Part 9/9:
Ultimately, he expressed gratitude for their past but emphatically stated he could not return to what they once had. As she departed, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. The confrontation with Lorraine marked not just the end of a chapter in their lives but the affirmation of his newfound identity and self-worth.
The apartment felt bright and alive without her presence looming over him. As he settled into the quiet of his space, he understood profoundly that while love can anchor us, it should never diminish our sense of self. Lorraine had chosen a party over him that night, but in doing so, he had chosen himself for the first time, vowing never to let anyone else define his worth again.