I was going through quite possibly the worst breakup of my entire life. I'd been with him for nearly a year and a half. We were planning a future together. Until I discovered he'd been cheating on me the entire time with his ex-girlfriend who lived thousands of miles away. My heart was broken. But he was a master manipulator, and I got back together with him.
It became even more volatile after that. Emotionally abusive doesn't begin to describe the relationship. All my friends wanted me to leave him, but I wouldn't listen. I pushed so many people who disapproved of the relationship away. I didn't find out until much later that he was cheating on me with the bestfriend to the ex who lived thousands of miles away. I didn't find out, but I suspected. Things were terrible, it got to the point where I couldn't look at myself in the mirror anymore. I dropped 35 pounds in a month and a half and was hospitalized for sleep deprivation, I blamed it all on the stress of my school, but it was the relationship.
It all came to an end when I met with the girl my ex initially cheated on me with. Our mutual ex had convinced both of us that the other was crazy, but we weren't. I was still dating him when I became friends with her, but he didn't know. Monica had gotten out of the craziness and moved on and she was doing okay. She felt like the only person in the world who I could talk to and she would understand why I stayed, because it's why she stayed. Despite this friendship, I was still with my boyfriend. I couldn't let go. Monica kept telling me to let go, but it wasn't until I got my Giving Key that I truly did.
I broke up with him July 9th. That was the first step to letting go. I'm still healing, but I'm learning to let go more and more everyday. I still need it, but when the time comes to pass it on, I hope it'll help that person as much as it's helped me.
-Lauren
