'My boyfriend dumped me after 7 years. Then his brother told me a secret he'd kept for years.'

As told to Ann Degray.

When Jake* broke up with me, I honestly thought my life was over.

We'd been together for nearly seven years. We met through mutual friends, and we fell in love very quickly. I thought we'd built a really solid life together.

We'd just bought an apartment the year before, and I was quietly hoping he'd propose soon. I was getting older and definitely wanted to have a baby. We'd talked about it a few times. He said he needed "another year," so I waited.

But instead of a proposal, he dumped me.

It was a Sunday night, and I was cooking dinner, chatting to him about what movie we could watch before bed. That's when he said those dreaded words, "I need to talk to you."

He told me he wanted to break up.

He said he loved me, but it wasn't romantic anymore, it was more friendship, and he wanted to move on and find his person.

Watch: How to support someone going through a separation or divorce. Post continues below.

I literally felt like the floor had opened beneath me, and I was falling through. I didn't even cry at first, I just sat in silence, trying to figure out what the hell had happened.

I asked him if he'd met someone new, and he promised me that it had nothing to do with any other person, he just wanted to be single.

Two days later, he'd packed up and moved out.

I was heartbroken. I couldn't eat and I couldn't sleep. I felt like a desperate, rejected teenage girl and kept replaying every moment of our relationship, wondering where I messed up.

Then I received a text from Charlie*, Jake's younger brother. He asked if I was okay and hoped I was taking care of myself.

Charlie and I had always been friendly. He's a bit younger than me, a cheeky sense of humour but always very sweet. We'd always gotten along.

At family events, we'd have long chats while Jake acted like a social butterfly.

I didn't think too much of it until, a few weeks later, Charlie asked if I wanted to grab a drink.

I thought he was just being supportive as he was always a kind person.

We met at a bar near my place, and I'd barely taken a sip of my wine when he said, "I don't know if this is good timing or the worst possible timing, but I'm not going to let this opportunity pass me by."

I giggled because I wasn't sure what he was about to say, but he looked at me with a very serious face and said, "I've been in love with you for years."

I didn't know what to say. I was shocked, but also extremely flattered! I mean, I was a mess.

I'd been crying for weeks and had barely washed my hair. And here was this guy, my ex's brother, telling me he loved me. I giggled, then he giggled.

Then, somehow, we were kissing.

I know this sounds ridiculous, like it's a scene from a rom-com, but it really happened to me and there was something kind of perfect about it.

Charlie had always been a good listener, and he knew me well. We spent that night together and let's just say I stopped feeling heartbroken, I stopped thinking about Jake.

I wanted to take things slowly at first, despite our passionate first night together. I wanted to be sure it wasn't just some kind of rebound.

But a few months in, we knew it was real. It didn't feel like I was just "moving on," it felt like I was actually moving forward.

The awkward part was telling Jake.

I thought it'd be best if he heard it from Charlie.

When he broke the news, he said Jake was shocked, but once he had time to get used to the idea, he gave his brother his blessing. Then it was my turn to face him.

I was dreading seeing him again — what if my old feelings for him surfaced? But that wasn't an issue, and it wasn't as bad as I expected.

There was a family birthday party and Jake and I had a brief chat alone, which was very civil. He seemed surprised more than anything.

But Charlie later told me that Jake eventually came around and even said he was happy for us.

Now I look back and compare how Jake treated me with how Charlie treats me now; it makes me wonder how I put up with Jake for so long. I don't believe Jake ever really loved me, now that I know what true love really feels like.

Now, over a year later, Charlie and I are still together and, honestly, I've never been happier.

We've talked about having a baby, and I'm feeling super excited about our future.

Sometimes I think about how strange life can be. One moment you're heartbroken, thinking everything is falling apart, and the next, you're falling in love with someone you never expected.

Charlie jokes that he's always been the better brother anyway. I tell him he should've spoken up sooner.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Feature Image: Getty. (Stock image used for illustrative purposes).