A 24-year-old woman's post about how her boyfriend secretly spiced up her food has sparked a flood of reactions – and a warning from a relationship expert that it could signal "major issues" beyond the kitchen.
In a post on a popular Reddit community, the girlfriend began by writing that she and her boyfriend have been together for nearly five years.
"We live together and both of us cook every now and then for each other," she wrote. "I absolutely CANNOT handle anything spicy. …. It just ruins any food for me."
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Her boyfriend, the woman said, knows this but still cooks spicy dishes every time he's the chef.
"He thinks I won't notice because he puts other things in it and denies it every time I ask him if he did," she recalled.
A Reddit post from a woman (not pictured) who claimed her boyfriend was secretly spicing her meals sparked hundreds of heated reactions online. (iStock)
The user went on to say that, on Aug. 24, the situation reached a breaking point after he was cooking spaghetti and she asked him not to put anything hot in it.
"I serve myself a bowl and guess what? It was spicy!" she wrote.
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When the Redditor approached her boyfriend about it, he first blamed the sausage, but then she saw red pepper flakes "all over, around the pot."
The social media post described a meal of spaghetti that escalated into a heated fight between the couple. (iStock)
"I told him I was not eating it," she said. "I leave the room, and he starts yelling at me about how ungrateful I am."
The post attracted nearly a thousand comments, most of which blamed the boyfriend.
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"What is his game plan here, anyway? Is he trying to make sure he never has to cook for you?" one person asked.
"The bottom line is, this is not about cooking and not about spaghetti."
"This is a control thing. He doesn't seem to like you very much, and he's a liar," another user observed. "Not sure how much more you need to know about him to make it obvious that you're in a bad relationship."
A few users defended the spice-positive perspective.
"If all I put in was f---ing red pepper flakes, I would say I didn't put in anything spicy, too," one comment read. "He told the truth, you're just ridiculously sensitive."
Many commenters blamed the boyfriend and told the woman (both not pictured) she was in a bad relationship. (iStock)
"I do encourage you to come to the dark side and embrace the burn," a second user said. "You'll come to crave it."
California-based relationship expert Audrey Hope told Fox News Digital the incident is indicative of "major issues" in the relationship.
"The boyfriend is either resentful over something or angry at something, and he is not expressing it," she noted.
"If you put it in a closet and tuck it away, it will come out later at the divorce lawyer's office or while you are in therapy and want out of the relationship."
She emphasized there is "cruelty" in the boyfriend's behavior and urged the Redditor to assess their relationship.
A relationship specialist told Fox News Digital the spaghetti incident shows troubling resentment in the partnership. (iStock)
"Is he treating her well in other areas? Is she denying other truths?" Hope questioned.
"The bottom line is, this is not about cooking and not about spaghetti. There is a real serious issue in the relationship. Figure it out now and save years of heartache and pain."