**Diary Entry**
Yesterday, they came to me again—both of them: my mother and my mother-in-law. Their pleas shattered my heart.
In a small town near Cambridge, where ancient oaks whisper of family sorrows, my life has become an unbearable struggle. My name is Eleanor, and two years ago, I learned the truth that shattered my world. Now I stand at a crossroads, torn between the pain of betrayal and the pressure of loved ones begging me to save the marriage.
### A Love That Never Was
When I married William, I was 25. He was older, confident, with steady hands and promises of a bright future. I believed our marriage was forever. We dreamed of children, a home, happiness. But life is cruel. Fifteen years I lived in illusion, blind to how my husband was slipping away. Two years ago, the truth surfaced like a poison—William had another woman. Not just an affair, but a whole second life I knew nothing about.
I found out by chance—a friend spotted them together in a café. I refused to believe it at first, but then the pieces fit: his late nights, excuses about work, the coldness in his eyes. He wasn’t just unfaithful—he had been living with her while I raised our two children, Lily and Oliver, and waited at home. That truth broke me. I filed for divorce, unable to bear the humiliation. But then a new nightmare began.
### The Pleas of Family
My mother, Margaret, and my mother-in-law, Helen, joined forces—their mission to make me withdraw the divorce petition. They came to me, again and again, with tears and reproaches. *”Take it back, Eleanor! Don’t throw away your family at 42! Think of the children! William made a mistake, but he won’t leave her. He’ll regret it and return. Pull yourself together!”* Their words felt like a verdict.
They told me to forgive—for the children’s sake, for *”stability.”* Helen even blamed me: *”You didn’t keep your husband close enough—that’s why he strayed.”* My mother added that starting over at my age was madness. *”Who’d want a woman with two children?”* Her words cut like a knife. I cried at night, cornered. But how could I forgive a man who betrayed everything I believed in?
### The Betrayal That Lingers
William never denied his guilt, yet he never begged for forgiveness. He just shrugged. *”It happened, Eleanor. I never meant to hurt you.”* His indifference was worse than anything. He stayed with *her*, while I was left with the children, debts, and a broken heart. Mum and Helen swore he’d return—that it was just *”a temporary lapse.”* But I saw it in his eyes—he wasn’t coming back. He’d already chosen his new life.
I tried explaining that I couldn’t stay with a man who didn’t respect me. They didn’t listen. Helen wept, recalling what a *”wonderful son”* William had been, how he *”always provided.”* Mum clutched her chest, saying the divorce would shame us before the neighbours. Their pressure was unbearable, but I wouldn’t yield. I wanted freedom. I wanted my dignity back.
### The Children—My Pain and Strength
Lily and Oliver became my anchors in the storm. They’re still young, but they sense their father’s distance. Lily asked once, *”Mum, why doesn’t Daddy love us anymore?”* I had no answer—just held her tight, hiding my tears. For them, I must be strong. But how do I explain that their father chose another woman? How do I teach them to trust the world when mine has crumbled?
Mum and Helen use the children against me: *”Don’t take their father away! A family should be whole!”* But what kind of family has no love or respect? I won’t let my children grow up watching their mother endure humiliation for the sake of appearances. I want them to see a woman who stands strong—even when the world turns against her.
### The Moment of Truth
Yesterday, they came again—standing at my door like guardians of the past, pleading: *”Eleanor, withdraw the petition! Don’t break the family! William will change—you know he won’t abandon you!”* I looked at them, torn between rage and pity. These women, in their own ways, are trying to hold onto what’s already gone. But I can’t live a lie anymore.
I said firmly: *”I won’t return to a man who betrayed me. If you love William so much, persuade him—not me.”* They left with a final warning: *”You’ll regret this, Eleanor. At 42, life doesn’t start over.”* But I don’t believe them. I believe in myself.
### A Step Into the Unknown
Divorce is terrifying—loneliness, financial struggle, the whispers of the village. But staying in a marriage where I’m not valued is worse. I don’t know what lies ahead. Maybe I’ll be alone forever. But I choose myself. I choose my children. I want Lily and Oliver to see a mother who fights for her own happiness.
This story is my cry for freedom. Mum and Helen may call me selfish, but I know the truth—I’m not breaking the family. I’m saving myself. And one day, perhaps, they’ll see I was right.
**Lesson learned:** Sometimes, respect is worth more than tradition. And strength isn’t in enduring—it’s in walking away.
