My husband announced in German that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant with his baby, then laughed with his family because they thought I could not understand them. “We’ll make his wife raise it,” my mother-in-law said. I smiled and served coffee while they planned to use my home, insurance, and savings against me. But they did not know I understood every word they said.

Before I left, Nina hesitated. “There’s something else. I was ending another relationship when Adrian and I started…