A good number of the ladies at my workplace have a crush on him. In fact, that was one of the reasons I used to avoid him. Whenever I saw him coming my way, I would take another route. I didn’t even want to be acquainted with him because men like that, men who have women swooning over them, are never to be trusted.
But last year, things changed. He started showing up everywhere I went, so by default, we began having little conversations here and there. Then he started professing his undying love for me. “I want to do so much with you. Life, travel, babies, everything.” Every time he made those declarations, I responded with a firm no. He would back off for a while, only to return with even more energy. Eventually, I decided to give him a chance. After all, isn’t it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
So I dressed up nicely, ordered an Uber, met him at a beautiful restaurant, and we had such a wonderful time that I left with an ache in my stomach from laughing. We parted ways with my cheeks hurting from smiling and a promise of, “Let’s do this more often.”
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO RECEIVE ALL STORIES IN YOUR INBOX
The second date was on my birthday last month. That night, he told me once again how much he cared about me. He spoiled me with gifts and attention. I remember thinking, God, maybe this one is different. A man who is loud about you should be kept.
And one thing about me is that nobody has to ask God to soften my heart. My heart is already soft. With all the right things he was doing, all the right drums he was beating, I danced to the rhythm. I slipped into it and woke up in his arms the next day.
Contrary to what I expected, it didn’t stop there. Sometimes he brought me lunch at work. He was consistent. We texted almost every day. He spoilt me silly.
One day, I was on TikTok when the first video that appeared on my feed was under the “People You May Know” section. I looked carefully at the video, but the face didn’t ring a bell, so I scrolled past. But the spirit of my ancestors beckoned me to go back again. If there is one thing I learned from this experience, it is this: never ignore “People You May Know.” Sometimes it is God’s modern way of communicating with you.
I went back to the profile, opened and checked the comment section. That’s when I saw my boyfriend’s fingerprints all over her page. I clicked on the profile and realized they were friends.
Later, I found out she was a student who had come to do her clinical rotation at the hospital where I work. I even had her contact because I sell bags and usually introduce my business to students who come for rotations and clinicals. I didn’t rest after I found out about it.
The day after I made this discovery was my boyfriend’s birthday, and we already had plans. In fact, he suggested that I spend the night with him because, according to him, all he wanted for his birthday was me. He said as long as I was around him, he would be happy.
Aside from offering my presence, I already had my own plans. I was texting vendors to get them the right location, explaining how I wanted the gifts packaged, and sharing the epistles I had written about him. The baker was getting instructions on the colors I wanted and which frosting would make it better. I was making arrangements and doing other things that I am honestly too embarrassed to mention.
For a man who had made my birthday special, I too was going to try and make his very special.
But a day before the big day, he texted me saying he was very sick. He said he couldn’t work and had gone home. I sympathized with him and told him to get some rest. I called throughout the day to check up on him, but he never answered. Much later, he sent a text saying there had been an emergency and he had returned to work.
On his birthday, he sent me a message after successfully ignoring all my texts and calls. But of course, I didn’t want to fight the birthday boy, so I turned a blind eye to it. We chatted for a bit, then I sent him my long birthday poem wishing him a sweet new year and continued making arrangements for the celebration. I even called the baker and confirmed what time the cake should be delivered.
Only for a few hours later, he texted to tell me he wasn’t coming to work that day. Before I could reply to ask why, he said he had a runny stomach; diarrhea. “But I asked you this morning how you were feeling and you said you were better. Where did the diarrhea come from?” He said he didn’t know. He said he was feeling very weak and wouldn’t be able to make it for our plans.
If the mountain wouldn’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed would go to the mountain, I guessed. I suggested that I come and see him.
The moment I mentioned coming over, he went silent. His read receipts are already turned off, so I couldn’t tell at this point whether he saw that message or not.
I sent the same message on Snapchat. Since Snapchat doesn’t reveal the contents of a message until it is opened, he quickly opened it and replied, “Hmm. I want to be alone. Thank you.”
Who wants to be alone on their birthday? I mean, there are such people, but this man?
It was at this point that I burst into laughter like the mad person love had turned me into. I was running up and down attending to the house chores, and still my messages went unanswered. So I sent another one, asking why he was doing this. He didn’t reply. Not ten minutes later. Not even thirty minutes later.
I was trying to make sense of everything. Then I decided to go through my business account. The very first status I saw was from the same lady on TikTok. She had posted Gideon. With a very sweet caption. Mine didn’t even come close. I read the caption over and over again, copied it and pasted it, and asked AI to read between the lines and explain in simple terms what they meant to me. I read it repeatedly, hoping I had misunderstood, but it carried the same meaning every single time.
I contemplated between my pride and common sense before I sent her that message. I went to her, woman to woman. She confirmed they had been dating since January. She was currently in school, so if you looked carefully, it meant he was spending his birthday with this lady.
I didn’t cry up until this point, when the dots started connecting. Then I started to shiver. Then I started talking to myself, pacing.
Did he ever stop to think about the risks involved in having multiple partners? How did he even manage it? The questions kept coming, and I still cannot answer them. If he had someone already, why then did he come for me? What does he want from me? Is he here to waste my time or what? With all these women, he is still so jealous. When I don’t text him or I respond late to his messages, he behaves as though he is dying.
While I was wondering all these things, my rider called to inform me he was here with the cake.
“Madam, I’m at your gate.”
I brought the cake into my room, sat quietly, and thought about what to do with it. Then I cut it into so many pieces, went out of my house, called the kids to come around, and shared it with them. Those kids made me cry. They were innocently singing, “Happy birthday to you.” One child who was looking carefully into my eyes saw the tears and said, “Ohhhh, Auntie is crying. Happy birthday to Auntie.”
I had tears in my eyes while they happily ate the cake. I went back to my room, wiped them away, took a deep breath, took a warm bath, and climbed into bed.
I Called My Girlfriend And Another Man Answered The Phone
I bought shirts for him too. They are still here. I don’t know what to do with them.
I am so, so embarrassed. In fact, shame and I are currently living in the same room. I think I moved in before he did because the moment the truth hit me, shame stared me right in the face and made itself at home. It followed me into the bathroom, sat beside me on the bed, and has refused to leave ever since.
I don’t think I have ever been this embarrassed in my entire life. And oh, he still hasn’t replied to the message where I asked why he was doing this to me.
—Gifty
This story you just read was sent to us by someone just like you. We know you have a story too. Email it to us at [email protected]. You can also drop your number and we will call you so you tell us your story.
#SB<>