My parents begged my husband to wait until I completed my six years of medical school, but he refused. He insisted that he loved me too much to risk losing me to a richer man at university. I was only seventeen, deeply in love, and convinced that his determination to marry me meant he would never hurt me. Despite my family's warnings, I chose him over my education and became his wife immediately after secondary school. Before our wedding, we made one agreement: we would not share bed until I completed medical school. He promised to respect my decision, and I believed him. Our wedding was beautiful. My family prayed for us, guests celebrated, and I entered marriage believing I had found my lifelong partner. For three months, everything seemed perfect. I never imagined that the man who was so desperate to make me his wife would become the very person who shattered my trust.

I tried talking to my husband, hoping we could repair our marriage. I asked why he was cheating and why he no longer treated me with affection, but he dismissed my concerns. I often thought about the six years of medical school my parents had wanted me to complete before marriage. I wondered what my life would be like if I had listened to them. Would I be studying, making friends, and working towards my dream of becoming a doctor instead of struggling in a marriage I entered at seventeen? Looking back, I wish I had understood that love should never require me to abandon my dreams or surrender my boundaries. I still want to become a doctor, and I do not want this experience to define the rest of my life. I deserve safety, dignity, and the opportunity to build a future of my own.