My Husband Told Me His Mistress Is More Important Than Our Children. He Didn’t Know I Was Recording The Whole Conversation. How Do I Make Sure He Never Sees Them Again?

Friday morning arrives and Lance leaves for work at his usual time. I wait until his car disappears down the street before I start moving.

I take the kids to school like normal, hugging them both extra tight before they go inside. Then I drive back home and load the last boxes into my car.

Gwyneth meets me at the house with her truck and we work quickly carrying out the remaining furniture and belongings. We take the kids’ beds, their dressers, and the kitchen table Lance never noticed was mine before we got married.

We pack up all the personal items, family photos, and anything that makes this house feel like ours. The rental house already has most of our stuff from the gradual moves over the past weeks; this is just the final load.

I leave the divorce papers on the kitchen counter where Lance will see them immediately when he comes home. I write a short note on top that says we’re done and he can contact me only through Jillian.

I take my phone to the carrier store and get a new number, giving the new contact information only to Jillian, the school, and a few trusted friends. I block Lance’s number on my old phone before I cancel the service.

Then I drive to the rental house and start unpacking. Jillian calls me less than an hour after Lance would have gotten home.

She sounds calm, but I can hear the satisfaction in her voice. She says Lance called her office furious and yelling, demanding to know where his kids are.

He apparently threatened to call the police and report me for kidnapping. Jillian told him calmly that his children are safe with their mother who actually prioritizes their well-being over her romantic relationship.

She informed him that he’ll be served with official divorce papers and he can respond through his own attorney. She said he needs to communicate only through legal channels from now on.

She tells me he hung up on her after shouting that I’ll regret this. She says his reaction is perfect for our case because it shows his focus is on control and anger, not concern for his children.

She reminds me not to respond to any attempts he makes to contact me directly. She says everything goes through her office now.

I leave early to pick up the kids from the school, wanting to be there the moment they come out. When they see me waiting by the car, they run over with their backpacks bouncing.

I drive them to our new house, taking the long way so they can see it—still in their same neighborhood, near their school and friends. When we pull into the driveway, I tell them this is our new home.

I unlock the front door and let them explore. Mia finds her room first and actually cries when she sees it—happy tears this time.

Her bed is set up exactly how she likes it, with her favorite blankets and stuffed animals. Her art supplies are organized on shelves along one wall.

Her drawings are hanging on a bulletin board, the ones Gloria threw away that I’d saved from the trash. She hugs me so tight I can barely breathe.

Jake discovers his room next and immediately notices his soccer trophies on display and his posters on the walls. He asks if we can put his drawings back on the fridge now.

I tell him absolutely and we walk to the kitchen together. He tapes up three drawings he made at the school this week, standing back to admire them with a huge smile.

That weekend, we stay in our pajamas until noon and watch movies on the couch. I make pancakes for breakfast and we eat them while sitting on the floor because I haven’t bought a coffee table yet.

We play board games that have been packed away for months because Gloria said they were childish and cluttered the house. We order pizza for dinner and eat it straight from the box.

There’s no Gloria criticizing anything, no Lance ignoring them while texting his mistress, no tension or walking on eggshells or wondering what will get thrown away next. It’s just the three of us being comfortable and safe in our own space.

The kids are noticeably calmer, their shoulders relaxed instead of hunched up near their ears. Mia laughs at something in the movie we’re watching.

Jake makes jokes during the board game and doesn’t look sad when he talks about soccer. On Sunday afternoon, Jake actually laughs at something funny I said—a real genuine laugh that comes from his belly.

I realize I haven’t heard him laugh like that in months, maybe since before Gloria entered our lives. Monday morning, Jillian calls to tell me Lance’s attorney contacted her office.

He demanded immediate visitation with his children. Jillian responded by sending our complete evidence package along with Curtis’s professional recommendation that any visitation be supervised and Gloria must be completely absent until the children stabilize emotionally.