My Ex will pay for destroying my peace

It all began on the 21st of January we had power shortage so I went to my friends place to charge my phone cause I was low of battery. Hey girl what’s up missed me, stop nah angel I don’t like this¿, is it not just one I took now, did you ask me.. Hiaa since when did that one start please is there space I want to plug my phone our light spoilt, go and check I think they should be or you unplug mine, okay so how’s your babe, he’s fine you know I told you I will bill him the money for that slippers, no way, yes way, ahh take it easy on the kind boy I’m now pitting him every time your billing him, hmm is it me that told him to date me beside he’s a nepo baby bro got the money, Buh still take it easy unless he will get tired someday, Ella David is here oo, where’s he, he’s downstairs I don’t know, fast fast angel arrange yourself my brother is here, hmm are you okay is it your brother I came to see beside if he’s here what’s my business, oh God okay okay go inside, my handsome brother the best in the whole wide world this one you came around hope am safe,so I can’t visit my sister again don’t worry sorry for asking aren’t you coming up, nah I’m not staying here for long just wanted to check something bring your phone that work I gave you how far, errm, your not serious oo work I gave you, you didn’t even say let you update me nothing nothing later you will be like give me work. okay okay I will update you can you not embarrass me my friend is here. Your friend, yea her name is angel, I think I like her. David you have started again what happened to Cindy, that one the vibe was not there again, chantel or is it Becky, see Ella if you give me her number I will find you something. I’m not giving any number angel will not even agree, just tell her okay. Okay I will, go now I’m waiting, David!!! do na I think she’s Leaving. Angel erm have you plugged your phone, yea it just entered 20 is like I will leave it in the night I come and carry it, no problem I think my brother likes you, your brother since when did you have brother?, stop na you know who am talking about, I do?, my brother downstairs, okay so. I want to give him your number, I don’t know urmmm, don’t worry he has money just eat his money Okayyy and don’t forget 50% is mine, hmmm you think highly of this your brother, what should I tell him is your name, Ella are you okay, sorry na I was just joking, you need slap I can see it, I love you, I hate you. What did she say, she said okay, yessss hope you put in good words for me, hmmm I have sent it be nice to her. Am off, just like that, yep seen what I came here for, wait wait come and buy for me something at that shop down there, what’s that, jelly okay I will send you something same account right, stop na..me and you know you won’t send anything, oh really later I go run you something okay. What is it why’s your face like that, is it not my brother he doesn’t want to buy for me jelly,at times I’m still wondering how we ended up being friends shift from my body later I’m coming to carry my phone, your wicked. I know and I’m very very happy about that. That was how it started. A simple introduction at my friend Ella's place. A few texts. A smile that made my stomach flip. I didn't know then that the next few weeks would become the biggest lesson of my life,the first week was everything I had ever dreamed of David texted me good morning before my day began Good morning with an emoji smiling face,I hope you slept well. I would reply still half asleep and he would answer immediately like he had been waiting. He asked me about my day about my favorite songs about what made me laugh he told me I had a beautiful mind and that he could listen to me talk for hours I felt seen I felt special I felt like finally someone understood the messy complicated girl that I was every evening he would call me and we would talk until my phone burned my ear he would say things like you're different Angel you're not like the other girls I've met and I would melt because who doesn't want to hear that? He never bought me gifts not like he was not rich or anything but I didn't care because his words felt like gifts I was also scared of billing him cause I felt each text each voice note each late night confession were enough he’s words wrapped around me like a warm blanket I started waking up excited I started looking at my phone every few minutes hoping to see his name my friends noticed they would say Angel you're glowing oo and I would smile and say nothing because what was happening between me and David felt too precious but the second week something shifted at first I didn't want to notice. He would take longer to reply not hours just minutes but for someone who used to reply instantly those minutes felt like years his texts became shorter instead of paragraphs I would get ok and cool and gn I told myself he was busy I told myself he had school work family stuff. I didn't want to seem clingy so I didn't ask I just waited and while I waited I convinced myself that everything was fine he still called but not every night and when he did his voice sounded tired distant I asked him if something was wrong and he said no I'm just stressed about something's at school I believed him because I wanted to believe him I told myself that relationships had ups and downs and that this was just a small down I told myself to be patient to be understanding to be the good girl he always said I was. The third week was worse, he started canceling plans we were supposed to meet up on a Saturday afternoon near his place but he texted me an hour before saying sorry something came up I'll make it up to you I promise I will just stare at my phone feeling a lump form in my throat wanting to cry but I told myself not to be dramatic People cancel It happens but then it happened again and again each time with a different excuse school emergency, feeling sick, each time I swallowed my disappointment and said it's okay take your time because I didn't want to be the difficult girlfriend. I didn't want to push him away by asking for too much I didn't know then that I wasn't asking for too much I was asking for the bare minimum and even that was too much for him the worst came a few days before Valentine's Day I had been planning for week. I saved up my little money and I booked two tickets to see a new movie that had just come out I was so excited I imagined us sitting in the dark theater his hand finding mine in the popcorn bucket I imagined him whispering something sweet in my ear and me pretending to be annoyed but secretly loving it I imagined it all So the next day I casually brought it up what are your plans for valentine there was a pause on his end then he said I actually have an appointment with my doctor for my teeth that day I'm so sorry. My smile froze. Appointment? For your teeth? I asked Yeah it's been scheduled for weeks I completely forgot to tell you I feel so bad Buh I will try to round it up early. I wanted to say you forgot to tell me? We talked every day how could you forget? But I didn't. Instead I said oh okay. I'll make it up to you I promise so what are your plans, huh my plans, yea for valentine, maybe we will probably go see a movie in cinema, that’s so sweet Buh you know we could actually watch a movie in my phone I have Netflix, yea I know, Buh it’s fine let’s see how it goes I believed him. Because I was a fool. Because I had already started building a future with a boy who couldn't even keep a simple date.I kept looking at the tickets on my phone wondering if I should cancel them. But I didn't. I kept them because I wanted to believe that he would still come. That somehow the appointment would get canceled or moved and he would show up at my door with flowers and an apology. That was the kind of fantasy I lived in.The next day he didn't text me. Not once. I sent him a good morning message and it sat on delivered for hours. I sent him an afternoon message asking how his day was. Delivered. I called him in the evening. It rang and rang until voicemail. I called again. Voicemail. My heart started to race. I called Ella.Ella what's going on with your brother? I asked my voice shaking. She sighed. Angel I don't know. Let me try to reach him.She called me back a few minutes later. He's not picking up for me either. Just come over maybe he's at home. I rushed to her place. I was scared and angry and confused all at once. When I got there Ella hugged me and told me to sit down. She made me tea. She said sometimes David just needs space and that I shouldn't take it personally. But how could I not take it personally when he was ignoring me after I had booked tickets for us?As we sat there his name started flashing on my phone. He was calling. Ella looked at the screen and said ignore him. Let him sweat. So I did. He called again. I ignored. He called a third time. I ignored. Fourth time. Fifth time. Each time my heart pounded harder but Ella shook her head. Let him wait.Finally after the sixth call I picked up. Angel! His voice was breathless like he had been running. I'm so sorry. I traveled. Something came up and I had to leave urgently. I didn't have my phone charged I couldn't reach you. Traveled? I said. But you said you had a dentist appointment. I know I know and I'm sorry I forgot to tell you I canceled.I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask why. I wanted to throw the wasted movie tickets in his face. But instead I heard myself say it's okay. I understand.Because that's what good girls do. They understand. They forgive. They swallow their pain and smile. He said he got me something. A gift. He said he would give it to me when he returned. And despite everything despite the canceled plans the ignored messages the lies my heart fluttered. Because he still wanted me. He still thought about me. He got me something. I looked at the movie tickets on my phone and I felt nothing. The money I had saved was gone. The date I had dreamed of was gone. But he got me something so maybe it was okay. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I was the problem.That was the beginning of the end. When he came back I didn’t see him and the gift for days I never did and I kept apologizing to myself for what? I don't even know. For expecting him to show up. For hoping he would be the boyfriend he promised to be. Every time he pulled away I would text him sorry if I was too much. Sorry if I asked too many questions. Sorry for caring. And he would ignore most of the times he knew I had a soft heart he told me once you're always such a good girl Angel. You're so sweet. So understanding. And I glowed under those words because being called a good girl felt like being given a medal. I didn't realize that good girls are easy to manipulate. Good girls don't ask questions. Good girls forgive and forget and smile while their hearts are cracking. I became someone I didn't recognize. I lied to my mom so many times. Mom I'm going to lesson but I was going to see him. Mom I'm staying late at Ella's but I was at his place. Mom I don't know where my money went but I had spent it on transport to his house.I told myself it was romantic. I told myself this was what love cost.I skipped study sessions. I skipped meals. I skipped time with my real friends. Everything revolved around him. When he would text I would drop whatever I was doing. When he would call I would step out of class.I let my own life become a waiting room for his attention. And for what?For a boy who made me feel like I was never enough. For a boy who would disappear for hours then come back with a half hearted apology and expect me to act like nothing happened. For a boy who said he loved my sweetness but used it to take everything from me. I remember one night I was crying in my room. My mom knocked on my door and asked what was wrong. I said nothing. I'm just tired. But I was tired of lying. Tired of pretending. Tired of loving someone who made me feel like loving him was a burden.I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I didn't recognize the girl staring back. She had dark circles under her eyes. She had lost weight. She had stopped writing. She had stopped dreaming. She had become a shadow of the girl who used to believe that love was supposed to make you feel full not empty and through it all he kept saying you're a good girl angel And I kept believing him because I wanted so badly for it to be true but good girls get played. Good girls get used. Good girls get left behind while the boys who called them good move on to someone else without a second glance.I don't want to be a good girl anymore.I want to be the girl who sees a lie and calls it out. I want to be the girl who doesn't apologize for wanting respect. I want to be the girl who walks away at the first red flag instead of collecting them like souvenirs.I want to be bad. Not evil. Not cruel. Just bad enough to protect myself. Bad enough to say no. Bad enough to choose myself over a boy who never chose me. David broke me in ways I'm still discovering. But I'm putting the pieces back together. Slowly. Painfully. And this time I'm not building myself into a good girl. I'm building myself into a woman who knows her worth.And he will pay for what he did. Not because I'll seek revenge. Because one day he'll look at his life and realize he let someone who truly loved him slip through his fingers. And that will be his punishment.