At the time, it seemed like the worst day of my life.
I was sitting in a quiet house that used to be filled with the laughter of my children and husband. Now it was empty, as if it only echoed my thoughts and tears. Damian, my husband, left two months ago. He took his things and openly announced that he was with someone else.
– „Kasia, this isn't working. I love her. I want to start a new life– he said coldly, as if these words would end our story painlessly.
At the time, it seemed to me that this was the worst day of my life. But I was wrong. The real drama was starting now. Damian, the man who left me with our two sons – Antek and Jaś – suddenly he decided he wanted to take my children away.
A few days ago I got an official letter from a lawyer. Damian filed for full custody of the children. In his justification, he wrote that I “can't cope emotionally” and that the children would be better off with him and his new partner. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I was the one who was there for them every night when they were sick. I was the one who made sure they did their homework, cooked, cleaned, took care of every detail of their lives. And now he, who had disappeared, had the nerve to claim that I was not enough. ?
When I tried to talk to him, he just shrugged.
– „Kasia, children need stability. I can give it to them. You… shouldn't stress them out all the time.”
– „Stress? You're the one who destroyed their world! You left us for her, and now you want to take everything from me?!” – I screamed, but Damian was unfazed.
The next few weeks were a nightmare. Damian filed court papers describing me as emotionally unstable and incapable of caring. When I read his words, I felt something inside me break. How could he lie like that? He knew how much I loved our children, how I sacrificed everything to make them happy.
I tried to explain to the boys what was happening. Antek, the older one, was 10 and understood more than I wanted him to. One evening, as I was putting them to bed, he asked:
– „Mom, does dad really want to take us away? I don't want to live with him and that lady.”
I hugged him, trying to hide my tears.
– „Don't worry, honey. I'll do anything to be together. I promise.”
But deep down I was afraid I might fail. Damian had money, lawyers, the support of his new partner. And I? All I had was love for my children and the determination not to lose them.
During the court hearing, Damian sat confidently, next to his lover. She even smiled at me, as if she had already won. She tried to look warm, but I felt deceit in her gaze. He told me how children „suffer” by my “nervous outbursts” and how he will provide them with a better future.
When it was my turn, I looked at the judge and started talking:
– „Please, I am a mother who tries to give her children the best every day. I am not perfect, but I am their only constant in this chaos that their father has brought. I was the one who was always there for them – when they were sick, when they cried, when they laughed. He left by choice, I stayed out of duty and love.”
I talked about every moment I spent with Antek and Jas, about their favorite dishes, about the nights I sat by their beds. When I finished, Damian looked nervous. He knew my love was something he couldn’t question.
After a few weeks the court decision came. Custody of the children was awarded to me, with limited visits from Damian. When I read those words, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I had won – not only for myself, but most importantly for my children.
That evening, as we sat together at the table, Antek looked at me and said:
– „Mom, I knew you wouldn't leave us.”
I smiled through my tears. I realized that even though Damian tried to destroy my life, my love for my children was stronger than anything else. It gave me the strength to fight and win.
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