It never occurred to me that the man I had once loved would want to undo all of the hard work I had put in. He complimented my ambition when we first met. “My smart girlfriend, the one with two diplomas,” he would proudly introduce me. However, his enthusiasm changed to animosity when I began to advance professionally. Little insults were the first. He would ask, “You think you’re better than me?” following a brief discussion about my workweek.
Subsequently, he subjected me to quiet treatment, engaged in late-night fights, and ultimately threatened me. My freedom endangered his need for control. One day, following yet another furious argument, I went outside to rest. I came back to the smoke. I initially believed there was a fire in the kitchen. However, I discovered my graduation degree, KCSE certificate, and many short-course medals burnt to ashes in a metal basin when I hurried in. Stone-faced and not even embarrassed, he sat there. “You’ll never surpass me again,” he whispered. I sobbed and fell on the ground. To read more click here.
