I've often wondered why someone I loved so deeply could treat me so poorly, and yet treat another person better than they ever treated me. Over time, I came to realize a painful truth: I wasn't the person for them. I wasn't the person they could share their secrets with, tell about their day, or confide in about their big life events like promotions or challenges. I wasn't the lady he could hold hands with in public, nor the one he could take home to his parents. Instead, I was his sweet secret, a source of fun and pleasure, but never truly a part of his life.

Goodness, I loved this man. He was everything to me. The more he ignored me, the more my desire to seek him out grew. When he hung up on me, I would call back over and...