When I was younger, and my father still alive, he had a long-term girlfriend that he didn't like that much. He called her "The Ditz", when referring to her, rather than her name. If he made it to bedtime without her calling, he'd exclaim in pleasure that he'd had a "Ditz Free Day". I asked him, if he didn't want to be with her, why did he not just break it off?
His reply was that he was trying to be so obnoxious that she'd dump *him*, and he wouldn't have to hurt her feelings.
I told him that any time one person wants to end a relationship, but the other person doesn't want to, feelings get hurt. That's just the nature of the beast.
I love someone. I want to tell the world. He says that he can't find a way to do that without hurting his other girlfriend's feelings. I said that's because there isn't one.