I don’t know if this is normal—my husband’s ex-wife is making my life miserable.
In a small town near Manchester, where gossip spreads faster than the wind, my life—once filled with love—is now clouded by anxiety and doubt. My name is Emily, I’m 29, and I married Daniel, a man who’d been married before. We have a son, Oliver, and everything should be perfect. But the shadow of his ex-wife, living in the same town, poisons my happiness. I don’t know if what’s happening is normal or if I’m losing my mind.
**Love with Baggage**
Daniel won me over with his kindness and confidence. He’s ten years older, and his life experience seemed like a steady anchor. When we met, he’d been divorced for three years. His first marriage to Victoria lasted seven, but they had no children. He told me they split because she cheated, and I believed him. We married two years ago, and soon after, Oliver was born—our little angel. I thought the past was behind us. I was wrong.
Victoria lives in our town, and her presence lingers everywhere. She works at the local café, shops at the same supermarket, and seems to know everything about our lives. I’ve caught her staring at me, eyes full of contempt. At first, I brushed it off, but then things took a darker turn.
**The Shadow of the Past**
It started small. Someone wrote “Give him back” in chalk on our garden fence. I wiped it away without telling Daniel, but my stomach twisted. Then came anonymous messages online: “You stole my place,” “He’ll come back to me.” I blocked them, but the fear grew. One day, I found an old photo of Daniel and Victoria tucked under our door—smiling, arms around each other. When I asked Daniel, he just shrugged. “She’s lonely. Forget it.” But how? Her shadow follows me everywhere.
The worst came last month. I was pushing Oliver in his pram through the park when Victoria approached me. She smiled, but her words were venom. “You think he’s yours? He still calls me at night.” I froze. She walked away, leaving me numb. At home, I confronted Daniel. He swore he hasn’t spoken to her, that she’s lying to ruin us. I want to believe him, but doubt gnaws at me. What if she’s telling the truth? What if he still loves her?
**A Family Under Siege**
My life has become paranoia. I check Daniel’s phone while he sleeps. I watch his face when we pass the café where Victoria works. I hate myself for it, but I can’t stop. Oliver is my light, but even his laughter can’t drown out the fear that our family could crumble. My mum, seeing my distress, says, “Emily, leave him. A man with this past is nothing but trouble.” But I love Daniel. He’s a good father, a caring husband—yet his past is a ticking bomb.
I tried reasoning with Victoria. I messaged her, begged her to leave us alone. She replied, “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. He’ll always be mine.” Her words are poison, seeping into my mind. Is she lying? Her certainty terrifies me. Why won’t she let go? Why does she haunt us? And why does Daniel act like this is normal?
**My Breaking Point**
I don’t know if this is normal. Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe his ex just can’t move on and will eventually fade away. Or should I dig deeper, even if the truth destroys us? My friends say, “Ignore her, she’s just jealous.” But how? Her shadow lingers in every corner of my life.
Daniel sees my torment and soothes me. “Emily, I’m with you. I love you.” But his reassurances ring hollow. I notice how he dodges conversations about Victoria, changes the subject when I bring her up. Is he hiding something, or does he just not care? I don’t want to be the wife who dredges up her husband’s past, but I refuse to be the fool who ignores the truth.
**What Now?**
This is my cry for help. I don’t know how to live like this. Should I leave Daniel? Confront Victoria? Demand honesty from him—but how? I want to protect Oliver, our family, myself. But how, when I don’t know what’s real? At 29, I dreamed of a happy marriage. Now I feel trapped in a thriller, with the enemy being a ghost from the past.
I don’t know if any of this is normal. But I know this—I can’t keep living in fear. My next move might be a mistake, but I’ll make it to reclaim my peace. Victoria, Daniel, my own heart—one of them is lying. And I’ll find the truth, even if it breaks me.
