I thought my husband Sam was the perfect man.

He was handsome, smart, successful, and most importantly, he treated me like a queen. We lived happily ever after until one day, something happened that turned my world upside down. Sam came home screaming, “Lucy! What the hell is this?” In his hands, he held papers that said I had sent money to my mom. Sam was furious. He wouldn’t shut up and cursed me for doing such a “terrible thing.” I was shocked at his abrupt outburst and didn’t understand why this was such a big problem. I was making money and had a right to help my retired mom. “Sam, she’s my mother. She needs my support,” I tried to explain. Sam didn’t listen to anything. He began to pull away abruptly, and soon I found out that he was cheating on me. Well, he wasn’t trying to hide it. He openly told me he wasn’t faithful to me. It was like he was trying to hurt me as much as possible. Every night, he would come home late, reeking of perfume and alcohol. Sometimes, he didn’t come home at all. When he did, he made sure to mention the other woman, flaunting his infidelity like a badge of honor. “Why are you doing this, Sam?” I asked one night, my voice trembling with hurt and anger. “You brought this on yourself, Lucy,” he spat. “You think you can just send money to your mother without discussing it with me first? You think you can just do whatever you want?” “I didn’t realize helping my mother would be such a betrayal to you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You didn’t realize because you don’t care about what I think,” he retorted. I felt a wave of despair wash over me. The man I had loved and trusted had turned into someone I didn’t recognize. But I wasn’t going to let him break me. I had my mother to think about, and I had myself to think about. I decided to take action. First, I started gathering evidence of his infidelity. Every text message, every suspicious credit card charge, and every lie he told me about where he was going, I documented it all. I hired a private investigator to get concrete proof. Meanwhile, I focused on myself. I started going to therapy to cope with the emotional turmoil. I joined a support group for women going through similar situations. I made sure my job performance didn’t suffer, knowing I needed financial stability more than ever. One night, Sam came home particularly late, looking smug and satisfied. “Had a good time?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Yeah, I did,” he said, not bothering to hide his glee. “And you know what? She appreciates me. She doesn’t just take my money and give it away.” I had had enough. “You know what, Sam? I’ve been busy too.” He looked at me, confused. “What do you mean?” “I’ve been preparing for our divorce,” I said, handing him the stack of papers I had gathered. “And here’s the evidence of your infidelity. I’ll be taking you to court.” His face turned pale. “You can’t do this,” he stammered. “I can and I will,” I said firmly. “You’ve treated me like dirt, but I am not going to let you get away with it.” The divorce proceedings were brutal, but I stood my ground. With the evidence I had, the court ruled in my favor. I got a substantial settlement, and Sam had to pay for his betrayal, both financially and emotionally. After the dust settled, I moved into a new apartment and started a new chapter in my life. I focused on rebuilding my relationship with my mother, who had been my rock throughout the ordeal. As for Sam, he tried to come back, begging for forgiveness, but I was done. “You made your choice, Sam,” I told him. “Now, live with the consequences.” I never looked back. Helping my mom wasn’t a betrayal; it was an act of love and responsibility. And if Sam couldn’t understand that, he never truly loved me. Now, I live my life on my terms, stronger and wiser than ever before.