Author: Emily Nguyen Le
I’ve (38F) been married to my husband Rob (52M) for 4 years now. My husband’s late wife died a year before we met, and we dated for 2 years before marriage. He has 2 kids, 28-year-old Madison and 26-year-old Brett. Note: I am not calling them my stepkids because they explicitly told me I am not their stepmom, just their dad’s wife. I didn’t play a part in raising them, so I’m okay with that. For illustration purposes only. It’s always been tense between us. I’ve tried my best to be kind to them and have been generous when I…
A doctor on TikTok has told people they need to ditch this common cooking habit for the sake of their health. Dr Sam, who goes by @drsamuelgp on TikTok, has warned his followers they needed to stop washing their chicken before cooking it as it can increase their risk of contamination. He noted that he is aware that many people’s parents would have done this and still do this. For illustration purposes only. Now, while you may have seen odd videos on social media of people doing the absolute most to ‘clean’ their chicken – perhaps in the hopes of…
My eyes locked onto my mother-in-law, whose face looked as if she had just seen a ghost. In her trembling hand, a small envelope shook, and her eyes were frozen in an expression of pure panic. The loud music in the grand banquet hall of the old mansion drowned out all other sounds, making our conversation completely private. For illustration purposes only. This sunny May morning was supposed to be a perfect day. The ancient mansion of my fiancé Sergey’s family was preparing to host a multitude of guests. Waiters deftly arranged crystal glasses, and the air filled with the…
Christmas Eve is supposed to be magical, yet for me, it was often a painful reminder of love lost. Three years ago, I gave my coat to a homeless woman with eyes so familiar they stopped me cold. This Christmas, she returned to my door, holding a gray case and a smile I couldn’t forget. For illustration purposes only. I never expected to open the door and see her again. The woman I had helped on a whim, now unrecognizable, brought not just gratitude but a story that left me speechless. Christmas had always been the highlight of the year…
I trusted my husband. I never questioned his long hours at the hospital, never doubted his words—until one night, a single slip shattered everything I thought I knew about him. I always loved watching him speak. The way his eyes would glisten when he talked about medicine, how his voice carried that quiet authority—steady, reassuring, the voice of a man who had dedicated his life to healing others. It was one of the first things I fell for, the way he could turn even the most complex medical jargon into something fascinating. Dr. Nathan, my husband of eight years, and…
We’ve been married for 5 years. My wife has 3 kids from her past marriage—two daughters (15 and 13) and a son (11). I have my own daughter, Anna, who’s 7. For illustration purposes only. Since day one, I’ve treated her kids as my own, providing for them, supporting them, and making sure they never feel like they’re anything less than family. Lately, I realized that my wife hasn’t extended that same effort to my daughter. It’s subtle—she’s never outright cruel, but it’s in the way she barely acknowledges her. She asks her kids how their day was, checks in…
I’ve never lived with my mom and I don’t see her as much as I’d like, but we try to have dinner together every now and then. I love her and respect her, despite the distance between us. On the other hand, things were not easy for me at home with my dad and stepmom, and it got worse. My complicated relationship with my stepmom hit a breaking point when she called my mom “a disaster” for the millionth time. I told my dad, “Make her stop, or I’m leaving.” He didn’t even look at me. He was silent, so…
At least eight people are reported to have died along America’s Gulf Coast due to a ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria, prompting health departments to issue warnings on how to take action. The Louisiana Department of Health released its alert on the bacteria, called Vibrio vulnificus, on July 30, at which time 17 cases had been reported in the state. All of those 17 cases were hospitalized, and four resulted in death. In Florida, the latest data from July 24 reports 13 cases of the infection, and another four deaths. In its release, the Louisiana health department said it had noted an ‘increase’…
It was a rainy Saturday morning when James Whitmore stepped into a quiet little café on 42nd Street with his four-year-old daughter, Lily. The street outside was slick with rain, the soft patter against the window matching the quiet inside James’s mind. He used to be a man of laughter and light. A tech innovator turned millionaire by thirty, James had everything—success, respect, and above all, love. Amelia, his wife, had been the heart of his world. Her laughter had filled their home, her kindness had softened the hardest days. But two years ago, a car crash took her away.…
Love isn’t supposed to have conditions. But for my sister, it did. Without an ounce of guilt, she gave up her adopted daughter after having a biological son. As I tried to comprehend the cruelty, she simply shrugged and said, “She wasn’t really mine anyway.” But karma was already at her door. There are moments that shatter you, crack open your chest, and leave you gasping for air. For me, it was four simple words my sister said about her four-year-old adopted daughter: “I gave her back.” We hadn’t seen my sister Erin in months. She lived a few states…