They’d been dating for months now. As far as he was concerned, everything was going great, and they were both the happiest they’d ever been.
But when he entered the house that night, he felt something was terribly wrong. He eased through the corridor, fearing the worst. He slid the bedroom door open. What he found made him step back.
Cayde was an ordinary guy living in Houston, Texas. Like many people at twenty-two, he was almost clearing college and figuring his way around adult life.
For Cayde, the goal was to have a stable job, a sustainable apartment, a car, and a great relationship. So far, he’d landed the first three. The last one proved to be challenging until he met Barbra.
For Cayde, Barbra was all he’d ever wanted in a girlfriend. She was funny, intelligent, and resourceful. She also looked like she belonged in a magazine.
The two met at the movies, and Cayde knew Barbra was the one. After a few dates and a ton of conversation, the two started living together. Cayde’s dream came true, but it would soon become a nightmare.
Trouble started a few weeks after Cayde and Barbra moved in together. Cayde worked throughout the day and spent most nights at school. Although Barbra assured him she understood, he could see the pain and loneliness in her eyes.
Cayde tried all he could to make up for his absence. He even moved around some of his classes to be available on some nights. But it wasn’t enough.
Cayde started noticing little things about Barbra that told him trouble was brewing in paradise. She wouldn’t embrace him the way she used to when he came home in the morning. She’d object to things she used to love doing with him.
He didn’t want to believe she was falling out of love with him, but that night well convinced him.
The week that changed everything started as the others did, with a dejected Cayde. But that morning, Barbra was suddenly smiling. She was all over him, as chirpy as she’d once been.
Barbra’s change in behavior caught Cayde off guard. But he was thankful that she was lively again. That day, he couldn’t think straight at work and spent his eight hours texting her. Their old life was slowly returning to them.
That night, Cayde sat through his classes, praying they would breeze through as his hours at work had. He was still talking to Barbra, who’d promised him a homecooked meal and their favorite movie as soon as he got home.
Half the classes were already over. But although the night started well, it wouldn’t turn out as Cayde projected.
Cayde’s lecturer called in a random assessment test. He’d requested all the students to turn off their phones. Knowing that such tests took two to three hours, Cayde called Barbra to apologize.
Although Barbra told him it was alright, he knew he’d broken her heart. He raced home as soon as he cleared his test. What he found made his lips part as tears flooded his eyes.
Cayde pushed his front door open, finding Barba asleep on the couch. She’d set the table with his favorite meal, which was cold now and had watched his favorite movie alone.
Cayde’s heart broke again that night. He knew he wasn’t doing right by his girlfriend and wondered how much hurt she’d take before leaving him. Pain shot through him at the thought, and he spent the night awake next to Barbra.
When Barbra woke up in the morning, she assured him everything was fine. But the way she acted ran contrary to her words. Cayde tried to explain himself, but she stared at him blankly.
Cayde reached out to one of his close friends for advice, and after the conversation, decided to do something he hoped would save his relationship.
Cayde requested a few hours at work but with more workload to compensate. He also moved some of his classes to earlier in the day to more nights with Barbra.
The relationship started thawing again. For the first time in weeks, Cayde saw Barbra genuinely smile. The beauty and wit she’d once embodied came back full force. But he didn’t know the end was near.
That night, Cayde had expected to spend the night at school since he was clearing his mid-terms. But the lecturer rescheduled at the last minute, giving him a free night to spend with Babra.
Cayde rushed home, looking to surprise Barbra. But when he entered the house, something felt wrong. He hurried to his room, sliding his door open. He took a step back.
Barbra lay in their bed. Next to her was a man Cayde had never seen before. Cayde’s lungs clenched tightly, squeezing all the air out.
He took another step back. Anger welled within him, and he saw himself rushing into the room to fight. But what point would that prove? Then he had an idea.
Cayde took photos of Barbra and her friend. Uploading them to Facebook, he wrote, “When you come home to another man in your bed with the one you loved! Good men deserve good women.”
He tapped Barbra’s shoulder to wake her up but realized she was tipsy. Hurt, Cayde walked away. But he did something even he didn’t think was possible.
Cayde pulled the photos from Facebook. He knew his relationship with Barbra was over, and although it stung to admit it, he was glad. He’d gone out of his way to try and make it work. He wished she would’ve done the same.
Although the photos were no longer on Facebook, people worldwide already saw them. They sympathized with Cayde, commending him for walking away from such a dire situation.