When you walked away, you thought you'd won. You thought
you'd won because she loved you more than you loved her. And
that just wasn't enough for you. When you walked away that last
time--sent that last text--had that last call--you thought
you'd had the last word. The best argument. You were content
because you were right--and she wasn't--and it ended, just like
you knew it would. And so when you imagine her now, she's still
crying by the phone. Loving you. Wishing you'd call. Thinking
you're the best and only person she can ever be with. You see
her in that puddle of self-doubt that you worked so hard to build
into her. Well, stop. And let me clarify a few things for you.
First of all, she's not there, waiting by the phone. She no
longer thinks about all those good times you had, wondering if
you're ever going to come back. Actually, she hardly thinks of
you at all. When you stopped loving her, something happened to her.
Something huge. That's actually the one--one--thing she credits
you with. You taught her to love herself enough to know when
someone wasn't loving her enough. And that is exactly what she
needed. To finally, finally start loving herself. So hey, you
didn't break her, darling. She wouldn't give you that
power. That girl loved you in a way that you're never going to
find again but are always going to look for. And trust me, you will
look for it. But as for her? She's not the same girl she was.
She is strong and independent and confident. She is open and loving
and free. So when you think of her (and I know you will), just know
this: you never broke her. The only thing you did was push her to
the edge. Like, right to the edge. But she didn't jump,
darling. She flew.