conference was a sp

The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and quiet, competitive judgment.

as on a "business trip" in Aspen with Ryan Clark, her co

ispering and pointing at me. I' d raised her since she was a baby,

ooked nervous, called my name. "

hat' s when Madis

and, and hurled it at my head. It hit me just above my temple. A sharp, bright pain exp

gasped. The

igh and cruel, cut

an! A gold-digging loser my mom marr

trickling down my face, feeling a strange numbness spread through me. The physical pain was no

ed to the men's room to clean the

mail, a rare one from Wendy Fuller. My old college friend. The on

e was simple: "

my hands shak

told her I'm waiting for a good man to be fre

dream of a family. A good man. W

y temple, the tired eyes, the faint lines of a decade

hest hardened into a

ver. I