A part of me hopes that he realizes what he lost and tries to make amends. A part of me knows I’ll always have a soft spot for him, given our history. But the other part of me now knows better. The other part knows what the relationship was like and what I had to endure.

She knew this from our first few arguments I vented to her. I was just so deeply blinded by trying to make a 9-year-long crush work.

I tried my best, and it’s not to say my best was not enough. It’s a reflection of him. For one person to put in all their effort and the relationship still crumble apart, it’s the other person who needed to put in all their effort as well.