I guess I did reach my expiry date. They no longer need me. I've served my purpose in their lives, and now I'm left as waste, dumped in the valley of a dumpster.
It stings, but it's nothing new. Always temporary, never permanent. That's why I live by the rule of never getting too attached.
Or maybe I'm just caught up in my own head and don't see the bigger picture. Maybe I was never valued at all.
It's okay. We'll find another one soon, play the same role, and get dumped like trash. Nothing new. Just a cycle I've gotten used to.
Like a stray puppy that gets fed but is never taken home for a proper meal. Wanted for a moment, cared for when convenient, but never enough to stay.
Maybe that's all I am a passing presence, a temporary comfort, a placeholder until something better comes along.
It hurts, but the ache is familiar now. Familiar enough that I've stopped being surprised when people leave.
Always temporary. Never permanent. Just another stop on someone's journey, never a destination.