There is always another side to any story. We hear it all the time, especially when friends recount time and time again about past experiences with "crazy exes" and the long list of issues. Cue the sympathetic nod and the proper "oohs" and "ahhs." Maybe throw out a few "you poor things!" to make it all better. But have you ever wondered if your friend is being honest about that ex? Sanity is something everyone possesses for a time until a trigger fires it into insanity.
I remember a couple in high school everyone thought would stay together forever. It was impossible to see one without the other. So began the problem. These two independent people grew accustomed to being at each other's beck and call so much that they forgot live without the significant other even for a brief period of time. All the passion in love grew into intense arguments and coldness when no truce could be found. Sweet and lovely turned instantly to jealously and bitterness quicker than anything I had ever seen.
It was not a surprise that they eventually broke up and went separate ways. No one was sad about it, because it sure was a shame to see a cat and dog fight in the middle of the hallway when these two accused each other of cheating. For a time, the guy convinced all of us how crazy the girl was. He told us she spray painted his car and lied to his mom that they had made up just so she could come to his house when he wasn't there. One night he came home to his whole room being trashed. When we asked why he didn't file a restraining order, he paused and pleaded on her behalf as the brokenhearted ex with no better prospect than his love.
Here is the truth. She never did any of those despicable things he described. In fact, he was the perpetrator and it was worse than we knew. He drove by her house and slashed her tires and attempted to cut her brakes. Luckily, she stopped him and called the police before more drastic measures were taken.
The breakup was not a mutual thing like we once thought. She wanted to leave because college was around the corner, and they were not going to be in the same state. They agreed everything would be chill, but he was not ready to let go. Maybe he still wanted to be with her, or he could not envision life without her. Maybe he did not want to seem like he lost. The remainder of high school was rough on them and our group of friends. As cliché as it sounds, it was love that killed love. Everything was so passionate between this couple until it exploded.
Down the road, the once-upon-a-time couple agreed it was for the best. I am happy to say that both are living normal and happy lives. He is working as an engineer in Virginia getting ready for an worthwhile trip to Sweden with his wife of three years. She is an actress in California starring in a new indie film and in a great relationship with a fellow actor. So what if the lovers turned rivals? He was ever apologetic because it was his damn fault for ruining her car and all the other shenanigans he caused. Oh, they are definitely friends now choosing to let bygones be bygones.
In the end, we all learned a huge lesson of realizing that there are two sides to every story. Sometimes, there really is not a bad guy or girl and only life running its course.
