My Husband Left Me for His Mistress When I Ended Up in a Wheelchair But I Refused to Let Him Take Our Daughter Too — Story of the Day

I thought my husband, Mark, would always stand by me. We had a happy life with our daughter, Sophie, and my best friend, Sarah—until I walked in on Mark and Sarah together. My world collapsed. I fled into a storm, tears blinding me, and missed a sharp turn. I’d been happy: Mark made me laugh, Sophie brought joy with her giggles and dance parties, and Sarah was my confidante. That night, I planned to surprise Sarah with a cake, but found her with Mark, hands intertwined. I dropped the cake and ran. Driving in the rain, I crashed.

I woke up paralyzed from the waist down. Sophie clung to me in the hospital, but Mark was cold. He soon said, “I can’t do this,” and left with Sophie, admitting no fault. Rehabilitation was grueling. My therapist, Alex, pushed me, but after Sophie glowed about time with “Aunt Sarah,” I quit therapy, feeling useless.

My mom arrived, uninvited, and showed me a video of my childhood—me running despite her cancer battle. She’d fought for me; now I’d fight for Sophie. I resumed rehab with Alex’s help. Sophie and Mom supported me through falls and steps. A month later, I stood at Sophie’s birthday party, Alex by my side. Mark watched from afar, but I’d moved on.