She gazed at him, truly seeing him for what he was—a man who preferred convenience over care, deception over honesty.
"Did you miss me?" she asked, her voice sharper than she meant. "Or did you miss what I brought to your life?"
For the first time, his smile wavered. "I… I just…"
No. She didn't need justifications. She didn't want insincere apologies. Four months had revealed the truth: she could survive without him. She could flourish without him.
"Listen," she said, standing taller than she had in months, "I'm not sure what you think you're coming back to. But I've transformed. The girl who begged for your attention is no longer here. She's gone."
He reached for her hand, but she stepped back.
She recalled the sleepless nights spent crying, wondering if he cared enough to reach out. She remembered feeling weak, small, and powerless. But that was in the past. That girl was buried beneath her newfound strength.
"You left me," she said softly, almost as a warning. "And now… I'm leaving you behind. You had your chance. I'm finished waiting for someone who isn't real."
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
For the first time, she felt no fear, no sadness—only a sense of liberation. She understood that her life didn't depend on someone else's choices. She had her own world, her own strength, her own future.
As he walked away, she didn't turn to watch. She didn't cling to hope. She smiled quietly to herself, feeling the warm surge of independence blossom in her chest.
The girl who had begged, who had cried, who had suffered… was gone.
In her place stood someone unbreakable.
And this time, she would never look back.