She Chose A UK Ex While I Waited For Our Wedding

Let’s refer to her as Rose. I chose the name Rose because nothing captures her beauty quite like it. She is intelligent and well-mannered. From the very first day, I trusted her, especially after the challenges she helped me navigate before accepting my proposal. When she finally agreed to marry me, I envisioned our future together: a small family with two children, a boy and a girl.

I introduced her to my parents right away, and she did the same with hers. Our relationship became known to both families, and we decided not to delay our wedding plans.

At the time, I was working as a sales officer for an international distribution company. Unfortunately, my career had stagnated. After nearly five years with the company, I hadn’t received any promotions or training for greater responsibilities. I decided it was time to seek better opportunities. I secured a new job before resigning from my old one.

However, I faced an unexpected setback at my new job. On my first day, I was informed that I needed to wait until some internal issues were resolved before I could start. It turned out that the manager who had hired me had been dismissed, and the new manager didn’t see a need for my position.

I found myself in limbo. I couldn’t return to my previous job, nor could I move forward. I confided in Rose, and she was understanding. She said, “These things happen for a reason. Let’s trust the Lord for a miracle.” So, I held on to hope, praying for a positive turn of events.

Four months passed, and I was still unemployed. I hadn’t received a salary in that time, and my new employer kept telling me to wait for further notice. That “further notice” stretched into nine months without a job or steady income. By then, I had started searching for new opportunities, but nothing materialized.

During this difficult period, Rose began asking about our wedding plans. I reassured her, saying, “There’s never been any doubt about our marriage. Let’s resolve my job situation first, and then we can focus on getting married.” Most of the time, she nodded in agreement, but there were moments when she expressed frustration, saying, “It’s always about you and your job. What about me?”

I understood her concerns. What about her? I was desperate to find any work to save some money. I took on small tasks, but they only brought in minimal income, which wasn’t enough to make a difference. Soon, it had been a year and four months since I lost my job, and I realized I was losing Rose.

She rarely called or returned my missed calls. Her texts became infrequent, and she stopped visiting. She no longer inquired about my job situation. Our connection grew cold, but I refused to give up. I believed that if I found a job, everything would fall into place.

One morning, I called her as usual, but she didn’t answer, just like before. I tried again in the afternoon and evening, but she didn’t pick up. Frustrated, I called her one last time before bed, but still no response. I was furious. I felt I didn’t deserve this treatment, especially from someone I intended to marry.

The next day, I went to her house. I admit I acted out of anger and said things I later regretted, but I was overwhelmed with emotion.

That night, she sent me a message: “This isn’t working. We need a timeout to think about our relationship. I know you want this to work, and I don’t want to lose you either. Let’s take some time to assess our priorities and figure out what we want.” 

I agreed. I needed that time to sort out my job situation, my life, and our relationship. We decided to reconvene in two months to determine whether we wanted to continue together.

A month later, Rose had her white wedding in a church, and the man she married was not me. It was a shocking revelation. What baffled me was how she managed to plan a wedding without me having any inkling. All in just a month!

I was devastated. The pain left me paralyzed. I wanted to pretend it didn’t hurt, but it cut deep. I tried to maintain a brave face, but the weight of the situation was evident in my demeanor.

Months later, we crossed paths at a mutual friend’s wedding. She confessed that she had doubts about when I would marry her, especially since I was unemployed and uncertain about my future. So, when her ex from the UK proposed, she accepted and married him instead. I asked her, “Why didn’t you just break up with me?” She replied, “I didn’t know how to tell you.”

I felt disappointed, not in her, but in myself. I hadn’t been strong enough to maintain her trust. From that day forward, I resolved to move on.

Eventually, I found a job at a different company and got married two years later. Now, I live with my wife and our two children a boy and a girl, just as I had always dreamed.

As for Rose, her husband returned to the UK after their wedding and never came back. She still wears her ring six years later. Despite being married for six years, she has never shared a bed with the man she vowed to love through thick and thin. I can’t say if she’s happy, but I like to think she is, as that’s the only reason I can imagine for her to still wear her ring.

Story by Kobby  
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