The Therapy of Letting Go のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

Peter left, feeling satisfied.The door closed behind him.In the dark, I lay alone on the couch.The clock on the wall ticked softly.That familiar loneliness from our first breakup crept back in again.Only this time, it didn’t feel suffocating.It felt like my withdrawal was finally easing.The memories of our breakup came rushing back.It all began one late night.Julia sent Peter a message: [Peter, I’m getting a divorce.]From that moment, something changed in him.He removed our photo from his social media background.He said it was a critical period for his promotion and he needed to appear professional.I never doubted him.I was busy with work, and so was he.I never imagined he still had time to run errands for Julia.We both came from ordinary families.Peter’s situation was even worse.His father had transferred all their money to another woman, and when his parents divorced, his mother was left with nothing.Looking back, there had always been signs.One afternoon, while P

It was as if nothing had ever happened.If anything, I felt like I loved Peter even more.Every day, I fussed over him, tended to his needs, and doted on him more than he ever did on Julia.Even the intimate acts I once resisted, I began to go along with.Peter was thrilled.“Sarah, if only you’d been like this from the start.”But soon, Peter began to notice something was off.I didn’t care if he worked late or caught a cold, and I never checked up on him.When his replies came slow, I didn’t push.When he broke plans, I didn’t get angry.Even when I saw lipstick on his shirt, I acted like I hadn’t noticed.In just a month, the therapy had taken effect.Peter started to look uglier in my eyes.When he leaned in to kiss me, a wave of disgust rose in my chest.The closer he got, the harder it was to bear.In those moments of forced intimacy, he seemed to sense something.He asked, “Sarah, do you love me?”Without hesitation, I said, “Of course.”But somehow, that answer didn’t satisfy h

With her, he’d found the taste of everyday life—simple, ordinary, yet somehow comforting.The routine of cooking and chores didn’t bother him.But that didn’t mean he wanted to cut Julia out of his life completely.A first love was always different.He was just doing what any friend would.When Julia threw herself into his arms, trembling as she cried, Peter finally called the restaurant to postpone the proposal to tomorrow night.After all, he hadn’t told Sarah about it yet.As he thought about it, he sent her a message: [Sarah, I have to work late tonight. Let’s have dinner tomorrow instead.]He waited for a reply, but none came.Scrolling through their old messages, he sighed.At some point, Sarah had started replying slower and slower.Maybe she was still quietly upset.But it didn’t matter.After tonight, he’d make it up to her.He’d give her the wedding she’d been dreaming of.As for tonight, he told himself this would be his last indulgence.It was a farewell to his first love a

Seth said he wanted to try the fitness class too, but since it was a women’s program, I had no choice but to turn him down.Judging by his build, he probably worked out regularly anyway; he didn’t need to take classes with me.As I was leaving the office, I spotted Peter wandering nearby.It looked like he was searching for me.In a foreign country, that was like looking for a needle in a haystack.He must’ve been here on a short trip; he’d have to return home soon.I wasn’t worried about him finding me, just disgusted that he’d even try.A few days later, my mom called.The moment I picked up, she started scolding me.“What’s going on with you and Peter? He’s here now. Come back right this instant.“You’re not a kid anymore. You’re getting married soon, and now you’re pulling a stunt like running away from home?”I thought I heard Peter’s voice in the background, playing peacemaker, telling her not to blame me and saying everything was his fault.A bitter laugh escaped me. “Mom, I’m n

Had he sneaked in a couple of push-ups while changing just now?The thought made me laugh.“Is the girl you’ve liked for six years someone I know?”…Peter still hadn’t paid back the money, even though his salary was high.I’d been buried in work and hadn’t had time to chase it up.Seth gave the core team stock options, and everyone started working even harder.Then one day, I got a call from one of Peter’s buddies.“Hey, Sarah, Peter knows he was wrong. He’s drunk and keeps saying your name…”Over the past year, I’d blocked Peter and several of his friends on multiple numbers.Apparently, there were still some I’d missed.Too tired from overtime, I decided to treat the call as mild entertainment and didn’t hang up right away.Sensing hope, his friend grew more animated.“That Julia, we’ve all met her. She’s a total trash, nothing like you, Sarah! Peter just pitied her, there’s nothing romantic going on, really!“Come on, couples fight and make up. You two have been together for years—