When my husband left me for a coworker, the worst part wasn’t my heartbreak—it was seeing my 14-year-old daughter, Emma, suffer. At first, she cried constantly and clung to me. I never spoke badly about him, trying to keep her world stable.
Then everything changed. Emma suddenly couldn’t wait to visit her dad and his new wife. She stopped our traditions, spent every weekend there, and seemed anxious—almost afraid of me.
One evening, I saw the marks on her arm—bruises and cuts hidden under her sleeve. That’s when I realized what his new wife had been doing.
My fear turned to resolve. Nothing else mattered. I would protect my daughter. She would be safe, heard, and never hurt in silence again.
And the woman responsible? She would face consequences.
