Zimbabwe: Cheated by a married man

My name is Enesi*, a single mother who was cheated by a sweet talking married man. I fell in love with Lorence* not knowing that he is a father of three. My parents tried in every way to reason with me so that I knew more about Lorence* but I was adamant that he was the right person for me. My mother and my grandmother would have lengthy discussions with me about the matter but I blindly fell for Lorence*’s lies. I would tell him everything and all the doubts that were aired by my parents and everyone concerned but he would label all that as jealous talks. 

I constantly assured my mother that I was still a virgin. In reality I usually hadprotectedand on fewer occasions unprotected sex with Lorence*. I then fell pregnant and Lorence* unsuccessfully tried to convince me to terminate it. I told my parents everything and they reiterated the question of whether Lorence* was a married or singleperson. I told them that he was single though I was then unsure about that.  

When I confronted Lorence* telling him that I could not continue staying at my parents’ place, he started beingagitated. He convinced me that he was planning to marry me properlyand in the traditional way. He then cut short the number of calls and visits to me became fewer. When I asked him why the sudden change all he could say was that it had become suddenly busy at his workplace. Lorence* then shut me out completely because he would neither call nor pay me a visit for four weeks. I then smelt a rat and started to believe the warnings from my parents. 

I paid him an unexpected visit at his workplace and was told that he was away. He had connived with his workmates to lie to me as he expected such a visit from either me or my relatives. I stayed put by his company’s gate and waited for his knock-off time. Lorence*’s superiors who drove in and out of the company premises finally stopped by and asked if I had been assisted. I spilled the beans and he was summoned to his supervisor’s office. He looked shaken when he set his eyes on me. That was when I knew the truth that he was a married man a set of twins andanother child out of wedlock. He was even paying child support to the mother’s child which had been granted by a magistrate’s court. My parents were summoned and we were referred to the human resources department. 

I had since given birth to a baby girl whom Lorence*’s mother wanted to name after herself but my parents refused. My daughter is now four years old and attends a nearby pre-school. Whenever Lorence* meets me all he talks of is that we have sex but I have since told him that it is over between us. I bravely told him that the only connection between us is our daughter. I am intending to approach the magistrate’s court to force Lorence* to pay child support for his daughter.