‘Soft Life Only’ has become a common phrase young people nowadays. It is used to imply they want nothing to do with stress or any form of hardship. I had the same mentality when I graduated from Uni in 2013. I was very beautiful (safe to say I still am), and can say on authority that being very pretty comes with its own perks. People hand you freebies and favors when you least expect it.
In my situation, I got a job offer right after my National Service period. Was I qualified enough for it? Probably. But I know there were other people who were more qualified than I was, but the CEO liked me. He recommended me to HR to be hired as a receptionist at the company. A few weeks later, he asked that I be assigned as his Personal Assistant.
As much as he was kind to me, I wished I would remain a receptionist because working close to him meant other things. From the way he kept flirting with me, I knew it was just a matter of time before he started asking for sex.
The Real Soft Life
When I became his P.A, he would buy me expensive jewelry and gifts I couldn’t afford in a thousand years. With time, I began to like him for real. Anytime he had a meeting out of town, we would lodge in fancy hotels and do unthinkable things. Office romance was not out of the question.
He got me my first car two months after I became his assistant.
Older women in other departments cautioned me to be careful and that I’m not the first but I was too in love to pay attention to anyone.
He promised that after a while, he would move me to the Accounting department to work with my actual degree. Truth is, I became so comfortable that I didn’t want any changes.
Our affair continued for two years until a new National Service personnel joined the company in 2018. I noticed he no longer wanted me to escort him on his trips anymore. The monthly allowances were no longer coming and he began acting unusually professional with me. I tried complaining over text, only for him to tell me to leave him alone if I wanted to keep my job. It wasn’t easy but there was nothing I could do about it.
I heard rumors that he was going out with the new NSS girl but again, I had no right to complain.
The Tragedy
One Friday, he invited me on one of our usual business trips and I was very happy. I thought things were about to get normal, only for this man to ask me to resign. I argued with him ; explained to him that he can’t just fire me without notice, only for him to open his phone and show me nude pictures I had sent me in confidence. Blackmail! I had never felt so stupid, used and ashamed in my entire life.
I went through a massive breakdown that began to affect me psychologically. As you can imagine, I couldn’t tell anyone what was really wrong with me. But for a very trusted friend who kept encouraging me that everything will be fine eventually, I don’t know how my life would have ended. I learnt the hard way that there is nothing like free lunch. That’s why when young ladies are claiming they want a soft life and all those terms they use, I advise those I can to rather take the narrow road because everything has a price and some are not worth paying.
Sophia – Accra
