The Straw that Broke the Camel's Heart

This is a story that covers a several year period of the life of Michelle, the main character. While it begins in the present, it is primarily a "flashback" story that tells how she got to where she presently is. The main theme setting begins when Michelle is 29 years of age and follows several events that impact her life. Michelle is an athletic minded woman who works in an office complex and she tries to maintain her appearance. In spite of her efforts to make her marriage work, it starts to collapse and none of her efforts to salvage it works. She gets a real life blow when she finds out that her husband left her so he could be with one of his male friends. This event sets up a downward spiral that that causes her to ponder many questions about herself, life, and love. She does what she can to put life on hold and avoid new relationships because she views love as a very personal thing and no one has ever respected the love she offered. After a prolonged period of avoiding situations where she could meet people, one of her friends all but drags her to a party where she meets Paul. Michelle still has not recovered from what she views as betrayal by her husband and, though she is not totally ready to reach out, Paul sees potential in this shy, introverted woman. He takes it upon himself to try to get to know her in spite of her reluctance. Their involvement progresses very slowly because Michelle, while wanting to love and be loved, can't quite bring herself to venture another emotional "knife in the back". Eventually, she decides to risk taking a chance on love one more time even though she is convinced it will not turn out well for her. Though Michelle loved her husband, she discovers that Paul is the great love of her life and she is terrified at the vulnerability of her emotions. Love means so much to her that she has trouble sharing it because she knows the toll this relationship will take on her if, in her mind when, it blows up and she once again get pitched