True love is forever, they say, but is it? Though you may think you’ve found your soulmate and will spend the rest of your life in harmonious bliss, things may not go as you had planned or wished. In fact, they may spiral downward from great to bad to deadly for you if you don’t catch the warning signs early enough. This Valentine’s Day, take a moment to reflect on your relationship and look for those signs.

These signs may be subtle but grow over time, revealing a disturbed and dangerous person far from the version you originally met. Don’t let your Valentine turn you into another crime statistic. Use the tips below to examine your relationship and determine if your significant other is a deadly wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

A Killer Valentine’s Day

Everyone gets in a bad mood occasionally and releases their frustration physically on inanimate objects. They may slam the car door, pound a countertop, or throw down their bag after a hard day at work. 

However, if your partner is in a seemingly good or great mood but suddenly snaps at the slightest minor inconvenience in their life, this may be cause for concern, especially if their reaction is physical. Sudden changes in temperament, coupled with a physical act of aggression, may not be good for you down the road. 

Though there is a logical underlying reason for their shocking behavior, it is something that shouldn’t be ignored if experienced frequently, especially on Valentine’s Day.

Lack of Empathy

How your Valentine reacts to other people’s pain or problems says a lot about their personality. If they offer uncaring comments or straight-up laugh at the misfortune of others, you may be in the wrong relationship. Showing empathy is a positive trait in a mate; taking pleasure in someone’s pain is definitely not. If they don’t care about others, they may not care about your troubles, which could be a destructive path for you. An unsympathetic person can abuse physically, mentally, or emotionally and not care one bit.

Alcohol Abuse

Too much alcohol is not a good thing in almost any situation. However, if your soulmate drinks heavily and then gets abusive, that’s an obvious problem. Alcohol lowers one’s inhibitions, and if one’s first acts include violence or mental abuse, then this isn’t where you need to be in your life. Becoming fearful every time your mate takes a drink is not the way you should live your life on Valentine’s Day or any other day.

Additionally, in most cases, the drinking will only get worse, and the abuse will also get exponentially worse. Heed the early warning signs of excessive drinking and get out while you still can. 

Getting You Alone

There is safety in numbers, so if your significant other methodically tries to separate you from your family and friends, something is wrong. Though it may appear innocent initially, with them saying they want to spend most of their time with you rather than with others, this may be a sneaky deception. 

In truth, they want you alone, vulnerable, and with no support group to lean on if anything goes bad for you. Especially on Valentine’s Day, it is far easier to control and manipulate you when you have no backup to protect you. Unfortunately, if you ostracize friends and family to please your mate, they may not come back to help you when you need it most. Don’t fall into this trap, or you may be going in alone if things turn deadly. 

Controlling Behavior

Having someone look out for you is a good thing. But things can go terribly wrong when your mate dials this up to one hundred. It can start innocent enough with them checking in on you multiple times daily. From there, it can increase in both frequency and intensity. 

After that, your significant other may tell you who you can and cannot see and who you can be friends with, and they can even track you using an app or a mini inconspicuous tracking device planted on you or within your belongings. 

This behavior is entirely about power and control and frequently snowballs into a lack of freedom to make choices about almost anything daily. Don’t confuse control as a concern on Valentine’s Day or any other day. This is an obvious red flag that it’s time for you to get out of the relationship fast. 

Jealousy and Envy 

A person enraged by jealousy is a no-win scenario for you. Even though your interactions with others may be innocent, your mate may not see it that way, especially when mixed with a volatile personality. Your very life could be in danger if they feel you are cheating while in the relationship. 

Jealousy “blinds” people to logic or facts, and in a fit of rage, things could escalate from yelling to physical abuse to ultimately severe injury or death. Safety is key, so if there are early signs of jealousy in your relationship, be alert if or when they escalate. When that happens, it’s time to end it and distance yourself from the jealous-minded individual because you deserve a healthy valentine.

Exercise Extreme Caution

Although you may spend a long time getting to know your chosen Valentine, they could exhibit a persona like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. On the one hand, they are sweet and loving, and on the other, they are unpredictable monsters with evil eyes set on you. 

The key to figuring out which version you have is to heed all the warning signs and not let your heart win over your brain. Use logic rather than feelings unless your sixth sense warns you of danger. If this is the case, get out quickly, report it to the authorities, and live to see another Valentine’s Day again.