I used to straighten my hair all the time.
I was in a relationship, but we broke up.
After the break up, I decided to embrace my natural hair.
My hair was extremely heat-damaged.
But despite the fact that it didn’t look good, I insisted on treating it until it reverted to its natural state.
My hair went back to normal a year and a half later.
I also got back with my ex-boyfriend.
I straightened it twice for him, but he knew my hair was naturally curly and that I leave that way.
I once told him I was going to wear my natural hair that day.
“What?! You’re going to go out looking like that?!” he exclaimed.
“It’s bad enough that it’s curly. Why leave it that way?”
“Are you serious?” I asked.
I was appalled.
“Yes, of course I am. It looks bad. It looks really bad,” he told me.
There are no words to describe how that made me feel, or how hurt I was.
I hated seeing him because he made me lose confidence in myself.
He didn’t like me for who I was.
I could put up with strangers mocking me.
But never from my future husband.
It was over.