I struggled in my relationship with my husband, with whom I share my 6-year-old son, Tyler. The final straw was when I found out he had drained our joint savings account to finance his affair. That was the moment I told him to get out and filed for divorce.
He moved back in with his mother, and I hadn’t heard a word from him since. Then my MIL asked if I could bring my son over so she could spend time with her grandson. Once a week, I’d drop him off at her house, where he’d stay for a few hours before I came back to pick him up.
One evening, when I came to take him home, he clung to the doorframe.
“Come on, sweetheart, it’s time to go,” I urged, stretching out my hand.
“No!” Tyler shouted. “I’ll stay! I want to live with my grandma and dad!”
I tried to take him in my arms, thinking it was just a whim, but he ripped his backpack off his shoulders and hurled it at me. It landed at my feet, drawings spilling out. Before I could react, he turned and bolted back inside, slamming the door shut behind him.
I stood frozen, my heart fracturing. What happened?! And then I saw it on his drawings.
Divorcing my cheating husband was tough, but when my son begged to stay with him and his grandmother, I felt heartbroken. Tyler, my sweet six-year-old, had always been my shadow, but now he wanted to live with them. My mother-in-law, Linda, made her disdain for me clear, mocking my decision to divorce and using my son as leverage in their game.
I couldn’t understand why Tyler would want to stay with them until I found a drawing of him with Linda, promising him Disneyland and a PlayStation in exchange for his loyalty. I knew then that Linda was manipulating him. I made a deal with Tyler: keep quiet about the bribes, and I’d get him the PlayStation he wanted. He agreed, and just like that, he was coming home.
A few days later, I lured Linda to lunch, where I confronted her about her manipulative tactics. I had recorded her admitting to bribing Tyler. With the evidence in hand, I threatened her: drop the custody battle, stay out of my parenting, or face the consequences. She was speechless.
I left victorious, and as a final act of defiance, I booked tickets to Disney World—for me and my son.
