Confessions of a third wife.(Real-Life Reads: THE COSMO POST)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

He already had two ex-wives when they met. So she had to wonder whether the third time would be a charm ... or a curse.

When I met Graham (not his real name), I figured he was bad news. A mutual friend introduced us, but a guy who had gone through two wives before he was even 30 years old hardly seemed like "happily ever after" material. (Plus, he wore too much hair gel.) I assumed he was flawed, misguided in relationships, or both ... and so I didn't even consider dating him.

Was I being fair? Maybe not. About 40 percent of marriages end in divorce, most breakups occur within 10 years of walking down the aisle, and about 75 percent of divorcees end up remarrying. Do the math and that adds UP to a lot of eligible divorced men looking for second--and yes, even third--wives.

But I didn't want to do the math. I wanted to fall in love. Like most never-married women, I imagined myself with a husband who hadn't said I do to anyone else. One divorce wouldn't have been a deal breaker. But to me, adding a second former Mrs. to the mix was the difference between a guy who occasionally goes to Hooters for some wings and one who's on the VIP list for the champagne lounge at the Hustler Club.

Never Say Never

Over the course of the next two years, our paths crossed often. We ran into each other at parties and lunches with mutual friends and would find ourselves having conversations that lasted for hours and hours. One scorching spring day, Graham suggested I sneak away from the office for some frozen custard. I don't know if it was because he had stopped shellacking his hair or because we'd finally spent time alone, but there was undeniable chemistry. So when he asked me out a few days later, I said yes.