Dear Ex-boyfriend from High School,
I am sorry for how things ended between us. It was abrupt and unplanned. I didn’t mean to hurt you as I did, you deserved a better ending–you deserved a better girlfriend. I know in my heart that I loved you, but we belonged as friends. After a year and a half, you still treated me like a princess every day, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am. I held onto the hope that we could make it work for too long. After our third big fight about the same goddamn issue I should’ve ended things–it was wrong to continue the lie.
I don’t, however, appreciate how you treated me in our final weeks. You acted as though I was a slut who would throw herself at the first 10 frat boys I met at college–that if I enjoyed myself too much I would forget about you. After a year you showed that you had no trust in me. I had been loyal to you and us since the day we met, and those fights were simply a smack in the face.
I hope there comes a day when you stop asking people what I’ve said about you. I hope there comes a day when I’m not the villain in your story. I hope there comes a day when we can be friends again. I don’t think of you as a terrible part of my life, and I want you to recognize that at the peak of it we were unbreakable. You gave me hope at the very moment I needed it and I’m grateful for you.
Thank you for everything,
Hannah
English 110 Spring 2020 10:10-11:00 
Hannah,
I enjoyed reading your letter. It was full of meaningful comments. The line that hit me was, “I hope there comes a day when I’m not the villain in your story.” My past relationship was not good, and I found out I have been cheated on (multiple times). Instead, I was the villain in his story. He told everyone I did all of the terrible things that he actually did to me. I also like how you titled it, “The Classic Break-Up Letter.” Usually, we want to be friends with someone significant to us. I hope you guys can work it out in the future.
-Molly Corrigan
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Hannah, I really enjoyed reading your letter. You showed acknowledgement of both yours and his part in the breakup, but also showed honesty with yourself and your worth. I am sorry how things ended and how you felt untrusted, because no girl should feel like that in a relationship, especially during one of the most pivotal moments in our lives, going to college. I am happy that you found peace and happiness with him at one time, that you hope to be friends one day, and that you are not the villain in his story (I absolutely loved that line).
Your letter is more than a classic breakup letter, it is unique. Great work Hannah, I hope you guys can find each other again as friends and reflect on some of your better memories.
-Toni Abdy
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Even though this letter is very personal to you, I think a lot of people would relate to it. Most of my friends were in relationships when we moved to college. For me too, it was definitely the cause of a lot of stress leading up to the move since for four years me and my boyfriend were used to seeing each other every day. You hope that the trust you built is strong enough to keep the relationship as you both adjust to the change, but it’s hard not to worry. Worries are one thing though, lashing out because of imagined hypotheticals is another, and completely unfair to use against someone. Being back home now due to the virus, my boyfriend can see how much time we actually spend working which made him feel silly for thinking I was going to party like how he imagined it in his head. It just shows how anxiety about something can conjure images in your head, even if it goes against what you know. Also, like Toni said, I can see that you have found peace with this relationship. I think a good indication is being able to look back on the relationship with fondness and grow from it, without dwelling on it. I hope he is able to find this sense of closure too.
– Ellie Pellecchia
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Hi Hannah! I was blown away by the title alone but when I began to read was when I was stunned at your bravery for writing such a personal letter and sharing it with us. Breakups definitely aren’t easy and it’s safe to say that respect and treatment are important and I’m sorry to hear that those were topics you struggled with. What I loved most is that you took responsibility for your wrongdoings not solely placing blame. You showed utmost strength and courage writing this and I really happy to have gotten to read it. Also you look so pretty in the pic!!
Emilie Lauria
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