ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just recently got my driver's license and posted about it on Instagram. I'm one of the first in my grade to get it. Now, new people who I've never even talked to are reaching out for plans. I've always had trouble making friends, so it feels nice to be wanted. I just can't help but think it has something to do with wanting a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My ex-boyfriend is pretty much demanding that I return the gifts he gave me over the course of our two-year relationship. He's given me so many things that I'm not even sure I still have everything. I may have regifted a few things. As far as I'm concerned, those gifts are mine now, and I don't have to return anything. He's now ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I let my daughter's best friend live with us for her final semester of college. The agreement was that she would stay and pay $300 a month to rent out our upstairs guest room until she graduated. After graduation, the plan was for her to move back to the West Coast with her family. It's now been a month since graduation, and she ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I took a job as an assistant to a celebrity hairstylist a few months ago. Sometimes, when he is late to an appointment or has to leave early unexpectedly, I will start or finish the job myself. Despite this, when he posts the clients' pictures to his (very popular) Instagram page, he never credits me for helping him. The credit ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am dating a woman who has a 2-year-old child. I have no issue with the fact that she is a mother. I do, however, have an issue with the fact that she will not tell me who the child's father is. Why is it some huge secret? We've only been dating for a month now, but I think I have a right to know. What if he's dangerous and ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend was a little tipsy the other night and confessed to me that her current boyfriend has gotten violent with her in the past. She assured me that it happened only one time and that it was minor, but I'm furious. A man should never put his hands on a woman under any circumstances. She said that if I repeated what she told ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My co-worker -- and friend -- and I are applying for the exact same manager position at work. I'm already feeling anxious about how bittersweet the outcome will be either way. I really need this job, but I know that my friend needs it, too. Things are not awkward between us yet, but I can't imagine that they won't be awkward in ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just graduated from high school, and it's starting to sink in that I'm leaving the town I lived in for 18 years. I'm leaving my friends, my family and the only place I have ever known for a college 2,000 miles away. I thought I would be happy when I threw my cap into the air. I thought I would look forward to new people, places...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I found out that one of the managers at my job is dating one of my co-workers. It's 100% against company policy for a manager to be in any type of relationship with a salesperson.

I'm sensing a lot of favoritism since this relationship started. For example, the manager will allow my co-worker to go home earlier than anyone else ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Summer is here, which means it's bathing suit season. I've always struggled with my body image. I grew up overweight, so I got used to hiding my body in sweatshirts and sweatpants. But now with the heat, my old tricks won't work, and I am forced to confront one of my biggest fears: my body.

When I think of putting on a swimsuit,...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like my good friend continually inconveniences me. She has no regard for my time. She has a ton of other friends she could bother to do favors for her, yet she seems to ask only me. If I don't do these favors for her, she'll give me attitude for days. I don't like feeling taken advantage of. Should I say something about ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Senior year is approaching, which means my school is about to get extra-cliquey. All the fun senior traditions like Halloween and prom are heavily rooted in social groups. Unfortunately, I don't exactly have a definitive friend group. During lunch, I wander from table to table talking with whomever I happen to see. None of my ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: It's summer now! I just pulled out my summer clothes, and I'm having a reality check. I knew I had gained weight during the pandemic, but at home I was mainly wearing sweatpants and pajama bottoms, so it didn't really matter. Now I have discovered that I can't fit into any of my shorts. Pants without elastic don't zip. My crop ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A good friend of mine is having a baby, yet he still lives at home with his parents. He expects me and our other mutual friends to be happy for him, but from a practical standpoint, I don't understand how I should feel anything but worried. I have many questions, but I am uncomfortable asking them because I don't want him to know...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a male roommate. This is my first time living with a man. He doesn't really clean much of anything, and I get the impression that because I'm a woman, he thinks it's my responsibility to clean everything. He never necessarily says this to me, but he implies it often. I don't feel comfortable living in a messy home, but I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My girlfriend refuses to send me intimate pictures. We don't see each other much anymore because of school and our busy schedules, so I feel really neglected. I'm wondering if she even likes me anymore. I don't want to pressure her, but I'm curious as to why she wouldn't naturally want to send pictures. Do you think this is a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A year ago, I got engaged to my boyfriend of three years. I'm in my first year of master's studies, and he works in the service industry. He is heavily in debt from student loans. I am at a point where I do not know if getting married is the right decision. I am realizing that being with him (for the time being) won't give me the...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I love the music industry and have wanted to be involved in it since I was in high school. I finished college a couple of years ago and landed a dream job. I am working hard and climbing the ladder, and all is pretty good. I work for a small independent record label as a publicist.

The vice president of the record label is ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friends and I -- all three of us are Black men -- were attempting to get into a club in downtown Huntsville, Alabama, when we were told that we were breaking the dress code. My friend was told the logo on his shirt was too large, and I was told that I am not allowed to wear red because of potential gang affiliation. Moments ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm in a brand-new relationship with a man, and I am in love. We talk constantly and never get bored with each other. Naturally, this new relationship has become a high priority in my life. Unfortunately, my best friend is feeling neglected. She is what I would call a high-maintenance friend. She becomes upset with me when we ...Read more