Breakups are never easy especially after dating for so long. It’s even harder when your ex moves on before you. Well, this happened to me and it took me two years to get over the breakup. My boyfriend and I were what some would call couple goals. We were so compatible that we gained a small online audience who followed our relationship journey. However, this would also be the downfall of our relationship.

I met Jack when I was only 20 years old. We were on the same campus and immediately hit it off. Our relationship also took off as quickly and after 2 months, we moved in together. Life was great and for the rest of my campus, we remained together. After university, things became more serious. He came to meet my family and my mother was more than happy I had found someone to settle down with. She gave us her blessing and I officially moved in with him.

However, I started facing challenges. I couldn’t find employment and after nearly a year of searching, I gave up hope. Jack offered to help me establish a boutique business since I couldn’t get work. We started the business and it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me. The business was instantly successful and we ended up opening another shop. I dedicated all my time and effort to the business and it was paying off. We started living a comfortable life and could afford small luxuries thanks to the business. Jack was also happy that I had grown the business.

I wanted to employ another girl to work at the shop and I’d supervise both boutiques. However, Jack advised me to focus on building a family since the business was doing well.

“I’ll be supervising them,” he suggested. “You should start trying to get pregnant.”

This wasn’t the first time that he had suggested I get pregnant. In fact, when we were still in university, he asked if I wanted to have a baby.

“Of course,” I replied. “Just not now.”

I still felt the same. The business was really taking off and I wanted to put all my effort into it for another year or two. Jack had other plans.

“My friends are all having children.” He said.

“You mean Alex? The guy who still lives with his mother?” I asked him.

“But we have a business. We can take care of a child.”

“I think we should wait a bit.”

“Fine.” He agreed easier than I thought. “But we still need people to work at the shop.”

I agreed. I thought getting girls to work at the boutique would give me more time to grow the business. However, it would be the biggest mistake I made in my business and personal life.

“I know some girls who we can employ,” Jack suggested.

I trusted him with the employment process since I knew he was a professional and he was also loyal. Within a week, he had found and employed the girls. I hadn’t met them but I trusted my boyfriend to choose professional girls.

It had been a month since I went to the shop but I noticed that our sales were going down. When I got to the boutique, I was met by a light-skinned curvy girl who couldn’t be bothered to welcome me. She looked at me without saying a word.

“Hello,” I said.

“Hi.”

“Are you Anita?”

“Yes. Who are you?” she asked a bit rudely.

“I’m Martha.”

She was shocked but tried to hide it.

“Oh. Welcome, madam.”

“Why is the boutique doing so badly?”

“It’s been a slow month.”

“Have you ever worked at a boutique before?”

“No, I used to be a tea girl.”

I left after the brief interaction wondering why my boyfriend would hire such an unprofessional person. However, when I tried to confront him about it, I was met with hostility.

“Is it your business or mine?” he asked.

“It’s our business,” I answered.

“No, it’s mine. I put in the investment money. You didn’t contribute a cent.”

“But…”

“But nothing. What were you even doing there?”

“I went to check on the business since sales aren’t good and my suspicions were right. The girl is incompetent. You should let her go.”

He laughed but I didn’t understand why. he didn’t fire her. In fact, he did nothing as the boutique continued to go down. The other boutique also started suffering financially. The financial problems caused a rift in our relationship and after a few months, we broke up.

The breakup hit me hard since I had been with him for over five years and we had built a life together. tried tirelessly to mend the relationship but Jack wasn’t having it. He insisted that he had already moved on and that I should do the same. I refused to believe that he had moved on and that our relationship was over. However, I found out that indeed, Jack had moved on and he was in a relationship with the lady he had hired.

She was the reason for our breakup and it was humiliating. How could a tea girl replace me? I couldn’t accept it and I tried my hardest to win Jack back. However, after two years of trying, I finally came to terms with the breakup. The experience really damaged my self-esteem. I had to move back in with my mother as I tried to find employment. Between looking for employment and trying to rekindle my relationship, I was emotionally and mentally drained.

Luckily, I got a job that distracted me from the breakup. I also got new friends at my new job and I was able to move on. To this day, I still can’t believe I pursued Jack for two years trying to get him back. My life is far better than it was when I was with him. I opened my own boutique which is thriving and I’m in no hurry to be in another relationship.