All it took was just three days for my beautiful love life to fall apart. That was literally how long my relationship with Ronny lasted before it crumbled completely. We didn’t fight. There was no family drama. No tribal issues. Nothing like that. The reasons we broke up sound so silly that if I told you, you might laugh. But it wasn’t silly to me. It was painful.

And I didn’t see it coming at all.

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Before Ronny showed up, my love life was a mess. I’d been in relationships that went nowhere fast. Then I met Kekeli.

With Kekeli, we talked about marriage all the time. Like, actual serious talk. He seemed like someone who wanted to settle down. But it was just words. He’d disappear for days without calling or texting. And when he did show up, it felt like I had to beg for his attention. Because he helped me financially sometimes, he acted like I owed him. He was cold and condescending. If you could paint someone red, Kekeli was a walking red flag.

Eventually we broke up. All those marriage plans we made just evaporated. It hurt like hell, but I learned from it.

And I stayed single for a while. Like Sleeping Beauty hoping her prince would show up and wake her up.

Then, one day Ronny walked in.

He was wearing a suit. The sun was blazing behind him. He looked perfect. I’m not usually the type to fall for looks, but Ronny had this calm, spiritual vibe. He talked about God like he really knew Him. Like he had life figured out.

Turns out, I’d seen him before. We took the same professional course and were in the same class. We’d sit near each other, exchange small talk, nothing serious. I didn’t think much of him back then because I was focused on my studies. He never made a move.

Years later, he found me on LinkedIn and started texting. He told me something I didn’t expect. He’d liked me back then. He and some other guys wanted to ask me out, but they were intimidated because I was always sitting next to Nana. People thought Nana and I were dating, but we’re just friends. Nana is one of those rare people God puts in your life as a blessing. He’s like a pillar. I needed him close because good men like him don’t come around often.

When Ronny and I finally went on a date, he asked me to be his girlfriend pretty quickly. I told him I needed time to think about it. So we kept texting, went on a few more dates, and I started to feel like maybe this was it.

He ticked every box. Actually, he created new boxes I didn’t even know I needed and checked those too. He even bought a necklace with my name on it. Who does that? It was sweet.

Comparing Ghana And The UK: Lifestyle, Dating and Everything In Between

But then I found out something about his past. He never took his exes seriously. Never planned a future with any of them. He said they were just passing time.

But me? He said I was different. He said I was the one.

We talked about what we wanted in a relationship. I made it clear—I have values. No sex before marriage. That’s how my faith works. I’ve seen too many people deal with unwanted pregnancies and STDs. I wasn’t going down that road.

He was sexually active and I wasn’t, but he said he respected my decision. He said he could wait.

I prayed about him. I didn’t get a clear yes or no from God, but he seemed like a good guy. So after a month of thinking, I said yes.

Day one was fine. Nothing special. Just a normal day together.

On day two, he asked me to move in with him for the Easter break. He said we could spend quality time together.

I said no. I wasn’t going to put myself in a situation that could lead to crossing boundaries I’d already set. I reminded him of our earlier conversation about my values and waiting until marriage.

He didn’t like that.

On day three, I called him. No answer. I called again. Still nothing. I knew something was wrong.

When he finally called back, he wanted to meet. My heart was racing. I didn’t know what to expect.

Then he said he didn’t feel loved. He said that even though we weren’t supposed to have sex, he wanted me to sleep over. He wanted us to shower together like he did with his exes.

I was shocked. Is that why he was ignoring me? Because I wouldn’t compromise the one thing I’d made clear from the start?

Then he said he couldn’t continue the relationship. Just like that. Over.

And then he asked me not to tell my friends or family that he wanted sex. He was more worried about his image than the fact that he’d just ended something that barely started.

I just stared at him. Was that all he cared about? How he looked?

I picked up my bag and walked away before I could cry in front of him.

Comparing Ghana And The UK: Lifestyle, Dating and Everything In Between

When I told my friends and family, they were shocked. Everyone said he wasn’t serious and I should let him go. But the hardest part? I’d already told my mom about him. She was excited. She wanted to meet him. How was I supposed to explain this?

So thank you, Ronny. For three days that felt like a lifetime and taught me everything.

—Beatrice

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