Just Three Months After My Wedding, My Face Was in a Horrible Condition. My Husband No Longer Kissed Me, and My Mother-in-Law Changed My Pillowcase Every Day, Saying, “With a Face Like That, You Won’t Stay by My Son’s Side for Long.” One Night, I Accidentally Overheard Her Telling My Husband, “If You Can’t Get Rid of Her, I’ll Do It Myself.”

I sat in silence for a long time.

Martha didn’t ask me to forgive her immediately.

She simply said,

“You don’t have to love me, Emily. But never believe that the way your face looks makes you worth any less than anyone else.”

That day, for the first time, I hugged my mother-in-law because I wanted to, not because I felt obligated.

But that didn’t mean everything was suddenly fixed.

I met with Mike a few days later.

He admitted that he had been embarrassed by other people’s reactions and hadn’t been there for me when I needed him most.

I told him that an apology alone wasn’t enough.

We decided to live separately for a while and seek marriage counseling to determine whether our relationship could be repaired.

Martha didn’t interfere with our decision.

Instead, she occasionally visited my mother’s house. We drank tea together and talked about everything except Mike.