'I stood by my husband when he had nothing; now he wants me out'

After helping her husband to where he is now, Lizzy is about to be sent out of the house by the same man.

 

My name is Lizzy, a 36-year-old married woman with four children. I have been married for 15 years now but as I write this with tears in my eyes, my marriage is about to crash due to no fault of mine.

My husband, Fred, is hell bent on taking a new wife now that things have looked up for him. This is the time that he family believes he is man enough to take a new wife to befit his status.

Fred has forgotten that I was the one who stood by him when things were so bad and his so called friends and family abandoned him.

He has failed to remember how much I suffered shame, disgrace, mockery and degradation just because I stood by him against the advice of my family because I knew that things would be better one day.

When I met and fell in love with Fred, he was just a struggling young man who had next to nothing. He worked in a shipping company but the salary was so poor that he could not even afford a decent accommodation.

He lived in a boys quarter in a crowded compound in a Lagos suburb but I did not mind because I loved him with all my heart. I was practically fending for Fred with my little salary. I would borrow money from my friends and even my office to take care of Fred.

I would even collect money from men who asked me out only to spend on Fred, believing that I was investing in my future husband.

Then I got pregnant and we had to get married but Fred did not have any money for us to solemnize our marriage, so I had to take a loan from my office and borrow from my sisters just so that we would cover our shame.

After our wedding, I had to source for money for us to get a better apartment and we moved in. I was the one taking care of the home from day one as Fred's office was owing him for so many months.

For good eight years, I was the one taking care of the home, paying the rent, school fees, food and gave my husband pocket money as well.

Even when I wanted to complain, I had to caution myself, knowing that everyone would blame me if they got to hear what we were going through.

Then God smiled on us when Fred got a contract to help clear some good for a manufacturing company and that was when the big break came. He did a very good job of it and the company placed him on a retainership.

From there, other jobs came and he set up his own clearing agency and later went into the importation of goods himself. Within a short while, the business flourished and things took a turn for the better.

Within five years, we had moved into our own house, our children moved to a better private school and things looked up for us.

But just when I was thanking God for enduring with my husband and getting set to eat the fruits of my labour, Fred dealt me a heavy blow by telling me he wanted to take a second wife.

He explained that he family and community wanted him to take a title that would require him to take another wife. I was shocked and when I questioned him where those people were when we were passing through hell, my husband just walked out on me.

He even had the guts to tell me to calculate how much I spent while he had nothing so that he could pay me off. he has vowed that nothing would stop him from taking the second wife and has told me that I either take the situation as it is or I pack out of his house.

I have been crying so much and I keep wondering how treacherous a man can be. I need help fast.

Lizzy."

Dear readers, having gone through Lizzy's heartbreaking story on Morning Teaser today, what do you think she should do?

Use the "Comment Box" below for you suggestion.