14/05/2025
"They said my friends and I have divorced and now we are living a “free life” as we want. People talk as if we should be ashamed. Funny enough, before marriage, nobody cared what we did with our lives. Life was private then. But the moment you marry, your life becomes a public movie where everyone feels they should talk, jûdge, and direct your script, I can't even remember telling the public I was divorced but news was everywhere.
I used to be like them too. I never considered those who left their marriages to be serious people. I thought they were weak, maybe even fancy or rebellious. But that was before I wore the shoes myself. That was before I understood that peace of mind is not something you beg for, and sometimes you have to choose yourself.
Uche, Myself and our other friend didn’t plan to be divorced women. Nobody goes into marriage hoping to fail. But when the reality inside is not what you showed outside, when love turns to survival, you begin to ask yourself: is this what life should be?
Now they say we’re living a “free life” like it’s a cr!me. Please, what is wrong with being free and happy? Should we have stayed trapped just to make people clap for us? I chose my peace. We all did. And that’s not a sin.
Before you jûdge, wear the shoes. Until then, be careful how you label other people’s sûrvival stories.”- chioma
