He was there for you when you needed him; loving you and proving it more than the words he told you. You even doubted he was a straight guy because no man ever treated you like that before. He took his time, not even talking about sex but about a great future he wished to have with you. You were complaining, telling him how bad your past was. He looked straight into your eyes and said, “Baby, you did not plan your past and even your past did not have plans for your future. So I am here now, not in the past and I am planning a future with you.”

He asked you not to come and see him before you finished your assignments and he would ask you to come with the assignments that you were struggling with. He gave you all the methods of studying and gave you confidence by telling you that no subject or module should determine the success of your career. He answered every question you asked, not because he was too intelligent, but because he gave all his attention to everything you asked him.

Then along came a guy who looked physically better and was from a financially stable family. He preached his gospel and you said that his church is better. He told you about how long he had been looking for you but could not… Before he could finish you told him to go look again because he was looking at someone who doesn’t belong to him. The guy left you and said in his heart: “What goes around comes around.” He was not willing to give up, just like your guy who would do everything to keep you in his hands.

You then asked your friend’s opinion about your boyfriend and this other guy who just can’t stop following you. Your friend told you that love can’t pay bills as if you were failing to pay for anything. She told you that you were too young and you needed time to play and enjoy life. “Stop with commitments because you don’t know who is going to be yours forever,” she said. You thought much about it and you believed her. You had been friends a long time and you trusted her. You remembered how many times she said “I told you” and you were scared to hear that from her again; as if she did not enjoy saying it.

The guy approached you again and this time you said, “I will think about it.” That night you had a bad chat with your boyfriend just because your mind wasn’t there. You were thinking about it as promised. He quickly ended the chat to avoid conflict; he hated hurting you. But your friend’s words approached your mind and you started thinking that he cared less about you.

The following day the guy called and asked if you thought about it as promised and you told him you can try but you wanna take things slowly. You told your friend and she didn’t judge you. After a month of receiving airtime and being taken out by your new guy, your friend snuck behind your back and told your boyfriend about your new guy. Your boyfriend wouldn’t have believed, yet he doubted but your behaviour spoke louder than his trust for you.

He then asked; and you judged him and asked how he could think such things about you. He apologised but you didn’t buy it because you didn’t need him anymore. You left him not knowing that you were pregnant with your new guy’s child. A group of girls came and warned you, telling you that you will die for him because one of them was also his Baby Mama. You asked him why he kept such secrets from you and he said that you were annoying. He slowly kept a distance.

Your old boyfriend moved on and had a happy relationship with your friend; he thought she was the loyal one. Your friendship was over and both your relationships couldn’t work. You lost your parents and your aunt gave up on you. You dropped out of school because you kept on failing. The guy who used to help you with assignments was now helping your friend while you were busy with the other guy’s money.

As you swallow your last packet of tablets you know well that hell is waiting for you. Suicide is your only option and now your friend has your picture on her WhatsApp and Facebook profile. Her status: “RIP my friend” as if it makes a difference.

Take your decisions for yourself and never take advantage of anyone’s kindness or loyalty; such people are rare.

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Tell us what you think: Have you ever been taken advantage of? How did you feel about it?