I thought divorcing my cheating husband would be the hardest thing I’d ever do—until my son begged to stay with him and my mother-in-law, and the pain of his rejection was unbearable. The moment I picked Tyler up from his grandmother’s house and saw him standing stiffly, gripping his backpack, I knew something was wrong. When he whispered that he wanted to live with Daddy, my heart shattered, and as my mother-in-law smugly reminded me that this would play a big role in court, I knew I had to fight.

After discovering my husband’s affair and draining our joint savings, I left for Tyler’s future, but now, he was choosing his father. The control my mother-in-law had over my ex was obvious, and when she called demanding I withdraw the divorce petition, her condescension only fueled my resolve. But when Tyler came home one weekend, terrified and screaming not to leave, I knew Linda had manipulated him with promises of Disneyland and a PlayStation. I made a deal with Tyler to get him to come home, and soon after, I confronted Linda, secretly recording our conversation to expose her manipulative tactics. In the end, the custody battle ended before it began, Linda lost, and my son and I were off to Disney World—just the two of us.