His barbed words woke me constantly throughout the night to remind me of the past that just yesterday was my present. The past that I now know isn’t going to go away just because I’ve fled its shackles.

The stars in the night sky sealed my heart as much as they sealed my fate. Soaking the pillow with angry, painful tears, I vowed to never allow love in again. The promise to remain on my own and get used to the vicious-tongued stillness prevailed over the risk of ever having to go through the pain of another love as cruel as his.