A better boundary can improve more than a better explanation.
The most useful information in a relationship is often what happens repeatedly, not what happens once.
Where this shows up
It can look like accepting an apology while quietly preparing for the same pattern to return.
That is usually the moment worth noticing. The point is not to judge yourself for the reaction. The point is to recognize what the reaction is asking you to see.
Try this today
Write down the pattern without explaining it. What actually happened more than once?
A question worth sitting with
If you removed the promises, what would the behavior itself tell you?
You do not need an immediate answer. A good question can stay useful long after the first reaction passes.
Take this with you
You do not need a breakthrough to make a better next choice.