When Love Changed

Idris stood outside his house for almost five minutes.

The cardboard box containing the few belongings from his office felt heavier than it actually was.

Not because of its weight...

But because it carried the remains of the life he had built.

He took a deep breath before opening the gate.

As soon as Damilola saw him through the window, she smiled.

"You're home early."

Then she noticed the box.

The smile slowly disappeared.

"What's that?"

Idris forced a weak smile.

"Can we sit down first?"

Her heart suddenly became uneasy.

"What happened?"

They sat opposite each other in the living room.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Idris broke the silence.

"I lost my job."

Damilola blinked.

"What?"

"The company accused me of embezzling funds."

She laughed.

"Stop joking."

"I'm serious."

The laughter faded instantly.

She stared at him.

"No..."

"They fired me today."

"And blacklisted me."

The room became silent.

Only the ticking wall clock could be heard.

Damilola slowly stood up.

"No..."

"This can't be happening."

"I know."

"You'll go back tomorrow and explain everything."

"I already tried."

"They didn't listen."

She sat back down.

"So..."

"What do we do now?"

Idris reached for her hand.

"We'll get through this together."

She nodded slowly.

"We always have."

For the first time since leaving CrestPoint Holdings...

Idris felt a little hope.

He believed the woman he loved would stand beside him.

He had no idea that this was the beginning of the end.

•••

Two weeks later.

Idris had submitted over eighty job applications.

Every company gave the same response.

"We're sorry, but we cannot proceed with your application."

Some never replied at all.

His savings were disappearing quickly.

Every morning he woke up early, searched for vacancies, attended interviews, and returned home disappointed.

Still...

He refused to give up.

•••

One evening, Damilola returned from work looking exhausted.

Idris welcomed her with a smile.

"How was your day?"

"It was fine."

"I cooked your favorite jollof rice."

"I'm not hungry."

She walked straight into the bedroom.

Idris stood quietly.

It was the first time she had ignored a meal he prepared.

He convinced himself she was only tired.

•••

Another week passed.

Things became harder.

Electricity bills.

House rent.

Food expenses.

Everything now depended on Damilola's salary.

One Saturday morning, Idris was washing clothes in the compound when he heard laughter from inside the house.

Two of Damilola's colleagues had come visiting.

As Idris entered the sitting room with the laundry basket, one of them smiled politely.

"So this is your husband?"

Damilola forced a smile.

"Yes."

The ladies exchanged awkward glances.

One of them whispered quietly,

"I thought he was still working at CrestPoint."

Before Idris could answer, Damilola spoke.

"He lost that job months ago."

The atmosphere immediately became uncomfortable.

Idris smiled politely.

"I'll leave you ladies to your conversation."

As he walked away, he heard one of them whisper,

"I'm sorry."

Damilola sighed.

"It is what it is."

Those words pierced deeper than she realized.

•••

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks became months.

The cheerful woman Idris married slowly disappeared.

She stopped asking about his interviews.

She stopped praying with him.

She stopped encouraging him.

One evening, Idris entered the kitchen.

"Damilola..."

"Hmm?"

"There's no food."

"I didn't cook."

"I thought maybe you got home late."

She didn't even look at him.

"If you're hungry, cook."

Idris quietly nodded.

"I will."

As he prepared noodles alone in the kitchen, he remembered a time when they laughed while cooking together.

Now...

Silence had replaced love.

•••

Later that night, Idris entered the bedroom.

As he sat on the edge of the bed, Damilola looked up from her phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping."

She shook her head.

"No."

Idris frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the one paying the rent."

He stared at her in disbelief.

"So?"

"So this room belongs to me now."

His heart skipped.

"Damilola..."

"I think it's better you sleep in the guest room."

He searched her face, hoping she was joking.

She wasn't.

"We're no longer in the same position, Idris."

Her voice was cold.

"I have responsibilities."

"I can't continue pretending everything is normal."

For several seconds...

Idris couldn't speak.

Then, without arguing, he quietly picked up his pillow.

As he reached the door, Damilola spoke again.

"Oh... and don't expect me to keep carrying this marriage forever."

Idris stopped walking.

He wanted to say something.

Anything.

But the words refused to come.

He simply walked away.

That night, for the first time since their wedding...

Husband and wife slept in separate rooms.

Lying awake in the darkness, Idris stared at the ceiling.

He wasn't crying because he had lost his job.

He wasn't crying because he had lost his reputation.

He was crying because the woman who once promised to stand beside him...

Was slowly walking away while he was still alive.

Outside, rain began to fall.

Inside the house, a marriage was quietly falling apart.

And somewhere across the city...

Tunde smiled as he looked at a photo of Damilola on his phone.

Everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.