I moved to the Western Region for a job as a cook at a mining site. I got the job through my cousin. The money I was earning in Tema was too little to take care of my son and me, and his needs kept increasing. I am a single mother with no help coming from anywhere. I couldn’t take my son with me, so I enrolled him in a boarding school. It was a difficult decision, but it was for our own good.
The work is tedious. I prepare meals every morning and evening throughout the week for the workers. However, the pay is better than what I was earning in Accra, and I get paid weekly. The previous cook had been provided with accommodation somewhere else, but I live in the same house as my boss and his wife.
Everything was going well until the workers and some people in the village started proposing love to me. I was getting proposals almost every time I went to deliver food to the workers at the site. My boss stepped in and warned them to stay away from me. Some of these people who wanted to date me were some of his friends and even an uncle. He advised me to be careful with them.
He went as far as saying, “If I hear that you are dating anyone here, you won’t like what hits you.” It actually made me happy at the time. I felt I had a boss who cared about my well-being. Since I came here, I have not dated anyone, and I haven’t even been thinking about it.
They are the only close friends I have here—my boss and his wife. If I go to the salon, my boss calls me on video to be sure that I am not in a man’s room. As for his wife, after I am done with my duties, I go to her side of the house to help with the washing and cooking if needed. That is it.
So, one day, after delivering food to the site, my boss told me to wait so he could drive me back. On our way home, he proposed to me right there in the car. I looked him in the eye and told him I wouldn’t date him because his wife was like a mother to me here.
He replied that this was a huge opportunity he was giving me and that all I needed to do was make sure I didn’t get pregnant for him. Before I could even respond or process what was happening, he started touching me everywhere.
My heart was pounding out of pure shock. He has a very quick temper. He is loud and insults people easily, so I kept my cool. I assured him that I would think about it. He looked at me and said, “Eiii, with all my money, women propose to me all the time. I am giving you this chance, and you still want to think about it?”
The next morning, he came at me angry and demanded to know why I had pushed him out of his own building.
He promised he would buy me a new phone and give me more money than I was originally supposed to earn if I accept his proposal. I refused. Yet, he came back to my room again that same evening. In fact, as I was typing this, he had just left my room after barging in and touching me once more. The only reason he left me alone tonight was because I lied and told him I was on my period.
I cannot turn to his wife for help because she already dislikes me. She has been spreading false rumours in town, claiming I am secretly dating a wealthy man. That lie caused my boss to humiliate me publicly in front of the workers during a debriefing meeting.
I also learned that she wanted her friend to take over my job, so she asked her husband to fire me. However, he hasn’t done so because I am exceptionally diligent with my work. People around the site have warned me to be careful with her because they’ve seen how hard I work for the family by cleaning, washing, and taking care of their children.
What Caused The Breakup Between You And Your Ex?
Since then, I have kept my distance. Once I finish my work, I go straight to my room and lock myself in. I don’t talk much because I don’t know what she might do next, and there is no way I can tell her what her husband is doing to me.
I am writing this because things have completely gotten out of hand, and I honestly don’t know what to do next. I don’t want to lose this job because I need to save enough money for my son before I leave, but I am no longer safe here. Please, what should I do?
—Georgina
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<>
