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That's what happened in 2006 to Stacey Becker, who grew up in New City. Now, the corporate lawyer has put all of those emotions and self-help tips she learned along the way into "Knot the One: Why Getting Dumped Before My Wedding was the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me," a memoir to help others realize life has a funny way of working out.
Becker said she wrote the book because resources like this didn't exist for her at the time and she knows, after living it, she's not alone. In fact, since the book has come out, she's had no less than 20 people -- mostly strangers -- contact her to say they went through something similar and were happy to hear the perspective of someone else.
"The wedding business and the stories of how people meet, fall in love and get married -- that’s what people read about all the time. They’re in bridal magazines, on wedding websites, featured in the New York Times wedding section. But nobody wants to talk about how they got their heart broken," said Becker.
"People feel embarrassed, ashamed; almost like it was a failure. I wanted to share my experience with others out there -- plus show how life does go on -- and how you really can find someone a million times better!"
Becker said it was incredibly therapeutic to write the story which was seven years in the making. "This story has been through so many versions," she said. "In that time a lot has changed and my bitterness over the incident has faded. I mostly just feel sorry for the girl my ex-fiancé ended up marrying a few months after we broke up. They ended up divorced six months after that."
Becker, instead, found comfort and friendship in an old camp friend, which eventually turned romantic. They are now married and live on the Upper East Side with their 20-month-old daughter.
Rockland residents are invited to her book release party Tuesday, Nov. 17 at The East Wing, 306 E, 76th Street (at Second Avenue) from 7 p.m. to l0 p.m.
The book is available on Amazon here.
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