07/07/2025
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘀
Dearest gentle reader,
This author has witnessed many a scandal, but none so cunning as the art of holding one hand while texting another, or worse, showing love that was never real to begin with.
They say we live in a time where love is free. But it appears that cheating now comes with a discount, where it is offered casually, carelessly, and more often than one would dare admit.
This author wasn’t supposed to write this. And yet, here we are. Because lately, betrayal has become a routine. A shrug. A ghost emoji at 2 a.m. sent after doing the unforgivable. Good people are getting broken, not simply because they were left, but because they were played. And this author has grown tired of pretending it’s acceptable.
Let’s begin with the first tale. Two people. A mutual understanding. Shared smiles. Late-night conversations. The start of something that could have grown into something more. But even at the earliest stage, he was already elsewhere. Chatting up other girls, and flirting like loyalty was optional. Hearts, to him, were tokens. And he was on a collecting spree.
Apologies came, of course. Smooth. Rehearsed. Almost believable, until the cycle repeated. Again. And again. Until she had no choice but to walk away, holding pieces of herself she didn’t even shatter. Only to discover, not long after, that he ended up with someone she once called a “friend”.
The betrayal? Double.
The audacity? Off the charts.
But alas, gentle reader, the scandal does not end there.
Another tale soon reached this author’s ears. A softer story, quiet and sincere. Two boys. One still finding the courage to step into the light. But even in the shadows, he loved deeply. He chose. He stayed. Because the other made him feel safe. Seen. Held. For a moment, it seemed the universe was finally kind.
Until it wasn’t.
Until sweet reassurance became painful silence.
Until hand-holding turned into heartbreak.
Until the one who said, “you’re the one I’ll grow old with” suddenly said, “I don’t see you in my future.”
What kind of love speaks of forever, only to vanish the next day? What kind of person smiles through a beach trip, meets the friends, pays the bill, then delivers a goodbye as cold as low tide?
Is it still cheating if no third party exists, but the lie was the love itself?
This author dares to say: yes.
Because this isn’t only about physical infidelity. This is about emotional betrayal. About giving someone hope only to rip it away without warning. About pretending to care while quietly planning your exit. About being a coward wrapped in romantic gestures.
To those who flirt for fun, who entertain others while someone waits, who love bomb and ghost as if it’s a hobby, to those people, may the damage you’ve done echo back to you one day. Loudly. Clearly.
And to those who were left behind, confused and crying over someone who swore they wouldn’t leave:
You were never “too much.” You were simply too real for someone who was only pretending.
Because love, dear reader, is not a game.
And cheating, whether physical, emotional, or digital, should never be seen as normal. Not now. Not ever. It is a choice. A selfish one. And it ruins people in ways you may never see.
So, if you are not ready to love someone fully, then do not dare start something you never intended to protect.
This has been a tale of heartbreak, betrayal, and unspoken truths. And if any of this feels a little too familiar… well, that’s no coincidence.
My name is 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻. You do not know me, and rest assured, you never shall. But be forewarned, dear reader—
I certainly know you.
Illustration by Abdul Malik Gampong
