First of all, it is easier to move on when a relationship ends in anger. In those cases, there is no place left in your heart for the love that once was, only for the cold betrayal or burning acceptance of realizing that the person you were with isn’t who you thought they were.

But, in my case, it wasn’t like this. Instead, it felt like a push and a pull between what was best for us. There seemed to be no clear answer, and in the face of uncertainty, there were far too many “what-ifs.”

This type of heartbreak is a battle between comfort and the prospect of a less conflictual relationship. Sometimes, there is a possibility that you’re holding each other back because you don’t want to let go of the other person. It starts as a small doubt in your head: the thought that a healthy relationship shouldn’t feel the way your current relationship feels. Then, it grows into resentment that bubbles into anger every time you’re reminded of their poor actions.

But when lack of improvement is evident, it is best to find the strength within oneself to leave. Staying too long is a recipe for self-doubt, loathing and utter sadness. Starting the dreadful process of heartbreak sooner leads to a fully healed and rejuvenated version of oneself more quickly.

After it ends, you have to change your entire daily routine just to not think of them, and it can feel like you’ve completely rewired who you are. This process is not easy, and it definitely isn’t quick.

But let me stress this next part: there is no going back after things end. The decision has been made, and distance is necessary to grow into a better person.

The despair that accompanies the decision to leave stems from the idea that the heartbreak could have been prevented. You think, in an alternate universe, you could have been happy forever with this person. You can’t help but think back to the good times and wish that the timeline didn’t have to end so soon.

But, you have to remind yourself that when communication between two people turns into a battle of their own stories, rather than addressing the feelings and emotions of the other, it’s no longer worth it.

Another aspect of heartbreak comes from the constant overthinking. You will wake up feeling a heaviness in your heart and a pit in your stomach. You will get ready and pretend like it isn’t there. You will go about your day, doing what you need to do and convince yourself, for the umpteenth time, that this is what is best for you.

In some instances, it may even feel like the hand of heartbreak has loosened its deathly grip on your heart, even if just for a moment. Make sure to close your eyes and really appreciate these moments when it feels like the world is spinning once again. You will go to bed, maybe somewhat satisfied but still a little sad. You will do this process over and over again until the day that you wake up and your chest doesn’t feel as heavy as before.

In the unfortunate case where jealousy is involved, my one piece of advice is to simply not look at their new life. After all, how could you expect to feed positivity into your new life when you are still stuck in your old one?

Don’t search them up on social media. Don’t expect comfort from them anymore. Most importantly, don’t compare yourself to their new partner. Ignorance really is bliss in this case, and what they are doing is no longer your concern, no matter how much you wish it were.

Most of all, in the difficult times of heartbreak, remember the people closest to you. Remember that there is more love out there for you, and that there is always more work to do on your own mind and your own soul.

It is hard to deal with feelings of inadequacy and longing, and it’s even harder to deal with loneliness, but take all the time that you need to heal — don’t rush it. We are humans, and it is beautiful that we get to love so strongly at all.

Unfortunately, we hurt to a degree equivalent to the love we experienced. While you wait for the day that the love you find stays unwavering throughout the years, embrace the times that you do get to feel such an emotion and remember that there is so much love around you, even if it isn’t in the form of a relationship.

Love takes the form of friends who support you, pets that depend on you, professors who are proud of you, family who listens to you and most of all, your own resilience to continue to feed your own ambitions and goals in life.

Heartbreak, if it’s good for anything, can remind us of this kind of love, which we too often take for granted, and of the ability we have to continue to evolve.

Myah Meunier is a freshman majoring in English. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial. 

Paralleling the books, Belly (Lola Tung) forgives Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) for cheating on her, and the two get engaged shortly after. Yet, she still finds her way back to Conrad (Christopher Briney) in the end. The season diverged from the source material with the addition of new characters in the narrative and expanded storylines for existing ones.

These changes were introduced to enhance character development, particularly through a more active role for Conrad’s close friend, Agnes (Zoé de Grand Maison), during his time at medical school. Belly, like in the first two seasons, navigates heartbreak, love and family drama as she makes decisions that drastically affect her life.

This season tackled the indecision that accompanies betrayal. Belly struggles to forgive Jeremiah for sleeping with somebody else over spring break. The controversial decision to not only forgive Jeremiah but also agree to marry him created uproar across social media about whether Belly was making the right decision. Han believes it’s “debatable” if he “technically” cheated or not, as Jeremiah thought that they were on an unexclusive break, but Belly felt betrayed nonetheless.

Regardless of whether or not Belly made the right decision, Jeremiah’s willingness to allow a minor disagreement to throw him into the arms of someone else exposes a major flaw in his character and his inability to love Belly the way she deserved. It encourages viewers to think about the cost of forgiving a loved one — at what point is there no more trust left to give?

Conrad himself asks Belly how she could forgive his brother, insisting that she isn’t “the kind of person that would take that from a guy.” The show emphasizes the confusion in staying true to yourself, especially while in a relationship, despite the overpowering emotions of loving somebody. This internal conflict is also touched upon through Belly’s solo trip to Paris, France, where she spends months discovering her own identity separate from the beach house she grew up in, the Fisher brothers and familial influence.

The increased focus on Conrad’s storyline this season also helps viewers understand how his character has evolved with insight into his life in California, his new friends and his ambitions toward his future career as a doctor. He decides to go to therapy and seek out support for his mental health struggles, including recurring panic attacks depicted in previous seasons.
It was a thoughtful development to feature his emotional journey more in-depth, allowing viewers to empathize with Conrad’s attempt to take care of himself and see that it isn’t shameful to express one’s emotions. Viewers can take from the show the importance of prioritizing mental health above all else.

This season faced significant pressure as audience members, who had sided with all teams, anxiously awaited the finale, whether they proclaimed themselves to be “Team Belly,” “Team Jeremiah,” or “Team Conrad.” Jeremiah, although he was someone who clearly loved and treated her well in most cases, didn’t share as deep a connection with Belly as Conrad did. The pull that the two felt toward each other was undeniable and as strong as ever in the last season, demonstrating that one can’t hide how they really feel from themselves forever. The truth is bound to find its way to the surface, just like it did for Belly.

Season three excelled in revealing thought-provoking relationship values and depicting how the complexities of life can often get in the way of love. It also reflected on the difficulties that come with proximity to the people you love.

One critique that arose from the season finale is that viewers are left wanting more from Conrad and Belly’s love story. They resolved years’ worth of problems in the span of half an episode, and there was no further exploration into their relationship after the audience had waited so many seasons for it to work out between them.

Besides the pacing, the season definitely lived up to expectations, and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” will remain a comfort show for viewers.