There’s a particular kind of grief reserved for the love that fades instead of explodes. No clear villain, no final argument to point at, just the slow unraveling of something you once believed was unbreakable. You start questioning your memory, your worth, your ability to ever trust your own sense of being loved again. It feels like betrayal without a crime scene, abandonment without a goodbye.

But buried beneath the ache is a quieter truth: someone drifting away is not a verdict on your value. Their emotional absence is a reflection of their capacity, not your lovability. You are allowed to stop auditioning for the part you already played with your whole heart. Closing the door on half-hearted love is not failure; it’s an act of profound self-respect, and the first honest step toward the kind of love that doesn’t make you beg to be chosen.