The End Of Us

When It Comes To Breakups, The Struggle Doesn’t End With Booting Someone Out Of Your Life. Because The Effects Of A Break-up Can Be Long-lasting Or Even Life-changing. Three Women Share How They Recovered From A Break-up Romantic, Platonic Or Familial And The Lessons They Learned From Heartbreak

- JAMIE LEE

MICHELLE
On breaking up with a romantic partner

I met my ex-boyfriend, Bryan, on an online dating platform. Our first date wasn’t really a first date — it was more of a hook-up — but somehow we ended up dating for almost a year. That was really surprising because before this, I had only been in one serious relationship, which lasted about four years. It didn’t end well because my previous partner had been emotionally manipulative and very dependent on me.

It made me distrust men deeply so I wasn’t really looking for anything serious in the dating scene. It didn’t help that my first impression of Bryan was that he was a playboy, so I just thought it would just be a short-term fling.

But after our first meeting, he kept asking me out on dates and treated me really well. He was the first to say “I love you” and made sure to let me know that I didn’t have to feel the same way, which was such a stark contrast to the people I had dated before. It was all the little things he would do for me — like cooking for me — and the big things — like being vulnerable with me even though he didn’t know if I felt the same way — that made me feel safe and special.