On the Way Home from Preschool, My Daughter Asked If I’d Cry When She Went to the Ocean with ‘Her Other Mom and Dad’

Six weeks ago, my daughter Tess, four, asked if I’d cry when she went to the ocean with her “other mom” and dad. The words hit like a scream. In the car, she casually mentioned “Mom Lizzie,” who called me “evil.” My heart raced, but I stayed calm, dropping Tess at my mom’s. Checking our nanny cam, I saw Lizzie and my husband, Daniel, cozy on our couch—kissing, laughing. Betrayal confirmed, I printed screenshots, contacted my lawyer, and

filed for divorce. Daniel moved in with Lizzie, but I let Tess love her, hiding my pain. At Tess’s fifth birthday, planned by Lizzie, I stood strong, confronting her quietly about her words to Tess. Later, on a beach trip with Tess and my mom, I cried softly, healing. Tess said she loved me most. A photo of us—windblown, happy—sits on our mantle. I didn’t lose myself; I stayed whole for my daughte