Denial is so much more than a river in Egypt. It's a way of life for many people. Take Larry, for example. He met Nancy when she was 19 and he was 25.

"She was the love of my life," he says.

They got married and had three children, a daughter 30, a son 25, another son, 15.

He says: "I think for most of our years we were lulled into a fog of doing what we thought was expected of a married couple with children. I believe we were both unhappy but just tolerated it. The last time she ever kissed me on the lips was when our oldest son was born. We haven't been intimate in years.

"I think we made a big, big mistake by not going on dates together or getting away, just the two of us. Our life revolved around raising our kids and doing for others. Was I the perfect husband? No. Have I been a good provider? Yes."

Around New Year's, Nancy told Larry she wanted a divorce. She said they hadn't gotten along for a long time; they had drifted apart; he was too controlling, etc., etc. Several weeks later, she told him she was going away for the weekend with her girlfriends and wanted him out of the house by the time she got back or he would be "escorted out" upon her return.

"I'm ashamed to say I was so upset I attempted suicide because I really did not know why this was happening," he says.

(There's that river in Egypt.)

He says: "I had one of my shotguns out of my safe with a shell in the chamber. My wife fought with me over that gun to get it away from me."

Several weeks after that, it became crystal clear why it was happening. Nancy's first lover, her high school boyfriend, had gotten a divorce. Thanks to Facebook, they were in touch, and Larry guesses "it went from there."

Larry admits he shouldn't have been blindsided. He says: "I suspected her of infidelity several times. Once she met up with one of her old boyfriends from high school when she was visiting our son in Las Vegas. His wife called our house several times complaining about the 'encounter.' But I was dumb enough to believe she did nothing wrong.

"I actually think she has kept in touch with several guys. She's always been very secretive about her cell phone and computer. I always figured she had feelings for someone."

Larry and Nancy are still legally married, although they're not living together anymore. He's living with his daughter and her husband. He says: "They, my church and a few close friends keep me going," he says. Nancy is still living in their home, but she's with her boyfriend as often as possible.

"Now I'm 60 and alone; she's 53 and bouncing around, acting like a

teen-ager. She dresses differently. She wears very revealing clothes and shows a lot of skin. I've also seen toys around the bathroom and bedroom in our house.

"I was looking to retire with her, thinking we would be able to get past life's problems and just have the two of us."

(There's that river again.)

Have you ignored warning signs? Send your tale, along with your questions, problems and rants to [email protected]. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not."