The nun advised me:
“Don’t hold grudges. Resentment will only make you suffer more. Live well, and time will answer everyone.”
I listened and began to calm down. I enrolled in a sewing course in town; I studied in the mornings and worked at the convent in the afternoons.
Three months later, I was already making beautiful clothes, which I sold to the tourists who visited the convent. Little by little, I opened a small shop at the entrance to the convent and earned a steady income.
Carlos still came to see me secretly sometimes. He cried and begged me to come home, but I just shook my head:
“I won’t come back until your mother understands.”
He lowered his head, powerless.
One rainy afternoon, Doña Teresa appeared in front of the convent entrance. She was thinner, and her hair was grayer. When she saw me, she knelt down, tears in her eyes:
“Ana… forgive me… I was wrong…”
I remained silent. She told me that after I left, Carlos moved to an apartment and refused to speak to her. The shop was empty, and only then did she understand the value of the days when I had taken care of everything.
“Come home… I promise I’ll never treat you the way I did again.”
I was silent for a long moment and then replied calmly:
“Mom, I’m not angry anymore. But now I have my own life here. If I go back, everything will be the same as before.”
She wept and held my hands tightly:
“If you forgive me, I already feel relief…”
I nodded slightly. I forgive, but I’m not going back. I chose to stay at the convent, continue sewing, and offer vocational classes for the young people of the village.
My story surprised many. From being a humiliated daughter-in-law, thrown out of my home, I managed to get back on my feet and build a new life.
I learned that, sometimes, leaving is the most profound lesson for those who have hurt us. And forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting, but rather letting go and finding peace in your heart.
The mother-in-law cut her daughter-in-law’s hair and threw her out to the convent – What she did made her regret it for the rest of her life.
