CHAPTER ONE
Steph had just returned home after another long weekend with her boyfriend, George, who she had met online. At first, their relationship felt like a dream. George adored her. He was everything she thought she wanted – he was attentive, generous, and deeply in love with her.
For six months…
…things seemed to be going well. Compared to her previous relationships, things with “generous George” were actually going very well! But then, Steph discovered something that explained a lot of his strange behaviors since his promotion at work. George had been diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) shortly after graduating from uni. He had said it casually one evening after a particularly heavy session with his old school mates, who had come round for a “meeting” – short for drinking too much and rehashing the same war stories at every gathering
It seemed like the added responsibility at work had brought on his otherwise repressed traits – the excessive control, the constant need to micromanage, the near manic attention to detail, and his unpredictable mood swings…
Suddenly, everything made sense
As soon as Steph walked through the door, her grandmother greeted her with excitement. “Oh, my girl, what did you bring for us”? she asked, eyes twinkling with expectation. Steph smiled faintly. Her family was always eager to see what presents she had brought back. She lived in a full house with her parents and her younger siblings – the 3 Cs, Chiboy, Chioma, and Charlyboy. The kids gathered round, waiting eagerly for the gifts from generous George, while the older folks kept a dignified but curious distance. The moment she stepped away, the 3 Cs scrambled.
Steph walked quietly to her room. She should have been happy; after all, generous George was not just generous to her but to her entire family. And yet, deep down, she felt nothing.
Monday: The Routine Begins Again
It’s early morning and as expected, George’s calls start flooding in. He had made it a habit to video call her at least eight times a day. It was suffocating. She sighed as she picked up. “Hello, baby, can you see me?” His face filled the screen. He was standing in what looked like a clothing store. “I found this new place near my office and thought I’d do some shopping for you”. Steph forced a smile. “Yes, babe, I can see you. That’s so thoughtful of you. Thank you”.
George was thoughtful, there was no denying that. He was loving, and incredibly giving. But he was also controlling. And worse – verbally abusive. If she missed his calls, even for a moment, he would explode. “Where the hell were you?” he would demand, his tone sharp and accusing. “You think I don’t know you’re messing about?”
Every small argument turned into an opportunity to insult her family
If she wore a sleeveless top, showing even a little skin, he would lash out, and ask her to change. He wanted her to switch SIM cards, to cut off the outside world, to move in with him so he could have her all to himself. But she had managed to hold him off so far. She loved her family too much to ever leave them for a man she wasn’t sure about. The truth was, she had already fallen out of love with him.
She had never cheated. She simply didn’t love him anymore. But she kept stringing him along because he was generous. His gifts, his money, his attention… it all made life easier, not just for her, but for her entire family.
Yet, every time he called her names, every time he tried to control her, every time he made her feel like a possession instead of a person, she felt the weight of the relationship suffocating her. Even sex with him was a struggle. She actually never really desired him. There was no passion, no spontaneity. It was an obligation – something she did, not out of love, but like a duty. But now it felt worse. Like a chore.
And for how much longer could she keep up the act, she wondered?
