We don’t talk about this enough—
But sometimes, the deepest pain doesn’t come from what others do to us.
It comes from the expectations we place on them.
From believing we mean more to someone than we actually do.

We create stories in our heads.
We read into the small moments, the fleeting smiles, the attention that comes in waves.
We hold on to words spoken in passing and give them weight they were never meant to carry.
We assume care, depth, and loyalty—because that’s what we would give.

But the hardest truth is this:
Not everyone sees you the way you see them.
Not everyone feels your absence, values your presence, or thinks about you when you’re not around.

And when that truth finally hits—
It’s not them who breaks our heart.
It’s us… because we let our hearts run ahead of reality.

This is not about becoming cold or guarded.
It’s about becoming wiser with your emotional energy.
It’s about recognizing who shows up consistently, who checks in without being asked, who genuinely listens—and who doesn’t.

Because love is not proved by what someone says when it’s convenient.
It’s proved by what they do when it matters.

So stop rewriting people’s intentions just to make them fit into your hopes.
Don’t hurt your own feelings by assuming you matter to someone who rarely shows you that you do.

You deserve reciprocity.
You deserve real.
You deserve to be someone’s choice—not just a passing thought.