He spent years treating intimacy like a one-way transaction, and eventually met someone who treated him the same way.
His reaction is not really about her being βcold.β It is about what happens when someone finally gives you the same treatment you have been giving others.
It is easy to feel powerful when you are the one withholding affection, attention, or intimacy. It feels very different when you are the one being ignored.
Sometimes, the hardest lesson is being on the receiving end of the behaviour you once thought was harmless.