We were having a conversation one day when he told me the next woman he dated would be his wife because he had been through enough and was ready to settle down. I don’t know why, but something about what he said gladdened my heart. We had been friends for so long and talked often, but we never talked about relationships.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO RECEIVE ALL STORIES IN YOUR INBOX

From that day, I decided I was going to do enough to catch his attention. So I would call him and ask if he had slept well. In the afternoon, I would text him something funny, and it would turn into a lengthy conversation. With time, he started responding. He also began waking up and sending me texts.

One day, he asked if I was free that weekend, and I said yes. He told me he was attending a book launch event and wondered if I would go with him. I gleefully agreed. I have a car, but he doesn’t. I bought fuel I hadn’t budgeted for and drove us to the event.

I didn’t know I was going to enjoy it, but I did. We met new people, and he introduced me to them as his friend. There was this married woman he introduced me to, and the lady asked me, “Is it true? Are you two just friends?”

I nodded my head.

She retorted, “Don’t make the mistake of seeing him as just a friend. Look at you two. You fit together like fingers. If you’re the one playing hard to get, please give my brother a chance.”

Then she laughed. Maybe she thought she was joking, but she didn’t know the impact she had on me that night.

On our way home, we discussed everything, including the woman’s comment. He said, “Oh, don’t mind her. Alice is just like that. She teases everyone.”

I told him maybe Alice was seeing something we weren’t seeing, and that was why she said that. I tried to draw him into a conversation about what Alice had said and use that as a springboard to reveal my intentions. But he kept saying we should ignore her. I drove him to a place where he could easily get a car home, hugged him, and we said our goodbyes.

Early the next morning, he called to ask how my morning was going, and the conversation went on for hours. We chatted throughout the day. I was hoping to hear him say he had thought about me during the night. Since he didn’t say it, I told him about a fake dream.

I said, “Guess what? I saw Alice in my dream. She was holding a cane and telling me I should come and accept your proposal.”

He burst out laughing, asking why I had carried her into my dream when I liked her so much.

He came to my house one evening. I set the mood, hoping he would propose or at least say something lovely. I asked him what he wanted in the next woman he dated. The woman he described was exactly like me in terms of character.

I held my breath and waited for him to say something. He kept looking at me suspiciously. I would ask, “What?” and then he would smile and look away. I felt he didn’t have the courage to say what was on his mind, so I asked him, “Why haven’t you said anything to me? I feel there’s great chemistry between us that we can build on. We know each other very well, so what’s left?”

Then he said jokingly, “Eiii, you? Can I carry you when you fall sick one day?”

Then he laughed.

When he saw I wasn’t laughing, he said he was joking. He apologized and said he didn’t mean it in a bad way, but it was because he was lanky and I was tall and thick.

Every good feeling I had developed for him vanished that day. When he said he was leaving, I only walked him to the door and closed it behind him. I was deeply hurt—so hurt that tears rolled down my face. There’s a saying that what people say the first time is the truth. What they say after you’ve complained is just an attempt to save the situation.

When he got home, he texted to say I shouldn’t take it seriously because it was just a joke. I told him I was okay, so he shouldn’t worry. Our conversations continued, but he realized there was emotional distance between us, so he kept asking questions. He would call. He would text. He would act funny to make me laugh. With time, I came back to myself, but not as the same person who wanted him to propose.

Just last week, I woke up to a proposal text on my phone. It was long and romantic. If that message had come before he said what he said, I would have swooned. But this time, I read the text while asking myself, “What changed? I’m still tall and thick. Can he lift me now?”

I Called My Girlfriend And Another Man Answered The Phone

We talked. I asked him to give me time to think about it. What I’m thinking about is this: Would it be a mistake on my part to say yes regardless of what he said? Isn’t that enough of a red flag pointing to the future? I may gain weight again after childbirth. Would he love me the same way?

This question keeps playing in my head. I’m scared, especially because my feelings aren’t as deep as they used to be. Would you say yes if you were me?

—Nora 

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.

******