For nine years, I thought I had a loving marriage.
Nathan and I got married right after high school, dreaming of building a future together.
“We’ll grow together, Dani,” he told me. “We’ll study, build our careers, and have the life we’ve always dreamed of.”
For a while, he kept those promises. We worked hard, and two years in, we welcomed our daughter, Ellie. She’s seven now and the light of my life.
But somewhere along the way, things changed. Nathan started criticizing me—my appearance, my role as a mother, and how I managed work and raising Ellie.
“You’ve let yourself go, Dani,” he said one night. “You wear the same old clothes every day. Do you think that’s how you keep a marriage alive?”
His words hurt, but that wasn’t the worst. He began questioning my dedication as a mom because I worked from home.
“You’re always glued to that computer,” he said. “Do you even pay attention to Ellie? She’s always alone when I get home.”
I used to stand up for myself, but after a while, I got tired of the constant criticism and the endless fights.
One night, I just gave up. “Do whatever you want,” I muttered, too worn out to argue as I put Ellie to bed.
Then, Nathan changed. He was suddenly more patient, even kind. I assumed it was because of a new job offer in another city. Maybe this move would be the fresh start we needed.
I didn’t mind the idea of relocating—my job was flexible, and Ellie was still young.
“This is a fresh start for us,” Nathan said as we packed up our life. “It’ll be good, I promise.”
For a little while, I believed him. He helped find a great school for Ellie and handled most of the move. I started to feel hopeful again.
But not long after we settled in, Ellie started coming home upset. She didn’t want to talk about it at first, but one day, I found her crying in her room.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” I asked, sitting beside her.
“I don’t want Miss Allen to be my mom!” she cried. “I want you to be my mom!”
Her words froze me. Miss Allen was Ellie’s teacher.
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