[STORY] Dating in this generation is survival of the fittest

Last Friday night, I was at a small rooftop bar in Lekki with a friend when my phone buzzed with a DM notification.

It was from her.

“Hey… can we talk?”

Now, pause.

You know that one text that makes your stomach drop? That was it. The girl I had been in a long-distance relationship with for almost a year suddenly wanted to “talk.”

I typed back quickly:

“Sure, call me when you’re free.”

Two minutes later, my phone rang. I stepped away from the loud music and picked up.

Her voice was soft, almost shaky. “So… I don’t think this is working anymore.”

My heart sank. “What do you mean? We’ve been holding it down, haven’t we?”

She sighed. “Yeah, but lately, I just feel like I’m dating my phone. No hugs, no dates, no real presence. I met someone at work… and honestly, he makes me feel alive again.”

I went silent. The sound of Lagos traffic below suddenly grew louder, like the city was mocking me.

“Wait—you met someone?” I finally asked, my voice cracking.

“Yes… but I didn’t want to hide it. You deserve honesty,” she replied.

At that point, I laughed, not because it was funny but because life sometimes feels like a bad Netflix script.

“So, all those late-night FaceTime calls, the couple playlists, the plans for December holidays—none of that meant anything?”

She whispered, “It did. But feelings change.”

I stared at the skyline, neon lights flickering, my reflection faint on the glass barrier. My chest tightened. Long-distance relationships are already tough, but betrayal makes it worse.

I muttered, “You could have just said you were tired, instead of auditioning a replacement.”

There was silence. Then she said softly, “I’m sorry.” And the line went dead.

Fast forward three days. I was scrolling Instagram when I saw her story—her and the so-called “work guy.” Smiling. Happy. Caption: “When you know, you know.”

But here’s the twist—guess who slid into my DMs later that same night? The “work guy.”

“Hey bro… I think she’s still texting you behind my back. Just wanted to ask, is she over you for real?”

I blinked at the message. My ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend was asking me for relationship advice.

The irony? I still had a text from her that morning: “I miss us sometimes.”

I didn’t reply to either of them. I just closed my phone, ordered suya from the spot downstairs, and whispered to myself:

“Dating in this generation is survival of the fittest.”