For years, I didn’t realize how much my self-esteem had been quietly eroded. I’m Lena, 41, and I spent 17 years married to Derek. We had two children—Ella, 16, and Noah, 12—and a life full of shared memories. But somewhere in my late 30s, my husband’s comments about my appearance started to sting.
Small “teasing” remarks became routine. If I came downstairs without makeup, he would smirk:
“Rough night, huh? You look tired.”
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