Sued ex-fiance for jilting her!
Rosemary sued her ex for jilting her
Friday 26th December 2008
Imagine being jilted two days before your wedding? I could rage on about how humiliated
I felt, the shame of having to ring round all my family and friends, the heartache… Or I could just tell you about how I got my revenge. As far as I was concerned, my fiancé had destroyed my whole life, and I had to do something about it. So I sued him for what he'd done.
Sounds crazy, I know. But if you can sue for tripping over the pavement and breaking your leg, it makes sense that you can sue for something as traumatic as this.The newspapers went mad for my story. Dumped bride in £75,000 win, the headlines ran. Some people probably thought I'd done it for the money. That I'd banked the cash and was free to get on with my life.But it really wasn't as simple as that.
I'd only been divorced from my second husband for six months when, in July 2001, a friend set me up with Wayne Gibbs, 50. I wasn't sure that I was interested in even looking at another man. But I'm a romantic. Despite everything, I wanted someone to grow old with.
So I met Wayne for dinner.
'I got divorced after 26 years of marriage,' he told me. 'It was the hardest thing I've ever been through.'
It turned out we both had two sons, and both loved the outdoors. We were soon inseparable, going camping together or to the beach.
We had our ups and downs over the next five years, but we were in love. So when Wayne proposed in October 2006 I accepted straight away. Not wanting to waste any time, I gave up my well-paid job in HR and moved from Pensacola, Florida, to Wayne's six-bed house in Gainesville, Georgia. We set a date for 2 December 2006, and planned to have the wedding at home with friends and family. I was so looking forward to seeing the people we loved and cared for all together, under one roof. But two days before our wedding, I came home to find
a note left in the loo. I can't do this. I'm depressed. Sorry.
Wayne was calling off the wedding with two days to go. And he'd broken the news with
a note Sellotaped next to the sink! Shaking, I called his mobile. But he didn't answer.
When he finally came home, two hours later, I offered to leave.
'No,' he frowned. 'Help me get over the depression. We'll get through this.'
This was the first I'd learned about Wayne having depression, so I agreed. Taking a deep breath, I started the humiliating task of ringing round to tell everyone the wedding was off.
I did the hardest ones first. I called my sons, Josh, 21, and Jordan, 20.
'I hate to say I told you so,' Josh said.
The boys had warned me not to marry Wayne, having seen all our ups and downs over the years.
'But he's ill,' I protested.
I researched depression on the internet, and did anything else I could to help Wayne.
But nothing worked. He just moped around. Then one morning, two months after he'd jilted me, Wayne had another nasty surprise up his sleeve.
'I need to be by myself,' he said.
'What?' I gasped.
I'd felt sorry for Wayne after he'd cancelled our wedding, so I'd stayed. Now he was throwing me out?
'Where am I supposed to go?' I shouted. 'I gave up my job and my home for you. Now I've got nothing.'
'I'll pay for you to rent a flat for three months, until you're back on your feet,' he said.
He'd clearly thought this through. While I'd been trying to help him get over his depression, he was working out how to get rid of me. I packed a bag and went to stay with my friend, Connie Davis. For three days, I stayed in her spare room, crying my eyes out.
'You can do so much better,' she said.
Eventually, I realised she was right. What good would crying do?
I had to get myself together, and find a job and somewhere to live. But I struggled to find work, and the bills began to pile up.
'I've heard you can sue someone for breaking off an engagement,' my friend, Sandra, told me one day.
'Really?' I gasped, shocked.
I imagined Wayne standing in the dock in court, then quickly wiped the smirk from my lips.
Suing Wayne wasn't my style. I just wanted to get my life back.
Three months after the split, I had to borrow money from my 88-year-old mum, Mary, to pay my rent. I was 51, and I'd thought I was past borrowing cash from my mum. The drive back from Mum's took me past Wayne's holiday caravan. I saw a car there I didn't recognise.
Another woman's car? Had he been cheating on me all along? I swung my car round and pulled up in front of the caravan. Then, I kicked the door open.
Wayne leapt out of his seat and ran towards me, a blonde at his heels.
'What are you doing?' he gasped.
'I just wanted to see the woman who's a bigger fool than me,' I spat, marching back to my car and leaving. Depressed, was he? He didn't look so depressed holidaying with a blonde.
Sandra's words rang in my ears. You can sue someone for breaking off an engagement.
I had no money, no job, no home. All because of Wayne. So I started to do some research.
It turned out there was a law in Georgia that allowed you to sue if your wedding had been cancelled.I went to see a solicitor.
'My fiancé jilted me two days before our wedding,' I said.
'I gave up a £52,000-a-year job and my home to be with him. Now I'm unemployed and borrowing money to pay my rent.'
She looked into it, and three weeks later, I was back in her office.
'When Wayne refused to marry you, it was a breach of contract,' she said. 'You have a case.'
As soon as Wayne got the legal letters, he called me.
'I'll give everything I've got to my lawyer before you get a penny,' he spat.
'That can be arranged,' I replied.
Four months on, in August 2007, a friend set me up with Steve Allen, 53. I know you'll think I was mad. But what did I have to lose?
That evening, as I waited for him at a steak house, my guard was up. But when Steve walked in, my jaw simply hit the floor. He was the image of Wayne, right down the little white goatee beard! I laughed out loud. It could only happen to me. As we ate, I told him about my case. I thought he'd want to run a mile.
'That's a disgusting way to treat a woman,' he gasped.
I quickly learned that, looks apart, he was nothing like Wayne. Steve was loving and trustworthy. We started dating. Steve picked me flowers and left little love notes on my pillow. And although I still had trouble trusting, I fell in love. After four months, Steve arrived home with a shy smile on his face.
'I love you,' he said, producing a diamond ring. 'Will you marry me?'
I know, I know. It was too soon. But what was the likelihood of me being jilted twice in a row?
'Of course I'll marry you,' I smiled.
Being with Steve was like sailing on smooth seas, compared to the rough and choppy waters I'd had to negotiate with Wayne.
But I had no idea what the boys would have to say about it. So we both agreed to wait until after the court case before telling our families. Holding hands, we entered Hall County Superior Court, Gainesville, in July 2008, to face Wayne. Wayne looked crumpled and miserable. When I finally met his eye, he quickly looked away. Nervously, I took the stand.
'I gave up everything for him,' I said.
Over the next three days, the jury heard how I'd just started my new job, when Wayne whisked me off my feet and told me he'd take care of me. My legs nearly gave way when they ruled in my favour, and ordered Wayne to pay me £75,000.
'Yes!' I cheered, hugging Steve.
It was more money than I'd ever dreamed of. I planned to use the money to extend the house I shared with Steve, so that I could then move Mum in and become her carer.
But it wasn't about that. It was to prove a point. Wayne had treated me like a plaything, and thrown me out when he was done with me. But he didn't get away with it.
After the trial, I had something important to do. I had to tell my boys I was getting married again. I gave it a month for the dust to settle, then I phoned Jordan.
'You're what?' he gasped.
'Steve makes me happy,' I explained to him.
Jordan paused.
'Then you've got my blessing,' he replied.
I knew the newspapers would be chomping at the bit to get the story of our wedding.
So two months later, we quietly flew to Colorado together and got a marriage licence at the courthouse in Aspen. Under Colorado law, once that's been done, you can get married
however you want. You don't even need a registrar.
Then on 6 October, at noon, we drove out to the bottom of the snow-capped Maroon Bells Mountains, and said our vows. We hadn't written them beforehand. We wanted them to come from the heart.
'I want to spend my life with you,' Steve said, holding my hands.
And I knew he meant it. This time it was forever. I'm still waiting for the money to come through from Wayne. But you know what? I don't care. I'm just happy I've made my point.
So to all the men out there who are thinking of proposing… think twice. And make sure you mean it.