When love turns sour: Stories of Kenyans who discovered they were the “side piece”

Love often writes the messiest scripts, and sometimes we end up cast in roles we never auditioned for. In the busy heart of Kamukunji, 30-year-old Yvonne Nekesa knows that feeling all too well.

She once loved deeply, only to discover years later that she had unknowingly been “the other woman.”

Her story began three years ago on Jogoo Road. Smoke rose from a mutura grill as laughter rang out from a group of men nearby. One of them caught her eye. Tall, confident, and magnetic, he stood out.

“Even among his rowdy friends, he was different,” Nekesa recalled. “When our eyes met, I felt a twist in my stomach.”

What started as chance encounters over mutura quickly turned into evening visits, then dates, then a whirlwind romance. Within a month, she believed she had finally found the love she had prayed for.

For three years, he showered her with attention—flowers at work, voice notes before bed, public displays of affection. He was, in her eyes, the man of her dreams.

So when she suggested meeting his parents, it felt like the natural next step. She had already introduced him to her family, after all. She prepared meticulously, buying gifts for his parents and memorising the names of his relatives.

The words crushed her. He had been engaged for months — all while maintaining a three-year relationship with her.

“When I confronted him, he brushed me off, saying our relationship was never serious,” Nekesa said bitterly.

Yvonne’s pain mirrors that of 27-year-old Jeremy Mutunga from Runda, who also discovered he was not the main character in his love story.

He met her on a golf course at sunset. She was radiant, graceful, magnetic. “My heart? Gone—right there on the eighteenth hole,” he said.

Their chemistry was instant, and after months of pursuit, she agreed to date him. He gave his all: surprise dates, late-night calls, endless patience. But slowly, cracks appeared.

“She only called when she wanted me. Our relationship was built on the physical,” Mutunga admitted.

The truth hit him one night in a club when he spotted her dancing with another man. Their eyes locked, and instead of guilt, she leaned into the other man, daring him to react.

Relationship expert Nelson Kiragu says the warning signs of being a side piece are often there, if only we choose to see them. Disappearing acts, secrecy, and sporadic communication are major red flags.

“Side pieces exist in shadows,” Kiragu explained. “Real partners celebrate you publicly. If your relationship feels hidden, you need to question why.”

He adds that love should bring consistency, respect, and visibility. Anything less is a sign to walk away.

For Nekesa and Mutunga, walking away was an act of courage — a way to reclaim self-worth after being deceived.

Their stories are reminders that charm and attention may feel like love, but true love is steady, loyal, and unapologetically yours.

“In any relationship,” Kiragu stressed, “your heart deserves more than a supporting role.”