Chapter 1

2008

Kristin Nelson woke up and stared in the mirror. She realized how very unhappy she was, but she was not sure how to become happy. She was stuck in a loveless marriage. It had not always been that way. She tried to remember when she was happy. Charles was so loving and gentle when she had first met him.

1996

She had been living in California for only a short time after attending medical school in England. Fresh out of medical school and working on her master's in marine biology at Stanford University, the last thing Kristin had expected was to meet a handsome political science graduate. He was tall, had dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes and strong features. The two had little in common, but opposites attract, as the saying goes. The two fell in love almost instantly and were married within a year. Married life was blissful for the newlyweds. Charles was beginning his political career, so, a move to New York seemed natural after both receiving their master's degrees. Kristin attended New York University and started working in the medical facility as a doctor, and Charles interned for some famous senator.

A couple of years went by. Charles had been working his way up the political ladder. His ultimate goal was senator, but everyone must start somewhere. However, he seemed to have trouble getting anywhere in the New York political system. He had heard that Florida was in need of some good politicians, so a move there was in order. He ran for office and was elected-Orange county treasurer. It wasn't much, but at least his foot was in the door.

1998

Kristin was the supportive wife during elections; she'd put her own career on hold after the move to support Charles. After the move, however, she found it difficult to make friends. She did not fit in with the political members or the other wives. She was looking forward to working because she should find friends who shared her ideals and interests. She was planning to look for a job, but a little surprise occurred. Kristin found out she was pregnant. It was decided best that she should wait until after the baby was born to go back to work. Nine months later, on December 5, 1998, Cynthia Marie Nelson was born, and Kristin and Charles were proud parents. Cynthia looked very much like Charles, except for her auburn-colored hair and her hazel eyes. However, shortly thereafter, Charles began to change.

Charles began working longer hours and became more career-oriented than before, which may not have been so bad, but with this came great personality changes. He told Kristin he did not want her to go back to work because no child of his was going to be raised in a day care or by a nanny; he felt the best place for Kristin was to stay home and raise the baby until she was in school. Although it was not what they had discussed before Cynthia came along, Kristin reluctantly obliged. She wanted to do what was best for her child, and being a parent was about sacrifices, was it not? Her career could wait, and so could friends.

1999

Cynthia was a wonderful baby, and Kristin loved being a mother. But, when Cynthia started walking, Kristin longed to have another little baby in her arms again. Charles was now mayor, and was home even less now. When he was home, he was an attentive father to Cynthia, but was a cold and inattentive husband. Intimacy between the two was rare now, but all couples go through that, right? She decided that perhaps she was doing something wrong.

One evening, after Cynthia was asleep, Charles came home late. Kristin had stayed up, dressed in sexy lingerie, hoping to spice up her marriage. Charles walked in the door and up the stairs to the bedroom. He opened the door and saw Kristin in a sexy pose. She rose to embrace him, but he pushed her away.

"I'm just really tired," he explained.

She nodded, but the hurt she felt was evident on her face.

The next morning, she awoke early enough to catch Charles before he left for work.

"Charles, I want another baby," Kristin said.

"Kristin, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well, whyever not?"

"My career is going smoothly, and you expect me to handle another baby?" his voice rose.

"Handle a baby? You barely handle the one we have now! I am the one handling everything with her considering you're hardly ever home. What difference would another one make?" Kristin yelled back.

An explanation was never given; he turned and slammed the door.

He called later and apologized to her. He said he would try to be more attentive to her and think about having another child. Although she was unsure why he had changed his mind, she was willing to trust that he would try to be a better husband. And for a while, he was. He was home by 6 PM every night, and they ate dinner as a family. Then, after putting the baby to bed, it was as though Charles and Kristin were newlyweds again, at least in the bedroom. Although Kristin doubted the feelings being genuine, she wanted desperately to believe they were. She was a lonely woman needing to be loved, so she put the doubts out of her mind. After a few months Kristin found out she was pregnant again. Charles began working more again, and became less attentive once more, confirming Kristin's doubts. But he had given Kristin what she wanted, so she was happy for the time being.

However, the pregnancy was not meant to be because a few weeks later, Kristin had a miscarriage.

At at time in her life when she was feeling the most helpless and needed the comfort of her husband's arms, to reassure her, to tell her they would try again, he just patted her arm and said, "Maybe it's for the best."

This was the day she realized that this Charles Nelson was not the man she had married. That Charles Nelson was long gone, and he was nowhere to be found.