The False Fairytale of Marriage: Why Some “Happily Ever Afters” End in Disaster

We grow up on the same story. A girl meets a boy. They fall in love. There’s struggle, then triumph. And in the end, love wins. The wedding is grand, and the final words are always the same: “Happily Ever After.”

But what happens after that?

Lana Lee’s memoir, A Yellow Rose in Thorn’s Clothing, paints a much different picture. She lived through multiple relationships, each beginning with hope and ending in heartbreak. Her story reveals a truth many of us hesitate to admit. Love doesn’t always guarantee happiness. And sometimes, marriage is the very thing that keeps us trapped.

The Fantasy vs. The Reality

Lana believed in love. She thought that once she found the right person and gave her life a new start with him, life would fall into place. But love isn’t a cure-all. Marriage doesn’t fix people. It doesn’t heal past wounds or erase loneliness. If anything, it makes the struggles we’ve been avoiding magnify.

Her first marriage was built on young love. It was the kind that burns brightly but doesn’t always last. She married Howard, a Vietnamese refugee, after high school, believing in their future together. But love alone wasn’t enough.

The cracks appeared early. Howard criticized her weight and intelligence. He told her she was “not pretty,” that “men would only be after her for one thing.” Instead of supporting her dreams, he used to dismiss them. He’d say she wasn’t smart enough to become a CPA or talented enough to be a pianist.

When someone you love doesn’t believe in you, it makes you lose your confidence and self-worth. It turns love into something suffocating.

The Cycle of Hope and Disappointment

Her first marriage ended, but Lana didn’t stop believing in love. She thought the next time would be different. That’s what fairytales teach us, isn’t it? If one love fails, another will come along to save us.

She remarried, hoping for a fresh start. But the pattern repeated. This time, it wasn’t just words that hurt her. It was much more damaging. It was her trust that crumbled. It was the abuse she endured. And once again, the marriage didn’t survive.

Lana’s story is not unique. Many people fall into cycles of broken relationships, convinced that the next one will be the fairytale ending they were promised.

But fairytales don’t teach us how to break the cycle. They don’t tell us that healing ourselves is just as important as finding the right partner. They don’t teach us that, in the end, loving ourselves matters more than changing ourselves for the people we love.

The Myths That Keep Us Stuck

Why do so many marriages fall apart? Part of the reason is the myths we grow up believing. Lana’s experiences reveal some of the biggest ones:

Myth #1: Love Conquers All. Love matters, but it isn’t enough. Marriage requires trust, respect, and effort from both people. Without those, love alone won’t fix what’s broken.

Myth #2: Marriage Will Make You Happy. Happiness doesn’t come from another person. If you aren’t happy with yourself, marriage won’t change that. Lana learned this the hard way.

Myth #3: Divorce Means You Failed. Many people stay in bad marriages because they fear being labeled a failure. But leaving can be an act of strength. Walking away from something toxic isn’t a failure. It’s survival.

The Emotional Toll of a Broken Marriage

Marriage isn’t just a contract. It’s two lives intertwined with one another. So, when it ends, it leaves scars.

For Lana, divorce was about rebuilding herself. After Howard told her she wasn’t pretty or smart enough, his words lingered. They became the voice in her head. They became her inner monologue. His words became something that defined her self-worth, making her lose her confidence.

Many people leaving toxic relationships face the same struggle. The damage remains, even after escape. Trusting again, believing in yourself, shedding the weight of the past...it’s a battle that doesn’t end the moment you walk away.

Breaking Free from the Fairytale Illusion

So, what does happily ever after really look like?

For Lana, it wasn’t about finding another prince. It was about learning to stand on her own. It was about choosing herself over the dream of a perfect marriage.

This is where real stories start to look different from fairytales. True happiness doesn’t come from waiting for someone to save you. It comes from saving yourself.

Lana walked away from people who didn’t value her. She faced heartbreak and disappointment, but she didn’t let them become who she was.

Her story teaches us that sometimes, happily ever after isn’t a perfect marriage. Sometimes, it’s breaking free from the myths that hold us back.

Final Thoughts

Fairytales make love look easy. They tell us that all we have to do is find the right person, and everything will fall into place. But real life isn’t like that.

Lana Lee’s memoir reminds us that love isn’t always enough. That some marriages aren’t meant to last. That leaving doesn’t mean failing. It means choosing yourself.

So, maybe the real happily ever after isn’t about marriage or finding the perfect match or being in the most ideal relationship ever. Happily ever after could be about learning to be happy on your own. Maybe it’s knowing that you are enough.

A Yellow Rose in Thorn’s Clothing

“I’m not famous. I’m not a celebrity. I’m a normal person like most of you. This book is a record of my memories and experiences from a young child until I was thirty-seven and met my third husband in between. I faced challenges, made some questionable choices, suffered the consequences, and persevered. I’m still here to talk about it. I felt like it was important to share this story as I’m sure many people can relate. I hope to provide encouragement, empathy, and support. None of us are perfect. We’ve all made our mistakes. We may not be forgiven by the general public, but most importantly, we have to forgive ourselves. It is never too late to change the path that we are on, and it is never time to give up. I hope that you find inspiration from this book.”