That night, I told my parents I was leaving him, desperate for reassurance. Instead, my mother said, “All men cheat. Don’t ruin your son’s life over something small.” My father stayed silent. Feeling judged and alone, I stayed.
I slept in the guest room while my husband acted as if nothing had happened. I endured it for my son—until the day he didn’t come out of school. Panic set in, and then my father called. “Come to the address I’m sending. Your son is safe.”
I arrived to find my father holding my son’s hand outside a small, warm apartment. My son ran to me, laughing. My father looked at me and said, “This is the start of your new life.”