I knew my ex was a chronic cheater when we started dating, but I had this fantasy that somehow I was the one they’d never leave. I sold my apartment in the city, moved across the country, and took a job with low pay in a small town all so I could be closer to them. Almost as soon as I arrived, they told me that they’ve met someone else and that it’s crazy that I moved for them and they don’t owe me shit.

I learned that, when someone tells you or shows you who they are, you should absolutely believe them. And, worst of all, I learned that they’re absolutely right. They don’t owe me shit. I just had to learn the hard way.

All that said, I also learned that everything grows better in shit. I may be in shit right now, but that’s okay, because it means when I recover enough to grow, I’ll be better than I was before.