You said something to me that has stayed with me more than anything else: “You deserve better.” You didn’t say it cruelly. You didn’t say it angrily. You said it softly—like someone trying to shield another person from pain. And for a long time, I accepted it without question. But silence has a way of transforming gentle words into heavy thoughts. Because if I truly deserved better, I kept wondering— Why was that “better” never you? Choosing isn’t compromising I never saw you as a compromise. I never stayed because I was afraid of being alone. I didn’t choose you out of habit, convenience, or weakness. I chose you deliberately. I chose your peace. Your stillness. Your careful distance. Even the parts of you that didn’t open easily. When you say I deserve better, it sounds kind—but it also sounds like a quiet way of backing away without saying so. As if I was worthy of care, but not worthy of choice. What love meant to me Love, at least the way I experienced it, was never about comparin...