Our trip to Mexico with our family was meant to be a dream come true. Luke, our two kids, and I were all excited to spend valuable time together and make memories that will last a lifetime. Luke’s actions on the trip, on the other hand, made me feel confused and hurt.
In the beginning, it looked like a small matter. Luke never agreed to take shots with me; he always said things like “not now” or “maybe later.” But as the days went by, I thought something wasn’t right. It wouldn’t have taken long to take a shot together, but Luke didn’t want to give me that time.
Once, I found a group chat on Luke’s phone while he was in the shower. What I read broke my world. To his friends, Luke was making fun of how I looked, saying that I looked very different now that I had given birth and that he couldn’t imagine taking a picture with me.
Those cruel words made me very angry. I chose to stand up for myself and put a picture of myself online. I asked if I looked so bad that even my husband didn’t want to be taken with me. There were a lot of responses, with many people sending words of support and encouragement.
Luke said he didn’t know why I wrote my post when he saw it. But when I told him about the messages, he finally said sorry. He said sorry, but I knew it was because I had just received my uncle’s land and funds.
I knew I deserved better than someone who thought I looked disgusting. I chose to leave Luke and begin a new part of my life, which was not easy. It wasn’t fun, but I knew I had to do it.
When I think about the future, I don’t know what my kids and I will do. But I’m set on making our lives better so that we are loved and accepted for who we are.
