Date: April 20, 2025
Author: Lily Thompson
I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember. Even though we never ended up together, I’ve carried a quiet love for him that never faded. It’s strange, how love can linger like that — always there, even when the world moves on. But that’s life, isn’t it? You let go of what you want the most, and life continues without you.
Last week, I had to face something I didn’t expect. I enrolled in a professional course, something I thought would help me move forward, to give me a sense of purpose. The last thing I expected was for his wife to be in the same class. She sat next to me, smiling like everything was fine, and I had to smile back. But inside, I was breaking.
It’s not that I hate her — how could I? She’s not the one who kept me in the past, holding onto a love that never had a chance. But when I think about their life together, it hurts in a way I didn’t anticipate. They wake up next to each other, share everything — moments, laughter, intimate conversations, everything that I thought could be mine. They even have a baby now, a tiny human that somehow makes their connection feel even more final, more out of reach for me.
And here I am, just sitting next to her, pretending like I’m okay. It feels like I’m watching my own life play out in front of me, only it’s not my life. It’s hers. I should be happy for them. He’s moved on, and he’s building a life with someone else. But the weight of that reality sits heavy in my chest, and I can’t seem to shake it.
Every time I see them together, I wonder if I’ll ever have a chance at that happiness. It’s hard to be around them, to look her in the eye and pretend I don’t feel this ache in my heart. She’s living the life I dreamed of. The life I thought I could have had with him, had things been different. And I’m just here, holding onto memories that keep me stuck in the past, trying to move forward but feeling like I’m walking in circles.
I wish I could move on, let go, but how do you let go of a love that’s been with you for so long? How do you stop wishing that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance for you, for us?
