Chagrin like none other.

It is with great chagrin that I admit to being a victim of unrequited love.
Why, may you ask, do I feel the need to proclaim this tragedy? I have finally come to recognize it.
According to Wikipedia: "Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections. The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary defines unrequited as "not reciprocated or returned in kind."
Unrequited love seems like a euphemism to me... a very kind, poetic way of saying "He's just not that into you..." or "He just views you as a friend."
Sometimes, believe it or not, being a friend is the hardest job in the entire universe (OR so it seems). Believe me, I've been in the seat of friendship nearly my entire life.
But, the deeper issue involves the feelings that unrequited love envoke. To a degree, direct rejection is easier to handle than indirect, unintentional rejection. Unrequited love clings to any scarce hope; it's some kind of self-inflicted, sick and twisted game.
And that is why I declared this with great chagrin.