Two years after my divorce, my life gradually stabilized. One day, while at the supermarket, I unexpectedly ran into my former mother-in-law.

My ex-husband was three years older than me, tall and handsome, and spoke very honestly and caringly. Back then, he took care of me in every way, from sending me morning messages to buy medicine and delicious food when I was sick.

I grew up in a single-parent family, with only my mother as my support, so when I met a man who treated me so well, I almost completely trusted him. I thought, this is the person I can rely on for the rest of my life.

His family was poor and their circumstances weren’t good, but I didn’t mind at all. I once told my mother:

– As long as he loves the child, that’s enough; being a little poor is fine.

My mother sighed, shook her head, and told me I was too naive, saying I would regret it later. At the time, I didn’t listen; all I had in my head was love and the blind belief that I would be different from the other unfortunate women out there.

On my wedding day, my mother-in-law bluntly stated that she didn’t have the money for the dowry. Without hesitation, I said it wasn’t necessary. I thought that by being so understanding, she would surely love me more. But after entering that marriage, I realized that my sacrifices were not respected at all. My mother-in-law often said to me:

– You’re so lucky to have married my son.

Those words were like a needle piercing my heart, but I endured it, comforting myself that she would eventually understand my feelings.

My mother-in-law doesn’t respect me at all. (Illustrative image)

I work in a factory, and my salary is based on the number of products I produce, so I work myself to exhaustion every day. I just hope to save up some money so that someday I can buy a small house in the city and live on my own.

My husband was hardworking at first, but then he got laid off. Since then, he’s been holed up in internet cafes, playing games all day, and when he runs out of money, he turns to me for help. When I complain, he just frowns and says:

– If you earn some money, why not give it to me to spend? It’s no big deal.

Once, I overworked myself and didn’t realize I was pregnant until I had a miscarriage. I took a taxi to the hospital by myself, handled the paperwork myself, and endured the pain alone. After returning home, I rested for two days before quietly going back to work. My husband looked at me and coldly uttered a single sentence:

– If she couldn’t keep the child, who else is to blame?

My mother-in-law spends the money I earn while constantly criticizing me, as if I were a great sinner.

I used to think that no matter how hard things got, I’d just have to endure it; after all, marriage has its difficult moments. Until one day, I saw my husband holding my best friend’s hand in the street. My heart sank. I asked him:

Don’t you feel guilty towards me?

He remained silent. My best friend turned away, not daring to look him in the eye.

One day, I saw my husband holding my best friend’s hand as they walked down the street. (Illustrative image)

I took the initiative to suggest a divorce. My mother-in-law then pretended to hold my hand and said a few perfunctory words:

– Remember to take care of your health, and come visit me whenever you have time.

But as soon as I turned away, I saw her smiling broadly, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Not long after, my ex-husband married my best friend. My former mother-in-law boasted to everyone she met:

My son is very capable; he married a wealthy woman.

Two years after my divorce, my life gradually stabilized. One day at the supermarket, I unexpectedly ran into my former mother-in-law. I just wanted to avoid her, but she ran up to me, grabbed my hand, sobbed, and said:

– Mom, you’re wrong, you’ve mistaken the person.

I stood silently, listening as she recounted how her new daughter-in-law did nothing but verbally abuse her, and how her husband’s family considered him a parasite. What hurt her most was that the woman refused to have children and even threatened to abort the pregnancy.

After hearing that, I didn’t feel the pity I had expected. Instead, I felt a clear sense of relief. Taking a deep breath, I said to my former mother-in-law:

– It’s all over now, there’s no turning back.

A good horse doesn’t turn back to eat stale grass. What I endured wasn’t meant to lead me back to a place that never valued me. This is probably karma. And I understand that letting go back then was the best decision of my life.