I agree there was a degree of self-sabotage in this situation. I definitely needed to go deeper into myself to explore the principles and values that I absorbed from my upbringing. However, coming from an Asian background, there are definitely some other aspects at play that exacerbate the situation. As odd as it may sound, there needs to be a strong buy-in from my family when choosing a partner. They need to accept them as much as I do.

In this case, I believe that if her previous involvement with sugar relationships were to reach my mother, my mom would break up with her on my behalf. So to an extent, my decisions were also motivated by a prioritization of family over my relationship.

At this moment, I still agree with sex being an intangible that should never be made tangible. I believe it to be akin to trust or loyalty. There’s no price for these things. However, I’m definitely open to exploring this further and would welcome your opinion. Your ideas are very thought-provoking. Thank you!