She met her ex-husband, who looked great on paper. But there were red flags from the start: he sent flowers and poetry, said he loved her within a month, and asked her father for her hand in marriage less than two months after they'd met — before she'd even met his family, friends, or kids. Linda ignored the warning signs, and they married two years after meeting. He wasn't trustworthy; he'd disappear, yet needed to track her every move, and slowly chipped away at her confidence. About seven years into the marriage, she discovered his infidelity and made the decision to see a divorce lawyer.
After her divorce, Linda adopted a new mantra: saying "yes." She got back to her old self — biking through Sicily and Portugal, climbing Machu Picchu — and was eventually introduced to Bela by a mutual friend who was a Smart Dating Academy client. During their jump-start session, Bela and Linda dug into identifying her type and what she truly valued in a partner. Linda realized that kindness — something she loved about her closest friends — had never actually been on her list.
