My ex-husband and I divorced exactly one year ago. Over the past year, it’s hard to say exactly how much I’ve suffered. What haunts me most isn’t the failed marriage, but my young daughter.

My daughter is only five years old, an age when she should be carefree and innocent, but ever since her parents separated, she’s become less talkative and withdrawn. Once, I took her to the park, and when she saw a family of three holding hands and laughing, she suddenly burst into tears, crying and asking:

Mom, when will Dad come back to live with us?

I was choked up, all I could do was hold my child close.

My ex-husband and I used to have quite happy times together. Neither of our families were particularly poor. His parents ran a small business, and my parents, being my only daughter, had always hoped I would settle down and start a family.

When we got married, I also thought I had chosen the right person. But marriage requires more than just love; it also requires understanding and responsibility.

My ex-husband and I used to have quite happy times together. (Illustrative image)

As I grew older, I was no longer as young and beautiful as before. After giving birth, my figure changed, and the added pressure of making ends meet made me constantly complain. Meanwhile, my husband became increasingly distant, coming home less often and talking less. The gap between us widened, and arguments became a daily occurrence.

After two years of living in exhaustion, when he proposed a divorce, I signed the papers in anger without thinking much. And then, we went our separate ways.

After the divorce, he visited our daughter a few times, then less and less. I got used to being both mother and father. Until last week, he unexpectedly showed up at my door, claiming it was our daughter’s birthday. He bought lots of gifts, from candy and toys to new clothes. The little girl happily ran to hug him, chattering excitedly:

– Dad, you really came? Please stay and play with me today!

Seeing that scene, my heart softened. I had thought that perhaps he still had feelings for me, perhaps he wanted to come back for the sake of the child, for a complete family. I even blamed myself for being so impulsive before.

Around noon, he took the child into the room to play, leaving his phone on the sofa. Just then, the screen lit up with a message. I glanced at it inadvertently, but that single glance shattered all my hopes.

My daughter was very happy to see her father arrive. (Illustrative image)

The message was from his mother: “Son, you must try your best to bring her and her child home. Your father is short of capital for his business, and if she agrees to remarry, the compensation money from the land her parents gave her will eventually be yours.”

I stood there speechless. It turned out that all the attention, the gifts, even their presence on my birthday… it all had a purpose. Not for my child, and certainly not for me, but for the land compensation money my parents had just given me.

I picked up the phone, my hands trembling. As he left the room, I handed him the phone and asked him directly:

– Did you come here ultimately for the child or for my parents’ money?

He froze, awkwardly trying to explain, but the more he spoke, the more his hypocrisy became apparent. I didn’t want to hear another word. All the hurt and resentment that had been building up for so long suddenly burst out. I pointed to the door and said coldly:

– Get out. Don’t ever set foot in my house again.

The daughter, hearing the loud noise from her room, ran out and hugged her father’s legs, sobbing uncontrollably.

– Mom, please don’t send Dad away…

My heart ached terribly, but I knew that if I had been soft-hearted then, my child and I would have suffered even more later.

When the door closed, I collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down my face. I was heartbroken for my child, but I was also more clear-headed than ever. I had misjudged that man once; I couldn’t let that mistake repeat itself.

Now, all I hope is to be strong enough to give my child the most peaceful childhood possible. The breakdown of my marriage is painful, but I absolutely will not allow greed and scheming to destroy the lives of my child and me as well.