Pushkin.
It was the worst thing that ever happened to me.
These were the words uttered by Billy Bob Harold Jr.,
a man whose life had been unremarkable before a fateful event that ruined everything on June 28th,
1997.
Before that worst thing ever event occurred, Billy Bob was a relatively happy middle-aged Texan.
He was a religious family man.
who cared deeply about his parents, his wife, Barbara Jean, and their three children.
Billy Bob worked at the local Home Depot, stocking shelves with electrical equipment.
It wasn't the most lucrative career, but Billy Bob and his wife found ways to make ends meet.
His life, by all accounts, was relatively blessed.
But one hot summer evening, everything changed.
Within months, his marriage had fallen apart.
His beloved Barbara Jean filed for divorce.
Billy Bob tried dating younger women, but still felt terrible.
He lost almost 50 pounds, making him look sickly and gaunt.
His children would later say that his personality completely changed.
He switched from the happy dad they knew into a moody depressive.
In May of 1999, less than two years after that incident,
which I've not yet named, Billy Bob couldn't take it anymore.