Don't know what possessed me at 1 AM last night, but after four months of disciplined silence, I gave in and texted my ex. The response? A dry, hollow: "K." Not a question, not a how-are-you, just a single letter delivered fifteen minutes later. The wave of immediate self-disgust that washed over me was suffocating. She has completely rebuilt her life, thriving in a new city without a single thought about me, and here I am acting like a clown grasping for scraps of old affection. If you are reading this and hovering over someone's chat who chose to walk out of your life: put the phone face down and go to sleep. Do not sacrifice your hard-won dignity for a lukewarm reply that will only haunt you the next morning.