Line in the Sand

I have been your doormat for years. I give and you take. I give more and you take more. It's an abusive cycle. Your demands are plentiful, unreasonable, and oftentimes contradictory. And I'm tired of conceding to them. I continually compromise my wishes to satisfy yours. Yet you don't express even an iota of gratitude. Now it's my time to finally make some rigid demands and it's your turn to, for once, demonstrate a degree of flexibility. You will start answering my questions, treating me with respect, divulging the truth, listening to my perspectives, reciprocating my affection, etc. If you don't agree to the aforementioned stipulations, I won't offer you another chance to comply in the future. I've already given you so many opportunities to redeem yourself; you don't deserve more. Additionally, when intrusive thoughts about you enter my mind, rather than mistakenly regret the squandered potential of our fragile relationship, I will remind myself to regret believing the plethora of lies you comfortably told me for nine years. I'll also remember to never ignore red flags as harmful and evident as yours again.