🎶 D.I.V.O.R.C.E 🎶
So, with a new name, new digs, and a new direction for full-time self-employment, what next?
Well, clearly this was all a massive improvement to the “Upstairs Downstairs” way of life.
But, of course I was still technically married.
I had no intentions of seeking a relationship, but I knew in the back of my mind that the subject of divorce would come up at some point. That said, given the way my life was, it was not a primary consideration; my focus was on business building.
How my estranged wife was going with “Mr Porsche”, I had no idea, nor did I actually care anymore…she made her bed (literally) and would sleep in it.
I think I had been living my new life for about a year when my “wife” contacted me and was asking when I was going to divorce her.
My response to this was “You want a divorce? You sort it!”.
I was not about to finance a divorce process, to me it had no significance other than perhaps on my bank account…and as she was starting to push it, clearly her life situation was changing.
A few months passed, and I happened to see her in one of my local pubs. As far as I knew, she was still living in the area.
She came over to talk and again said about the divorce…my response was the same…”You want it? you pay for it!”.
“Will you contest it? Will you cause problems?” she asked.
“Look, we have lived apart now for some time and have had separate addresses also…you do the divorce, you pay for the divorce…I will sign it…it seems like things have moved on with you and Mark then?”
“OK, I understand…I will do it…and ermm…Mark…well no that’s been over for a while now…”
“No problem…I could say “told ya so”…oops…I just did…but hey, go do what you need to do”
And so, some weeks later, a lawyer’s letter came, a signature was required, there were no financial claims as I had taken the £30k hit on the sale of the house we used to have and hey…end of a chapter…whatever eh?
A few months later, the decree absolute came through, and she paid the legal fees.
As a footnote to the divorce situation, it turned out “Mr Porsche” had been rumbled as never intending to leave his wife and was a player. However my wife/ex-wife had found another cash cow, the owner of a couple of gastro pubs…unfortunately one of these was directly opposite my favourite pub “Larkins”…life goes on.
I started to pick up a decent amount of work, mostly new website creation and several for friends of friends, referrals from my photographer friend and her husband.
Things were going so well that my time with the Chamber of Commerce support ended as did my state employment support, making me a fully self-employed entity…it felt good, and still does!
My photographer friend needed an additional website created based on Social Care, a business her and a friend from the NHS, from when she held a Senior Management position, were forming.
Working with many different businesses, predominantly new start-ups, was very satisfying and became my specialty. Within 18 months I had around 40 customers which yielded ongoing revenue, sufficient enough to have a comfortable living standard.
But, if you are a regular reader, you will know, my life and employment has been checkered with pivots and two more major pivots were on the horizon…
Next Time: Well Dressed.
More of my FREE Newsletters:
The Following Newsletter is a collaboration with myself and The Science Guy
