When I married Jake, I thought we shared the same goals. He often said he was “building our future” while working from his home office. I believed in him, supporting him by raising our kids, managing the house, and even working part-time to help with bills. But things were far from as they seemed.

Jake locked himself in his office day after day, claiming he had critical meetings or was working on projects. I adjusted everything around him, ensuring our children stayed quiet to avoid disturbing him. But when Tyler accidentally knocked a frying pan to the floor one day, Jake erupted in anger, accusing me of disrupting his work.

I was stunned when I pushed past him into his office and saw something shocking—Jake was playing an online game with an avatar named “SUZYLOVELY88.” He confessed that she was his “escape” from me and our struggles. Enraged, I confronted him about wasting our time while I kept the family afloat. He stormed out, declaring he was leaving to be with “Suzy.”

The next day, Jake’s mother called, revealing that “Suzy” wasn’t a woman at all but a man who had been scamming Jake for months. Laughing at the absurdity, I decided enough was enough. I filed for divorce, took everything, and began rebuilding my life.

One night, as I tucked my son in, he asked, “Are we gonna be okay?” I smiled, “Yes, sweetheart. We’re going to be more than okay.” For the first time in years, I truly believed it.