By: Olivia Turner – April 30, 2025

For years, I told myself I was fine. I told myself that everything would get better, that the lies would stop and the truth would finally come out. But the truth is, I’ve been hiding from it for a long time now, and it’s exhausting.

It all started when I was in high school. I met someone online, someone who seemed like the perfect match for me. At first, it was just innocent flirting. We’d text about random things, share memes, talk about school, and sometimes vent about our day. But things quickly escalated. What was once innocent grew into something darker.

This person was manipulative in ways I couldn’t even describe at first. They made me feel like I was special, like I was the only person who mattered. But over time, they slowly twisted my reality. I began to question myself constantly. I stopped hanging out with friends. I distanced myself from family. They made me believe I was the problem, that I was unlovable and useless without them.

The worst part? I didn’t even realize how toxic it had become until after I’d graduated. They would constantly make excuses to not meet in person, but they always promised that one day we’d be together. Every promise felt like a fragile thread, keeping me hanging on.

Looking back now, I realize how deeply I was manipulated. I spent years with someone who didn’t actually care about me, but I kept making excuses. Every time they hurt me, I would forgive them. Every time they lied, I would believe them. I wasn’t fine at all. But I convinced myself I was because the thought of being alone terrified me.

It’s been months since I cut them out of my life, and yet I still hear their voice in my head. The constant guilt and self-doubt. I’ve slowly started to rebuild my life, but the damage they did still lingers. I’m trying to forgive myself for allowing it to go on for as long as it did.