Mom, why doesn’t Dad love you anymore?” my 4-year-old daughter asked. That question broke me—and pushed me to finally file for divorce from Noah after 11 years together.
We tried therapy, but we became distant roommates, just co-parenting Maya. She stayed with me after the divorce, though we shared custody. One day, my mom visited, and Maya clung to a teddy bear Noah had given her.
“Put the toy down,” my mom said, trying to take it.
“No! Dad said it watches over me,” Maya replied.
My mom, never supportive of the divorce, criticized me constantly. Later, Noah stopped by to drop off Maya’s sweater—and accused me of being a bad mom because of a stain on her tights. I slammed the door in his face.
That night, I broke down. The pain of everything hit me hard.
The next morning, I found the teddy bear in my car and decided to return it. That’s when I noticed something off—its eyes. Hidden inside was a tiny camera. I rushed home, watched the footage, and realized someone had been spying on us.
Furious, I confronted Noah—but he claimed to know nothing. Back at my mom’s house, I found a receipt for a surveillance camera in her drawer.
It was her.
She admitted to planting the camera—said Maya needed a “full family” and she was ready to raise her herself.
I was shattered. I trusted her.
“You’re not welcome near us again,” I told her before walking out.
She didn’t just betray me—she tried to take my child.