My son, Joey, planned a surprise birthday party for my wife, Anna, hoping to make her feel special. But just before the celebration, Anna told him not to come, claiming he wouldn’t fit in and that he wasn’t her son. Her cruel words shattered me, and I questioned everything about our marriage,
Years after my first wife’s passing, I’d built a quiet life with Joey. Then I met Anna, whose loud, confident daughter, Lily, contrasted with Joey’s quiet nature. Joey struggled to fit in, but I hoped they would learn to understand him. Instead, Anna and Lily grew frustrated with Joey’s quietness.