One woman's story clip about a pink, sparkly birthday candle and a man's inexplicable dating behavior is going viral on TikTok.
In a Dec. 24, 2025, video captioned "dating lore," Cheyenne Stone (@hi_its_chey_) recounted how she invited a date to her apartment, only to suffer his criticisms of her sentimental possessions.
Stone said the man initially complimented a candle she had sitting on the coffee table.
She replied, "One of my best friends, Maddie, got it for me for my 30th birthday. She knows me so well. It's pink, it's sparkly. Just makes my day brighter." Then, out of the blue, he insulted her.
"It's really pathetic that you have so many things displayed throughout your apartment that are from your 30th birthday," said her date. "Wasn't that, like, a year ago?"
Stone was stunned by his rude comment, but was ultimately glad he put up such a weird red flag before the relationship could go further.
"Oh, well, sir, then you definitely don't wanna meet my childhood teddy bear, who I've had since 1997, my third birthday, who lives in my bedroom. You will never walk into that room and meet him," joked Stone.
Viewers were quick to point out that Stone's date was jealous and threatened by her other (healthy) relationships.
Jealousy stemming from insecurity can ruin dates pretty quickly. Stone’s date acted out with mean-spirited criticism, affectionately referred to as "negging." People with low self-esteem or unresolved emotional issues are known to sabotage dates by exhibiting controlling behavior, acting suspiciously, making accusations, or shutting down emotionally.
Stone’s date took a turn that plenty of commenters seemed familiar with. “He was definitely jealous,” replied @jibaraentexas.
@blank_l00k said, “Honestly it’s quite nice of him to throw that red flag up before it went any further.”
“They’re not lonely enough,” commented @jackie.cooper.
Another user wrote, “Imagine being threatened by a pink sparkly candle.”
Cheyenne Stone, @hi_its_chey_, did not immediately reply to the Daily Dot's request for comment via TikTok.
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