Rihanna admitted in a recent interview that she always thought she was the one who could change Chris Brown.

In a candid Vanity Fair cover story, the sultry "Umbrella" singer reflected on her experiences with the fiery "Loyal" singer, including the night in 2009 when he physically attacked her, resulting in him pleading guilty to felony assault charges. The two reconciled temporarily in 2013, but split again after dating for just a few months.

"I was that girl -- that girl who felt that as much pain as this relationship is, maybe some people are built stronger than others," she said. "Maybe I'm one of those people built to handle sh*t like this. Maybe I'm the person who's almost the guardian angel to this person, to be there when they're not strong enough, when they're not understanding the world, when they just need someone to encourage them in a positive way and say the right thing."

The now 27-year-old "Diamonds" singer added she was very protective of her ex and thought that he may have simply been misunderstood. In time, she came to the painful reality that maybe she and Brown just weren't meant to be.

"Even after ... But you know, you realize after a while that in that situation you're the enemy," she said. "You want the best for them, but if you remind them of their failures, or if you remind them of bad moments in their life, or even if you say I'm willing to put up with something, they think less of you."

Though she now claims the two rarely ever talk, she also admitted she harbors no feelings of hatred toward her ex.

"I will care about him until the day I die," she added. "We're not friends, but it's not like we're enemies."

Despite all the recent pictures of her and rapper Travis Scott, Rihanna insisted she's now single, and that Brown was her last official boyfriend.

Still, Rihanna said she isn't willing to settle in the future.

"I will wait forever if I have to ... but that's OK." she said. "You have to be screwed over enough times to know, but now I'm hoping for more than these guys can actually give."