A step ahead.

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“Guy! What are you even saying? You got your girlfriend pregnant, and you want her to get rid of it, why?”

“What do you mean why? What do you mean girlfriend? It wasn't that serious please. Trisha and I were just wasting time.” Stanley defended.

“Omg! I can't believe I'm friends with a scoundrel.”

“Jerry, please leave all this talk. My girlfriend of over 4 years is coming from the abroad, how do you want me to explain all this to her? I need Trisha to not be pregnant and also to not be in a relationship with me anymore.”

“What kind of human being is this one God? Can you listen to yourself Stanley? You are sounding like a mad man.” By now, Jerry was already fuming and up on his feet ready to leave.

He continued, “men! I can't with you guy, I have sisters and I honestly will go extreme on any guy who tries to treat them this way. Carry your cross please, I'm out” Jerry unplugged his phone from charging, wore his shoes and exited Stanley's apartment.

“Some friend you are," Stanley yelled from his door post, but Jerry gave him no response.

After Jerry left, Stanley had a battle with self, he knew Sophia, his abroad girlfriend will forgive him for cheating, but getting another woman pregnant was where she drew the line. On Trisha's end, despite being fond of her, his loyalty lies with Sophia as they have been together for long.

“Trisha I can afford to lose, but Sophie? Naa, I can't lose Sophia. She's my life and I can't betray her trust like that.” Stanley took a deep breath as he continued his conversation with self.

The following day, Stanley had taken the bull by the horn and ended things with Trisha via text. Surprisingly, while waiting for an outburst, Trisha just blocked him without a word.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he concluded that the Universe was by his side as he went on to prepare for Sophia who was coming into the country in a week time.

As Stanley prepared for Sophia's coming, he tried to bury the hatchet with Jerry because he would need him to be around and assist with welcoming Sophia.

Sophia and Jerry had spoken on the phone a couple of times, he didn't really think Sophia would come all the way from her country to be with Stanley.

Everything seemed like play to Jerry until he was at the airport with Stanley to pick up Sophia.

“Wow! Sophia?” Jerry inquired, while Stanley reached out to her luggage.

“Yes and you must be Jerry. Am I correct?” Sophia asked, smiling as she stretched forth her hand for a handshake.

“Oh yes, I'm the Jerry and need I say that you look more beautiful in person.” Jerry teased.

“Stop it!”. Sophia giggled.

“Aww is someone turning red?” Jerry teased some more.

“Ehhh… Ermmm!!”, Stanley rudely interrupted Sophia and Jerry as he cleared his throat and continued, “Stanley is right here guys.”

“And what if Stanley is right here? You jealous that your girlfriend might find me more attractive than you?”

“Ha ha Jerry, very funny”, Stanley responded. They all laughed, as both men shared the luggage and walked Sophia to Stanley's car.

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It's been over a month since Sophia's visit and all was going well between her and Stanley. They were in love and literally did everything together.

Stanley felt like a lucky man and would always brag about Sophia to Jerry and the other of his guys.

He would talk about Sophia at work and how she's homely and willing to adapt to his culture.

Sophia and Stanley's relationship felt like the perfect fairy tale, but then gradually, Sophia started going out without Stanley. She started doing things without Stanley and even made some new friends, of which Stanley did not object to.

However, the problem started when Sophia started wanting them to be cautious with intimacy. At a point, she stopped being intimate with Stanley, and he got frustrated such that he ran to Jerry to pour out his frustration.

“Guy, this your babe, I don't understand the both of you, are you guys getting married? Is she going back to her country? What's really going on with the both of you?” Jerry questioned as he chuckled underneath his breath.

“You see, when you start to ask foolish questions like this, it gets me irritated. Is that the bone of contention now? I'm telling you Sophia is no longer intimate with me, you are asking country, marriage, what does that have to do with anything?” Stanley fumed.

“A lot! A lot my guy, because you seemed to have forgotten so soon what you did to Trisha. Sophia is just being careful, now it's left for you to reassure her of your commitment. But from the way that you are sounding, you don't even have plans for the both of you." Jerry hissed as he swayed his head from side to side.

Later that evening, Stanley had already made up his mind to have a heart-to-heart talk with Sophia. As they had dinner, he noticed Sophia not being into the meal like she usually would.

“Is everything ok, babe?” Stanley questioned.

“Yes babe, just had a long day” Sophia responded, avoiding eye contact.

At this point, Stanley paused on his food. He dropped his cutlery and reached out to Sophia's hands, but she withdrew it.

Frustrated, Stanley blurted, “what's going on Sophia? You don't love me anymore? You would rather not be in a relationship with me anymore?”.

“Stanley you are yelling.” Sophia responded calmly.

“Of course, I will yell Sophia because you are frustrating me”

Still calm, Sophia responded as she pushed out her chair to exit dinner, “well I guess I should move out then, since you are already frustrated with my presence.”

“Sophia, I didn't say that.” Stanley said calmly, trying to salvage the situation.

“You don't have to say anything, it's already too late”. Sophia exited dinner and went to the guest room for the night.

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The next morning, noticing that Sophia was still angry at him, Stanley fixed himself breakfast and left for work.
A Cold War he had felt was his first fight with Sophia, actually became their last.

Upon returning home from work, Stanley noticed that Sophia and all her belongings were gone. The whole thing was too overwhelming for him to process, prompting him to run to Jerry for help and emotional support.

All effort to reach Sophia proved abortive, and her lines were no longer connecting.

The entire experience felt like a bad dream to Stanley, and he kept wishing the nightmare will be over and Sophia would come back.

His hopes were cut short when a few months passed, a heavily pregnant Sophia updated her social media profile with another man.

Sophia tagged the picture 2 years down, forever to go…