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Prologue
C
indy stared silently out of the long, rectangular-shaped window asthe old blue bus steadily puttered on, on to her hometown of Dayspring,Illinois. It was such a dreary overcast day. Even the sky looked depressed,as if at any moment it was going to cry. Cindy let out a sad sigh, closed hertired puffy eyes, and leaned her head against the worn black leatherheadrest. She wished that she were anywhere but here on this raggedy old bus going back home in shame.But Cindy had to leave. She’d had no choice. He had changed. Yes,her beloved, now
ex
-husband Charles had become someone else rightunder her very nose. A mean, manipulative, and cold-hearted someoneelse. Perhaps he’d been that way all along. His parting words had certainlysealed the truth of that possibility in Cindy’s heart forever. In reality,Charles seemed to have taken a sick form of pleasure in the fact that he’ddeceived her for so long. And his malicious declarations seemed tosomehow empower him.Even now as the rain began to rapidly blanket the bus withmoisture, Cindy remembered how empty his hurtful words had made herfeel. Had she been a fool all this time – believing in a lie? Had Charles
ever
really loved her? Cindy grew angrier as each mile drew her closer to herhometown. She was angry at herself and especially angry at her ex-husband.
 Marriage to Charles was like a bad investment,
she mused, feeling bankrupt and disappointed on more than one level.“I’m ready to move on to the next level of my life.
Without
you,”Charles had said smugly as he pushed copies of the divorce paperstowards Cindy, papers that only needed her signature to be final. His boldhandwriting was already on the documents, signifying that in Charles’mind the marriage was already over.
 
Then he went on to tell Cindy that this was best for the both of themsince she never really knew him anyway. “What do you think all thoselong business meetings and trips were about? I’ve found someone else.Someone who suits me better and is headed in the same direction as me.Someone I’m, quite frankly, tired of sneaking around to see. Plus, I’m tiredof all the guilt,” Charles had concluded.
The guilt!
Charles actually thought that divorcing her would removethe multitude of guilt from his heart and mind.
Yeah right!
Cindy thought.
Brother, you’re going to feel guilty for a long time for how you’ve treated me
.Cindy had wanted to say those words and a few choice others toCharles, but at the time she’d been in such a state of shock that all shecould do was cry as she signed the fateful documents. But no tears flowednow. They had stopped several miles back when the bus first entered thestate of Illinois. Cindy would let the sky cry the rest of her tears. And itdid. The drenching rain continued to beat repetitiously against the bus.What a way to start the New Year off - divorced and alone.Ten miles to go. Cindy’s sister had offered to let her stay with her fora while. Thank God for that and the fact that she’d had no kids duringthose six years of marriage. Charles hadn’t wanted children. If they’d hadkids that would have made it even harder to leave him. Cindy didn’t reallyknow why she stayed as long as she did anyway. The marriage had been bad for years. Now she felt like such a fool for extending her loyalty to aman who didn’t deserve it
or
her.Cindy folded her arms across her chest in comfort, but it wasn’tenough. She needed more than she could give herself right now, yet shewas reluctant to turn to the One who could give her what she needed. Shewas still too angry, too ashamed, still a little too prideful to do that just yet.Instead, her mind returned to that last scene at the house.After Charles left the premises, Cindy had packed. There had beenno use trying to stay there. She couldn’t afford to keep the house which,
 
ironically, was the only thing she’d gotten out of the marriage according tothe prenuptial agreement he’d tricked her into signing years ago. Shedidn’t even get to keep her silver Mercedes. It seems that Charles hadpurchased it on the business account and it belonged to his company.Cindy would really miss that car. But the house was a different story.She wouldn’t have wanted to stay there anyway. The house held too manypainful memories, too much disappointment. Besides, Harrelton, Floridawas Charles’ hometown. He belonged there, she didn’t.So among angry tears and under the weight of a heavy heart, Cindyhad finished packing her basic necessities and made arrangements toleave. Knowing that she was going to have to watch her spending now, shepulled what little money she still had left out of her personal savingsaccount and purchased a bus ticket. Cindy’s pride wouldn’t allow her toaccept plane fare from her family. It was bad enough that she was going tohave to live off of them until she found a job.Five miles left. Over the miles of highways and byways Cindy’s tearshad long since dissipated, only anger remained now. The rain was gettinglighter. Even the sky was refusing to cry anymore. It had cleansed what itneeded to cleanse, had washed away the debris of the past. Cindy’s owntears had done some of that as well.
Welcome to the Garden City
the green and white sign above them readas the bus turned onto the proper exit. The sun had come out and itsresplendent presence seemed to whisper these words to Cindy’s brokenheart, “Your storm will also pass.”Cindy wasn’t sure if she believed that just yet. For now, the most shecould do was be glad that she at least made it safely back home again.
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