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& #39;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& #39;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& #39;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& #39;t too happy about it.

That& #39;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& #39;t need anyone to take care of me.

Key takeaway: I could& #39;ve never left my terrible marriage if I didn& #39;t have a job, my own network, or financial independence. And I& #39;ll never give it up again for anyone.