(i) There's no sugarcoating it; being in that position sucks. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy because nobody deserves to feel like they weren't enough.
(ii) No amount of justification they give you for their heinous act will ever be enough. Forget, but don't ever forgive because it doesn't deserve to be forgiven.
(iii) You're not a victim. You're a warrior who's managed to pick themself up after fighting something immensely painful. Don't sorrowfully massage your wounds wear them like the fierce armor they are.
(iv) You're not stupid to still be in love with them despite what they did. Matters of the heart are tricky, & it's never as simple as just erasing all the love you have for someone once they betray you. Take your time to heal, & don't let anyone judge you for taking too long to fall out of love.
(v) Get sloshed with your friends, smash something if you need to, scream into a bag, scribble in your notebook, gorge down a tub of ice cream or go the Geet way and let all your anger out on them. Do whatever you need to make yourself feel okay again.
(vi) This is a toughie, but don't put up those dreaded walls around your heart. Trusting someone again is never going to be easy, but don't let one bad person make you miss out on all the good ones. Not everyone is out there to hurt you, & you WILL find the love you deserve.
(vii) Don't beat yourself up for not noticing the red flags all along. You have a noble heart, & sometimes the kindest hearts suffer the most. The experience taught you something, so try & leave the past in the past.
(viii) Delete EVERYTHING from your phone, laptop, room & mind that reminds you of them because it's not worth holding onto. Do yourself a favor & get rid of the unnecessary pain of reliving the nightmare every time you encounter something familiar.
(ix) Take some time by yourself before you look for love again. It'll come to you in its purest form when life knows you're ready. Until then just celebrate your newfound freedom & your triumph over the most painful kind of heartbreak.
By Aashvi Shah