LACES & STRINGS EPISODE ONE

LACES & STRINGS

Episode One

I know better than anyone that this won’t be easy. But I’m ready to walk through it.

For years, I poured my heart into people who barely gave me anything in return. I accepted scraps of love, leftovers of affection, as though I didn’t deserve more. I laughed it off, convincing myself it was enough. Lol. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t.

Then came Tade—the worst of them all. The one who made me see myself for who I really was. Or rather, who I had allowed myself to become.

Three months of being with him, and I began to notice something: people treat you the way you treat yourself. I had spent so long accepting the bare minimum that it became my reality. But then, one day, everything shifted.

I was at a conference, just another event I attended out of obligation. The educator on stage spoke about self-worth, and as I listened, something in me cracked open. It wasn’t their words alone—it was the weight of realization pressing down on me. Right there, in that room full of strangers, I finally understood.

I had been settling.

Not just in love, but in everything. My friendships, my career, the way I let people speak to me, dismiss me, treat me like I was an option rather than a choice. And the worst part? It was my fault.

I doubted myself for so long that I let others do the same. But I see it now, and I’m ready to fix it.

That night, I got home, picked up my phone, and sent the text.

“Hi Tade, these last few months were for us to get to know each other, and now I do. Deep down, I know you’re not the man I want to spend the rest of my days with. Thanks.”

I hit send.

Seconds later, my screen lit up with his reply.

“Ok.”

Not even “Okay.” Just “Ok.”

And in that moment, I knew—I had made the right decision.

But I wasn’t hurt. Not even a little.

I was free.

For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. Because I had finally found myself.