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My Husband Mocked My Body in a Group Chat. He Didn’t Expect Me to Read It — Or What I’d Do Next

During what was supposed to be a dream vacation in San Diego, I noticed my husband refusing to take any photos of me and hiding his phone like it contained state secrets. One night, while he showered, I looked — and found cruel messages he’d sent to his friends mocking my weight and my body after childbirth. I didn’t confront him right away. Instead, I planned something that would hit where it hurt most. The next evening, I sent a photo and a pointed message to that very group chat. Within seconds, his phone started buzzing. He looked, went pale, and then…

San Diego had always been on my bucket list. Sun-warmed beaches, salty ocean air, sunsets that painted the sky gold — I’d been counting down the days for months. I thought it would be the romantic getaway my husband and I desperately needed after years of routine and distance creeping into our marriage.

On our first morning there, I slipped into a breezy dress I’d bought just for the trip. I felt lighter, freer, almost like the younger version of myself. We walked along the waterfront, and when I asked him to take a photo of me, he muttered, “I’m not in the mood.”