Your post brought back some painful memories for me. I was in a three year relationship with a man who did not love me for me. I was extremely thin and he liked full, curvy women. I hated my body to begin with and he made sure I hated it even more. He cheated on me, lied to me, took advantage of me financially, but still I held on for fear of being alone. I invested 3 very important years on this man, hoping I would get marriage and family out of him. All I did was waste 3 valuable years of my life. I felt like I would be alone forever, but a month after I finally dumped that loser I met the love of my life, my husband. My advice to you is this: you have a lot of things going for you. You are an intelligent and professional young woman who is in the prime of her life. You deserve someone who values you and puts you on a pedestal, not someone who puts you down. Don't be afraid of moving on because you fear being alone. It is better to be alone and happy than with someone who makes you feel bad. You will find that special someone, but only if you set yourself free to do so. Good luck to you.
