Ten Years of Wrong Love, I Begged Him to Leave

I wandered around the building with my suitcase.

After about ten minutes, the security guard came up with a flashlight.

“Ms. Nolan, did you forget your keys? Why not have family pick you up? It’s not safe here at this hour.”

Even the security guard cared about my safety, unlike Cole.

I truly had nowhere to go.

After college, I turned down a great job offer in Atlanta to follow Cole to a completely unfamiliar place, Denver.

Over time, I lost contact with friends from back then.

Tears started to flow uncontrollably.

I wasn’t crying because Cole was terrible, but for myself.

For knowing it was wrong but not having the courage to leave him.

Everyone had warned me not to be the rebound.

Cole and Nadia’s story was well-known.

But I was naive.

I thought I could wait.

I believed that long-term companionship could outweigh youthful affection.

I believed that by staying by Cole’s side, he would eventually see me.

For ten years, I helped him move past Nadia’s sudden departure, mend his family relationships, and build his design studio from the ground up.

Now, Cole was a successful young founder of a design studio, and I was supposed to be Mrs. Arnold, his soon-to-be wife.

I looked up at what was supposed to be my home as the lights dimmed.

It was like waking from a dream.

What’s not meant for me would never be mine.