Up late thinking, and I don't fully understand why you were so hostile toward me on this thread. I was reflecting back on it and am confused, trying to understand if my stupidly speculative hot take reference to "emotional cheating" and equally stupid title that presumed that this woman was concealing things from me ("what is she REALLY saying") primed you and others to prejudge me. I regret including those words, as they did not reflect my true feelings. My title should've asked what some possible explanations might be.

Also, how can you act so certain of things that are objectively ambiguous (e.g. telling me that she didn't have the impression that I was interested in her was absolutely a white lie to softly reject me/ reference to a complicated relationship is a throwaway line or otherwise irrelevant, etc.)?

Why wouldn't you admit that there's a non-negligible chance that you're wrong and she actually meant what she wrote-- that she didn't have the impression I wanted to date her? That she might be telling me her "dating" relationship, which is actually a several year BF according to a mutual acquaintance, is somewhat complicated to note that she might be available soon?

There are competing narratives, and you and others leapt on one to the total exclusion of others. How is that good advice?

Overall, I'm very much curious here and trying to understand where I went wrong such that you believed me to harbor some deeply controlling perspectives on committed hetero women and platonic male friends. Your comments obviously stung me, so I'm trying to revisit them if you're willing.