My girlfriend and I had been together for two years. We had built something I thought was strong. I believed in us. But somewhere along the way, she cheated on me with my closest friend. She didn’t just betray me. She tried to hide it like it never happened.

I started connecting the dots when both of them fell sick with the same fungal infection. I had taken her to the hospital because her symptoms had lasted too long. Coincidentally, my friend was also sick with the exact same thing.

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On the day I took her to the hospital, I confronted her. I asked her directly. She looked me in the eye and said, “Lai Lai, I can never do anything of that sort.” She denied everything with confidence. I was burning inside. I didn’t know what to believe. Out of frustration and anger, I packed my things and left the house for her. I needed to get away before I did something I would regret.

Later, I ran into another friend. He joked that I had been avoiding him. Then he said something that made my heart drop. He had seen my girlfriend and my close friend together. Just the two of them. That was when everything clicked. It was standing right in front of me.

After a long back and forth, both of them finally admitted it. They said it was a mistake; it was the devil’s fault, and I should forgive them. They begged for forgiveness. And I forgave them. I even continued dating her. I thought maybe we could move past it. I thought love could fix it.

This year, she moved in with me. We were living together. Things seemed stable. I thought we had turned a new page. I thought we had healed.

Then I got called to Nairobi for a job. I had to leave her behind in our previous town. I trusted her. I believed she had changed.

Not long after, she started working with another friend of mine on a business project. Two days ago, I received a call from my cousin. He was joking about her, laughing about something I didn’t understand. He was with the friend she was working with.

That call made me suspicious. My heart was just beating left and right. I called her immediately. When she picked up, her voice was shaky. She confessed that she had been at his place earlier that day but claimed nothing happened.

Later, my cousin did his own digging. He confirmed what I feared. They had slept together.

Right now, I’m trying to stay calm. I am vexed, but I’m keeping my cool. I’m not rushing to confront her. But I know I need to make decisions that protect my peace and self-respect. I’ve been hurt before. And this feels like another deep betrayal.

—Caleb

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