My therapist asked me what I learned from my divorce and the traumatic experience leading up to it. And this is hands down the biggest lesson I learned: My financial independence is not worth giving up for any man.

When I moved to the US on a H4 visa, I wasn't allowed to work. I had no friends in our city except the ones he introduced me to. I had no network, no connections, no safety net.

And often, I think about how much a job would've changed my life then, my own perception of myself.

I got ridiculed a lot by my ex and his family for being financially dependent on him. But that's also exactly where they wanted me. It was just another way for them to exert control over me, because when I moved back to India and found a job, they weren't too happy about it.

That's when I learned how much power an earning woman has. How much more freedom. And nothing frightens these people more than a free woman.

It helped immensely to remember again that I *was* good at something, I was worth something. I didn't need anyone to take care of me.

Key takeaway: I could've never left my terrible marriage if I didn't have a job, my own network, or financial independence. And I'll never give it up again for anyone.