Being persuaded by my husband and mother-in-law to work in Italy seemed like a promising opportunity at first. However, it was during my time there that I came to a profound realization—I no longer desired to return to the family I had left behind.

Many years ago, I found myself sent to work in Italy by my husband and mother-in-law. At just 19 years old, I entered their family as a young and inexperienced daughter-in-law, lacking the skills they expected. Instead of guidance, my mother-in-law constantly criticized me. Coming from a large family in a remote village, my prospects for education were bleak. Then I met Ivan, nearly a decade my senior, and he proposed to me. With little to my name, I accepted without hesitation.

As the sole child in his family, Ivan’s parents sought a wealthier and more accomplished spouse for him. I arrived with only a single bag of possessions. “I took you in with nothing,” Ivan would often remind me, a truth I could not refute. For 18 years, we lived under the roof of my mother-in-law, eventually welcoming a son into our lives. Though I longed for more children, my mother-in-law insisted on financial stability to avoid the poverty of my own upbringing. When women from our village began migrating abroad for work, my mother-in-law proposed the idea of me doing the same, specifically to Italy. With my husband’s support, I agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to provide my son with the chance for a medical education.

After six years in Italy, I came to the realization that I was happier there than with my husband and his mother. So, I made the bold decision to cease sending money back home and instead save for an apartment. However, to achieve this, I knew I had to divorce Ivan, as anything purchased during our marriage would legally be his. I anticipated resistance from my husband and mother-in-law, who had grown accustomed to my earnings, but I was prepared to fight for my freedom.