I’m a 24-year-old woman, and I’ve been dating my 35-year-old boyfriend for five years. We met in the village when I lived there with my parents while he lived in the town. Initially, he lied about his wealth, making me believe he had everything. I later found out he was just a commercial motorcyclist. Though angry, I forgave him because of my love for him and advised him to stop pretending.
At that time, I was working with MTN. When his motorcycle broke down, I gave him 120,000 to buy another one. Whenever I visited him in town, I would bring food and cook for him, not knowing he had other girlfriends who also benefited from my efforts.
To cut a long story short, when I was planning to rent an apartment in town last year, my boyfriend told me his rent had expired, and he didn’t want to return to the village. He begged to live with me, and I agreed. I even gave him 20,000 to pay the driver, who brought his belongings to my house and used my money to buy food.
Early last year, I left my job at MTN due to stress and started a POS business with my savings. I asked my boyfriend to look for a job to help out, but he insisted on finding a federal government job, saying he was too qualified for a 40,000 job.
I tried to make him comfortable, even giving him money for his haircuts, but the burden became too heavy. I used my business money for our living expenses until it was gone. Despite this, I didn’t lose hope and started looking for a job as a salesgirl. My rent was about to expire, and I couldn’t return to the village. One morning, my boyfriend’s brother informed him about a contract opportunity he took and earned good money from, and with that money, we moved into a new apartment.
My problem is that this year, I have been working as a salesgirl to support us while saving money to learn a trade. My boyfriend, who now has a job, has changed completely. He no longer cares about me. He eats outside, and when I ask for money to cook, he says he has none, leaving me to go to bed hungry. He gives me only 200 naira for the whole day, and when I complain, he shouts at me, saying making money is not easy.
I can’t bear the hunger anymore, so I am seeking advice. I am considering stopping my training to look for a job that will pay me so I can eat. Please, I need advice.
