Pack Your Things
I have been with my boyfriend for over a year and everything has been great—except for one thing. Every single day, at least once, he will tell me that I stink and smell of B.O. When we met, I showered every day, applied regular deodorant in the morning, brushed my teeth three times a day.
Now I am so paranoid about smelling bad that I shower at least twice a day. I also apply new industrial-strength deodorant every few hours (I have a reminder on my phone), perfume, and I brush my teeth anytime I eat or drink something that isn’t water. I feel like I’m going crazy.
I didn’t think I smelled bad in the beginning and I don’t think I smell bad now, but I obviously smell bad to him, right?
I’m that weirdo who keeps “sneakily” smelling their own armpits. I have been to the doctor and he has said there is nothing medically wrong.
It has honestly gotten to the point where I literally shove my armpit in friends’ faces, asking if I smell bad. They all say I don’t smell like B.O. at all. One friend even said I smelled too clean, like a lush store.
I am getting so paranoid. He won’t cuddle or anything when he says I smell. Then something unexpected happened. I waited for him to make a comment this morning so I could talk to him.
It was less than an hour after waking up that he said “god you stink,” even though I had already showered and put on deodorant.
I snapped and asked what exactly was he smelling because, at this point I’m one of the cleanest people on the planet.
I said if I still smell bad to him, then we should just break up. He got all panicked and upset, and he made a mind-blowing confession. I eventually got it out of him that this is what his father always said to his mother.
Apparently, his father told him that it was a sure-fire technique to have a woman never leave you because “she will feel too low to cheat, will love only you, and will always be clean.”
Needless to say, his father is wrong. He’s packing his things and moving out of my house today.