Her words took root in me.
Finding Myself Again
After the divorce, I began to rediscover who I was outside the labels of wife and caretaker. I painted again. I joined a book club. I took a course I’d been postponing for years. Laughter came back to my voice, lightness to my steps.
Even my daughter noticed. “Mom, you smile more now,” she said one evening, wrapping her arms around me. That one sentence was all the confirmation I needed.
As for Liam — he’s still around, adrift in his own choices. I don’t hate him anymore; I simply don’t carry him with me.
Because the truth is, sometimes betrayal isn’t destruction — it’s revelation. It shows you what was hollow and what was worth saving. It burns away illusion until all that’s left is truth, and the strength to live by it.
So if you ever find yourself standing where I once stood, remember:
when people show you who they are, believe them.
Don’t beg for love — honor yourself enough to walk toward peace.
When you reclaim your power, life doesn’t end.
It finally begins.