Stella cherished her life with Zack and their children, but repeated bouts of sickness after family dinners raised alarming suspicions. I’m Stella, a 32-year-old wife and mother. Life has been a whirlwind since I met Zack, my rock and confidant. We’ve been married for seven years and have two beautiful kids, Dylan and Faith. Our family isn’t perfect, but we’ve always found our way through the ups and downs together.

Cynthia, Zack’s mother, never approved of me. She’d say things like, “Zack deserves so much more than what you’re offering,” and acted sweetly only when Zack was around. Every month at Cynthia’s family dinners, I’d end up sick, with stomach aches, nausea, and severe diarrhea. Zack dismissed my concerns, saying, “Mom’s just old-fashioned. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

To prove my suspicions, I swapped my plate with Zack’s at Cynthia’s birthday dinner. Zack fell ill almost immediately afterward, groaning, “I think I’m coming down with something.” When I revealed the plate switch, Zack accused me of poisoning him. “You’ve gone too far, Stella. This is insane,” he snapped. I responded, “I had to do it, Zack. She’s been making me sick for months, and you never believed me.”

Unable to bear Zack’s anger and disbelief, I took our kids and left. Despite the pain, I knew I was protecting myself and my children. I promised Dylan and Faith, “I’ll always be here for you.”