My mom gave me up at 17. At 20, I found her, but she rejected me, fearing her powerful husband would leave her. A year later, he found me, revealing her lies. He’d overheard her secret, urged her to reconnect, but she refused, saying I was “dead to her.” He hired an investigator to locate me, wanting to meet his wife’s first child. He gave me photos of my unknown half-sisters and money I desperately needed. Despite my mother’s stance, he welcomed me to visit them. His kindness showed me what a father’s love feels like.
