don't worry. I made a keto vegan pasta for us to share, high protein, too. What? You know you expect me to eat this? Well, I figured we both should try to eat healthy. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You need to eat healthy. I'm a man. I deserve to eat things that men eat, like steak. I guess I could make you something else. Stay, stay, stay. Okay, I'll go make that right away. [Music] Hell yeah, I got to go. Wait, where are you going? To the bars? Or maybe I'll actually have a good time. Oh, and by the way, next time, maybe cook something that I'll eat for once. Later, pumpkin. Um, I love you. Oh, God.

gosh, I shouldn't eat this, but I need to [Music]. Eat what? Am I doing wrong? Can't he see that I'm doing my best to make him happy? I think I look good. I guess I don't. I don't know what to do. I've never felt so ugly and [Music] hated. Well, as you look at the time, time to go [Music]. Probably should get going too. She getting kind of late. Grandmother's going to be worried. No, no, no, no. The night's still young. We're still young. So, uh, guess, uh, dinner with your girlfriend got cut short. Yeah, cooking sucked. If you got on my nerves. She thinks she's going to marry me. Fat chance. You're not going to marry her. Haven't you two been dating for you? No, no, no. You don't understand. Fat chance 'cause she's too fat, and I'm not going to marry her if she's that fat. Fat. I think most women would kill for a body like head. I doubt it. Behind that blubber shield, how could

they that's a woman right there. Matt, you have a girlfriend, not married. Who cares, Matt M. So, if I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me? That's not the worst pickup line I've ever heard. I'm Bambi, Matt, single if you want me to be M. What about Iby? Shut up. I'm sorry, I don't date taken men. Not a horrible person. Take care. We no, no, I wasn't going to ask you out, huh? I was going to offer you a business [Music] proposal. Took you long enough. Come on, get up. But it's my day off. No, no, no, no, I have someone you need to meet now. Come on, let's go. Here we go, let's go. Wait, let me get pressed. No, no, no, no, no, we don't have enough time. Come on, let's go quickly. Okay, okay, okay. Let me introduce you to, uh, nice to meet you, Bambi. Bambi Thump A Lot. You must be Abby, uh, nice to meet you, Bambi. Matt, who is this?

Bambi model I met at the bar last night. You met a random woman at the bar and brought her over. Yeah, what else are you supposed to do at bars? Oh my gosh, please tell me you're not leaving me for her. No, no, no, no, no, babe, babe, babe. On the contrary, I hired her. Hired her for what? Well, to teach you how to be beautiful and thin. Stupid. Gosh, you're so dense sometimes. Sorry, I'll do better. All right, well, I'll leave the both of you to it, and remember, if you lose 10 lb, the ring goes round. Okay, of course, thank you, babe. I don't deserve you. Oh, I know. Anything for you, babe. Now I got to get to work, so I'll see you later. Are you sure you want to do this? Of course. If I lose 10 lb, he'll marry me. That is so messed up. I mean, it's my fault for not taking better care of myself. You look perfectly healthy, ases. Please, I love him so much. I'll do

anything to make him happy. All right, let's do this. He thanked you. I'll go get my notepad. Why did I agree to this? All right, this lesson plan will be difficult, but you will come out a whole new person. Any questions? How long do you think this will take? It depends from person to person, but if you keep an open mind, you'll do fine. Now, first lesson, you got to know your cups. What's that face? Assurance, posture, and style. Face, Assurance, posture, and style. Let's start with F for face. Is that like makeup or no? Face is making sure you're in control of your expressions. How you feel or what you want to express will show up in your face. Okay, what's next? Next, A is for Assurance, meaning being self-assured or confident in yourself. Being assured also means that you're open to changing yourself for the better. [Music] Wow, I did it, and he didn't find me repulsive. Abby, you're not whatever. Next, P is for [Music] posture. Every model has to be able to

carry themselves with poise and determination. Once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad. [Music] [Applause] And finally, S is for style. If you want to look trendy and feel good about yourself, you want a good style. I'm not stylish at all. It's more than just clothes; it's putting together a message of how you want to be seen. So, dress for yourself, not for others. [Music] So, what do you think? What do you think? I love it. Good. Well then, it looks like you've got it. Can I be honest with you? Yeah, of course. I think this is the happiest I've felt with myself for a long time. Oh my God. You know what? I almost forgot. I need to check my weight. Wait, are you really going to obsess over your weight again? Well, yeah, that's what Matt wants. Who cares what Matt wants? What do you want? Well, to make Matt happy. Okay, let's say hypothetically Matt dies and he's no longer around. What do you want then, huh? I don't know. Uh, well, I guess

I'd want someone who loves me, okay? But how are you going to do that if you hate yourself? I don't hate myself. I'm just deeply flawed to the point where I need to fix everything about myself, but I don't hate myself. You keep talking about your flaws. What about what you're good at? Good at? Yeah, good at. You have all these skills. You're a fast learner, and you're fairly likable. Wow, you're so kind. You know, I thought most models were stuck up and, I guess, constantly hungry. Everyone is an individual, and we should judge them by what's on the inside. I just wish your boyfriend would do the same. Yeah, you know what? Screw the weight loss. I feel great, and I know I look great, and I think he'll know that when he sees me next. I highly doubt that. Yes, that's the spirit. I can't wait to show him who I am now. M, got some crazy news. What? Your grandma die? She's in hospice. Jer, no. The CEO of the company's invited

us to dinner, so it's a possible promotion. Got to look up Beast promotion. Oh baby, yeah, I deserve this. He also said we should bring our significant others. Oh God, what's wrong? My girlfriend's terrible at this thing. She's so frumpy and then lame name. Didn't you hire a model to help her out or something? Yeah, but you know what they say, can't teach an old dog new tricks. Aren't you the same age? Okay, yeah, but it's different for a woman because you know what you just wouldn't understand. Okay, no, I really don't. All I know is when I get home, she better be ready. [Music] Like what you see, swe Mama. Oh yeah, you're looking better. Am I not everything you could want in a woman? I mean, did you lose those 10 lb? Well, no, but okay then, you're not everything I want in a woman. God, that stupid model at one job, but don't I look good? I mean, she taught me so much about how to add. Shut up, okay.

you had one job, and that was to lose weight. I mean, I guess now you be like a Kohl's model or, you know, you can be a magazine for plus-sized sweaters, but come on, Abby, you're just an embarrassment to take out in public. I just, whatever, I got to go. Where are you going? I'm going to an important dinner with a proper date. A proper date? Does this mean... It means that we're done. You couldn't keep me happy. You failed as a woman. What are you trying to say? I'm trying to say that I'm breaking up with you, and I want all your stuff packed up and out of here by the time I'm back. I mean, that is if you can fit through the door. All of this and for what? How could I be so stupid? What did I do to deserve this? I loved him. I deserve better. Hey, bamb B H, what do you want? Hey, you know, I was just calling to let you know your, uh, your services didn't fix my girlfriend, so you're fired. Great, don't

contact me again. Wait, no, no, no, no, no, no. I have a different job for you. Really? Yes. You know, kind of just broke up with my girlfriend, so I need to date to this dinner tonight. I was wondering if you can give me $500 up front, and you can have me for 2 hours. $500? But that's just so I can make it higher. No, no, no, no, no. $500? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's great. I'm sitting to you now. Pleasure doing business with you. Oh, getting another call. Bye. All right, cool. I just sent it, so I'm [Music]. Just hey, Matt, good to see you. Hey, boss. Why you got the whole venue to yourself? Yeah, well, I figured it's a celebration of my two best employees, so also, hello, I'm Bambi. Wow, you are one lucky guy. That was inappropriate. Please don't tell HR. Please sit. Why do you have five chairs? Is your wife coming or something? She died tragically five years ago. Oh my God, I'm so

sorry for your loss. I'm just kidding. We are going through a messy divorce now. Thank God she couldn't have kids or things would be much worse. Yeah, so who else is coming? Jasper and his date. Jasper has a date? Yeah, he does. Wow, now that's a woman. There a reason I'm getting a divorce, if you know what I mean. Uh, good to see you, boss. Good to see you too. Who might you be? Abby. Nice to meet you, Abby. Hey, Matt, isn't your girlfriend named Abby? I never dated anyone named Abby. Abby, is it? Yeah. You want to talk in private? Why would you want to talk to another man's girlfriend in private, especially if you just met? [Music] her. Never mind. It's getting hot in here. How about a round of drinks to ease the tension? Uh, step up. Very good. I haven't had this much fun in such a long [Music] time, and the look on Matt's face makes it all the more worth [Music] it. Abby, you are a funny woman, and that's

unusual. Um, I'm not too sure about the implications of that, but thanks, I guess. She's good. She's good. M, you all right? Fantastic, really, really, uh, fantastic. So, Matt, was it? How long have you been dating Bambi? Yeah, Matt, tell them, uh, like 6 months. Oh, wait, um, I thought you were dating your high school sweetheart. Awkward. Jasper, shut up. Oh, it's weird. It's just, um, you know, he's always talking about, uh, his long-term relationship. Yeah, even I remember you mentioning that at some point in time, more than 6 months ago. Matt, is there something you're not telling us? Why do you all of a sudden care about my love life? It's just casual dinner conversation. By the way, I've enjoyed every single bite of dinner. Why? I think it's the best meal I've had in years. Well, then maybe she'd stick to shoveling food down your throat to keep quiet. Bo, I should what? You should stuff your stupid face with food and shut up first.

ruined this good company dinner with our CEO, and now you're apparently dating Jasper. What is this, some kind of conspiracy against me? I can't believe this crap, Leonardo. They're just trying to make me look bad. Make you look bad? You make yourself look bad, Leonardo. I'm actually his ex-girlfriend of many years, okay? Well, that explains why it's so tense in here. Yeah, ex for a reason. You don't take care of yourself. You're stupid, fat, and ugly. I can't believe I wasted so many years of my youth on this sad, pathetic excuse of a woman. She is none of those things, and you know it. Shut up, Bambi. I'm not paying you to talk back. You can have your money back. You know, I was going to keep it and bail on tonight until Abby called me. Abby told me everything about the breakup. A proper date? Does this mean it means that we're done? So, I messaged Jasper, CEO of the company, invited us to dinner. So, it's a possible promotion.

and we decided to organize this whole evening to let you embarrass yourself, and it worked out perfectly. You all betrayed me for her, yeah, for Abby. You're a horrible boyfriend. You shame her, belittle her, and treat her like crap. If you had any self-worth, you would see her for who she is, a charming and beautiful person inside and out. What kind of progressive nonsense is this? A woman's self-worth is defined by how hot she is. Inner beauty is for fat and ugly chicks. That's all women are to you. Good luck getting a girlfriend in the future. One day, you're going to end up really sad and alone. Who cares what you think? I'm an alpha male. An alpha male that uses toxic tactics to torment the love of his life. It's weak and pathetic. What do you know? Your love life is non-existent. I may not know much about love, but I know about respect, and if you can't see someone for who they are on the inside, you don't deserve love, mate. This is so

stupid. Hey boss, come on, kick them all out of here. You guys are disturbing a very important dinner. Um, no Matt, and by the way, you're fired. What? Why are you sitting with him? I may not be the most progressive person. I only voted for Obama the first time, but I put this dinner together to get to know you and Jasper as people. I only want employees in my company who treat each other with respect and dignity. If you're going to go around being so blatantly misogynistic, then you have no future in my company. Come on, I'm your best worker. Who cares if I'm nice to a woman or not? It's good for them. It builds character. Get the hell out now before I call security. [Music] Well, that was something. You all right, EBY? I'm good, thank you. All for standing up for me. I wish I'd stood up to him sooner. You were in love, and you allowed that blind love to let you accept bad behavior. But promise me the next person you date will respect you for you. I will.

Thank you. I heard how he talked about you and other women. It was disgusting. I should have spoken up sooner. I just didn't know there was anything I could do about it. I just can't believe I let Matt work for my company for so many years. I'm going to make sure he never works in this industry again. Wait, we don't need to go that far. Oh yes, we do. Somebody like him is just going to keep abusing people. He needs to learn the hard way. You know what, you're right. Thank you. Well, there is some good news to come out of all of this, Jasper. You're promoted. You're now one of my Elite employees. Oh goodness, thank you. Thank you so much. I did it, grandmother. Well, this certainly calls for a celebration. Cheers, everyone. Cheers. Cheers. Today was The Day My Life changed forever. The first few months were rough, but support from my friends helped me get myself back on my feet. I even found love with the man who

helped me, and now I'm finally getting married to someone who respects me for who I am on the inside. You know, I haven't thought about Matt in a long time. I wonder what happened to him. Who cares? For the first time in so many years, this isn't about Matt. This is about me.

SKINNY Girl FAT SHAMED At Restaurant | Illumeably

Illumeably

Friendship, Relationships, and Self-Worth

The narrator offers support to a friend while expressing a desire to stay single.

There's tension between friends as one struggles with a toxic boyfriend and the other's girlfriend tries to make dinner plans.

The conversation shifts to a potential romantic interest, with a humorous business proposal and a quick introduction to new characters.

A man meets a woman at the bar and hires her to help his girlfriend lose weight.

The girlfriend is conflicted about the situation but feels pressured to change for love.

A misogynistic coworker is fired for his behavior, and the girlfriend promises to seek a partner who will respect her.

A Journey of Self-Discovery and Confidence

The protagonist is seeking a promotion and struggles with their girlfriend's appearance and self-esteem.

A model is hired to help the girlfriend, leading to a lesson in self-assurance, posture, and expression.

The girlfriend ultimately realizes her worth and decides to embrace her true self, aiming to show her boyfriend the new confident version of herself.

The narrator is going through a messy divorce and encounters Abby, who is mistakenly thought to be his girlfriend.

Jasper has a date, and the tension in the room leads to a round of drinks.

The narrator offers Abby $500 for a two-hour date, and the dinner conversation becomes increasingly awkward, with discussions about relationships and personal struggles.

Tensions and Transformations: A Complicated Love Triangle

The narrator is frustrated with Leonardo for dating Jasper, their ex, and feels manipulated.

Abby, Leonardo's ex-girlfriend, is struggling with insecurities and harsh comments from Matt, who is trying to control her.

Despite the toxic relationship, Abby is torn between her love for Matt and the desire to find her own happiness.

The narrator is finally getting married to someone who respects them, moving on from thoughts of Matt.

The conversation highlights the toxic mindset around women's appearance and aging, with a focus on inner qualities instead.

The narrator takes a stand against Matt's abusive behavior and is promoted at work, leading to a celebration and a positive change in their life.