I kept justifying why I stayed.
Why his dry replies didn't mean anything.
Why his late-night calls still felt special.
But the truth was:
I was begging for crumbs
and calling it a feast.
I stopped being honest with myself.
Started twisting his neglect into "maybe he's busy."
Started shrinking my needs to match his bare minimum.
I should've left the day I started apologizing for wanting to be loved properly.