For three years, Zee lived under the illusion that everyone in a relationship was tolerating some bad behaviors. She let Chris reduce her self worth and instill so much fear in her. Chris would stomp out of the house every time they had an argument. And usually before he left, he'd insult and humiliate her and maybe beat her up. One time it was her eye that got swollen; another time it was her hand that got twisted. He would stay away for about an hour, only speaking to her when she had written a complete page of an apology note. And when he returned, he’d tell her how he was only tolerating her and how no man could ever put up with her asides him. She found it impossible to maintain a civil conversation with Chris. So after a few years of this, she learned to stop having any discussion about anything that may have upset him.
The relationship lasted a little more than three years, and for those three years she had kept her feelings to herself. She agreed with almost everything he wanted, went where he wanted, cooked the way he wanted her to, bought things he wanted.
From the outside, her relationship was beautiful. Everyone believed she was in the best relationship, they had lasted 3 solid years! Friends commented on how their marriage would be a model to many: it seemed as though they had the world at our feet. She was always surprised by these comments—but of course still kept her thought to herself. 
Let’s fast forward.
December 23rd 20.., Chris called to say he was done with her, with their relationship. He had found someone else he could communicate with and could not continue with her. He had recognized that she could not give him what he wanted. "You can't be serious, Chris," she had said, cringing with disbelief. 3 years and 6 months and he was just realizing all of that? "I'm sorry Zee, I wish I had been that aware," he replied.

It was a difficult realization to accept for Zee. After all she had done to save her relationship, it came crashing when she least expected it to. But a year passed and Zee was in a new relationship. She had met a man whom she really likes. She was falling in love. He is kind, honest, has amazing integrity, and most of all, they could have healthy and meaningful conversations, he has never laid his hands on her.

She finally realised that she had spent so much time trying to convince herself that she had everything in her previous relationship that she wanted, she couldn’t see that she hadn’t attracted what she deserved. It took a heartbreak for her to understand that until she learned to respect herself, no one was going to do that job for her. I'm not going to delibrate further on this matter. I just want to let you, the young man or woman reading this to know that: you should be with someone who appreciates you, YOU DON'T DESERVE LESS.