Love isn't tested in the good times; it’s revealed in the rubble. This is a summary of the thousand silent breaks that happen when a partner consistently chooses themselves while you stand in the fire for both of you. I was the one who stayed, who fed you, who held your secrets, and who made excuses for your absence while I was breaking. You never held space for my pain or reached for my hand; you simply assumed I’d figure it out and then resented me for getting tired. You taught me how to survive without you by leaving me to drown, and now that the smoke is clearing, you expect me to be waiting. But the woman who needed you is gone. You wrote the ending to this story every time you chose indifference over compassion. "You taught me how to survive without you. Don't be surprised when I finally do."