Everything’s Better Without You

"Hey, the college girl last night was really good. She only charged 100 dollars per session. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll drink to that."

The all-too-familiar voice came through the receiver. He was my boyfriend of six years.

My hands, which were busy with laundry, froze. Trembling, I ended the call.

Eli Daugherty had cheated on me. Just a moment ago, he had said on the phone, "I'll be back early, sweetheart."

A second later…

"Mom," my daughter cried out in the living room, adding to my distress.

Eli and I had been dating since high school. At 21 years old, I broke up with him after discovering that he was flirting with other women.

One month later, I found out that I was pregnant. The doctor had told me that if I didn't keep this baby, it would be hard to conceive again, especially when I had already lost a child with him when I was 19.

I contacted Eli again, and he was overjoyed. He appeared in front of me within an hour after the call.

I sat on the couch as he knelt before me, crying and begging me to keep the baby. He promised to be a good father. Not wanting to miss out on the chance of being a mother, I agreed.

Since he was underage, we couldn't get a marriage certificate, so we had a simple wedding instead. I moved into his house, but his parents treated me like a maid who worked for free.

Mom was busy with her new family and had no time for me. So, I spent my entire pregnancy taking care of the laundry and cooking.

When our daughter was born, Eli was there, bawling his eyes out. I believed that all the hardships I had endured were worth it.

The sound of the door closing signaled Eli's return. Wiping away my tears, I decided to confront him directly.

"Honey, I'm back," he said. He had a smile on his face, just like when I first met him.

I spoke bluntly, calmly recounting what I had heard on the phone. He got angry and accused me of wrongly blaming an innocent person.

When I asked for his phone, he hesitated and kept making excuses. Knowing him well over the years, I recognized this reaction as confirmation.

I laughed bitterly and questioned, "Is it because I refuse to sleep with you?"

"I'm only 22. If you can't satisfy me, what's wrong with finding someone who can?" He stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

I sat on the couch, unable to sleep all night.

At dawn, a friend request with a woman's profile picture popped up on social media. Within ten seconds, messages started flooding in.

A photo appeared, showing a woman with bare shoulders. Next to her was Eli, sound asleep.

"He will never marry you. So what if you have a daughter with him? We made love all night, and he just fell asleep. Eli told me that he despises you and finds you nauseating."

Although I knew that he had cheated, I never expected him not even to give me a proper explanation.

The photo made me retch uncontrollably. Six years of love had just turned into nothing right at that moment.