Search Results: he called back

IMAGINE THIS SCENARIO: You and a boy have always been more than friends.. a quiet understanding, late-night talks, little gestures that blur the line. He finally says it outright and proposes something real. You care about him, but you’re not sure, so you ask for time.

That same week he goes out, drinks too much, and dials you. Your phone is already engaged with a call from another guy.. your best friend, nothing romantic, but it’s a long vent-session you don’t want to cut off. (Your guy) calls again. And again (10+ times). You see his name flash, your stomach knots, and you let it ring out because you’re not ready to face his voice right then.

He switches to text: IG, WhatsApp, short messages that get more urgent. You read them, guilt prickling, but you don’t answer. Confused and irritated, you block him everywhere like shutting a door to buy a minute of quiet.

Later the day you felt the guilt is louder than the fear. You unblock just enough to call. It rings, once, twice, and then voicemail. You wait for his call back... nothing comes.

The next day you hover over the unblock button. Part of you wants to explain: “I was on another call, I panicked.” Part of you freezes.. what if he leaves me on read? What if he says he’s done, that he’s moved on? That dread sits heavy, stealing sleep. You replay his silence, wonder if he’s already talking to someone else, feel the shame of your own avoidance.

"5 months have passed" (You were still waiting to fix) & beneath it all, another question: maybe you’re not just scared, maybe you really do need time and space to understand what you want before you try to fix what you broke.

I have not really gotten off the ground running on just about everything in life. It is really hurting my self-esteem and has left me feeling ignored, irrelevant, bored, and feeling like I am losing my ever fucking mind.

I will provide a few examples:

One, I have been trying to sell my independent web services. I am a talented web developer. I acknowledge AI is making it easier to create web apps and websites, but not everyone has fully adopted it yet for these purposes. I had a few clients and created websites for them last year. I received mostly positive feedback, and I offered my services for a steal. I was supposed to work on one more website for another small business, and it has been over 6 months and I haven't heard a thing from them. That is now $1,500 I will not be getting. They are a landscaping supply company, so this time of year would be ideal. Meanwhile, I launched a website trying to gain clients. No calls, no web form submissions, nothing. I advertise, sometimes cold call, reach out to other recruiters and company owners... nothing. One of my clients from last year that I was told needed updates, they have yet to provide me with anything. Potential and existing clients are pulling back.

Then, I am spending a lot of my time now trying to advocate and raise awareness about our crumbling public safety infrastructure in my state, as it has become very problematic. I have spoken with news organizations, and they now either lie saying they will "get to it" or I am ignored and sidelined.

I feel like I am not taken seriously now, and that I have become irrelevant.