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Woman reveals her fiancé's 'horribly disgusting' pillow, and oh boy, brace yourself

"I was expecting bad, but that I fear, is far far far worse."

@rutttyy01/TikTok

Can't believe she tried to clean it.

Listen, if we're in a relationship, odds are we’ve encountered some of our partner’s weird quirks. Some of those might be cute and loveable, and others might fall into cringe territory.

For Abigheal McClary, there was no question as to which category her fiancé’s truly ghastly pillow, which appeared to have been around "since the dawn of time,” fell into.

"My fiancé has a pillow that is so horribly disgusting that I fear even being in the same bed as it. I fear laying beside it, because I think I could probably catch something from it,” McClary began in a TikTok video. One might assume she’s being a bit hyperbolic (there’s always that one thing of our significant others that gives us the irrational ick, right?) but once you see this horror show of a pillow, you’ll think McClary is being merciful.

Watch:

@rutttyy01 It’s bad #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Abigheal💅🏻

Dear god, did you even know such a horrid shade of sickly brown existed?!!

"The pillow looks like it coughs constantly,” one person wrote.

Another added, “I’ve never seen a rotten pillow."

All jokes aside—and it probably goes without saying—that this is objectively unsanitary. According to WebMd, pillows should generally be washed once or twice a year, and replaced about every two years. Pillowcases, on the other hand, should be washed weekly, unless they aren’t used nightly, so sayeth Martha Stewart. Not that this heathen uses a pillowcase at all!

Having our faces exposed to unclean pillow night after night not only puts us right in the pathway of respiratory pathogens, but also plenty of acne-causing bacteria. Although, by the grace of god, McClary said in her video that "This man has no pimples on his face laying on this thing ...I have no clue how." Honestly, neither do we. He needs to be studied.

As one person joked, “he doesn’t get pimples because he’s created a micro bioverse that’s evolved so far into the future they must feed on his dead skin cells to continue their micro society…that’s the only explanation.”

Though McClary mentioned that her fiancé wouldn’t let her wash this unsightly pillow, nor put a pillowcase on it (he apparently likes it because “it’s cool on both sides”) she must have talked some sense into him because subsequent videos show her dunking the thing into a bath, using a concoction of bleach, Shout, baking powder, and some other cleaning agents.

@rutttyy01 Pillow update : the pillows journey #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #fypシ ♬ original sound - Abigheal💅🏻

Each time, the pillow acted as a giant, heavy teabag, staining the water a murky brown.

However, as fate would have it, McClary put the pillow in a dryer after its soaking, and when she opened the door, there were nothing but shreds.

Folks rightfully guessed that the bleach used in the bath deteriorated the fabric…but in truth, we all suspect the dryer just wanted to put the pillow out of its misery.

“The dryer knew what needed to be done,” one viewer quipped.

@rutttyy01 Pillow update : Tragic # What do yall want to see next? #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #fypシ ♬ original sound - Abigheal💅🏻

Hopefully, this acts as a highly entertaining little PSA to please, please, please keep your pillows clean. Otherwise, those who share a bed with you can’t be held responsible for their actions.

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Mental Health

Researchers reveal that the one key to happiness might not be what you thought

"The single strongest predictor of happiness isn't purpose at all."

Photo by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash

Women happily frolic together amidst sunflowers.

For so long, many people have conflated the search for life's meaning with happiness. Perhaps you've seen the lonely monk in a movie, sitting atop a mountain meditating and looking for answers in solitude. While this is all very well and good (it actually really is in terms of well-being,) it simply doesn't translate to being "happy."

monk, meditation, mountain, Buddhism, searching A monk sits on top of a mountain. pxhere.com

In the "Purpose-Happiness Connection" in Psychology Today, author Jordan Grumet M.D. poses this question: "What if the key to happiness isn’t what we’ve been told?"

He then shares that for years, we believed that "finding a deep purpose in life is essential to happiness." But as it turns out, it's much simpler than that. The true key to happiness is…connection.

"One of the most robust studies on happiness, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has tracked participants for more than 80 years, found that the single strongest predictor of happiness isn’t purpose at all—it’s relationships."

Neuroscientist, professor, and podcast host of The Huberman Lab, Andrew Huberman is a big believer that changing one's behavior can change their thought patterns, leading to a happier brain. He interviews Dr. Laurie Santos, a professor of psychology at Yale, who states the thing you DON'T have to do is "change your circumstances." (Because well, you can't.) "Quintupling your income is tricky, moving is tricky, switching your life around all over the place is hard. And the good news is science shows you don’t have to do that. That doesn't work as well as you'd think."

"But," she says, "you can hack your behaviors and your thought patterns and your feelings to get good results. Let's talk behaviors: one of the biggest behavioral changes you can make to feel happier? Is just to get a little more social connection."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com, The Huberman Lab podcast

She continues, "Psychologists do these fun studies where they look at people's daily usage patterns. So like how much time are you spending sleeping or exercising or at work or whatever. And the two things that predict whether you're happy or not so happy is how much time you spend with friends and family members. And how much time you're just physically around other people. The more of that you do, the happier you're gonna be."

In a piece on Vox, author and writer Olga Khazan suggests that this might be bad news for some introverts. She notes a few studies on the topic, one which claims that "people who are extroverted as teenagers remain happier even when they’re 60."

It isn't that extroverts are always chattier or more attention-seeking. (As an easily drained extrovert myself, I can tell you that's not true.) It's that their energy is drawn from contact with people. With DOING things. With, that's right…connection.


introversion, reading a book, solitude, alone-time, contentA cartoon sloth reads a book alone.Giphy, GIF by SLOTHILDA

Khazan shares, "Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist who has studied this phenomenon, says it’s worth focusing less on the 'extrovert' part of this and more on the fact that these individuals are more enmeshed in community. Connection is really the key to happiness." Lyubomirsky says there's hope for all. "And there are ways to square your natural introversion with the universal human need for connection. You don’t have to mingle with everyone at the office party, for instance. You can just call a trusted friend for a one-on-one conversation. Even hanging out with others and listening more than you talk can be a form of extroversion."

Grumet suggests ways to step out of one's routine no matter how one gives or receives energy. "Love painting? Join an art group. Passionate about fitness? Start working out with others. Fascinated by a niche topic? Write about it, talk about it, and connect with others who care about it, too."




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Love Stories

Smitten woman bought a 'love spell' from a witch on Etsy and it backfired spectacularly

This story has ethical conundrums galore.

Canva Photos

You can buy curses, potions, and spells on Etsy now.

Unrequited love—we've all been there, right? Rejection sucks, even when it's self-rejection in the form of being too afraid to tell someone you have feelings for them. It hurts to keep it inside, and it hurts to get shot down. If only there was a better way!

Some people believe that there might be. While it may not be possible to just snap your fingers and make someone fall in love with you, potions, spells, and other forms of witchcraft promise to bring you basically the same result. What's great is that, in 2025, you can hire a witch to do your romantic bidding on the Internet from the comfort of your own home!

One woman recently decided to take a chance on a magical love spell, and got way more than she bargained for.

Yes, it sounds like the opening backstory montage of a Disney movie, but this one takes place in our very real world. A TikTok user named Corinne recently shared the embarrassing story of witchcraft gone wrong in a thirteen second video clip. Previously, she had decided to pony up a few bucks for a "love spell" on her crush.

A similar product description from a different seller on Etsy describes it like this: "Dive into the deepest, most powerful realms of black magic with this LOVE OBSESSION Spell, designed to create an unbreakable bond of passion, obsession, and undying love. This is not just any love spell; it’s an advanced black magic voodoo ritual, tailored to ignite intense passion and force someone to obsess over you—an emotional, irresistible connection that can't be broken."

As of this writing, the spell costs an eyebrow-raising $66.

But people have certainly done crazier things for love! Unfortunately, once Corrine's order was processed, the seller turned out to be a bit of a backstabber.

“Guys the Etsy witch told on me,” she said in the social media video, clearly upset and humiliated. “I said the guy’s name, his birthday and stuff, and she literally DM’d him on Instagram and exposed me.”

"So much for supporting small businesses" she added in the video's caption.

@andtheg4gis

So much for supporting small businesses 😭 #etsywitch #lovespell #fyp #foryou

The video quickly went viral to the tune of two million views. Commenters were furious on Corrine's behalf.

Whether or not you believe in the occult, it's pretty screwed up to out someone like that, right? One user called the betrayal a HIPPA violation:

"AW NAH THAT'S A WIPPA VIOLATION," one joked.

"Genuinely like report that to Etsy that's so crazy"

"u better have disputed that charge babe"

"Imagine getting a 'hey girly' text from a witch"

"oh baby you gotta tell the elder witches"

Probably the best advice was for Corrine to own up to the whole thing with an outrageous level of confidence:

"GIRL DOUBLE DOWNN!! dm him n say 'did it work?'"

"Did it work" is such an amazing line, I'm mad I didn't think of it."

witches, witchcraft, love, love spells, love potion, relationships, dating, romance, women, girls, internet, tiktok, funnyJust your basic witch supplies. Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

The whole wild story brings up so many questions. For starters, is it ethical for psychics and witches to perform these "services" for money?

Witches have become super popular on Etsy, but that doesn't mean that everything is on the up-and-up. There's quite a bit of evidence that psychic powers and witchcraft aren't real and can not be verified by science. So there's been fierce debate for years over whether people should actually be allowed to sell psychic/witch services. Isn't the entire industry inherently misleading? Does it exist to prey on vulnerable people who are desperate for good news or a positive outcome in their life Then again, maybe it's not all about the outcome. Maybe believing in an unexplained power and using it for selfish reasons can be cathartic. Just ask all the people spending their hard-earned money paying Etsy witches to "curse" certain hated political and public figures.

If we assume all parties know that a "love spell" won't actually work — what's the harm in ritualistically throwing yourself at the mercy of the universe and asking for a break? Even if it costs a couple of bucks?

Jeffrey Moriarty, a professor of philosophy at Bentley University, argues in a paper that psychic services should be allowed for sale provided customers are not being lied to or mislead, "even though much of the money spent on them will be money wasted."

If we assume that certain parties really do believe a love spell will work and "make" a person fall in love with them... well, that brings up even more ethical questions, doesn't it? Consent, free will. It's an extremely messy witches brew, that's for sure.

As for Corrine, her story has a happy ending. After getting a deluge of viral fame and advice, she decided to perform a love ritual herself!

People encouraged her to take matters into her own hands, so she did.


@andtheg4gis

UPDATE!! I sooo have my man back (that is, if he doesn’t look down😭) #etsywitch #lovespell #update #fyp #foryou #foryoupage

"I wrote his name on the bottom of my foot," she says in an update a few days later. "Dipped it in a jar of manuka honey. Literally 20 minutes later he texted me asking what I was doing tonight. So now I'm going over."

All's well that ends well. But the lesson is to never trust a witch unless they've got a perfect five-star Etsy rating. Otherwise? You're better off performing your own spells.

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Mental Health

Feel like someone's gaslighting you? A 3-minute test can help you determine if they are.

Gaslighting is designed to confuse, and the signs aren't always super clear.

Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels

Gaslighting can leave you feeling confused and unsure of yourself.

The term "gaslighting" has become a popular, everyday term, but there's still some confusion about what it means. Part of the reason is that the word has been misused so many times that the definition has become fuzzier. But another reason is that gaslighting itself is confusing for the person on the receiving end. Even if you know what gaslighting is, it's not always clear when or if it's happening to you.

To provide a brief explanation, gaslighting is a manipulation technique in which someone purposefully and maliciously makes someone question their reality. Abusers and narcissists will often use gaslighting to wear down their victims' sense of self as a means of establishing and maintaining control over them.

In a relationship, gaslighting can look like denying that something happened and telling the person they're crazy for how they're remembering it. It can look like flat-out lying about something the victim knows for sure to be true. It can look like invalidating someone's feelings and telling them they're overreacting. It can look like being cruel and then claiming it was just a joke or making the victim believe they're at fault for something the perpetrator did.

woman, gaslighting, confusion, frustration, abuseWoman looking tired and confused.Canva Photos.

Sometimes, however, people use gaslighting to describe basic disagreements or arguing from different perspectives, like simply saying, "That's not what happened," or "That's not how I remember it." Actual gaslighting is intentional in its impact on the victim. People can have different memories of how something happened and disagree vehemently, but if a person isn't purposely trying to alter someone's sense of reality, it's not gaslighting.

Similarly, telling someone to calm down and not take things personally may not be a sensitive way to respond to a person who's upset, but it doesn't automatically equate to gaslighting, either. Gaslighting requires a malicious intent to manipulate and control.

As Dr. Robin Stern, author of the book The Gaslight Effect (2007) describes gaslighting on Psychology Today:

"Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse where one person’s psychological manipulation causes another person to question their reality. Gaslighting can happen between two people in any relationship. A gaslighter preserves his or her sense of self and power over the gaslightee, who adopts the gaslighter’s version of reality over their own."

Gaslighting also isn't confined to a one-time event, but is more a a pattern of behavior. The gaslighter's repeated distortions and denials wear the victim down over time, making them doubt themselves and question their reality. That's part of what makes it hard to spot from the inside, since someone being gaslit is likely to question whether it's really happening.

If you detect an unhealthy dynamic in your relationship, it's important to seek professional help from therapist, especially if you suspect gaslighting may be at play. But having a tool to clarify what you're experiencing and help determine what kind of help is needed can be useful.

Psychology Today offers a 20-question online self-test to help you assess whether gaslighting might be a problem in your relationship. The test takes about three minutes and includes statements like "This person makes me feel like I'm unstable," "This person tells me that other people are not trustworthy," and "I choose my words carefully when I'm with this person." After responding to each statement with one of five answers ranging from Always to Never, the test tells you how likely it is that gaslighting is an issue in that relationship based on your answers. Possible outcomes include no signs, few signs, some signs, strong signs or very strong signs of gaslighting.

The test results page also provides more detail about what gaslighting is, things to watch out for so you can spot it, and tips for what to do if you are being gaslit in you relationship.

"The healthiest course of action, in most cases, is to end the relationship or significantly reduce contact," the site states. "Leaving a gaslighting relationship is challenging but possible. Confrontation is rarely effective; instead, trust your instincts, gather evidence, reduce or cut off contact, and seek help from friends, family, or a therapist."

therapy, therapist, professional help, gaslighting, mental healthTherapy session.Canva Photos.

Find the Psychology Today gaslighting self-test here. (And if you need a therapist to help you with your relationship struggles, you can search by location, insurance, and specialty on the website's "Find a Therapist" database of providers here.)

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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