The question of why mentees stay with a dysfunctional mentor has puzzled many scholars. In this paper, we argue that fresh graduates in an ongoing mentoring relationship are bombarded with feedback from both good and bad events that happen between them and their mentor, making it difficult for the mentee to know, with certainty, if their relationship with the mentor is objectively positive or negative. To decide whether they should stay with a mentor, we propose that mentees will constantly seek clues from their daily interactions with the mentor to judge if they will receive future benefits from the relationship. Drawing inferences from the intimate partner violence literature, we propose that fresh graduate mentees might misinterpret negative interactions with the mentor in a positive light, thus deciding to stay in the relationship because they expect to receive future benefits despite having experienced negative mentoring experiences. Key points The decision to stay in mentoring relationship is influenced by subjective expectation. Mentees infer their relationship with mentor from significant interactions. If the interactions are positive, the mentee will stay in the relationship, hoping for future benefits. If the interactions are negative, the mentee will cope emotionally by reinterpreting event positively. Positive reinterpretation leads to positive expectations and a decision to stay.