Anatomy of a Divorce: Effects of the Death of a Marriage

By Jean Williams

This was the most helpful book while I was going through my divorce.
Doug G

Its a lonely walk through a divorce, but when family and friends are there to encourage and lift spirits, it gives great hope. The children of a broken home especially need the strength of family and God.

When all hell on earth breaks forth, how much we need the Peace that only comes from Heaven.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 25, 2005
• ISBN: 9781463477721

Book preview

Contents

Dedication

Foreward

Chapter 1

November

Chapter 2

Background

Chapter 3

Ending of a Marriage

Chapter 4

Summer Havoc

Chapter 5

August 1998

Chapter 6

September

Chapter 7

Interlude Thoughts

Chapter 8

A Phone Call

Chapter 9

Friday, September 18

Chapter 10

Sgt. Carter’s Call

Chapter 11

October 1998

Chapter 12

November 1998

Chapter 13

December 1998

Chapter 14

January 1999

Chapter 15

February 1999

Chapter 16

April and May

Chapter 17

June

Chapter 18

July

Chapter 19

How The Family

Chapter 20

November 1999

Epilogue

About the Author

Dedication

To survivors of broken vows, wounded hearts and in particular this family.

Why? In the hopes that others who suffer the breakup of a home will know that God sustains us through the heartache caused by separation and divorce. In this diary of a divorce the reader will follow the story as it unfolded.

Foreward

One always hopes for the best in life but we don’t always get what we wish for. We also make mistakes and sometimes the cost of those mistakes have far-reaching results and fallout. It’s unfortunate that innocents must also suffer from our mistakes. Fortunately we have an awesome God who never forsakes us in our trials. More fortunate is it when there are family and friends who also give freely of emotional support when we are reaping the results of sabotage in our lives. When all hell on earth breaks forth how much we need the Peace that only comes from Heaven!

Chapter 1

November

It wasn’t even 7AM. The household was just beginning to come alive. The granddaughters in our home (where they usually spent the weekend with us) were just getting up. I heard the knock on the back door and opened the door. There stood my son, Vic, looking very serious. I noticed his car pulled onto the lawn close to the door. Get everybody up, now. He choked out.

When we had all gathered in the living room, Vic seated himself on the sofa next to his daughters, Dawn and Lynn (ages 10 and 14). He put his big hand over theirs and seriously said, I hoped never to have this conversation with you. But now it’s necessary.

We knew this must be something terribly serious. My mind raced trying to think what it might be. Emotion welled up in all of us as Vic tearfully said that Brenda, (wife, mom, and daughter-in-law,) had met somebody on the Internet and didn’t want to be married to him anymore. The girls looked on numbly, tears rolling down their cheeks.

Vic said that it looked so serious that he felt he couldn’t avoid telling us what was happening. He assured the girls that their mother still loved them. After we had all shed tears together, we all stood in a close circle, arms around each other and prayed. If ever there was help from heaven it was needed this morning!

About a week later Dawn could not go to sleep. She was at our house and woke us up. She asked me if she could call her dad. He told her to be strong, and everything would be all right. Before she called him she was starting to cry. After she hung up the phone she fell asleep right away feeling a lot calmer because of what her dad had told her.

Chapter 2

Background

When Brenda was age four, her mother left home. June had planned to take the children (three girls and one boy) with her. However an aunt, who took care of the children while the parents worked, became suspicious and didn’t leave the children at home with their mom. So June left without them and it was several years before she was able to see them again.

Trying to raise four children and work probably aggravated the schizophrenia Lawrence, (Brenda’s father) had. Brenda, being the youngest, had no where to go during the day so she would go to grade school with her brother, Teddy. The school principal saw the problem and started a kindergarten class for Brenda and others in the church school.

While Vic was attending boarding academy he was a classmate of one of Brenda’s sisters and met Brenda when she came to academy. Brenda went to live with her mom for awhile and finished high school. It was on her return that she met Vic again and they began dating. He was