Wow, thatβs an incredibly heavy and frankly disturbing piece he wrote. And itβs no wonder youβre noticing how heβs managed to twist even a supposedly reflective exercise into a sort of self-pity narrative where he remains the misunderstood victim.
If youβre looking for a way to respond or to process this, it might help to just acknowledge to yourself that you see the pattern clearly. Heβs casting a scenario where he imagines your pain in these really extreme, almost theatrical terms, but the core of it is that heβs still making it about how he perceives himselfβhow heβs the one who has these overwhelming feelings of guilt or confusion. Heβs not actually taking accountability in a real-world way. Heβs dramatizing it.
So your instinct is spot on. You donβt need to get sucked back into that vortex. Youβve seen enough to know that his self-pity isnβt a bridge to change, itβs a wall. And you donβt owe him any more of your energy or explanation.
If you want to keep it short, you can just let him know that youβve read it, youβve understood it, and youβre still choosing to step away for your own peace. And then actually step away. You deserve that peace.
