Often THIS is the true closure a person needs to experience. It's being able to vent grievances, and coming to the realization that the other person is not actually capable of or mature enough of being able to LISTEN and CARE the way you needed, wanted, hoped for and tried to invest in creating in that other individual. Also, your closure is finally no longer allowing this other person to have the power over you that is TOXIC for you too. It IS important to see "your" part in how this dysfunctional relationship lasted as long as it did as well. Recently, in this thread you were triggered and talked about how you have a right to your "feelings". While triggers are difficult, often these triggers can become a sort of "revelation" about "self" that needs to surface too.

Also, golden_eye, this man that you invested so much time in did NOT want to feel his feelings so he turned to the alcohol and that became something he became addicted to, his go to instead of growing up. He probably had a few drinks before he emailed you back, that way he could be ok with not actually "feeling" and dumping the problem on you in some way.

You have been spending a lot of time growing and learning, asking questions about "how to feel when it comes to facing others that can be selfish". In that you have been "growing and gaining" in understanding toxic behaviors in others and what that means and how to see the red flags you need to identify so you don't end up in yet another toxic relationship. The closure you got with this experience isn't what you thought, yet, the delay of getting a response actually gave you time to sit and think about it and then you finally got to that point where you realize the response itself was not the closure, it's you finally realizing for yourself that YOU needed to be the one to say, "nope, there is nothing there in that email that will mean closure, instead I have found that in "myself" for a change.