Free Disastrously Fabulous: A Novel of Loves, Betrayals and New Beginnings by D.A. Prince

made down the street. Instead of leaving, I waited for him in the lobby of that hotel.
    Eventually, in he wheeled with all of his luggage and someone else’s too—a woman’s! I stood in the middle of the hallway, blocking his progress.
    He looked first utterly confused, then sheepish and ashamed.
    “Surprised to see me here, Max? One would think that you would be glad to see your wife didn’t have to hurry away to another country on our holiday. But you’re not here on business are you? You’re here with Gina.”
    I could see on his rat lying face that I was right.
    To avoid a hotel lobby scene, I followed him up to their room. Everything was rather silent. We spoke briefly and he decided to cancel the booking and come home with me. We left for the airport, and he brought Gina’s stuff with him.
    “And all of this cheap rubbish?” I gestured at Gina’s luggage with disdain. Actually, some of the items were nice.
    “You can have it,” Max said, still in a mess of trouble.
    “I don’t want it. But I’m sure my friends will have a great time sharing out her trashy clothing choices,’ I said sharply.
    We hopped on the earliest concord and headed back home. Nothing was ever the same after that. I could no longer trust anything my husband said to me. Inevitably, this led to more fighting and mistrust. I was suspicious of his every move.
    There are some things a marriage cannot get over. A long-term affair with another woman is one of them. Back when I believed that Max was just hooking up with her before our marriage, sure—I could find forgiveness in my heart. But now she may as well have declared war on me.
    I filed for a divorce, and we ended our union shortly after that. Once again, I was left with almost nothing. Max provided generous support for his children—but beyond that I had to make my own way in the world again.
    I bought a condo in Long Island City and moved in with the twins.
    Divorcing Max turned out to be a wise move. I was returning home from a business trip—and there was Max’s face on CNN. He got arrested along with his partner on money-laundering charges.
    It was a massive blow to Max and a big deal for our family. After the market turn-down, Max had allegedly become involved in some shady dealings. Federal agent arms deals and money-laundering are not small charges. I could hardly believe it, but then again—I knew nothing about the things Max did.
    Max was caught trying to flee the country on a yacht. The FBI moved in and arrested him. Max went to prison and lost his money, his properties, and his lifestyle.
    It was the right decision to leave Max. Still—in my heart, the pain of betrayal grew. Were there no good men left in the world? Did all men cheat?
    Ah, Max. He was so wild and carefree. Pity he wasn’t a little more careful when it came to his decisions.
    Being with Max taught me a lot of important lessons above all, that wealth, as wonderful as it was, meant nothing if the person you loved didn't share their entire life with you.
    I added a new lesson to my growing life lesson on men. Money was important—but the person behind the money needed to know how to spend it wisely and manage it correctly. He also had to be honest and treat me with respect.
    The next man that I became interested in would have to have all of these boxes checked before I became involved. I was still beautiful and could rebuild my life.

CHAPTER 12: Alone Again?
    “Loneliness is my least favorite thing about life. The thing that I'm most worried about is just being alone without anybody to care for or someone who will care for me.”
    ~ Anne Hathaway ~
    Having to leave Max was yet another major lifestyle adjustment, and I decided to take the opportunity to enter the field of broadcasting.
    Using my connections, I got a radio broadcasting apprenticeship program. Theoretically, I was primed for success. Realistically, there were few openings and just not enough money in radio when you have no real