It was a crisp winter evening when I stood at the airport with my boyfriend of just two weeks. Suddenly, a woman approached and pressed a sanitary pad into my hand, saying, “You need this.” Confused, I wasn’t even on my period, but I checked anyway. Inside the pad, written in shaky red ink, were two words: “Google him.”

Curious, I searched his name — and my heart dropped. He wasn’t just some sweet guy; he was famous on TikTok for conducting “experiments,” where he dated people for a month, recording and posting it online as a social project. I wasn’t special; I was just another story for his followers.

Devastated, I left him at the airport without a word. I never saw the mysterious woman again, but I’ll always be grateful for her silent warning that saved me from heartbreak.