Her Three Ex-Husbands and Me

While my college friends were busy dropping resumes to big-name companies, I submitted mine to a wealthy woman named Vivienne.

Upon finding out, my mother, lying in a hospital bed, tore into me. "Son, starving is one thing. Throwing away your dignity is another."

I joked, "What do you know, Mom? This is called making a smart investment. I'll retire before you know it."

It was a good thing Vivienne kept her promise. She made sure my mother and I were well taken care of.

I learned from her five-year-old, Blair, that Vivienne had been married thrice.