An hour later, his girlfriend showed up at my door. Her eyes were red from crying, but she didn’t look angry.
“I think you misunderstood,” she said quietly. “I didn’t throw him out because I stopped loving him. I asked him to leave because he kept comparing me to you.”
I stood there speechless.
She explained that every disagreement ended with him saying, “My ex never complained about this,” or “She used to do it differently.” He had never truly let go of the past.
Just then, my ex walked into the hallway after hearing our conversation.
She turned to him and asked one question.
“Did you really write that she was always the one?”
He lowered his head.
“Yes,” he admitted. “I thought losing you would make me appreciate someone else, but I was wrong.”
I took a deep breath and handed him the note.
“This belongs to you,” I said. “Because it’s a reminder of why we broke up.”
He looked confused.
“You always wanted someone to save you instead of changing yourself,” I continued. “I let you stay because I cared about you as a person, not because I wanted our relationship back.”
For the first time, he had nothing to say.
His girlfriend quietly walked away, wishing me well before leaving.
He looked at me hopefully, but I gently shook my head.
“The couch was for one night,” I said. “The past is where it belongs.”
He picked up his bag, thanked me for the kindness I had shown him, and walked out the door. This time, I closed it without regret, knowing that some chapters are meant to end so better ones can begin.
