- 19 hours ago
- #storytime
- #relationshipstory
- #lifelessons
She Chose Her Ex Over Me. I Walked Away and Never Looked Back
What happens when stability isn’t enough—and excitement costs everything?
After eight years together, I thought we were building a future.
Then she looked me in the eye and said she was seeing her ex again.
This story follows a man who spent years investing emotionally, financially, and mentally into a relationship—only to realize he was carrying the entire weight alone. When betrayal finally came, he didn’t beg, chase, or explode.
He walked away.
What followed wasn’t revenge.
It was consequences, clarity, and growth.
This is a story about:
• Walking away from disrespect
• Choosing peace over chaos
• Letting go instead of holding on
• The quiet power of self-respect
If you enjoy relationship stories, real-life inspired drama, Reddit-style narration, and lessons about boundaries and self-worth, this one is for you.
🎧 Best experienced with headphones.
👉 Subscribe for more storytime content about relationships, life lessons, and personal growth.
👍 Like the video if you’ve ever chosen peace over drama.
💬 Comment below: Would you have stayed—or walked away?
________________________________________
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Names, locations, and situations have been altered to protect privacy and ensure anonymity.
#Storytime
#RelationshipStory
#LifeLessons
What happens when stability isn’t enough—and excitement costs everything?
After eight years together, I thought we were building a future.
Then she looked me in the eye and said she was seeing her ex again.
This story follows a man who spent years investing emotionally, financially, and mentally into a relationship—only to realize he was carrying the entire weight alone. When betrayal finally came, he didn’t beg, chase, or explode.
He walked away.
What followed wasn’t revenge.
It was consequences, clarity, and growth.
This is a story about:
• Walking away from disrespect
• Choosing peace over chaos
• Letting go instead of holding on
• The quiet power of self-respect
If you enjoy relationship stories, real-life inspired drama, Reddit-style narration, and lessons about boundaries and self-worth, this one is for you.
🎧 Best experienced with headphones.
👉 Subscribe for more storytime content about relationships, life lessons, and personal growth.
👍 Like the video if you’ve ever chosen peace over drama.
💬 Comment below: Would you have stayed—or walked away?
________________________________________
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Names, locations, and situations have been altered to protect privacy and ensure anonymity.
#Storytime
#RelationshipStory
#LifeLessons
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Lost Love Chronicles.
00:03Eight years.
00:04That's how long I build a life with someone who never planned to stay.
00:08I paid the bills.
00:09I made the plans.
00:10I carried the weight.
00:11And then one night, over takeout that went cold, she looked at me and said something
00:15so casually it didn't even sound real.
00:18She was seeing her ex again and said, you're not enough for me anymore.
00:22Just one sentence that made everything suddenly make sense.
00:25Chapter 1.
00:26Eight years of investment.
00:27I met Carly Howard in Econ 2011 at Ohio State.
00:31Third row, 10.15am.
00:33Arguing with Professor Morrison about supply chain theory with the confidence of someone
00:37who had read a headline once and decided she was a scholar now.
00:41She was dead wrong.
00:42Objectively wrong.
00:43Scientifically wrong.
00:45But she argued so hard that even Morrison tilted his head like, huh, bold strategy.
00:50That was Carly.
00:51A high-speed collision of charisma, ego, and the desperate need to be the smartest person
00:55in any room.
00:56I was her opposite.
00:58Steady.
00:59Organized.
01:00Spreadsheet-based existence.
01:01My dad raised me on the gospel of preparation.
01:04Son, never leave your future in the hands of optimism.
01:07So I live by that.
01:08Color-coded schedule?
01:10Check.
01:10Budget down to my Taco Bell runs?
01:12Check.
01:13Five-year plan saved in three different backup drives.
01:16Obviously.
01:17Then came the day at the grind, the campus coffee shop.
01:19She was ranting to her friend about a group project.
01:22Why do I always get the useless teammates?
01:24I swear I'm carrying this whole class.
01:26I was at the next table and said, look at it this way, carrying dead weight builds character
01:31and back strength.
01:32She stopped, looked at me, laughed, actually laughed.
01:36Two hours later, both our coffees were cold.
01:38We had missed class and I was hooked.
01:40That laugh was dangerous.
01:42It had gravitational pull.
01:44We started dating junior year and dating Carly felt electric at first.
01:48She talked about her big future with such conviction that I swear she could have pitched
01:52it to investors.
01:53I respected it.
01:54I wanted to build it with her.
01:56Life after graduation.
01:57I landed a solid job at Morrison & Associates.
02:00$62,000 starting.
02:02Benefits for 01K match.
02:04Exactly the kind of stability I'd been engineered for.
02:08Bought myself a used Ford F-150 from a retired contractor named Earl.
02:12The man treated that truck like his favorite child.
02:15He slapped the hood proudly and said, young man, she'll treat you right if you treat her
02:19right.
02:20Sound advice, honestly, applied better to the truck than what was coming with Carly.
02:24Carly struggled more.
02:25Her marketing career was basically a scavenger hunt of disasters.
02:29A startup imploding.
02:30Freelance clients ghosting.
02:32Temp work that barely covered her Starbucks habit.
02:34And I didn't mind stepping up.
02:36At the time, it felt right.
02:37I covered most of our $1,400 rent, so she didn't have to slum it in retail.
02:42She'd sit at her desk late at night, spiraling over job rejections, and I'd say,
02:47It's okay.
02:47We've got this.
02:48She'd lean into me, grateful, and I genuinely believed we were building something.
02:53But looking back, we weren't building a life.
02:55I was building a life.
02:57She was decorating it.
02:58The sacrifices I pretended weren't sacrifices.
03:01There was the Denver promotion I turned down, 15% raise, corner office.
03:05My boss looked at me like I'd just said I didn't believe in oxygen.
03:09Ryan, opportunities like this don't come twice.
03:12But Carly had just landed her first real client.
03:15And the idea of uprooting would've set her back emotionally.
03:18So I stayed.
03:19I helped her pay off her $32,000 student loan debt, weekend shifts, skipped holidays with
03:25family, funneling everything into her future.
03:28She cried when it hit zero.
03:29You're amazing, she said.
03:31Felt good at the time.
03:32Feel stupid now.
03:33Then there was the $2,200 MacBook essential for her design work.
03:38She said,
03:38It's an investment in my career.
03:40I said,
03:41Sure.
03:42My emergency fund said,
03:43Help.
03:44Networking events?
03:45I funded them.
03:46Industry mixers?
03:47Paid for.
03:48Fancy clothes for meetings?
03:50On me.
03:50Groceries?
03:51Mostly me.
03:52Rent?
03:53Definitely me.
03:54Stability?
03:54100% me.
03:56She once glanced at my spreadsheet and said,
03:58God, Ryan, do you ever stop planning?
04:00I laughed it off then.
04:01Now I realize it was foreshadowing.
04:03Little red flags waving quietly in the wind.
04:06Small things at first.
04:08Carly making fun of my budgeting system.
04:10Rolling her eyes when I checked my accounts.
04:12Calling me rigid for liking routine.
04:14Then, her impulsiveness.
04:16Her need for validation.
04:17Her craving for excitement.
04:19Her resentment of structure.
04:21Her why don't we live a little?
04:22Comments.
04:23Once, I mentioned wanting to save for a house.
04:25She said,
04:26Can't we just be spontaneous?
04:28I don't want a boring suburban life.
04:29You know, the boring suburban life she'd later accuse me of not providing quickly enough.
04:35We wore promise rings for a while.
04:37A simple silver band with a sapphire.
04:39Cost me $800 at the time.
04:41Big deal for me.
04:42She loved it.
04:42Said,
04:43Someday you'll upgrade it.
04:44When you land a big client.
04:46Funny thing?
04:47I already had the real engagement ring picked out.
04:49$6,800.
04:51Princess cut.
04:52Waiting at Morrison's jewelers.
04:54Waiting for a future she would eventually abandon for motorcycle tattoos and spontaneity.
04:58The truth of that first chapter.
05:01Looking back, chapter 1 wasn't love.
05:03Not real love.
05:04It was me investing while she collected dividends.
05:06Me planning a future.
05:08Her enjoying the present.
05:09Me sacrificing quietly.
05:11Her believing she was owed more.
05:138 years of emotional, financial, and mental labor.
05:16And she didn't even notice.
05:17She liked the lifestyle.
05:19She liked the support.
05:20She liked the version of herself.
05:21She could be with a man who carried all the weight.
05:24But she didn't love the man doing the carrying.
05:26Chapter 2.
05:27The shift.
05:27Two years before everything blew up, the cracks started forming.
05:31Not big ones.
05:32Tiny hairline fractures.
05:34The kind you don't notice until the whole thing collapses on your head.
05:37It began with a name I hadn't heard since our early dating days.
05:41Jax Monroe.
05:42Her high school ex.
05:43Tattooed.
05:44DJ.
05:44Bartender.
05:45Motorcycle.
05:46The human embodiment of a midlife crisis.
05:49Except he was 29 and already living like one.
05:52Carly slipped his name into conversation casually.
05:54Like she was testing the water temperature.
05:56She sat on the couch one evening scrolling through her phone and said,
06:00Oh, Jax says hi.
06:01We reconnected on Facebook.
06:03I looked up from the spreadsheet I was reviewing and said,
06:06Cool.
06:07It wasn't cool.
06:08Not even close.
06:09But I didn't know then what that single hi would turn into.
06:12The comparisons begin.
06:13At first it was light commentary.
06:15She'd say, Jax is so spontaneous.
06:17He just woke up and went skydiving last weekend.
06:20I said, he also once tried to jump his bike over a ditch and broke his collarbone.
06:24Maybe he should try planning.
06:26She smirked like that was boring.
06:28Then came.
06:28Jax says Columbus kills creativity.
06:31Maybe we should think about moving somewhere more exciting.
06:34Right.
06:34Because Jax, who bartended at a place named Black Horse Tavern, was apparently a thought leader now.
06:40The comparisons started dripping into everyday conversation.
06:43Jax this.
06:44Jax that.
06:45Jax thinks.
06:46Jax believes.
06:47Jax says.
06:48She said.
06:49Jax says people who love routine are scared to live.
06:51I said.
06:52Jax also says Leatherface was misunderstood.
06:55So I don't know if we should be taking philosophical advice from him.
06:58She rolled her eyes and muttered something about me, not getting it.
07:01The behavioral mutation.
07:02Then her behavior shifted.
07:04Subtle at first.
07:05But slowly.
07:06Painfully.
07:07She morphed into someone I didn't recognize.
07:091.
07:10The late nights.
07:11It started with vague explanations.
07:13Going out with some girls from my networking group.
07:15Then.
07:16Just co-workers.
07:17Then.
07:18Just people.
07:19Just people.
07:20Not suspicious at all.
07:21She'd leave at 8pm.
07:22Come home at midnight.
07:24Smelling like bar smoke and expensive cocktails.
07:26When I asked who she was with.
07:28She'd shrug without looking up from her phone.
07:302.
07:30The phone obsession.
07:31Her phone became a fifth limb.
07:33She carried it everywhere.
07:35Bathroom.
07:35Shower.
07:36Under her pillow.
07:37Whenever it lit up, she turned its screen down faster than a blackjack dealer hiding a
07:42losing hand.
07:43One night, I woke up at 2.14am.
07:45She was lying next to me.
07:46Facing the wall.
07:48Whisper laughing into her screen.
07:49I said quietly.
07:50You okay?
07:51She jumped like I'd fired a gun.
07:53Why are you awake?
07:54Seriously, Ryan.
07:55Boundaries.
07:56Boundaries?
07:57I was literally lying next to my girlfriend in our bed.
08:00Sorry for breathing, I guess.
08:02The throwback pictures.
08:03Then came the Instagram throwbacks.
08:05Group photos from her high school days.
08:07Except the group was just her and Jack surrounded by people who were apparently furniture.
08:11Captions like,
08:12Remember this night?
08:13Jack's Monroe?
08:14LOL wild times.
08:16Back when life was exciting.
08:18And my personal favorite.
08:19Some people never change.
08:21Yes, some people never change.
08:23Specifically the ones who cheat.
08:24I asked her about the posts over breakfast one Saturday.
08:27Made her eggs.
08:28Tried to keep my voice calm.
08:30I said,
08:30This thing with Jack's.
08:32The texting.
08:33The posts.
08:33It feels off to me.
08:34What's going on?
08:35She didn't even look up from her fork.
08:37You're being paranoid.
08:39I said,
08:39You compare me to him constantly.
08:41Jack's is spontaneous.
08:43Jack's went skydiving.
08:44Jack's says,
08:45She cut me off.
08:46I'm just making conversation.
08:48I didn't realize I needed your approval to talk.
08:50Right.
08:51Making conversation.
08:51The same way a person makes conversation with a match next to a puddle of gasoline.
08:56The friend sightings.
08:58The universe refused to let me stay ignorant.
09:00A co-worker texted.
09:01Hey man.
09:02Probably nothing.
09:03But saw Carly on 4th Street last night with some tattooed dude on a bike.
09:07Looked close.
09:08Another mutual messaged.
09:09Wasn't she supposed to be at her mom's?
09:11She was at a concert with a guy who looked like her ex.
09:14These weren't jealous friends.
09:15These were concerned adults doing community service.
09:18I stared at the ceiling many nights after reading those messages.
09:21Staring.
09:22Breathing.
09:23Waiting for the truth to hit me like a truck.
09:25My last attempts to save us.
09:27I tried.
09:27God, I tried.
09:29I planned surprise dates.
09:30Took her to that Italian place downtown she'd begged to try.
09:33She picked at pasta and checked her phone.
09:35I booked a weekend in Hocking Hills.
09:38$280 a night.
09:39Hot tub on the deck.
09:40The whole getaway vibe.
09:42She canceled the morning we were supposed to leave.
09:44Said she forgot.
09:45She had a bridal shower with co-workers.
09:47I drove to the cabin alone.
09:49Sat in the hot tub alone.
09:50Walked the trails alone.
09:52In the quiet.
09:53I kept thinking.
09:54When do we stop being us?
09:55The final image of this chapter.
09:57Picture this.
09:58Me lying awake at 2am.
10:00Watching the ceiling fan spin.
10:02Listening to Carly laugh softly at messages she hid from me.
10:05Me reaching out to touch her shoulder.
10:07Her pulling away like I'd startled her.
10:09Me planning our life.
10:10Her planning her escape.
10:12That was chapter 2.
10:13Not loud.
10:14Not dramatic.
10:15Just erosion.
10:16Slow.
10:16Steady.
10:17Relentless.
10:17The kind of erosion that hollows out the foundation long before the building collapses.
10:23Chapter 3.
10:23The Break.
10:24October had that crisp, hopeful kind of chill.
10:27The kind that usually means fresh starts, sweaters, and overpriced seasonal lattes.
10:32Not that night.
10:33I'd stopped at Thai Basil on High Street on my drive home.
10:36Picked up her favorite Pad Thai.
10:37Grabbed extra spicy basil fried rice for myself.
10:40I wanted peace.
10:41Wanted clarity.
10:42Maybe.
10:43Just maybe.
10:44A conversation where we found our way back instead of drifting farther apart.
10:48I set the bags on the counter and waited.
10:50Carly walked in at 7.04pm, distracted, holding her phone like it was a portable life support system.
10:56No hello.
10:57No kiss.
10:58Just a heavy sigh as she tossed her purse down.
11:00We sat at the kitchen table.
11:02Thai food steaming between us.
11:04She didn't touch hers.
11:05I should have known.
11:06She inhaled sharply, like she was gearing up for a monologue.
11:09Then she leaned back and said, completely flat.
11:12We need to talk.
11:13Of course we did.
11:14No one prefaces good news with that phrase.
11:17I nodded and waited.
11:18Her smirk appeared.
11:19Small, cold, and terrifying.
11:21I'm seeing him again.
11:22It took a second for my brain to load.
11:25Im didn't need a name.
11:26Im had a motorcycle.
11:27Im had bad decisions tattooed across his arms.
11:30Im had been eating our relationship from the inside out for months.
11:34I asked.
11:35Seeing him, as in?
11:36She didn't even blink.
11:37Yes.
11:38Seeing him.
11:39She let it hang in the air like it was a weather report.
11:41Light chance of showers.
11:43Partly cloudy.
11:44Oh, and by the way, I'm cheating on you.
11:46I said quietly.
11:47You're cheating on me with your ex?
11:49She snorted, snorted, like I'd told a joke.
11:52Cheating?
11:53Don't be dramatic.
11:54It's not like we're married.
11:55Because apparently monogamy only counts after government paperwork.
11:59She kept going.
11:59Jax makes me feel alive.
12:01You're too predictable.
12:02Our life feels like the movie Groundhog Day.
12:05I sat still, letting each excuse stack like a sad Jenga tower.
12:09She folded her arms.
12:11Stability isn't passion, Ryan.
12:13Right.
12:13Because paying rent on time equals emotional oppression.
12:16She added.
12:17He challenges me.
12:19Sure.
12:19Let's call unemployment, two roommates, and an about-to-be-shut-down bar a challenge.
12:24Then she pivoted, somehow, impressively, into blaming me.
12:28You keep score.
12:29Everything you do for me.
12:30You act like I owe you.
12:32That's not love.
12:33That's control.
12:34Control.
12:35Yes.
12:36Me paying her rent, loans, MacBook, car insurance.
12:39Such tyrannical behavior.
12:41I said.
12:42I worked 60-hour weeks to keep us afloat.
12:44She waved a hand.
12:45And you never let me forget it.
12:47Jax accepts me as I am.
12:48Right.
12:49Jax accepts her because Jax has no standards, no plans, and no furniture.
12:54Then she dropped the atomic bomb, completely straight-faced.
12:57We can try an open relationship.
12:59Lots of modern couples do that.
13:00I stared at her.
13:01Silent.
13:02Not moving.
13:03Just processing the sentence like an error message.
13:05She took my silence as interest, because delusion is free, apparently.
13:10She leaned in.
13:11Think about it.
13:12You and me stay together, but I keep seeing Jax.
13:15It's fair.
13:16Fair.
13:16Yes.
13:17A fun, quirky arrangement where she gets everything, and I get what?
13:21A U-Haul subscription?
13:22Then she added the final nail.
13:24You're not enough for me anymore.
13:25There it was.
13:26The truth.
13:27The thing my gut had been whispering for months.
13:29Something in me went quiet.
13:31Cold.
13:32Still.
13:32I asked very calmly.
13:34Do you have anything else to add?
13:35She grabbed her keys like she'd been waiting for the queue.
13:38I'm heading to Jax's.
13:39We'll talk logistics tomorrow.
13:41Logistics.
13:42Like she was scheduling a package delivery.
13:44She didn't look at the food once.
13:45She didn't look at me either.
13:47She just walked to the door, paused.
13:49Clearly waiting for me to break down, beg, plead.
13:52Something cinematic.
13:53I didn't move.
13:54She huffed in frustration and left.
13:56The door slammed.
13:57And then there was silence.
13:59The Thai food sat untouched on the table.
14:01Steam fading.
14:02Just like us.
14:03Then I saw it.
14:04The promise ring.
14:05Sitting on the counter.
14:06Abandoned.
14:07Like she'd left it there weeks ago and I'd been too blind to notice.
14:10Eight years.
14:11Gone on a Friday night.
14:12All because she wanted to feel alive.
14:15I sat there a long time.
14:16No yelling.
14:17No crying.
14:18Just clarity.
14:19Crystal.
14:19Brutal.
14:20Clarifying clarity.
14:21This wasn't my partner anymore.
14:23This was just someone passing through my life.
14:25On her way to self-destruct elsewhere.
14:27And I wasn't going with her.
14:29Chapter 4.
14:30The move out and the MacBook showdown.
14:32The morning after the Thai food massacre, I woke up with a clarity so sharp it felt like
14:36someone had finally removed a fog filter from my life.
14:40No crying.
14:41No bargaining.
14:42No, maybe she didn't mean it.
14:43Just one clear, beautiful truth.
14:45Arguing with Carly now would be like arguing with a pig about hygiene.
14:49Pointless.
14:50Exhausting.
14:51And somehow I'd be the one feeling dirty afterward.
14:54So at exactly 7am, I called Nathan Briggs.
14:57He answered sounding like he'd risen directly from the dead.
15:00Dude, is this a real emergency?
15:02Or did your Excel crash?
15:04I'm done with Carly.
15:05I said.
15:05I'm moving out today.
15:07Pause.
15:08Then the sound of a man grabbing car keys.
15:1020 minutes.
15:11I'm bringing my truck and stimulants.
15:13And 20 minutes later, he showed up in his Silverado with a cooler full of Red Bulls
15:17like he was prepared to revive a small horse.
15:19He walked into the apartment, took one look around, and asked.
15:23So, everything you bought, right?
15:25Yep.
15:25Everything.
15:26His grin turned feral.
15:28Outstanding.
15:29And so, Operation Extraction began.
15:31The lease was in Carly's name, but everything inside it was mine.
15:35So, I took everything I had ever purchased.
15:38The MacBook Pro.
15:39The 55-inch TV.
15:40The coffee maker she worshipped.
15:42The pots, pans, utensils.
15:45The couch.
15:46The end tables.
15:47The bed frame.
15:48The mattress.
15:49The sheets.
15:50The pillows.
15:50The road trip magnets.
15:52The furniture.
15:53The decor.
15:54Every gift I'd ever bought her.
15:55If I had paid for it, it left with me.
15:58By the time we were done, the apartment looked like a crime scene.
16:01Specifically, a crime scene in which the victim was material possessions Carly thought were hers.
16:06What remained?
16:07Her clothes.
16:08Her makeup.
16:09Two pillows.
16:10Nathan stood in the doorway, proud.
16:12Bro.
16:13This place looks like the inside of a Walgreens at 3am.
16:16Just sad shelves.
16:17We left the key on the counter.
16:19Locked the door behind us.
16:20Drove away.
16:21No confrontation.
16:22No scene.
16:23No drama.
16:24Clean.
16:25Surgical.
16:26Like a breakup performed by a Navy SEAL.
16:28The aftermath.
16:29About an hour later, my phone lit up like a Christmas tree on caffeine.
16:33Carly.
16:3416 missed calls.
16:35Carly.
16:36Text.
16:36Where is everything?
16:37Carly.
16:38Text.
16:38Text.
16:38You stole my stuff.
16:39I'm calling the police.
16:40I texted back.
16:42Eat my shorts.
16:43Nathan spit out his red bull.
16:44Wheezing.
16:45And then, silence.
16:46Well, 10 minutes of silence.
16:48Because exactly 9 minutes and 30 seconds later.
16:51Pounding on the door.
16:52Nathan peeked through the blinds.
16:54Oh my god.
16:55Dude.
16:55She brought the cops.
16:57And she looks like she's about to start a purge.
16:59I opened the door.
17:00Two officers stood there.
17:01One male.
17:02One female.
17:03Carly stood behind them.
17:04Vibrating at a frequency that could probably power a small generator.
17:08She jabbed a shaking finger at me.
17:10He stole everything.
17:11He robbed me.
17:12The male officer asked.
17:13Sir, can we come in and talk?
17:15Absolutely.
17:16I said.
17:17Because I had the nuclear option.
17:19The folder.
17:20The receipt folder every financially anxious man keeps in case God ever holds an audit.
17:24I placed it on the counter like Exhibit A in a courtroom drama.
17:28The female officer flipped through it.
17:30MacBook receipt.
17:31TV receipt.
17:32Furniture receipts.
17:33Coffee maker.
17:34Kitchen items.
17:35Everything.
17:36Carly stood behind her.
17:37Arms flailing.
17:39Voice cracking.
17:40He's lying.
17:40Those are fake.
17:42Nathan whispered to me.
17:43If she says fake news, I'm jumping out the window.
17:46Finally, after a minute of reading, the officer closed the folder and turned to her.
17:50Ma'am.
17:51Even if the lease is in your name, these items belong to him.
17:55If you dispute ownership, that's a civil matter.
17:57Carly's entire soul left her body.
17:59She convulsed like someone had unplugged her from the wall.
18:02And Nathan.
18:03Nathan looked at me.
18:04I looked at him.
18:05And we both erupted into the most disrespectful, silent happy dance two grown men have ever
18:10performed.
18:11Shoulders shaking.
18:12Hips wiggling.
18:13Elbows flapping like cursed poultry.
18:15We looked like a pair of dads celebrating a 15% Home Depot discount.
18:19Carly's face contorted.
18:21Are you seriously dancing?
18:23Nathan bowed respectfully.
18:24Legally, he said in the same tone as the officer.
18:27This groove belongs to us.
18:29The officer turned away to hide a laugh.
18:31Carly started shouting uncontrollably.
18:33Nathan laughed harder.
18:35Then Carly stormed off with the officers, still shouting something about injustice, karma,
18:40and men are trash.
18:41Which was bold coming from a woman who treated fidelity like a seasonal subscription.
18:46Nathan shut the door, leaned back against it, and slid down laughing until he hit the floor.
18:51Dude.
18:51He gasped between wheezes.
18:53I haven't laughed that hard since your fantasy football team died in week two.
18:57I looked around the room.
18:58At the stacks of boxes.
19:00The truck outside.
19:01The absolute silence finally filling the space where Carly's chaos used to live.
19:05It felt like oxygen.
19:07Pure, drama-free oxygen.
19:08We drove everything to my storage unit and spent the rest of the day sorting through what
19:12I actually wanted to keep.
19:14The rest?
19:15Listed.
19:15Photographed.
19:16Posted on eBay within 24 hours.
19:19Every gift I had ever bought Carly.
19:21The designer bag.
19:22The jewelry.
19:23The stupid overpriced art print she needed because it represented her inner chaos.
19:28Gone.
19:29Sold to the highest bidder.
19:30Along with.
19:31The MacBook.
19:32The TV.
19:33The coffee maker.
19:34The furniture.
19:35The decor.
19:36Basically everything she ever convinced me to buy.
19:38The bids poured in.
19:39Apparently, heartbreak sells well.
19:41Within a week, the PayPal notifications looked like stock market gains.
19:45Nathan watched me cash out one afternoon and said,
19:48Bro, you just turned emotional damage into passive income.
19:51That's beautiful.
19:53And with that money, I paid cash for the deposit and several months up front.
19:57No debt.
19:58No roommates.
19:59No chaos.
19:59No woman comparing me to a tattooed DJ with a failing career.
20:03The first night in my new place, I lay on my mattress on the floor,
20:06staring at a ceiling that didn't judge me or demand thrills or accuse me of being too stable.
20:12And I slept.
20:13Hard.
20:14Like I'd finally taken off a weighted vest I didn't even know I'd been carrying for eight years.
20:19Chapter 5.
20:20The Cracks in Carly's New World
20:22I didn't expect updates on Carly's life.
20:24I wasn't following her.
20:25I wasn't checking in.
20:27I wasn't even thinking about her most days.
20:29But the universe?
20:30The universe loves a Livestream train wreck.
20:33And my friends?
20:33They were more than happy to send me the highlight reels.
20:36The first week after I left, Nathan sent me a screenshot of Carly's Instagram story.
20:41Motorcycle.
20:42Neon lights.
20:43Her arms around Jack's.
20:44Caption, finally living.
20:46Nathan added,
20:47Dude, she looks like a Groupon ad for bad decisions.
20:50I laughed, closed the phone, and went back to assembling IKEA furniture in my new place.
20:55Furniture I actually owned and wouldn't have to litigate over.
20:58Little did I know.
20:59Her fantasy world would start disintegrating faster than Jack's credit score.
21:03Bad omen number one, seven days after I left.
21:06I was eating breakfast.
21:08Peaceful, quiet.
21:09No chaos.
21:10When Nathan called, barely able to breathe.
21:12He said,
21:13Bro.
21:14BRO.
21:15Carly's boyfriend got jumped by seven bikers.
21:17I blinked.
21:18Why?
21:19He made fun of a biker who was three and a half feet tall.
21:22Turns out the dude has seven brothers.
21:24All of them built like NFL linemen and well over 6'5".
21:27I put down my fork.
21:29So Jack's got beat up by the non-toxic Avengers?
21:32Nathan wheezed.
21:33Yes.
21:34Yes he did.
21:35Apparently Carly posted a cryptic story.
21:37Some people can't stand strong men.
21:39Praying for healing.
21:40Strong men.
21:41The irony nearly broke me.
21:43Someone told me that Jack's was unable to stand properly for days.
21:46Karma wasn't subtle.
21:47Karma went for bone density.
21:49Bad omen number two.
21:50Three weeks after I left.
21:52Another update came from my co-worker, who lived near the Black Horse Tavern.
21:55Dude, IRS, shut down Jack's bar.
21:59Tax issues.
22:00Cops and everything.
22:01I blinked.
22:02Already.
22:02Yeah man.
22:03The sign literally says, closed for federal review.
22:06That's code for, you're broke and stupid.
22:09Instagram that night.
22:10Carly posted a quote card.
22:12When one door closes, another opens.
22:14Trust the journey.
22:15Nathan texted me.
22:16Another door opened?
22:17What door?
22:18Unemployment.
22:19Bad omen number three.
22:21Five weeks after I left.
22:22This one was the big one.
22:23The delusion jackpot.
22:25Carly announced.
22:26Loudly.
22:27Proudly.
22:27That she and Jack's were starting a business together.
22:30Ignite Wave.
22:31The event planning empire.
22:32And by empire, I mean.
22:34Jack's brought creative energy, six whiskey bottles, and a vision board featuring pictures
22:39stolen from Pinterest.
22:40Carly brought money.
22:42All of it.
22:42Every last dollar.
22:44The website?
22:44A $29 WordPress template with flashing neon buttons.
22:48If more than 20 people visited it once, it froze like a kindergarten laptop trying to
22:52run Cyberpunk.
22:54Their first event?
22:55Five attendees.
22:56All came for the free snacks.
22:57Two left early.
22:58Carly still posted.
23:00So proud of what we're building.
23:01Hashtag ride or die love.
23:03Hashtag entrepreneur life.
23:04Nathan responded.
23:06Bro.
23:06Someone commented.
23:07Can passion pay rent?
23:09And it has 30 likes.
23:10I laughed so hard I nearly pulled a muscle.
23:13Chapter 6.
23:14Ignite Wave Burns Down
23:15I wasn't tracking Carly's life like some heartbroken ex-stalking updates.
23:19I was living my life.
23:21New apartment.
23:22New furniture.
23:22New peace.
23:23But my friends?
23:24My friends acted like unpaid field reporters covering a natural disaster named Ignite Wave.
23:29Every morning, brought a new headline.
23:32Ignite Wave.
23:33Day 1.
23:33Smoke signals.
23:35Nathan called first.
23:36Dude, Carly's business is dying.
23:38Like, Titanic dying.
23:40I said, already?
23:41It's been 4 weeks.
23:42He said, exactly.
23:44I've had Sims' household survive longer, and half of them died because I forgot to build
23:48a door.
23:49Apparently, Ignite Wave, Carly's grand entrepreneurial masterpiece, was already leaking money faster
23:54than Jax could say brand vision.
23:56Jax disappeared for 2 days.
23:58Carly posted a motivational quote about trusting your partner's creative process.
24:03Translation.
24:04Jax was drunk somewhere.
24:05Ignite Wave.
24:06Day 12.
24:07Missing money.
24:08My buddy Harper, who works in event catering, messaged me.
24:11Bro, she just called us begging to delay the invoice.
24:14Said there was a bank glitch.
24:16I raised an eyebrow.
24:17A bank glitch.
24:18Harper replied.
24:19Yes.
24:20That glitch is named Jax.
24:21Turns out Jax emptied a fat chunk of their business funds into sports betting.
24:26Sports betting.
24:26Ignite Wave wasn't even through puberty, and it already had a gambling addiction.
24:31Carly apparently confronted him.
24:32Nathan reenacted the scene over the phone.
24:35Carly.
24:35Where did the money go?
24:37Jax.
24:37Stop being controlling.
24:39Creativity needs freedom.
24:40Carly.
24:41We have $212 left.
24:43Jax.
24:44Then manifest the rest, babe.
24:46If Bad Ideas had a mascot, Jax would be wearing the phone costume.
24:50Ignite Wave.
24:50Day 19.
24:52The Vegas incident.
24:53No one knows how long Jax had been planning it.
24:55But he finally did the unthinkable.
24:58He spent the remainder of their business account funds on a Vegas trip with his bartender buddies.
25:02Carly posted a crying selfie captioned.
25:04Some lessons hurt.
25:06Nathan texted.
25:07Good.
25:07She's finally in the class she signed up for.
25:10Ignite Wave.
25:11Day 23.
25:12The contract collapse.
25:14Catering companies called.
25:15Photographers called.
25:16Venue owners called.
25:18All demanding refunds.
25:19Ignite Wave had burned through money, promises, and professional credibility like a toddler
25:24with a flamethrower.
25:25Carly tried to salvage things.
25:27Answered emails with forced positivity.
25:29Begged vendors for extensions.
25:31Posted fake updates about exciting growth.
25:34But reality?
25:34Reality was sitting on her couch with no electricity.
25:37Asking why her Wi-Fi died.
25:39Ignite Wave.
25:40Day 27.
25:41The cheating reveal.
25:42I was having lunch at work when Nathan burst into my office like the Kool-Aid man with gossip.
25:47Dude.
25:48Jax cheated on her.
25:49I blinked.
25:50Already?
25:50It's only been a month.
25:52He nodded gravely.
25:53With a former waitress from Black Horse Tavern.
25:55Someone posted a photo of them making out behind the bar.
25:58I tried not to laugh.
26:00Failed.
26:00Carly apparently confronted him.
26:02Expecting remorse.
26:04Instead she got this gem.
26:05If you were more fun, I wouldn't need to look elsewhere.
26:08More fun?
26:08This man got beaten up by seven oversized brothers of a short biker and suddenly wanted Cirque du Soleil level entertainment.
26:15Ignite Wave.
26:16Day 29.
26:17The breakup note.
26:19Jax didn't even give her the dignity of a face-to-face breakup.
26:22While Carly was at a job interview, he packed his stuff.
26:24His three shirts, two hoodies, and emotional damage.
26:28And left a handwritten note on their counter.
26:30You're dragging me down.
26:31I need to focus on myself.
26:33Focus on what?
26:34His next gambling app?
26:35His next waitress?
26:36His next beating from men over 6'5"?
26:38Nathan called me.
26:40Nearly hysterical.
26:41Bro.
26:41So, the note looks like it was written by a man who failed 8th grade English twice.
26:46I said, Ignite Wave officially has no founders.
26:49He said, Ignite Wave never had founders.
26:52It had victims.
26:53Ignite Wave.
26:54Day 35.
26:55Fallout.
26:56Carly's life went from quirky girls seeking passion to unpaid extra in a cautionary tale.
27:01She was now.
27:02Broke.
27:03Unemployed.
27:04Drowning in cancelled deposits.
27:06Behind on rent.
27:07Without furniture.
27:08Without a laptop.
27:09Without a support network.
27:10Without jacks.
27:12Without dignity.
27:13And she spiraled.
27:14Hard.
27:15Her Instagram turned into a psychological weather report.
27:183 a.m. motivational quotes.
27:207 a.m. deleted posts.
27:22Noon inspirational reels.
27:24Evening meltdown captions.
27:25Midnight crying selfies.
27:27Nathan texted.
27:28She's rebranding as a storm cloud.
27:30Ignite Wave.
27:31Day 42.
27:32The voicemails begin.
27:34That's when I re-entered the picture.
27:35Not voluntarily.
27:37The messages came from numbers I didn't recognize.
27:39New numbers.
27:40Temporary numbers.
27:41Numbers she clearly borrowed.
27:43Begged for.
27:44Or bought.
27:44Because I'd already shut every other door she had.
27:47They came in waves.
27:48I know you hate me.
27:49But he ruined my life.
27:51Please.
27:51Five minutes.
27:52Just five.
27:53I'm not okay.
27:54You were stability.
27:55You were safety.
27:56I threw it all away.
27:58You must be so happy watching me fall.
28:00She said that last part like it was a trap.
28:02Like I'd crumble.
28:03Forgive her.
28:04Rush in to save the day.
28:05Instead.
28:06Yeah.
28:06I was happy.
28:08Cold.
28:08Quiet.
28:09Peaceful happy.
28:10The kind you feel when a long, dull migraine finally fades.
28:13I wasn't pacing the floor.
28:15I wasn't replaying memories.
28:16I wasn't whispering what if into the void.
28:19I was laughing.
28:20Not cruelly.
28:21Just relieved.
28:22Like someone had removed a 200 pound emotional barnacle from my life.
28:26Nathan even joked about printing a t-shirt.
28:28Not my circus.
28:29Not my clown.
28:30Not my problem.
28:32Call it petty if you want.
28:33I call it perspective.
28:34If the universe decides to run a karmic demolition show right in front of you.
28:38You don't turn away.
28:40You grab a chair, sit back, and enjoy the view.
28:43Chapter 7.
28:43The Rise of Ryan.
28:45People talk about rock bottom.
28:47Like it's some dramatic cinematic moment where you collapse on the bathroom floor and whisper,
28:51I can't do this anymore.
28:52My version was quieter.
28:54I deleted Carly completely.
28:56Phone.
28:56Locked.
28:57Email.
28:58Filtered to trash.
28:59Socials.
29:00Gone.
29:00Any photo of her.
29:02Deleted.
29:02Any memory?
29:03On layaway.
29:04Pending probation.
29:05My sleep improved like I'd switched mattresses from cinder block to clouds stolen from Zeus.
29:10I woke up rested.
29:11Hungry.
29:12Clear-headed.
29:13Work.
29:13The glow-up era.
29:15Something wild happened at the office.
29:17I started thriving.
29:18Not improving.
29:19Not doing better.
29:20Actually thriving.
29:21Two promotions in eight months.
29:23Corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows.
29:26Leading major accounts.
29:27Mentoring new hires.
29:28Confidence in full bloom.
29:29My boss pulled me aside one afternoon and said,
29:33Ryan, whatever changed in your life, keep it.
29:35Seriously.
29:36I almost told him.
29:37I removed a toxic influence.
29:40But HR prefers metaphors that are less chemically insulting.
29:43The motorcycle moment.
29:44Carly always forbid motorcycles.
29:46Too dangerous.
29:47Too reckless.
29:48Too impulsive.
29:50You know.
29:50All the things she loved about Jax.
29:52So naturally, the first major purchase I made for myself was an Indian Scout 60.
29:57Black.
29:58Beautiful.
29:58Loud enough to drown out intrusive thoughts.
30:01I took my first ride to Lake Erie on a Saturday morning.
30:04Wind in my face.
30:05Sun overhead.
30:06Nobody demanding check-ins or emotional reassurance.
30:09It felt like my first breath after eight years underwater.
30:12Nathan bought a Kawasaki shortly after just to join me.
30:15Our first big ride.
30:16We stopped for gas at a little town outside Marion.
30:19The kind of place where the only businesses are a diner, a liquor store, and a church that
30:23probably doubles as both.
30:25Seven giant dudes on Harley's pulled up beside us.
30:27Not big.
30:28Giant.
30:29NFL lineman meets lumberjack energy.
30:31Nathan leaned over and whispered.
30:33If they start swinging, I'm playing dead.
30:36While we fueled up, small talk drifted into local gossip.
30:39Turns out biker towns love storytelling the way toddlers love sugar.
30:43With reckless enthusiasm.
30:44One of the giants casually mentioned.
30:46Yeah, some idiot at the Black Horse Tavern ran his mouth at the wrong guy last month.
30:51Tried to clown on a biker with dwarfism.
30:53Brothers didn't like that.
30:54Wrecked him.
30:55I blinked.
30:56Nathan blinked.
30:57We exchanged a look that said,
30:58Oh no, no way.
31:00I asked, as casually as possible.
31:02What was the idiot's name?
31:03The giant shrugged.
31:04Jack something.
31:05Monroe?
31:06Morley?
31:07Something with an M.
31:08Dude screamed like a kettle.
31:09Nathan let out a strangled gasp.
31:11Bro.
31:12B-R-O that Jacks.
31:13The giant stared at us.
31:15Nathan started laughing like a man having a religious awakening.
31:18These legends, he whispered.
31:20These absolute heroes.
31:22One of the bikers frowned.
31:23You know him?
31:24Nathan said.
31:25Know him?
31:26Our buddy's ex threw her whole life away for that guy.
31:29Every giant in the group went.
31:30Oh.
31:31Like we just unlocked their collective empathy.
31:33Next thing we knew, they insisted we ride with them.
31:36Seven massive Harley riders.
31:38And the two of us behind them like stray puppies joining a wolf pack.
31:42They pointed at potholes for us.
31:43Blocked trucks for us.
31:45Gave us thumbs up every five minutes.
31:47It was ridiculous.
31:48It was glorious.
31:49Best afternoon of my life.
31:51Travel.
31:51Freedom.
31:52Expansion.
31:53The world opened again.
31:54Weekend trip to Chicago.
31:56Baseball game at Wrigley.
31:57Hot dogs that probably shortened my lifespan in the best way possible.
32:01Nashville for hot chicken, so spicy my soul briefly left my body.
32:05Gulf Coast Drive.
32:06Just me, my bike, the ocean, and the realization that peace isn't supposed to be a luxury.
32:12Hiking trips.
32:13Small town diners.
32:14Cheap dive bars with amazing burgers.
32:16Random detours because I had nobody to answer to.
32:19I wasn't boring.
32:20I wasn't predictable.
32:21I wasn't some routine-driven automaton standing in the way of someone else's passion.
32:26I was stable.
32:27I was consistent.
32:28I was reliable.
32:29And in the right hands.
32:31Those aren't flaws.
32:32They're superpowers.
32:33Carly just wasn't the right hands.
32:35Chapter 8.
32:36The Party and the Collapse
32:37Brandon Walsh's birthday party rolled around exactly one year after the relationship detonation
32:42that nuked my life in the best possible way.
32:45Before I even put on my jacket, Brandon texted.
32:48Just a heads up.
32:49Carly RSVP'd.
32:50My bad.
32:51I replied.
32:52It's fine.
32:53I'm bringing Georgia.
32:54She can kickbox anyone who gets weird.
32:56He sent back 10 laughing emojis and one skull.
32:59I took that as support.
33:01Georgia rode with me.
33:02Calm hands.
33:03Steady presence.
33:04Warm smile.
33:05She wore a simple dress and zero drama, which already made her the rarest woman in that room.
33:10She said, if your ex is there, we'll handle it.
33:13And by we, I mean me.
33:14I'll drop kick her if I have to.
33:16I said, violence isn't the answer.
33:18She said, I didn't say it was the wrong answer.
33:21God, I adored her.
33:22The moment we walked in, the vibe was light.
33:25Music.
33:26Laughter.
33:27Beers cracking open.
33:28Normal people doing normal things.
33:29Then I saw her.
33:31Carly.
33:31Or what was left of her.
33:33She looked hollow.
33:34Not thinner in a yoga influencer way.
33:36Thinner like life had sandpapered her down to the bones.
33:39Hair messy.
33:40Eyes red.
33:41Makeup barely hiding exhaustion.
33:42The confidence she used to radiate.
33:44Gone.
33:45Extinct.
33:46Dead and buried under the ruins of Ignite Wave.
33:49Jax.
33:49And poor decisions.
33:50She froze when she saw me.
33:52Then she walked over like a glitching NPC.
33:55Hi.
33:55She whispered.
33:56Voice shaky.
33:57Breath shallow.
33:58I said, hey.
33:59Georgia slipped her hand into mine.
34:01Relaxed and steady.
34:02Carly noticed instantly.
34:03The crack in her expression deepened.
34:05She said, you look different.
34:07Good.
34:08Really good.
34:09I said, thanks.
34:10Life's been good.
34:11She swallowed hard.
34:12Eyes darting to Georgia.
34:14I know I've been reaching out.
34:15Calling from different numbers.
34:17Showing up.
34:17I.
34:18I shouldn't have done that.
34:19But I needed you to hear me.
34:21I waited.
34:22Let her talk.
34:22She wrung her hands.
34:24I messed up.
34:25Jax was.
34:25He was abusive.
34:26Not just emotionally.
34:28He cheated on me constantly.
34:29Controlled everything.
34:30Lied.
34:31Stole.
34:32Hit me.
34:32I should have seen it.
34:33I should have listened.
34:34Silence.
34:35She kept going.
34:36I lost everything.
34:37My savings.
34:38My job.
34:39My friends.
34:40My family barely speaks to me.
34:42Ignite Wave ruined my credit.
34:43I'm months behind on rent.
34:45I'm starting over from nothing.
34:47Her voice cracked.
34:48He destroyed me.
34:49And A and I destroyed us.
34:50Please come back to me.
34:52Before I could say anything.
34:53Georgia stepped in and said, are you done with your sob story?
34:56Carly stared at Georgia like she'd been stabbed.
34:59Before I could say anything else, Georgia stepped forward.
35:02Calm.
35:02Steady.
35:03But with that unmistakable kickboxer energy of, you need to back off.
35:07She said, quietly but firmly.
35:09Listen to me carefully.
35:10You had your chance.
35:12You blew it.
35:13Spectacularly.
35:14Whatever tragic speech you're practicing.
35:16Save it.
35:16Carly's eyes snapped to her.
35:18Offended and desperate at the same time.
35:20Georgia didn't blink.
35:21Ryan doesn't belong to you anymore.
35:23That ship sailed.
35:24Crashed.
35:25And sank.
35:25He's with me now.
35:27And he's staying with me.
35:28Carly froze.
35:29Lips trembling.
35:30Georgia stepped in closer.
35:31Still calm.
35:32Still collected.
35:33But with a warning edge sharp enough to shave granite.
35:36So do yourself a favor, she continued.
35:38And back off.
35:39Because if you keep trying to drag him into your mess, I'll personally teach you what backing
35:43off looks like.
35:44Not yelled.
35:45Not dramatic.
35:46Just delivered like a statement of natural law.
35:49Carly unraveled.
35:50Her face crumpled.
35:51Tears spilling instantly as she backed away like she'd been hit without being
35:55touched.
35:56She whispered something.
35:57Maybe an apology.
35:58Maybe just air.
36:00Then turned and walked off.
36:01Covering her face as she cried her way across the room.
36:04People watched in stunned silence.
36:06Georgia slipped her hand into mine again.
36:08Her voice softening instantly for me.
36:10Let's go.
36:11And we did.
36:12Chapter 9.
36:13Rock Bottom.
36:14Rebirth and the Road Ahead.
36:15Two weeks after Carly's meltdown at Brandon's birthday party.
36:19I walked into the office on a Tuesday morning the way people walk into a spa after a month
36:23of stress.
36:24Coffee in hand.
36:25Peace in heart.
36:26Muscles not clenched for the first time in a decade.
36:29I'd just started reviewing quarterly projections when my phone buzzed.
36:32Unknown number.
36:33Normally I ignore those.
36:35Unknown numbers mean one of three things.
36:37Telemarketers.
36:39Survey robots.
36:40Nathan using a burner just to mess with me.
36:42But something in my gut said answer it.
36:43I said hello.
36:45A tired voice said.
36:46Is this Ryan Cooper?
36:47Yes.
36:48This is Officer Landry.
36:50Columbus PD.
36:51I straightened up.
36:52He sighed.
36:53That long.
36:54Weary psycops use when they're about to deliver news they'd rather not touch with gloves.
36:58We responded to an incident last night.
37:00A woman named Carly Howard listed you as her emergency contact.
37:04My stomach did a slow, irritated somersault.
37:07Not fear, just disbelief that I was still somehow on her paperwork.
37:11What happened?
37:12I asked.
37:12He said it clinically.
37:14She was found outside an apartment at two in the morning, yelling, pounding on the door,
37:18crying, disturbing neighbors.
37:20Very agitated.
37:21Very confused.
37:23Screaming something about a man named Jax ruining her life.
37:26Of course it was Jax's apartment.
37:28Of course.
37:29Officer Landry continued.
37:30Apparently a new girlfriend lives there now.
37:33They said she refused to leave.
37:34Kept shouting that it was all your fault.
37:37That if you had taken her back, none of this would have happened.
37:39He paused.
37:40I rubbed my forehead.
37:41She appears unstable, he added gently.
37:44We transported her for psychiatric evaluation.
37:47She's not under arrest.
37:48Just being held for safety.
37:50Then he asked the part that made me laugh internally.
37:52Are you able to come in or serve as her emergency contact?
37:55No, I said.
37:56Absolutely not.
37:57I let the words land.
37:59I haven't spoken to that woman in over a year.
38:01Remove my number.
38:02I want nothing to do with her.
38:04There was a beat of relief in his voice.
38:06Understood, sir.
38:07We'll update the file.
38:08And, for what it's worth, you dodged a bullet.
38:11Oh, I said, trust me.
38:13I know.
38:13When I hung up, I just sat there.
38:15Not sad.
38:16Not emotional.
38:17Not guilty.
38:18Just grateful.
38:19Grateful the universe had made the separation final in a way even she couldn't manipulate
38:24back open.
38:25That night, I told Nathan.
38:26He nearly choked on his beer.
38:28Bro, he said.
38:30Breathless.
38:30She got hauled off outside the apartment of the dude she cheated with and then gave the
38:34cops her number?
38:35He slapped the table.
38:36That's not karma.
38:37That's karma with deleted scenes, director's commentary, extended runtime, and a blooper
38:42reel.
38:43I laughed until my ribs hurt.
38:45For the first time ever, nothing about her situation touched me.
38:48She was officially out of my orbit.
38:50And then my life, the one I'd built from the ashes, hit full stride.
38:54Carly moved to Indiana.
38:55Treatment program.
38:56Small job.
38:57Apparently doing better.
38:58I'm glad for her.
39:00I hope she heals.
39:01I hope she finds whatever she is looking for.
39:03But I feel nothing else.
39:04No lingering pain.
39:05No nostalgia.
39:06No what-ifs.
39:08Today, I drive my restored 1973 Pontiac Firebird formula with Georgia beside me.
39:13Windows down.
39:15The world unfolding ahead.
39:16Clean and bright in mine.
39:18The past grows smaller in the rearview.
39:20And my only thought is, thank God I let her walk away.
39:24Dear listeners, we have reached the end of the story.
39:27In case you haven't noticed, The Soup Maker is back on Patreon.
39:31Don't miss that out.
39:32If you haven't subscribed yet, please do.
39:34Have a nice day.
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