From 2019 to 2026, my life in Southeast Asia felt like a rollercoaster. We met in Malaysia, then moved to Laos, and later ended up in Cambodia after a fallout with the company. Those early days were tough—no contacts, no sales, and barely enough to cover daily expenses. I saw him stressed and tried to keep his spirits up. We later went to the Philippines, faced a crackdown, and returned to Malaysia. When money was tight, we borrowed 10,000 baht to get by, eating cheap street food and pulling all-nighters, but we still found reasons to laugh. He bought me my first watch when he had nothing, and I felt that being with him, even through hardships in a foreign land, was worth it.
To help him build his business, we moved to Tachileik. Watching him worry about not finding people broke my heart, so I used my own money and connections, bringing in my brother, cousins, classmates, and friends to help. Those days were nerve-wracking, filled with accounting, recruiting, and chasing targets. We finally paid off the debts, and he bought a second watch and a ring. I thought we had finally made it and could settle down. But with resources and people, things changed. He started pushing my people out, and even got physical with me over work. My brother got into trouble after returning home.
By 2024, we moved to KK, and everything soured. He had another woman in our apartment, said I was too old, and once he drained my usefulness, he pushed me away. By 2025, we split for good. I went back home, burdened with debt, though he did help pay off a large chunk. Later, I heard he had someone new. Over those seven years, from Laos, Cambodia, to the Philippines and Myanmar, I stood by him through thick and thin, helping him rise from nothing to success. But I ended up with no career, no savings, and my best years spent on this land. Every day, new hopefuls arrive on these streets, while others leave empty-handed. In the end, I realized that sticking it out with a man in Southeast Asia doesn’t guarantee sharing in his success. You have to reclaim your life for yourself.
