The first time it happened, it felt small. My mother-in-law, Delphina, laughed at her friend Rosabel for not knowing that paprika came from peppers. Her cruel laugh cut deep, especially when she later scolded me: “You embarrass Darian when you don’t know things.” I hadn’t known either, and her words left me feeling inadequate. Determined to improve, I began spending hours at the library, learning about food and spices, desperate to prove I was enough.

One evening, I decided to surprise Darian at his office with dinner, only to learn he had left early with someone named Keira. That night, he was cold and distant, ignoring the paprika chicken I had carefully prepared. Soon after, I saw his phone light up with a message: “I miss you already. Can’t wait for tomorrow —Keira.” My world shattered.

When I confronted him, Darian admitted the affair. He said Keira “understood” him better, adding that he felt trapped between me and his mother. Delphina, who had been eavesdropping, urged me to stay and protect his reputation. In that moment, I realized I was not his partner but merely a prop in their carefully polished image.

I chose myself. I left and moved in with my mother. Cooking, which once symbolized judgment and failure, became my therapy. I joined local classes, met others who shared my passion, and soon began helping Orson, a café owner, create his menu. My paprika chicken—once dismissed—became a bestseller. Months later, Darian begged me to return. But I was no longer the woman who shrank under his mother’s laughter. What began as humiliation had given me strength, freedom, and a future I built on my own terms.