I met you where you were and never judged where you came from. I encouraged you to pursue an education, introduced you to people who valued ideas and ambition, and opened doors that had never been opened to you. I shared my world because I believed in your potential.
When you had little, I gave what I could. I treated you with respect and dignity, not because they had to be earned, but because everyone deserves them. I supported your dreams as if they were my own and celebrated your successes without keeping score.
When our children were born, I made a choice. I left my career so they could be raised by a parent instead of strangers. Those years were never a sacrifice to me; they were an investment in the people I loved most.
Life, however, does not guarantee that devotion will be returned.
Our union ended. You chose a different path, and with that choice came the loss of the life I believed we would share forever. I no longer woke up to my children every morning or tucked them into bed every night. That absence became the greatest cost.
Today, you live with the rewards of a successful career, financial security, and a comfortable home. I face a different reality, one of rebuilding, living modestly, and carrying the quiet weight of starting over later in life.
I don’t regret what I gave. I regret only that what I believed you said, wasn’t manipulation.
I cannot change the past. I can only choose the man I am and make the best life I can without the world I helped build in the past.
c 2026 Chu The Cud
All Rights Reserved
Chu The Cud 