It’s been hard to recover too because part of the process is gaining and accepting external validation.

I feel guilty anytime I tell someone the truth about things that occurred here. It’s been hard to accept who she is, but also not trying to sully her reputation.

I’ve needed validation, and so have the kids, which would require telling our story. But doing that tarnishes her. So. It’s easier to have very limited contacts.

RDMercer