My husband and I have been married for 8 years now. When we first met, I was young, filled with dreams of what love could be. But from the very beginning, our relationship wasn’t what I imagined. He treated me poorly, and the pain of his cheating was something I tried to ignore, hoping it was just a phase. I was naive back then, believing that if I forgave him, everything would be okay. He promised it wouldn’t happen again, and I chose to believe him.

We got married and had children, and I focused on building a life with him, thinking that time would heal the wounds. I convinced myself that I could move past the past hurts, that we could grow together. For a while, things seemed to improve. We became parents and settled into a routine that made me feel like I was doing the right thing by sticking it out. But as the years went on, I began to feel something I hadn’t expected—resentment.

Around the 5-year mark, it started to creep in slowly, like a shadow that never quite left. The emotional scars from his past betrayals were still there, buried deep inside, but they festered and grew as time went on. I tried to ignore them, but they were always there in the back of my mind, haunting my thoughts. I would find myself replaying the past, wondering if I was just settling for something less than what I deserved. Was I just staying because of our kids, or was I still in love with him?

I tried to fill the emptiness with the daily tasks of motherhood, but the resentment never really went away. And the worst part is, I began to notice other men. I’d catch myself daydreaming about what it would be like to connect with someone else, someone who would appreciate me, notice me in ways that he no longer seemed to. I started to feel seen by the attention, even if it was just fleeting. I never acted on it, but those thoughts made me question everything. Was I betraying myself by staying?

I’m at a crossroads now. I love my husband, but I’m not sure if I’m still in love with him. I feel stuck, torn between staying and trying to work through the anger and hurt, or letting go and walking away to find something that brings me peace. I want to rebuild what we had, but part of me wonders if it’s too late, if the damage has already been done. I don’t know what the right thing to do is anymore. Should I keep fighting for our family, or is it time to move on and seek my own happiness, even if it means leaving everything behind?