We haven't been together for a long time, but my ex-husband still interferes.

My ex forbids me from seeing his friend.

My heart was breaking into pieces. He left. He just took off and left me alone with two small children. He said he had fallen in love with someone else, that he needed freedom, and that we had been unhappy for a long time. Unhappy? Isn't it happiness to see the smiles of your children, to feel their small hands on your neck, to hear their laughter? The days turned into a murky grayness. It was as if someone had turned off the light in my soul, leaving only a cold, empty corridor of despair. I tried, for the sake of the children, to build a life for them, to create comfort, but inside, everything hurt, everything screamed of injustice. And then he appeared—my husband's friend. At first, he just came by, 'supported' me, and helped with the kids. He said he understood my pain, that I was a strong woman, that I deserved happiness. I resisted, pushed him away, because it felt like betrayal. But his words, his attention, his care... they gradually melted the ice in my heart. He was gentle, attentive, and affectionate.

He proposes

 He began to come by regularly. To walk with us, play with the children, and help around the house. I saw genuine sympathy and real care in his eyes. Sometimes it seemed to me that he was the only one who understood me, who was ready to accept me with all my wounds and fears. He proposed. He said that he loved me, that he wanted to be by my side, to build a family. I froze, as if struck by electricity. On one hand, fear, horror of repeating past mistakes, of betrayal. On the other hand, there is the tiredness from loneliness, constant tension, and anxiety for the children's future. I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if I can trust anyone else to open my heart after such a wound. But I see his smile in the children's eyes, I feel their warmth, their belief that everything will be alright. And suddenly I realize that I cannot condemn them to a life of loneliness, filled with constant fear and uncertainty. Maybe this is a chance? A week ago, my husband appeared and began to threaten, screaming for me to leave his friend alone and not even think about building a relationship with him. So much. I heard so much filth and threats that it's sickening to remember. I don't know what to do or how to act.