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The first year after he left was excruciatingly painful for her, every time she read his name on the monthly newsletter, or heard about the "parties" him and Michael shared at conferences made time seem to stop and she would begin to live in memories of the past or fantasies of what could have been. As time proceeded, the pain had diminished to a slight null that was constantly lingering inside of her, waiting to leap out the instant she saw a grilled cheese sandwich or heard a Travis song on the radio. She knew after he left that she was no longer in love with Roy, she hadn't been for a long time. Roy had actually been understanding of her decision to call of the wedding, they both knew that they had settled for each other. The worst part though was when everybody in the office emailed him the day that Micheal threw a fit about why she wasn't wearing her ring.
The night he professed her love to her is a faded memory now. She hasn't forgotten it, she could never do that, but as the days, weeks, months, and eventually years passed, her mind had altered the memory to the point where she had gone from simply saying "misinterpreted" and "I can't" to much harsher words as her perception of herself had changed. In her memories she had become the bitch who rejected the perfect man who had put her happiness above everything else. "I'm in love with you", at the time she assumed that it was a mere crush that had begun in the wake of his breakup; but as she recollected on the time they shared together she noticed stolen glances and small gestures that revealed how deep his affection towards her was.
Of course she dated again but true love eluded her. No matter how nice or funny the guy, her memory of him ruined any chance of any of her dates going anywhere. None of them could ever match the idealized version of Jim that had grown in her mind. After so many failed attempts she became content with living her life alone.
Jim Halpert, the man who made a point to cheer her up everyday and make her feel like the only girl in the world, disappeared off the face of the planet three years ago and she hadn't seen him since.
Chapter End Notes:
Will be followed by 2 chapters. Please review i'm new at this and I would love to improve in any way.
