As I was about to arrive at res, I thought it was disrespectful for me to be quiet and not say anything, so I looked at the boy and asked him, “Can you tell if someone is cheating?”

He looked at me with a smile that reminded me of my evil boyfriend. So I quickly drifted my attention to the question and stared at him with a serious impression.

He then said, “Well, it depends.”

I was waiting for a valid explanation, and not those two cent explanations, as if he was giving me airtime. However, he made me realise he knew more than I did.

As a village girl, that was my first serious relationship. Sex was not on my thoughts back in the day, and when a boy would say he didn’t love me, it wasn’t a big deal for me. I would simply say, “Okay”, stress free. But this time it was different. I love that guy, I mean I loved him, or is it because he took my virginity?

I thought and said to the boy, “What do you mean?”

I could tell he felt sorry for me as he looked at me with worry.

He said, “I’ll tell you on WhatsApp.” He then smiled again, and that’s when I stared right at the pavement.

“For now, take care of yourself. I must go back before my girlfriend notices I’m away. She is crazy that one,” he said with soft laughter that made me think of my early days with my selfish boyfriend.

To tell you the honest truth, I always chatted with that mysterious taken boy, but as we started sharing thoughts about relationships, he became my back bone, a person I could share my deep feelings with. Doing that helped me regain my strength and myself a little bit. I realised from then that people were led to our lives for a reason, and not because they are hunting for a broken heart to trash, or even the soul. So, I texted the boy because I was very desperate to hear about his views on what I was going through.

It’s funny how every girl has that one guy that always has her back in their relationships; yes, that was that boy for me. He would encourage me on what to do and help me reclaim my throne. I didn’t see him as anything else but a friend, or should I say a brother.

Well, on that day, I found out about my boyfriend’s rumours and yes, it was true, he was cheating all along. All those dinner dates and gigs with friends and fellow musicians were in fact dates with that so-called girl. How lucky she was, I thought. I thought of fighting for my man, my evil man, and yes, I did. I gave him a chance and as weeks went by, happiness also started to pick up its pace.

I repeat, I wasn’t always like this. I repeat, I was in love.

Fifteen minutes of happiness fooled my heart once again, and I was back to my misery. That time I wished I was a little girl because injured knees were easier to mend than a broken heart. I cried a lot because of him. I laughed a lot because of him. I believed in love because of him, and then I was heartbroken because of him. It just didn’t make any sense. I was trapped in love. I was not happy, not sad, but trapped in an empty hole. Have you ever been so sad and hurt that it physically hurts inside?

Tell us: Have you ever been truly heartbroken? How did you overcome it?