Dear you,

From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew there was more to see than just your outer appearance. I knew that meeting you and spending time with you would be something I’d cherish dearly. I loved the way your eyes crinkled when you laughed, or how you shrug your shoulders when you’re nervous, or how you held my hand every chance you got. I was completely mesmerized by the sound of your voice and whenever I looked at you, I saw something that I could’ve looked at forever. I thought that everything about you was too good to be true, and I guess I was right.

You fed me your lies through your kiss, and knew that I would fall for the man you wanted me to believe you were. I was too intrigued by your stories to come to the realization that you were only telling me these to get me attached to you. By that point, you knew you had already won; you had me hooked on the attention I had been craving so desperately from you. I wanted to know the side of you that nobody else got to see, and that’s what you gave me, because it wasn’t real.

You portrayed yourself to be the man of my dreams, until you weren’t. I was going to be a big part of your life, and then I wasn’t at all. The image of you that you gave me is the one I will be looking for in the future, but without the red flags, without the lies, without the pain. For the amount of time I’ve known you and spent with you, the tears I shed were far too many. The worst part of it all, is that I was not your only victim; I am speaking not only for myself, but for the countless other girls you intentionally hurt just for your satisfaction.

No matter how badly you may have torn my heart apart, I thank you. Thank you for lying, because now I won’t have to spend the rest of my life living in pain because of a guy that drained me. Thank you for teaching me to not see the good in everybody and to not give so many chances. Because of you, I chose me, and I will continue to chose me today, tomorrow, and all the days to come. I chose to be happy on my own and let go of the pain you’ve caused. I will no longer let somebody make a fool of me and use me to get their way.

Now I walk with my head held high and a smile on my face. I will continue to learn and grow and I will continue to see the good in myself. I only hope that you will eventually see the good in you, because I know it’s there. Unfortunately, you are under the illusion that your ‘game’ will get you further in life than being real and honest. So thank you, again, for making a fool out of me. It taught me that you can’t always trust everything you see; even salt looks like sugar.