We started 2023 with big dreams, me and my girlfriend. We wanted to get married before the end of the year. After marriage, we would start a business together. Two years later, we would start making babies and make a big family. Everything was written down in her journal. I even signed under it and wrote, “So help us God.”

We were on course when she fell seriously sick. I had to invest the money I’d saved into her healthcare. I’m not saying I’m the only one who took care of her but a lot of my money went into it. Two surgeries, blood transfusion here and there, supplements and others I’ve forgotten to mention.

When she came back home, we had to postpone everything. Apart from the money that we didn’t have, she was also not stable with her health so we pushed our dreams to 2024. We didn’t have to change anything. We only changed the date.

Just last night, on the 31st of December 2023, we were supposed to go to church together. She wasn’t feeling well plus we had already gone to church in the morning so she told me she would stay home and join a church on the TV. I agreed and went to church alone.

At 10 p.m. I called her line to check if she was doing well. We talked for a minute or so. So she was cheerful. She told me she was good and was enjoying the service on the TV. I said goodbye and she responded. I didn’t cut my line. It wasn’t intentional. I heard a voice of a guy. I heard the sound of glasses. I heard giggles and loud music. What they were saying wasn’t clear because their words were swallowed by the music in the background.

I left the church and went to her house. The lights were off but their voices were on. I stood behind the window. They were making love, it sounded like. I called her phone. I could hear it ringing where I was standing but she didn’t pick up the phone. I stopped and sat behind the window until 11:43 p.m. when the door opened. She walked out with a guy. I called her name and she froze. The guy kept walking until he hopped into a waiting Bolt.

On the 31st of December 2022, I went home after church to see my room had been burgled. They took everything, even the carpet on the floor. She was with me. She told me, “We have life. We can do it again.” So Last night, I asked her, “Can you in all good conscience tell me we have life so we can do this again?”

I have life. I will build what’s broken again.

With someone else.

—Seth

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