Et Tu, Brute? On Betrayal, Love, and Why I Choose to Stay Single

“Betrayal is the only truth that sticks.”

― Arthur Miller

The Confession I've Never Made

To speak about betrayal is to speak about love, for I cannot possibly find a better opposite to faith, trust, and surrender.

I am horribly inept in all things romance. To speak is to have knowledge and experience, and I cannot claim either. Let's just say I am well-guarded, and I confess for the first time in my life that I have deep trust issues. My cuts can run deeper than most, so I'm wary.

It's true that no one can escape betrayal, deceit, or hurt. But we all do what we gotta do, and there is no shame in that.

What Love Should Look Like (According to My Tradition)

What I am going to do, though, is share what my tradition says about love and how God describes this connection between humans. Because in only God I trust, I chose to abstain from what falls short of this beautiful image.

Besides, I have always been a really and honestly happy—and very sexy—single.

"And of God's signs is that He created for you, a twin from your own self (soul mates), that you might find home and peace in them, and God has set between you love and mercy. Surely in that are signs for a people who consider." — Quran

Beyond Hollywood Love: The Real Deal

So we have the usual love (as per Hollywood). But home and peace are pretty unique in our modern-day romances.

And mercy? Ah, THAT is something.

What is the minimum of mercy? Do no harm.

Why I Choose the High Standard

Most people settle for less than this divine blueprint. They accept relationships where they don't feel at home, where there's no peace, where mercy is absent. They mistake drama for passion, possessiveness for love, and familiar wounds for deep connection.

Not me.

I've seen what betrayal does. I've felt how deep those cuts can go. And I've learned that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is refuse to accept anything less than what your soul knows it deserves.

The Single Life: My Conscious Choice

Does this make me difficult? Probably.

Does it make me lonely? In some situations sure.

Does it make me unavailable for anything less than extraordinary? Absolutely.

And I'm at peace with that.

And if I'm laying it all out there, once you've cultivated all those lovely life meanings , it's not about waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right anymore; it's more like, "Do I really want to trade my peaceful solo dance party for someone who might step on my toes?"

The Paradox of Protection

Here's the thing about trust issues: they're both a wound and a wisdom. They keep you safe, but they also keep you isolated. They protect your heart, but they also prevent connection.

I'm working on healing while keeping the wisdom. Learning to discern between justified caution and fear-based closing off. It's a delicate balance, and I'm still figuring it out. But it doesn't really matter, the figuring out I mean. Wanna know why? Because I am living me, all the colors, layers, the good and the bad, and believe me when I say it, it's the holy grail of the holy grails.

What I Know for Sure

Betrayal may be "the only truth that sticks," as Arthur Miller said, but it doesn't have to be the only truth that defines us.

Perhaps there's a hidden truth: some of us are destined to aim for the stars, to hold out for the mind-blowingly awesome, and to dodge the everyday bruises that others just shrug off like, "Oh well, that's life!"

Maybe my trust issues aren't just a glitch in the matrix—they might actually be my superpower of spotting nonsense from a mile away!

Maybe it's holding out for more.

Have you ever chosen to stay single rather than settle? Do you think high standards are wisdom or fear? I'd love to hear your thoughts—especially if you've navigated the tricky territory between protection and openness.