I met him at my new job in 2018, when I was 26. We got into a relationship soon after, and he told me his ex was getting married in 3 months. He said they were still friends and had mutually broken up because of family differences her family wouldn’t accept him. He didn’t want to tell her about us because he didn’t want to break her heart. I believed him, thinking she’d be married soon anyway. But she found out about us and started tormenting me mentally. Whenever I complained, he brushed it off, saying, “She doesn’t know about us. Let it go.”
I tried to, but her constant mental abuse took a toll. By the time of the first lockdown, I was so frustrated that I finally revealed our relationship. She later claimed she realized her mistake and wanted to stay friends with both of us. I couldn’t stand the sight of her after everything she did, so I refused to be her friend. He, of course, kept her in his life, and I knew he’d never cut her off, no matter how much she manipulated him with emotional blackmail.
I supported him through his family, financial problems, and responsibilities, even though I had my own loans to worry about. He always said we were basically married, just not in front of everyone. I waited for him until I turned 31, despite the enormous pressure from my family and friends to get married. I even fought with them, saying I wouldn’t marry anyone else. He promised to talk to my family when the time was right. Then, I found out that his ex, who was supposed to be married, wasn’t.
She had moved out of her parents’ home without telling them and was spending weekends at *his* house. She even went on trips with his family and started helping them financially. Suddenly, his mother, who once encouraged me to fight for him, was asking, “Why aren’t you married yet? Are your parents looking for other matches?” I was shocked. I confronted him, asking why his ex was staying at his house and why his mom was now against our marriage. After six years of waiting and fighting for him, he told me, “We’re not made for each other.
You should move on with your life.” He said he wasn’t cheating on me, but that things had changed, and she was there to support him. I don’t know what to do anymore. I gave up everything for him, and now, at 32, I’m left with nothing. He used to tell me he couldn’t live without me, but now he’s gone, leaving me with no direction. He even asked me why I couldn’t be like other girls who “do time pass” and then marry someone well settled. Being loyal and honest was my biggest mistake.
I have no friends, and everywhere I go, people look at me with pity for being alone. I don’t even have the courage to tell my family that he left me. I feel like the worst thing that ever happened to my parents. I hate myself. I’ve lost everything, and I have no idea what to do with my life. I suck.