* The post above didn’t come out right, editing and re-submitting:

Dear Priyan:

You are very welcome!

“When I met her over the weekend, I casually told her that I am planning on going back to the dating apps to meet new women. She got excited over this and even offered to help me set up my dating profile. If her intent was indeed to get me interested in her romantically to gain control, why would she seem to not care when I said I am going to date other women?”-

– she did care: she was not indifferent. She was excited. She cared enough to feel excited and/ or to appear excited about your intent to date other women.

“But why bother having me emotionally invest in her if she was going to friendzone me anyway? Then was it all a game to give her ego a boost?“-

–  I think that it is indeed a game for her. Going about dating the traditional way didn’t work for her, Going about it the way she is going about it works for her (so far), in that she better, in control.. not helpless and vulnerable like she used to feel.