And not every fairytale lasts forever.

If you're reading this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're in this position. I'm sorry you're stuck in quick sand. I'm sorry you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sorry he left you broken like this. I'm sorry you believed in him and wanted the best for him. I'm sorry you want him happy. I'm sorry you're losing yourself over him.

I didn't even have to say a name but you thought about him, didn't you?

I know you want to blame it on the wrong timing and the wrong placing, but sometimes, things just don't work out and that's something we have to accept whether we like it or not.

First things first, it doesn't matter who you are, where you've been, and where you're going. You're a beautiful, strong, and independent woman who doesn't need anyone. I know you may be thinking that he put the stars in the sky, but trust me, he's not that powerful sweetheart.

How did this happen? How did you end up here? You both loved each other and wanted to be together forever... right? Unfortunately, some fairy tales don't last forever. He left you broken and lost. He dumped you out on the side of the street with no explanation, and no hope for tomorrow. So this is to all of the girls who can't seem to pick themselves up and continue on with everyday.

I know it sounds cliche, but you don't need anyone, especially not a boy who can leave you feeling distraught like this. Don't worry, I won't tell you time heals everything either, but you will learn how to cope with it. I know that nights are the hardest, or when you need some encouraging words, or even when you want to feel like a priority to someone. You want to see his name pop up on your phone, or see his headlights pull into your driveway. You go back to the last time he held you while you cried over a bad day, and the time he kissed you so passionately that you saw fireworks. You go back to the time he promised you forever, and told you he loved you just one more time. The problem is that you have to think about the times he left you crying, hurt, lost, and broken while you tried hiding your pain in the bottom of a bottle. You have to think about the times that you knew, from the bottom of your heart, that you deserved better than what you were getting. You have to remind yourself that no matter how many times he seemed to save you... he also killed you.

You can't blame yourself and wonder what would've happened if you had done or said something different during that argument last Christmas. Sometimes, people just aren't ready for what's in front of them and you can't wait around for the day that they realize that. What's done is done and there's no going back now. You have to be the one to realize your own worth. You have to love yourself girl, or no one else will. So go look in the mirror, pat yourself on the back, fix your mascara, and own the person you know you are. It's okay to not be the same person you were before he came along, and it's okay to start over. Any progress is still progress. Honestly, you were probably too much for him to handle: too caring, too thoughtful, too selfless, too powerful, too independent, too determined, too ambitious, too successful, too beautiful, too kind, too sweet, too respectful, too loving, too human. It's not a bad thing that he's not ready, because there's a man out there who can handle all of your "too much."

So go out, find your friends, drink too much, dance until you're sore, shop until you drop, work on your school work, focus on your family, go adopt a new cat, ride around and jam out to throwbacks with your best friend, eat too much ice-cream, binge watch your favorite series on Netflix, go to church, grow closer to the people who are still rooting for you, catch up with old friends, listen to new music, visit more places, go on a mini-vacation, have a sleepover with your best friend, go visit with your family, drive to the beach, go to an amusement park, go crash a wedding, go to a concert, but most importantly... focus on yourself now baby girl. There was nothing wrong with you and now you can even better yourself for the guy that does save you. As bad as you don't want to face it, you've got to move on sometime or another. So when prince charming does come through, you'll be ready. You can remember the things you need to work on for yourself, and you now know what you want out of someone else.

Lastly, become your own number one fan. No one will pick you up and carry you through the storm like yourself. No one will ever understand how you feel and no one will ever understand the relationship you had, but there are people who have your back and want to see you win. You have to be one of those people. If you constantly tear yourself down and doubt your ability to survive any curve ball that life throws at you, then it's only going to tear you down brick by brick. Tell yourself every second you can that you'll be okay. It's okay if you don't believe it right now, but eventually you will. It'll hurt to realize you're slowly letting go, but that's okay. It doesn't mean you love him any less or think any less of him, but it does mean you're healing. Don't think about the "what if" and the future. Don't tell yourself that he's coming back. Don't give into the broken promises of before. Just focus on the present and how you're going to take the next minute in.

Always remember that you were beautiful before he told you so.

Love, a stranger who has been in your shoes, and is most definitely rooting for you.