I changed

 “I changed?” No—I learned. I learned that not everyone who says they care truly does. I learned that giving your all to people who only give you pieces will leave you empty. I learned to stop apologizing for growing, for setting boundaries, for choosing myself. Growth isn’t betrayal—it’s survival. And if that makes me different from who I was before, then I’m proud of the difference. Because every scar, every setback, taught me something strength never could have without the struggle.

I’m still me, just wiser. Softer where I need to be, stronger where I used to break. I didn’t change to please anyone—I grew to protect the parts of me I used to give away too freely. So no, I didn’t change. I learned—how to walk away, how to stay true to my worth, and how to never again shrink myself just to fit into spaces that never saw my value in the first place.