The story of our reader Anna is one of heartache, betrayal, and ultimately, a bold decision to walk away from a toxic relationship. After years of silent suffering, she had a choice to put herself and her daughter’s future first. Anna wrote a letter to us to seek advice and validation for the difficult choices she’s made.

Anna and Daniel were happily expecting their first child.

For illustrative purpose only
Anna began her letter with, “Hello! My story might seem complicated to some, and I expect that many will judge me for what I did to the man I once adored. My life changed in a single day, and for the past six years, I’ve lived with someone who betrayed me. I made that decision deliberately, out of revenge, and I have no regrets.”

She continues, “I met Daniel when I was 19, and he was 21. I fell head over heels in love with him; he was everything I ever wanted. From the moment we met, I knew I wanted to marry him. Daniel was kind, charming, and perfect in every way. I’ll never forget when he proposed on my 20th birthday after only a few months of dating. I said ’yes’ instantly, and it was the happiest moment of my life. Despite the ups and downs over the years, we stayed close and supportive. It took us a long time to conceive, but when the pregnancy test finally turned positive, we were overjoyed.”

Daniel betrayed Anna right on the happiest day of her life.

For illustrative purpose only
Anna wrote, “My pregnancy was high-risk, and I felt unwell throughout all nine months of carrying that little life inside me. But the overwhelming feelings of joy, love, and anticipation made up for all the suffering and stress. Daniel was incredibly attentive during that time—he cooked meals for me, sang to me when I couldn’t sleep, and held me close when I felt sick. He was everything a loving husband should be and more. I was so grateful to have him by my side.”

She continued, “At 38 weeks, I was rushed to the hospital, which was a huge shock. Daniel stayed with me, but as soon as I was taken to the delivery room, he told me he had changed his mind about being there for the birth of our daughter. The labor was long and difficult—eight exhausting hours. During that time, I didn’t see him once or feel his support, which was heartbreaking. But I focused on my mission, and when my daughter Elsa finally came into the world, her first cry filled me with pure joy.”

“When I regained consciousness after the delivery, the first thing I did was ask the nurses where my husband was. They told me he had left the hospital as soon as I was taken to the delivery room, likely heading home. At that moment, I felt deeply betrayed, but I still clung to the hope that Daniel had a reasonable explanation for his shocking behavior.”

Daniel ch:eated on Anna and soon she found out about it.

For illustrative purpose only
Anna continued, “I tried calling Daniel several times, but he didn’t answer. Hours later, he finally showed up at the hospital, acting as if nothing was wrong, and held our daughter for the first time. When I asked him why he had left during the most crucial moment, he simply said he felt stressed and nauseous. He claimed he didn’t want to add to my stress, so he went home, took some pills, and fell asleep.

When I returned home with our newborn, things were already strained between us. Daniel was distant and unemotional, barely showing any interest in me. The only time he seemed to show any warmth was when he was playing with the baby, but towards me, he felt like a complete stranger.”

“Then, just a couple of days later, I received a message from a fake, unfamiliar account on Facebook. Attached was a video from an outdoor camera showing Daniel and another woman entering our house. The date and time matched perfectly with when I was in labor. The footage also showed them heading to the balcony, nearly undressed. I immediately recognized the woman—it was someone I knew. That’s when I discovered that Daniel had been having an affair with a coworker. He was with her in our home, on the very night I was giving birth to our child.”

Anna has been plotting her re:venge for 6 years.

For illustrative purpose only
Anna wrote, “My heart shattered after discovering Daniel’s cruel betrayal. But despite the overwhelming pain and depression, I didn’t let him know I had found out. I carried on living with him and raising our daughter, pretending everything was normal.

For six years, I quietly planned my revenge. Daniel’s father had been a wealthy man, and he passed away right before our daughter was born. His will stated that our child would inherit everything, but it wouldn’t come into effect until she turned six. When that time finally came, I saw my opportunity to make Daniel feel the same agony I had endured.

Instead of confronting him or lashing out, I simply left. I took our daughter and moved to another town without a word. No explanations, no fights—I just disappeared from his life. After six years of pretending, I felt a strange satisfaction in leaving him without closure, knowing he would be left wondering what went wrong. I wanted him to feel the emptiness I had carried since the day of his betrayal.

For the past four months, I’ve had no contact with Daniel. I wanted him to live with the pain of abandonment, just as I did when he left me emotionally all those years ago. I hoped he’d reflect on what he had done and learn a hard lesson about betrayal.

Now, I find myself questioning if I made the right choice. I don’t regret leaving, but I wonder if I should have found a different way to close this chapter of my life. Does this make me a bad person?”