A woman is refusing to get her matching tattoo with her ex-boyfriend removed despite it upsetting her current partner.
The process of getting a tattoo, which tends to mark someone for life, is often well thought through as it tends to carry a symbolic meaning or reference.
A 23-year-old woman is, therefore, claiming that there's 'absolutely no way' that she's getting rid of the tattoo, which 'means a lot' to her.
Taking to popular forum site Reddit, the anonymous user sparked debate online after she sought advice on whether she was being unreasonable to reject having the mark 'laser removed' or 'covered up' by a professional tattoo artist.
The woman explained that she has a 'friendship tattoo' with her female best friend April and her ex-boyfriend Rory. The trio were 'best friends from the moment [they] saw each other in high school'.
The woman was in a relationship with her ex-boyfriend for three years. Three years after separating, the friends are still pals, so she has never considered acting on the tattoo.
The tattoo, which she describes as 'nothing special', is a triangle with three dots inside to represent the three friends.
She explained: "I got together with my current boyfriend (24M) a few months ago, and I made it clear from the start that I’m still friends with my ex and nothing is going to change that. I see him about two to three times per year because he moved to a different country, so it shouldn't cause much of an issue anyway.
"So my boyfriend, let's call him Edward, was very chill about this, so I agreed to actually get together instead of just dating. Fast forward to a week ago, he noticed the tattoo on the back of my leg and asked if it had any meaning, so I told him the three dots are me, April, and Rory, and we all have the same one. Hearing this Edward got super upset, and after a heated argument he told me if I truly loved him I would immediately get it either removed or covered up.
"Now there is absolutely no way I'm doing that, and I told him so. We haven't talked since, and I'm honestly starting to question whether I'm in the right for wanting to keep my only tattoo as it is. I love Edward, but it doesn't sit right with me to remove something important to me just so he'd stay with me. I also don't understand why it made him so upset, since he knew I'm still friends with Rory.
"He refuses to talk to me now, until I 'get that thing removed'. I told him he was being pathetic, and to think this through again," she added.
Seeking advice, she questioned: "We're still not talking and it's either I get an appointment or we break up, he won't change his mind. Am I the a**hole?"
Since sharing her concerns, the woman's post has raked in over 1,400 comments to date - where people assured the woman that she wasn't being unreasonable.
One person said: "Not the a**hole, your body, your past, your choice. All of that is part of the complete package. If he can't handle it, it's not your issue."
Meanwhile, someone else said: "It's three dots. Inside a triangle. On the back of your leg.
"From the title and the first few sentences I was expecting 'Rory' in big lettering and a heart about the size of your hand in some prominent location. Not the a**hole," they added.
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