Men And Women Reveal How An Ultimatum Changed The Course Of Their Relationship

My parents' marriage was the result of an ultimatum.

I guess you could take that statement to mean I was essentially the result of an ultimatum.

My parents had been together for two years, and my mom was driving my dad to the airport for a business trip when she asked him, "Are we getting married or what?"

He was a little taken aback. "Um, I'm about to go to Dubai for two weeks. Can we talk about this later?"

"Yeah, but if you don't know by the time you're back, this has to end. I can't keep doing this if it's not going anywhere."

So my dad got back from his trip and proposed, and a few months later, they got married. And a few years later, their lives became AWESOME because they were blessed with me. So things clearly worked out.

But the concept of ultimatums has always fascinated me. How many relationships exist only because one party was essentially forced to sacrifice something, whether it be singlehood, time with a friend or something else?

How often do ultimatums work out like it did for my parents? How often do they leave you single? I asked around, and seven brave people came forward with their best ultimatum stories:

He made her choose between him and her past.

He made her choose between putting in more of an effort and losing him.

She made him choose between telling his parents about her or losing her.

He made her choose between spending more time with him or losing him forever.

She made him choose between marrying her or losing her.

She made him choose between a having threesome or her.

He made her choose between a romantic relationship with him or a platonic one.

She told him he'd lose her if he didn't get help.

He made her choose between him and her ex.

He made her choose between him and having children.

So, sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't.

I guess I am a firm believer in the fact that if you're feeling like you need to give an ultimatum, your relationship probably isn't in great shape to begin with.

That being said, if you feel like it's worth fighting for, then I say go for it!