The worst is when you meet your former bully thats gets hired at your job and then they act like you've best friends and they never bulled you. Luckily they were crappy worker and got fired in a couple of months.

My bully apologized and then died of a stroke a week later in her early twenties. That was confusing emotionally but I suppose that’s what happens when you walk around with so much hate in your heart all the time. Sometimes I think she only apologized because she had some prophetic guilt

You don't need permission from someone else to let go.

True forgiveness is a unilateral action and it's a much better feeling than catharsis (wrong word here since there's no real action you're taking unless "listening" is your catharsis) brings.

Seems unfair to put the "action" of forgiveness on the victim but it doesn't change the fact that it results in real positive healing and growth.