As told to Ann DeGrey

I've always been a bit of a romantic at heart, always believing in my fairytale ending. And when I met Max* a year ago at a mutual friend's barbecue, it really felt like the start of something special.

He was super cute, and we spent ages chatting about our favourite movies and how we both loved hiking on weekends. Before I knew it, we were pretty much inseparable. We saw each other four days a week as we didn't live too close to each other, but we spent a lot of time on the phone when we weren't together.

About six months in, he told me he loved me for the first time, so I had no real reason to think that I wasn't going to get my "happily ever after."

There was never any drama, no big fights. It felt like the perfect relationship; to me, anyway.

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There was just one red flag I brushed off. I got excited about planning a holiday for next year's a trip to Bali. When I brought it up, Max paused for a while.

"Let's not lock anything in yet. A lot can happen in a year."

I thought he was just being practical about work or money.

After all, he'd said he loved me; why doubt that? Another reason why I thought we were rock solid is when we were out shopping and passed a jewellery store; he asked about my ring size, then pretended it was for a joke gift.

I started piecing it together: He was planning to propose. It all made sense. We'd been together a year, and he knew how much I wanted to get married. I told my best friend and she agreed with me; if he's asking about a ring size, then maybe the proposal is coming soon.

Then one day Max texted, saying he wanted to take me to one of my favourite places and I needed to clear my schedule. I really thought, is this going to be the big proposal? When he picked me up, he seemed a bit sheepish. I thought, stupidly, that maybe he was nervous about the night; at this stage I still thought he would propose to me.

When we pulled up to my favourite amusement park, I pretty much squealed with joy.

Amusement parks have always been my happy place, and Max knew this. We rode the Ferris wheel, taking in the views of the city. I leaned in for a kiss and everything felt fabulous.

I told Max that he makes me so happy and he smiled. We went on the rollercoaster, then we had dinner and played a few games. So far, so good; although Max was much quieter than he usually is. But, I definitely had no warning about what was to come.

I actually thought maybe his quietness was because he was nervous about proposing to me. I tried to enjoy myself but I couldn't stop wondering if, or when, he would pop the question.

Then he suggested we go for a walk near the water. This is it, I told myself. Surely, if you're going to propose to your girlfriend, you want the view to be beautiful.

But as we headed toward the exit, Max stopped near a quiet bench by the harbour. "Let's sit for a minute," he said, looking more nervous than ever. I was almost expecting him to drop to one knee. Instead, he took a deep breath and looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"I've been thinking a lot about you and me. I really care about you…but," he started.

He took a deep breath: "This relationship isn't working anymore."

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I couldn't believe it. He went on, saying he loved me but wasn't in love, that he felt really trapped with me as I kept talking about the future and he realised he didn't want a future with me.

All those hints I'd read as proposal signs? They were just him wanting to break up with me!

The holiday reluctance suddenly made sense; he'd known then he wasn't committed long-term.

I just started to sob, saying things like, "But you said you loved me!" He nodded and looked guilty, but it didn't change anything.

He drove me home in silence and, when he dropped me home, he just hugged me awkwardly and left. Just like that, it was over.

That night, I stayed up most of the night, crying and messaging friends. The amusement park, once my happy place, now felt ruined.

I felt like such an idiot. I'd built this future in my head, only for it to shatter. It hurt like hell, but deep down, I know I'd rather be with a man who loves me the same way I love him.

Months later, I still feel like shit but next time, I'll be more careful and make sure that the "fairy tale" feels real from both sides.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

The author of this story is known to Mamamia but has chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. The feature image used is a stock photo.

Feature Image: Getty.