In a Reddit post upvoted over 22,000 times, a user claiming to be a 21-year-old woman described how she was repeatedly “told to be quiet” during a dinner with her partner’s conservative Christian parents.

Her actions have caused a rift between her and her boyfriend, who told her that leaving the meal was an “a****** move.”

A 1997 study by Glenn Gehar at the University of New Hampshire highlighted that we often choose romantic partners who are similar to our opposite-sex parents.

As part of the research, participants were asked to self-report on the similarities shared by their partners and their opposite-sex parents across a variety of categories. The findings highlighted a consistent pattern of shared characteristics.

The findings, however, do not bode well for the future of the relationship at the heart of the dilemma shared on social media by the 21-year-old woman—writing under the handle Euphoric_Rabbit7706.

According to the post, she “got along really well” upon initially meeting and chatting with her boyfriend’s family before dinner started. But it was a different story once the food was served.

After a quick prayer, her boyfriend’s dad was apparently heard saying something along the lines of “let us dig and let the food keep us quiet.”

Little did she realize what that would mean. During the meal, she attempted to “compliment the cook” on the food but was “hushed” by her boyfriend’s dad. “A really aggressive ‘SHHH’ with a finger over his lips. And then he said, again, ‘Let the food keep us quiet.’”

Describing the silent dinner as “super awkward and weird,” the woman said her boyfriend’s mom then did “the hush thing” again when she tried to initiate another conversation. She said she was later branded “disrespectful” by his parents after giggling during the silent meal and was told if she “didn’t respect how their household worked,” she “could eat alone in the kitchen.”

That proved the final straw for the woman, who thanked them before making a quick exit. Her boyfriend later scolded her for storming out but the reaction elsewhere suggests she was entirely justified to do just that.

Terri DiMatteo, a licensed professional counselor based in New Jersey who specializes in relationship and couples counseling, told Newsweek the post has “all the hallmarks of a narcissistic family cult.”

“A narcissistic family cult is a profoundly dysfunctional, unstable, and defective family unit that includes abusers, victims, and enablers. Therefore, strict rules with demands for total compliance are required,” she said. “This dysfunctional family structure consists of a ‘head narcissist,’ usually, the father or the mother, who leads the cult with an iron fist, demanding complete obedience. The enabler supports the head narcissist’s unreasonable and outlandish rules and demands. The rest of the family members are victims.”

According to DiMatteo, the entire episode was a test to see if the girlfriend could be “controlled.”

“If the family was not narcissistic and the girlfriend violated this unusual custom, the father could have said something more sensitive, understanding, or gracious,” she said. “And if her boyfriend were not immersed in the narcissistic family cult, he would have helped his girlfriend by warning her of this odd custom while validating her feelings.”

DiMatteo concluded that if the relationship was ever going to work, the boyfriend would need to recognize his family’s “abusive ways” and do more to protect his partner. “Unfortunately, it seems he cannot because he is the victim of the dysfunctional family system.”

Those concerns were echoed on Reddit, with user AryaIsAWaif slamming the boyfriend and his family. “He could have warned you and given you the opportunity to skip dinner because you don’t dine in monasteries,” they wrote.

Lazyoat branded it “super controlling, weird behavior” writing: “Do they shush everyone who eats with them or do expect her to follow this controlling behavior?”

CJSintex added: “You don’t speak to guests in your home that way. You don’t treat guests in your home that way. Sounds like they were treating her like a child.”

Newsweek reached out to Euphoric_Rabbit7706 for comment but could not confirm the details of the case.