My husband has been raising my 14 y.o. daughter as his own for 10 years. It was the day of his 40th birthday, and we were supposed to have a big party at his parents’ house. But that morning, my reality fell apart as I heard sounds coming from my teen’s room.

I caught my husband in my daughter’s room, whispering to her so that I wouldn’t hear. He was asking her to avoid the party at his parents’ house at all costs. He asked to lie and say she didn’t feel like going, promising a shopping spree in return. My daughter, who had been excited about the party for weeks, reluctantly agreed. I know the reason for his request, and it infuriates me. My mother-in-law hates seeing my daughter because she believes her son “wasted” his money and time raising a kid that isn’t his own.

To avoid ruining his dear mother’s mood, he was willing to make my daughter feel unwanted, treating her as a source of shame. I couldn’t face the party, so I pretended to have a migraine and stayed home. It’s been two days, and I’m still grappling with the betrayal. His actions left me feeling disgusted, as if I’d discovered a hidden side of him I never knew. Now, I’m even contemplating leaving him. Regina