When I thought about the sacrifices I had made in the past, each one brought to mind how frequently I had prioritized him while he took me for granted.

I couldn’t stop thinking about their significance. It was not something that I was going to ignore this time. It was not out of retribution that I took the decision to discipline him; rather, it was to reestablish my sense of why I am valuable.

David strained to come up with an excuse when I confronted him, but I refused to back down from my position. Not ease, but respect is the bedrock upon which love is built.

I made the decision to put some distance between us, so that I could get some time to recover while demanding that he deal