**Diary Entry**
When my husband threw me out, I was utterly broken. At the time, I couldnt see a way forward, but years later, I realised it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I married for love, never imagining what lay ahead. After our daughter was born, I gained three stone, and everything changed. My husband started belittling me, calling me names like “cow” or “pig,” refusing to see me as a woman anymore. He constantly compared me to his colleagues wives, saying they were elegant while I was justdisgusting.
His words cut deep. Later, I found out he had a mistress, a younger woman he didnt even bother hiding. Hed call her in front of me, texting her while my daughter and I meant nothing. At night, I cried silently, with no one to turn tono family, no friends, as theyd all drifted away after the wedding. Feeling untouchable, he started hitting me. Our daughters crying enraged him; hed shout, demanding I silence her, threatening to throw us out.
Ill never forget that day. He came home from work and ordered me to leave immediately. Outside, it was snowing, dusk settling in. With just one suitcase and my daughter in my arms, I stood in the courtyard, lost. He didnt even let us gather our things. As I struggled to process it, a taxi pulled up. His mistress stepped out, suitcase in hand, and walked straight into our flat. All I had left was a few pounds in my pocket.
My only refuge was the hospital where Id once worked. By chance, a nurse I knew was on duty. She took us in, and we stayed the night.
The next day, I went to a pawnshop and sold a thin gold chain with a crossthe only keepsake from my motheralong with the earrings my husband had given me before we married and my wedding ring. I found an ad for a room in the suburbs, rented by an elderly widow, Granny Ethel. She became like family. With her looking after my daughter, I found workfirst at a slaughterhouse, then as a night cleaner. Later, a client whose house I cleaned offered me a better-paid job as her assistant. Thanks to her, I went to university, got my degree, and became a solicitor.
Now, my daughter studies at Oxford. We have a flat in London, a car, and take holidays abroad twice a year. My law practice thrives, and I thank fate for throwing me out that day. Without it, Id never have succeeded.
Recently, my daughter and I were looking for land to build a countryside home. We found a place near the Cotswolds. Imagine my shock when the door openedand there stood my ex-husband, his mistress (now quite plump) behind him. I wanted to tell him exactly what I thought, but I just stared in silence. Before me was a bloated, drunken man drowning in debt. Thats why they were selling. After a heavy silence, I called my daughter, and we left.
I still visit Granny Ethel, bringing cakes and helping where I can. Ill never forget her kindness. And neither will I forget Eleanor, my former employerthe woman who rebuilt my confidence and changed my life.
**Lesson:** Sometimes, the cruelest endings are the kindest beginnings.
