Once She Loses Respect For You, Don’t Even Bother—She’s Gone
There’s only so much she can take. And you’ve taken it too far.
You thought she’d never leave. You thought she’d never find the courage to. Here’s the thing: the more you disrespect her, the more she loses respect for you. Holding onto the idea of love made her stay longer than necessary. She’ll admit she confused love with the feeling of longing and a tinge of desperate hope.
But having her respect? Now that’s different. Respect is everything. Respect means she actually values what you have to say and takes it into consideration when making a decision. Her respect means her adoration. She can say, “yes, I vouch for that guy.” She sees you as someone she can respect when you hold yourself to a standard. She sees you as someone she can respect when being secure in yourself doesn’t automatically mean you have to cut her down. Being cold and unaffectionate towards her isn’t some sign of strength. All it does is push her away. Once she loses respect for you, don’t even bother.
There’s no coming back from that. Her body shuts down. She has a hard time being vulnerable again. It’s almost involuntary. She feels repelled being around you. You think she just “changed overnight,” but this isn’t true. Her yearning for your love fades over time when she realizes you can’t listen to her needs without thinking she’s needy. You’re not going to treat her better. You’re not going to “get it.” And she has no business trying to change you.
Frankly, she’s bewildered. She can’t fathom how you could ignore, dismiss, and talk down to the person you claim to care about. She can’t fathom why she put up with a half-ass relationship for so long. Feelings of love are what made her stay. Loss of respect is what will make her leave. Once she loses respect for you, don’t even bother. She’s gone.
And you just know that she’s the one that got away.