They Were Popular
They were used to getting likes on their pictures from their friends, family, and even a few strangers. Sometimes, people would even leave a few nice comments. They were pretty popular. But one picture was unlike the rest. It went viral overnight, and it was seen by the entire world.
It was crazy! News websites and magazines from all over the world shared their pictures. But what was so special about this photo? Why were they all talking about it? When they checked the comment, it all started making sense.
Wendy Joseph and Dan Hennessey
Wendy Joseph and Dan Hennessey weren’t always big Internet personalities. There was a time when social media was barely a blip on people’s radars. But, funnily enough, social media played a massive part in how their love and success story began.
It all began in 2006 when both of them were young college students. They didn’t know each other, but they were about to cross paths in the most unusual of ways.
Joining Facebook
Dan was only 18 years old, a sophomore studying Exercise Science. Wendy was 17 and had just graduated from high school. Her dream was to pursue a career in public healthcare. Dan was an extrovert with many friends, he always loved meeting new people. Before long, he decided to join Facebook.
Back then, Facebook was still in its infancy, and it was only ever used by college students, mainly for dating! He liked the site as soon as he joined it.
Meeting New People
He mainly used it to meet new people and to increase his circle of friends. But one day, he stumbled upon a girl named Daphne, with whom he shared many mutual friends. He decided to message her, but she never responded. He was determined as he started going through her friend list. That’s when he spotted Wendy’s profile.
He was smitten when he saw her photos, so he decided to message her too. Back then, Wendy was wary of strangers on the internet, and she didn’t want to take any risks. She decided to tell her friend, Daphne about it, and she had some things to say about Dan.
An Online Friendship
Daphne informed Wendy that he had messaged her too, so Wendy decided not to respond. After weeks went by, he decided to message her once again. This intrigued her, and she decided to look at his profile. That’s when she discovered that he knew people she went to high school with.
She decided to message him back, and soon, they developed an online friendship. But Dan really wanted to meet her in person. That’s when he decided to invite her and her friends to a party at his apartment. But there was one problem.
Inviting Her Over
He hadn’t actually planned a party, because he assumed that she would reject his invitation. When she told him that she’d be there, he scrambled to let his friends know that he was having a party. He managed to put everything together for an epic party.
Soon, it was the night of the party, and when he met Wendy, they hit it off immediately. They spoke, drank, and even danced together all night long. Once all the other guests had left, Wendy was still there, hanging out with Dan. They had obvious chemistry, but that didn’t mean that everything would work out between them.
Giving It A Shot
You see, Wendy had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and Dan was having fun living his party lifestyle, so they decided that it was best to stay friends.
As time went by, they became extremely close, and after six months, they both realized that they were ready to try things out as a couple. They were excited to finally be together, but little did they know that trouble was looming down the road.
She Was Determined
Wendy thought her love life was blossoming, so she began focusing her attention on other areas of her life. She was determined, throwing herself into her studies while Dan continued socializing and partying with friends.
Years went by, but Wendy was still no closer to getting her Master’s degree. That’s when she read a message in Dan’s inbox that made her head spin.
Doubt
At first, it started as a small seed of doubt in her mind, but the longer they stayed together, the more it grew. Dan’s Facebook profile was still active, and Wendy was watching his ever-growing friends list with suspicion bubbling within her.
Eventually, she began declining his invitations to go out, because she would have to study, so he began going out without her. He had certainly matured since they first met, but he still loved to party.
Open Inbox
At first, the message seemed innocent enough, but as time went on, Wendy could feel herself becoming consumed by it. Dan had forgotten to log out of his Facebook and kept his inbox open. She was working on her studies when she saw the notification come through.
At first, she wasn’t going to open it, but then her curiosity got the better of her. She froze when she saw that the message was from one of his female friends.
She Couldn’t Help Herself
Wendy couldn’t help herself. She found herself going through all of Dan’s messages. Although she couldn’t find any incriminating evidence against him, she did find a lot of messages from other women.
To make matters worse, they were all successful, young, and had finished their studies. She felt like a failure. And it wasn’t long before her fears seeped into every aspect of her life.
A Little Voice
What could Wendy do? She felt like her relationship was spiraling beyond her control. Everyday bickers quickly became giant arguments, fuelled by Wendy’s insecurities and Dan’s refusal to compromise.
What if he met someone new? Then, a little voice inside her asked: what if he already had?
The Photograph Explodes
Fast-forward to the present – and the notorious photograph. Wendy’s eyes widened as the “likes” crept past the 60,000 mark. Comments flooded in as the photo was shared thousands of times.
Friends, family, and the general public were determined to have their say. But why had this photograph that Wendy had posted sparked worldwide controversy?
The Right Decision
When Wendy decided to break it off with Dan all those years ago, it had seemed like the logical choice at the time. They had been so young when they had met.
She knew that she had changed a lot in those seven years. Looking at the photograph again, she was sure that it had been the best decision she’d ever made.
Identity Crisis
Wendy looked back on her seven-year relationship with Dan and realized they were far too dependent on each other.
They had both changed so much after they met, and she was beginning to wonder if she even knew who she was without him. She felt like she’d lost herself somewhere along the way during this all-consuming relationship.