Love & The Goddess Read Online Free PDF Page A

handing me Aladdin’s magic lamp. If only he
could have done.
    “But I’m nobody without him. I thought I was, but these last couple of weeks have been horrendous. People I thought were friends avoiding me, like rats leaving a sinking ship.
Trevor’s friends and their wives have passed me by in their cars, pretending I’m invisible.”
    “So what’s your problem? Most of those women never had an independent career. They rely on their husband for whatever status they think society affords them. Some may be clinging on
to the last vestiges of a dying relationship. If that’s the case they don’t need you to remind them of that. Anyway, you’ve always been well able to put social climbers in their
box. Am I right?”
    “Suppose.” I shrugged my shoulders.
    “There are others, like the old woman you mentioned, who think well of you. If you constantly seek the good opinion of others you give away your personal power. Now you are starting a new
life in the city, so leave the past where it belongs.”
    He was right. I knew deep down he was absolutely right. I looked at the emerald on my left ring finger and began frantically polishing it with the edge of my cardigan. It was all so much to take
in. It wasn’t just the end of a relationship, it was the end of my whole life as it had been. I was realising that now, and I needed to move on.
    “It’s just such a shock to be suddenly shunned after having socialised with these people all my life. People I had thought were friends. I feel like I’ve become my worst
nightmare – the shunned single mother, all alone with nobody to love me.”
    “Start by loving yourself, Kate. Essentially we’re all alone and it’s good if you can learn to live with that for a while and get to enjoy your own company. What you had with
Trevor was a co-dependent relationship.” He leaned forward, slightly bridging the divide between us. Feeling uncomfortable I crossed my legs and in the process swivelled my chair towards the
door. “Neither of you knew where one began and the other finished. Eventually that becomes claustrophobic. You told me so yourself. He constantly told you what to do and where to go. When he
could no longer do that he found someone else he could control. Am I right?”
    “I don’t know,” I said, biting my lip. Whatever the reality might be, I wasn’t ready to accept it. My gaze once again dropped to my ring, as I found myself fidgeting with
it. I couldn’t forget the good times, they lingered in my head like a soothing nostalgic scent – and they had been good. Once. “In all my years with Trevor I never met anyone as
gentlemanly as him.”
    “A self-individuated woman does not need a man to validate her. Why are you so hung up on having a knight in shining armour?”
    “I don’t know.” I frowned and looked sideways, avoiding his eyes, still fidgeting.
    “Maybe I’ve always believed in a happily-ever-after. I didn’t date many men before Trevor. In fact the only lasting relationship I had was with the boy next door, and
that’s because Billy was the nearest thing I had to a brother. Trevor was my first real romance and I thought we were perfect for each other.” I paused. “It’s so hard to
accept that it couldn’t last forever.”
    “I know, Kate. But nothing in life lasts forever. And remember bad things fall apart so that better things can be created. Learn to embrace being on your own and start by being gentle and
loving with yourself. And as I’ve said already, start approving of yourself and forget about seeking external validation from a man or anyone else.” He raised one eyebrow, before
asking, “Do you intend wearing the emerald ring going forward?”
    “Of course,” I said defensively. “You know how important this is to me. I’ve taken off my engagement and wedding rings, though I feel quite exposed without them. But
I’ll never part with this one.”
    “Oh, I wasn’t suggesting anything of the sort,