Chapter 10: Lies of Him

Chapter 10: The Breaking Point

Lagos was supposed to be a fresh start a chance for growth, new experiences, and maybe even a little peace. But Dami's constant suspicion and accusations hung over me like a dark cloud, and I knew something had to change.

I thought about making friends. In school, I'd isolated myself because of Dami his jealousy made it hard to connect with anyone. But now that I was in Lagos, I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistake. I couldn't keep living like this, suffocated and alone. I needed people around me people who wouldn't judge me or accuse me of things I never did.

Even when I tried to stay home, keep my head down, and focus on work, Dami found reasons to accuse me of cheating. It didn't matter what I did he always believed the worst. So why was I sacrificing my happiness for a man who lacked trust, was filled with jealousy, and saw negativity in everything?

One afternoon, I decided to call Dami for one of our usual check-ins. I dialed his number and waited. And waited. The line was busy. I tried again still busy. My frustration grew with every passing minute. I suspected he was talking to another girl. I waited patiently, thinking he'd call back when he was done but he never did.

When I finally reached him that night, I asked why his line had been busy for so long. His response left me stunned.

"You didn't call me," he said flatly.

"What do you mean? I called you for almost 45 minutes!" I said, my voice rising.

"You didn't call me, Lena," he repeated. His voice was calm, almost bored, and that made it even worse. He was gaslighting me twisting reality so I'd question my own experience.

That was the moment my suspicion turned into something darker. I began monitoring his calls, not because I wanted to but because I needed answers. I needed to know if my gut feeling was right. I started calling him even when I didn't feel like talking, just to clear my doubts.

One morning, I woke up with terrible cramps. The pain was so intense I felt like I couldn't move. All I wanted was a little comfort someone to tell me everything would be okay. Naturally, I reached out to Dami. I called him at 8 a.m., hoping he'd pick up and calm me down. The line was busy.

I called again at 8:15. Still busy.

By 9:30, I was in tears not just from the pain but from the rejection. I sent him a text, telling him I wasn't feeling well and needed him. He read it almost immediately but didn't call back. When he finally replied, his excuse was ridiculous.

"I was on the phone with my mom," he said.

I knew he was lying. Dami never called his mom for more than a few minutes, let alone over an hour. My suspicion grew even stronger. I wanted to confront him, but without proof, I knew he'd just deny everything and make me feel crazy for even asking.

The next morning, I decided to surprise him with a video call. When he answered, his background caught my attention immediately it wasn't his usual space.

"Where are you?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"I'm at my gee's place," he said quickly.

But before he could adjust his phone, the camera flipped for a split second and my heart stopped. I saw her. A girl. She was lying on the bed behind him, comfortable and at ease. The image burned itself into my mind.

"Dami," I said slowly, my voice shaking. "Who is that?"

He panicked. I saw it in his face the way his eyes widened, the way his hand scrambled to fix the camera. And then the call ended.

I called him back immediately. No answer. I called again. Still nothing.

I sat there in shock, my phone trembling in my hands. After everything after all the accusations, the suspicion, the pain he was the one cheating. And not just cheating lying to my face about it.

I felt sick. My stomach twisted, my chest tightened, and the room spun around me. I wanted to scream, cry, and throw my phone across the room but more than anything, I wanted answers.

When he finally called back hours later, his voice was defensive.

"Lena, it's not what you think," he said before I could even speak.

"Then tell me," I said through gritted teeth. "What exactly am I supposed to think? I saw her, Dami. Lying on the bed in your room or your gee's room, or whatever story you're going with. Who is she?"

"She's nobody," he said. "Just a friend."

"A friend?" I laughed bitterly. "A friend you were hiding? A friend you ended the call over? Do you take me for a fool?" Huh?

He stayed silent.

"I've given you everything," I whispered, my voice breaking. "My love, my trust, my loyalty. And this is what I get in return?"

"It's not like that," he said weakly. "You're overreacting."

Overreacting. That word snapped something inside me.

"You've accused me of cheating for years, Dami. You've isolated me, controlled me, and made me question my reality. And now, when I finally catch you in a lie, I'm overreacting?"

He had no response.

For the first time in a long time, I felt a surge of clarity. I wasn't crazy. I wasn't paranoid. I had been right all along and the truth was uglier than I ever imagined.

That night, I lay in bed and cried. Not just because of Dami's betrayal but because of everything I'd lost in the process of loving him. My confidence, my friendships, my peace of mind. I had given so much of myself to someone who didn't deserve it and now I didn't even recognize the person I'd become.

But as the tears dried and the sun rose the next morning, I knew one thing for certain: I couldn't keep living like this. Something had to change and this time, it wouldn't be me

The morning after the call, I woke up with a pounding headache and swollen eyes from crying. The ache in my chest was so heavy it felt physical a weight pressing down on me, suffocating me. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the image of that girl on the bed over and over again in my mind.

I wanted to believe there was some kind of explanation. Maybe I had misunderstood, maybe there was more to the story. But deep down, I knew better. Dami's silence after the call, and his defensive tone when he finally called back all told me the truth I'd been too afraid to admit.

He was cheating.

And the most painful part? After everything I had sacrificed for him my peace, my friendships, my happiness he didn't even have the decency to be honest about it.

I stayed in bed most of the day, my phone buzzing with his messages. At first, they were apologetic.

Dami: "Babe, please pick up. Let me explain."

Dami: "It's not what you think. She's just a friend."

When I didn't respond, his tone shifted.

Dami: "So you're ignoring me now? After everything we've been through?"

Dami: "You always want to make me the bad guy. Maybe if you weren't so distant, I wouldn't need other friends."

That last message felt like a slap. I stared at the screen, my fingers trembling. After everything, he was still trying to make this my fault.

I tossed my phone aside and pulled the covers over my head, willing myself not to cry again. But the tears came anyway.

Later that evening, my aunt knocked on my door. "Lena, you've been in there all day. Are you okay?"

I wiped my face quickly and opened the door, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, Aunty. Just tired."

She studied me for a moment, her eyes filled with concern. "You don't look fine. Come out and eat something."

I followed her to the dining table, but the food tasted like ash in my mouth. My thoughts were still stuck on Dami on the lies, the accusations, the betrayal.

That night, I made a decision. I couldn't keep living like this. I needed space and I needed to find myself again.

When Dami called again, I finally picked up.

"Lena! Thank God! Why have you been ignoring me?"

"I needed time," I said quietly. "Time to think."

"Think about what?" he demanded. "You're overreacting"

"I'm not overreacting!" My voice cracked with the force of my emotion. "Dami, I saw her. Lying on the bed in your room. And instead of being honest, you've done nothing but lie and blame me."

"It's not like that"

"Then tell me what it is!" I shouted. "Tell me why you always accuse me of cheating when you're the one being unfaithful!"

He went silent.

"I've given you everything," I whispered. "And you've given me nothing but pain."

"Lena, please"

"I need space, Dami." My voice was firm, even though my heart was breaking. "I can't keep doing this."

"What are you saying?" he asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"I'm saying I need time away from you. To think. To breathe. To figure out if this relationship is worth saving."

He begged. He cried. He promised he'd change. But I'd heard it all before. And this time, I wasn't going to let his words pull me back into a cycle of pain.

When I hung up the phone, I felt an odd sense of calm. The pain was still there, but there was also relief the first step toward freedom.

In the days that followed, I focused on myself. I threw myself into my work, spent time with my cousins, and even made a few friends. For the first time in years, I felt a spark of joy a glimpse of the person I used to be before Dami's love turned toxic.

But Dami wasn't ready to let me go. The calls and messages didn't stop. And deep down, I knew the hardest part was still ahead.

The distance I created between Dami and me didn't sit well with him. At first, his calls and texts were sweet and apologetic the same pattern I had grown so used to.

Dami: "Baby, please talk to me. I miss you so much. You're my everything."

Dami: "I promise I'll change. I'll never hurt you again."

But when I stayed firm in my need for space, the tone shifted.

Dami: "You think you're better than me because you're in Lagos now, right?"

Dami: "I know there's another guy. Don't play me for a fool, Lena."

The accusations cut deep, but I refused to engage. I kept my distance, determined to focus on my industrial training and rediscover my peace. But Dami wasn't one to let go easily.

One evening, after a long day at work, I returned home to find my aunt looking troubled.

"Lena," she said softly, "Dami called me."

My heart sank. "What did he say?"

"He said you've been avoiding him. That he's worried about you. Is everything okay between you two?"

I forced a smile, trying to keep my voice steady. "We just had a little misunderstanding. I needed some space."

My aunt nodded slowly, but the concern in her eyes didn't fade. I knew Dami was trying to manipulate the situation to make himself look like the caring boyfriend while painting me as distant and unreasonable.

Later that night, my phone rang. It was Dami again. I almost didn't pick up, but a part of me still held onto the hope that he'd finally understand.

"What do you want, Dami?" I asked, my voice tired.

"Why are you turning everyone against me?" he snapped. "Even your aunt thinks I'm the bad guy now."

"I never said that," I replied, trying to stay calm. "But I told you I need space."

"Space for what? So you can cheat in peace?"

I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry. "I'm not cheating, Dami. I just… I need time to breathe. To figure out if this relationship is right for me."

He went quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was soft almost broken. "So you're leaving me?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "But I can't keep living like this."

The days stretched into weeks, and slowly, I started feeling lighter. I made friends at work, went out more, and even started laughing again. But Dami's grip wasn't loosening.

One day, I was out with a coworker when my phone started ringing non-stop. It was Dami. I ignored the first few calls, but when the texts started flooding in, my stomach knotted with anxiety.

Dami: "Where are you?"

Dami: "Why aren't you picking up?"

Dami: "If you don't answer me, you'll regret it."

I excused myself and called him back, my hands shaking.

"Where the hell are you?" he demanded the moment he picked up.

"I'm out with a colleague," I said, my voice small.

"A guy, right?" he spat. "You're so predictable, Lena. I knew you'd show your true colors once you got to Lagos."

I hung up before he could say more, tears burning my eyes. No matter how far I tried to run, Dami's control still wrapped around me like a chokehold.

That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. I thought about the girl I had been before Dami vibrant, confident, full of dreams. And I thought about the girl I had become anxious, isolated, and afraid.

I knew something had to change. And this time, I was determined not to let fear stop me.