I am recently out of an LTR of almost six years. I broke it up. Here's why. ..
Initially, it was heaven on earth. She was very submissive, super fun to be with ( laughed at all my jokes ) and strangely happened to enjoy every single hobby I had too. Wanted to be constantly spending time with me. Online chatting was a lot. Terms of endearment were ample. And the sex ! It was out of this world. Gifted me a $1000 waych on my birthday. Next birthday , it was a $900 platinum ring. I took her for luxua vacations and she would talk about them for months ! The whole thing was like a drug high!
Slowly, ever so slowly , my sixth sense picked up stuff my waking brain couldn't/wouldn't. Suddenly, I wasn't as funny as before. Terms of endearment weren't forthcoming. Sex cooled perceptibly. Stopped trying to please me even in simple things like wearing my favourite dress or lingerie. My logical brain tried to put it down to we settling down into a proper relationship where things do cool after the initial rush. However , my instict kept picking up stuff like unnecessary jibes about my belly. Also how she wanted me to stop pursuing my hobbies. Reduce my golf. She also started pulling down my golfer friends by using the same information she had elicited from me gleefully. When my son scored very well in the Indian equivalent of MSAT, I was over the moon and called her to celebrate in the nearest bar. Imagine my surprise when after the initial congratulations, she wouldn't discuss the topic anymore.
Hindsight is 20-20, as they say. But it all added up to a moment of epiphany a couple of months ago. I dumped the *****.
Now that I read up on the stages of NPD, and covert narcissism, her behavior was CLASSIC . I have weathered some bad **** in my life before and have a strong core, so her crap didn't run long with me.
Sorry for the rant but damn , it feels good to have that covert narcissist out of my life !