Prabe #8

I read at least 90 minutes of Loving by Danielle Steel
Skip 4 years and Bettina are living in the suburbs with their wonderful son Alexander. John still works as a doctor and Bettina is a housewife. Bettina feels lost and doesn't know what to do with herself since Alex has started school. She knows she will never have any more children after the trauma of Alex's birth.
Bettina talks to her friend Mary about writing a play but says that she never can because John wouldn't approve. He wants them to live a normal life. Mary convinces Bettina that she should write her play so, she does. She spends 6 months writing her play while doing it all in secret from John; partly because he wouldn't approve and partly because she wants it to be a surprise.
While at the hospital one day looking for John, Bettina runs into Ivo. They have lunch and she tells him about her play she is writing; he is very encouraging. Ivo wants to read it and send it to his agent when she is done.
Finally, the play is done and Bettina sends it to Ivo who sends it on to his agent. The agent wants her to do some rewrites and 3 months later she has a finished play. She sends it back to her agent and it's a hit. There are people who want to produce it on Broadway.
Bettina is so happy with herself about her play and gives a bound copy to John. He is not the least bit happy and says that he will never read it and she should just give up her dream. She is devastated.
Bettina is asked to go to New York and meet the agent and producers about putting on her play. They offer her a lot of money but she would have to be in New York for 3 months. She tells them that her husband won't approve so she can't do it. Ivo and her agent try to change her mind but she goes back home to California.
Back with John she tells John she turned down the offer and that's just what he wanted. While sitting and reading a book her father had written, she sees a quote her father had written about never giving up your dreams. Bettina thinks on this a while and decides to go on with her play. She tells John and he tells her if she does, she doesn't have a home to come back to. She takes Alexander and she goes anyway.
Bettina and Alex live in a hotel while in New York. Alex has a babysitter and goes to school and Bettina along with the cast and crew work on her play. While in New York, Ivo introduces Bettina to Oliver; a critic that works for the newspaper Ivo used to run. Bettina and Ollie hit it off and become fast friends and spend a lot of time together.
Just before Christmas, Bettina and Alexander go home. They arrive and find that they Seth and Mary's house only to find out that John has sold the house, divorced Bettina, and wants nothing more to do with Alexander. All of this was done with no word to Bettina.
They stay a few weeks with Seth and Mary and Ivo talks her into moving back to New York.
Bettina and Alexander fly back to New York and is met at the airport by Ollie. He takes them to their hotel and she tells him she has plans with Ivo for lunch the next day. Ollie tells her he has bad news and that Ivo has died. Bettina is devastated.