she deposits
hope,
daily,
into a vault
with 0% return,
while emotional inflation
drains her worth.

he learns
her “no”
means no-thing.
no boundaries.
arguments come
without consequence.

so when she says
“i’m hurting”
again—
does it matter?

her hurt resets
every sunrise.
he’s heard it all before.
it’s part of the evening routine,
like brushing teeth—
brushed…
off.

unit…
no.
not anymore.

year after year,
she became wiser—
while he
grew more invested
in not needing to.