Five years ago, I had it all: a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, and a happy home. But it all unraveled when I discovered a text on my husband Mark’s phone: “Dinner tonight was fun. Can’t wait to spend more such nights with you, my love.” The sender? Melissa, his young, attractive coworker. When I confronted him, he confessed to a six-month affair. I left him the same night, taking our daughter, Emma, with me.

The divorce was messy, but I got full custody. Mark quickly married Melissa, and Emma had to start visiting them regularly — though she cried every time and called Melissa “weird.”As the years passed, things shifted. Emma warmed up to her visits, came home with expensive gifts, and started idolizing her stepmother.