Fading Fairytale
She held a knife in one hand and a rope in the other, contemplating which would hurt less. Scanning her room, wondering if her ceiling fan would hold or fall apart from her weight. She had gained a lot in the past months; her body, which used to be her greatest asset, didn't please her anymore. Her coping mechanism was food, but this time it was a means to kill herself.
Tosin wasn't always like this. She used to be the life of every party, with guys flocking around her every chance they got, not just for her looks but also for her smarts. Until Philip came around during her NYSC program, she had never been in a relationship.
Philip was everything she had read in books. If it were a movie, he would definitely be the male lead. He didn't seem to be interested in any girl, but always had a smile for Tosin. On the last day of the NYSC orientation camp, he asked her to be his girlfriend, and she said yes. They would be serving in the same state, so why not, she thought.
Just like that, Tosin and Philip started working together as corp members in a company. They decided to live together to cut costs. It was a fairy tale moment; he seemed to understand her and went out of his way to please her.
After some months in the company, Philip was assigned to work directly under the CEO’s daughter, Anita, who acted as CEO whenever her father was away. Like a beautiful meal turned sour, things changed. Philip was never in their shared apartment for more than two days a week. He gave excuses whenever Tosin brought it up. At work, they couldn't talk because he was occupied with working for Anita.
Tosin didn't really mind or read too much meaning into it, until one day. She was on her way to submit a file to the acting CEO, Anita. She was excited because she would get a glimpse of her man. Her hand on the doorknob, she heard Philip crying and yelling at Anita. He was asking why she infected him with HIV. He went further to say his girlfriend had been caught up in the mess too because he had not been using protection with her. Tosin barged in, but her legs gave up on her, leaving her to fall to the floor. She had to have heard wrong; Philip would never hurt her.
