For my book I’m revising…

I think your original take on it could be believable, but perhaps you’ll need more context than the one that got away. Is there a back story to that love? How deep did their connection go? Perhaps if you build onto it and include deep depression due to pining after him and never succeeding to replace him?

I do like the idea already mentioned of her having an injury. I’ve seen that plot a lot for men, but never women. Perhaps she had done some chivalrous, life-risking endeavour for the guy who got away. Maybe she saved him but then he left her broken…physically and mentally.

Another possibility…child loss? Or perhaps the loss of her entire family? Or some circumstance that left her all alone at rock bottom and she just couldn’t see any reason for living anymore so she self medicated? The fear of being alone runs deep.