That first night in Goa, after an amazing day filled with sun and laughter, I was excited for what the evening had in store. But my excitement quickly turned to frustration when my boyfriend told me he wanted to go out with his friends and asked me to stay back in our hotel room. It was disappointing, to say the least. I had taken two weeks off from work to be with him, expecting to enjoy our time together, but now I was left alone in a foreign place, feeling like an afterthought.

As the hours ticked by, I tried to distract myself with movies and room service, but my annoyance grew. I started thinking about how often I felt neglected, like I was always the one making sacrifices, while he prioritized his friends. It wasn’t just about that night—it was a pattern that had become all too familiar in our relationship.

When midnight rolled around and he still wasn’t back, my frustration hit its peak. I didn’t want to sit there and sulk any longer. I decided to take control of my night. I dressed up and headed down to the hotel bar, thinking maybe I’d just have a drink and enjoy the evening by myself.

The bar was lively, filled with people from all over, and before long, I found myself striking up conversations with a few strangers. They were charming, funny, and attentive—the kind of attention I hadn’t felt from my boyfriend in a long time. As we talked and laughed, the night started to blur with the heat of the moment and the buzz from a few too many cocktails.

One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was back in my hotel room, not alone, but with one of the strangers from the bar. In that moment, I was no longer thinking about my boyfriend or the disappointment of the evening. I was lost in the excitement of the new and the forbidden, swept up in a whirlwind of passion that felt like an escape from everything that had been weighing me down.

The next morning, when I woke up alone, the reality of what had happened hit me. I felt a mix of guilt and empowerment. Guilt because I knew what I had done was wrong, but also a strange sense of empowerment because for once, I had acted on my own desires, not waiting around for someone else to dictate how my night would go.

When my boyfriend finally returned, full of apologies for staying out so late, I couldn’t even look at him the same way. The night before had changed something in me. It was a wake-up call that I deserved more than what I had been settling for. It wasn’t just about the intimacy with a stranger; it was about realizing that I was tired of being taken for granted.

That trip to Goa ended up being a turning point in our relationship. I knew I couldn’t continue living in the shadow of his whims, always waiting for his attention. It was time to make some changes, to prioritize myself for once, and to figure out what I really wanted out of life and love.