He Only Missed My Best Friend

My boyfriend, Dylan, was the definition of prideful—a man who couldn't handle the slightest criticism and only responded to total submission. Every time we had a disagreement, I had to exhaust every ounce of my dignity to beg for his forgiveness.

The first time, I stood out in the freezing rain with a hundred-and-two-degree fever all night.

The second time, I pulled three consecutive all-nighters to handwrite a hundred-page letter of apology.

The third time, I unfurled a massive "I'm Sorry" banner in front of his corporate office building.