Love Lost, Found Again

I had been in a relationship with Yusuf for ten years, and on the morning we were supposed to get our marriage license, I found myself standing at the courthouse, waiting.

He never showed up.

Determined to find out why, I drove to his office where he was working. As I gently pushed the office door open, I overheard him speaking to a female student.

"I'm not planning on getting married right now. Besides, she's pregnant with my child; she won't be going anywhere."

Through the narrow opening, I watched them, lost in affection and whispers, as if they were wrapped in their own world.

Without a word, I turned away and made a call.

"Set up an appointment for me. I need to schedule an abortion."

---

Yusuf and I had been together for a decade.

We met in grad school, working side by side on experiments and searching for research topics. Later, he talked about his dream of a career in academia, but financial constraints held him back from pursuing a Ph.D.

I put my own research on hold and found a job to support his education. Back then, it was relatively easy for a graduate to land a job, and I quickly found a position in a pharmaceutical company, gradually working my way up to become a manager.

Every month, after covering essential expenses, I wired the rest of my salary to Yusuf's bank account, worried he might struggle.

I knew how demanding grad school was, and pursuing a doctorate was even more grueling.

Yusuf was constantly busy, practically living in the lab.

Concerned about his health, I would find the time to cook and deliver meals to him at the lab whenever I could.

Before this, I hardly knew how to cook an egg, but soon became adept at both household chores and cooking, becoming the quintessential girlfriend.

After five years, Yusuf completed his Ph.D. and became a university professor.

He had grown into such a refined gentleman that it was hard to recognize the awkward boy he once was.

Six months ago, he proposed to me, convinced that today was the perfect day to get married.

We were supposed to get our marriage license today, but he was nowhere to be found.

I called him countless times, but his phone was unreachable, so I drove to his university.

When I opened the office door, I distinctly heard a girl's playful voice, followed by Yusuf’s clear words:

"I'm not planning on getting married right now. Besides, she's pregnant with my child; she won't be going anywhere."