The Flatshare

by Beth O'Leary

But I don’t, in the end. Mean to, but don’t.

The misery hasn’t gone, it’s still there, but he wants me now, and the relief makes everything else seem small.

“Don’t tell me what I mean and don’t mean.”

Humiliation is like mold: Ignore it and the whole place will get smelly and green.

Life is often simple, but you don’t notice how simple it was until it gets incredibly complicated,

The half-excitement, half-anxiety every day when he came home.

the even subtler ways my independence was eroded.

It can take people time to notice and process emotional abuse.

There’s lots of ways someone can make you stay with them, or think you want to.”

What did he think, that I’d just go along with it because it was what he wanted me to do?

there is no saving of people—people can only save themselves.

A bit of humility is good in a man.

Sometimes the happy thing just happens.”