Would you stay in a relationship with someone that you is toxic?

I recently come out of a relationship with someone who has narcissistic traits, admits that he wants no other man near me and has constantly judged and assumed I’m cheating on him because I told him about when I cheated on a previous partner.

We were together for 2 and a half years and I never felt like I was truly understood or listened to. Every time he questioned me he would already have his own answer in his head (something he’s overthought about for hours) and when I tell him the truth he doesn’t believe me.

Times when I’ve asked to be left alone or when we’re bickering and I try and leave the situation before it escalates he follows me and forces me to listen to what he has to say or acts needy and wants affection (straight after upsetting me).

He really put himself INTO my life…everyone I introduced him to liked him…I pushed away my male friends because I knew he’d get jealous. When we weren’t physically together he would call, text and even downloaded Snapchat to see my location!

I tried facilitating his behaviour; which only made it worse…so then I started pointing out things that I weren’t happy with. I started feeling like I was losing myself because I was second guessing everything I did trying to prevent him from over-thinking that I’m doing something behind his back.

Things weren’t always this way. He used to leave work early in the hopes of seeing me and I would be putting on makeup before work in case I saw him! We knew one another and spoke for a month before I agreed to actually meet him for a coffee. 2 months later, Covid happened and because I had a cold and was worried I had it, so he chose to isolate with me even though he would be putting himself at risk. I didn’t know how toxic he was, we’d spend all day and night together, play Xbox, chill, watch movies, walk the dog at 1am and take turns cooking. It felt like a fairly tale at the beginning…and felt like I was in a mental coma towards the end.
Would you stay in a relationship with someone that you is toxic?
Post Opinion