Oh, how I wish it was fiction. The problem, really, stemmed from two problems: and the only commonality was me and allowing myself to be blinded to the reality of these women. Had I been open to who they really were, then the relationships would not have gotten off the ground and I would've avoided most of these problems. Of course, there is the other factor: people tend to put up a front when a relationship (of any kind) is new, so by the time the other person's real self is exposed, you're already deeply invested in the relationship and it is hard to back out or end it. Thanks for the praise and thank you for reading!