I Planned to Divorce My Cheating Husband—Until My Mother-in-Law Threatened to Destroy My Chances of Keeping My Children

“Just one bite,” she sobbed. I scooped her into my arms and rushed to the kitchen, grabbing the emergency medicine kit.

I pulled out the chewable antihistamine tablet and handed it to her. “Chew this now, sweetheart. Please,” I said, kneeling beside her, brushing the sticky hair from her face.

She obeyed, still hiccuping between sobs. “I’m calling Dr. Medina,” I said aloud, already dialing the pediatrician’s line.

Carol’s voice floated in again. “She looks fine now.”

For illustrative purposes only
I rounded on her. “She looks fine until her throat starts to swell.

You almost put her in the ER.”

“She didn’t say anything about an allergy,” Carol insisted, unfazed. “She’s five!” I shouted. “You’re the adult!

You knew! We’ve talked about this. It’s written in her daycare file.

At school. At the doctor’s. You knew, Carol.

You just didn’t care.”

Lily clung to me tightly, her small body trembling. I held her close, rubbing her back, whispering soft words to soothe her as my own heart pounded with fear, anger, and confusion. Then I looked up.

Carol still stood there, her face calm — too calm — but her hand gripped her phone tightly, like it was precious. In that moment, something clicked. She had done this on purpose.

She knew about the allergy. She knew peanut chocolate wasn’t allowed. She knew I’d react strongly.

She wanted a scene. But why? That night, after the kids were asleep, I got my answer — and it chilled me.

As I walked Carol to the door, she lifted her purse and turned toward me, her voice low. “You have two options,” she said. “Call off the divorce.

Or walk away without your children.”

I froze. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me,” she said. “Stay with Ethan.

Or give up the kids.”Continue reading…