Dear Her,

I refuse to say your name as I have heard it far too many times. It has been infused in my mind for years on end, and will resonate with those to come. You, you are the one who took away my relationship, and you are the one who caused restless nights due to your selfish desires. You only thought of your happiness; not of the girl who had everything to lose when you barely had anything to gain. We never spoke, but I'm definite you know who I am. You saw my face in the hallways at school, you saw my social media, I'm sure. You are the girl my boyfriend cheated on me with.

To the girl who ruined something that I cherished so deeply, I do not hate you. Instead, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for doing me a favor that will affect me for the rest of my life, something that I did not have the courage to do alone. You finally set me free; you saved me.

Thank you for saving me a future filled with lies and deception.

Thank you for making it easy for me to push through an obstacle that stood between me and my future: him.

Thank you for making me realize that in my life, I'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team.

Thank you for giving me a breath of fresh air, and new experiences.

Thank you for pushing me to be a determined person and know what I stand for as a woman; thank you for showing me what self-respect is.

Thank you for reminding me of my worth; and what it feels like to be appreciated by those who truly admire me.

Thank you for showing me that I don't need another person to make me feel whole when there is a world full of family, friends, knowledge, and endless possibilities.

Thank you for making me realize that as people grow up, they grow apart and are no longer the same person you fell in love with.

Thank you for showing me that life is always changing, and nothing lasts forever.

Thank you for reminding me to trust my "gut feeling", just as my Mom suggested.

Thank you for allowing someone to look at me as if I put stars in the sky.

Thank you for causing me to encounter the most pain I have ever felt in my entire life; because without pain, there is no growth, and without growth there is no change.

Thank you for giving me the strength to forgive and move forward with my life.

Thank you for allowing me to start over, and for a chance at new beginnings.

Thank you for taking the blame, thank you for validating my thoughts and feelings, for giving me a reason to leave.

With deep appreciation,
The girl you set free