Who is Angie Marie? Part two of my story. See the blessings through the hard lessons
- Angie Marie
- Mar 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 8
The Second Half of My Transformation: Finding Myself and Real Love
Life has a way of flipping the script when you least expect it. One moment, you're trudging through heartbreak, and the next, you're sitting across from someone who unknowingly reminds you what it feels like to be valued.
During my separation, I found myself spending time with an old friend and longtime client—Milo. We had always had great chemistry, the kind where you could sit back, laugh, and be yourself without any ulterior motives. It had been months since we last texted, but the day after my soon-to-be ex-husband delivered his final gut-punch via email,
I got a message from Milo:
“Hey Dude, how are you?”
Simple. Unexpected. But exactly what I needed.
I didn’t sugarcoat my response. “Not great,” I told him, and in typical Milo fashion, his next words were, “What can I do? How can I help?”
That weekend, we planned to grab a glass of wine. But when Saturday rolled around, I wasn’t feeling like being out in public. So, we changed the plan. Instead, we’d stay in, and he’d cook. This was not a date! Just a friend offering up a genuine distraction. I offered to bring steaks, but he waved me off. Said he has it handled.
That evening, I showed up at his house with my sweet boxer pup, Emmie—my emotional support through all of this. Milo had Riley, an older Rhodesian Ridgeback, who clearly had some opinions about me being there.
Dinner, Fireplaces, and a Stolen Steak
When I walked in, I was not prepared for what I saw. Milo—someone I had only ever met up with in group settings or for casual wine nights—was in full chef mode. Steaks on the counter getting prepared for the grill, vegetables chopped, something amazing simmering on the stove. It was pretty impressive and not at all what I expected.
As we stepped outside to light the grill, we came back to a crime scene: A robbery! the steaks were gone. In a matter of 2 minutes. Riley had taken matters into her own paws. Two filets swollowed whole! Maybe she was trying to sabotage the night, or maybe she was just making sure I knew whose territory I was in. Either way, Milo, although frustrated, adapted like a pro. He whipped up something else, and I sat at his kitchen island, mesmerized by the way he cooked, cleaned as he went, and—most shockingly—planned this entire meal just for me.
No one had ever done anything like this for me before. I had spent so much of my life pouring into others, and here was someone pouring into me.
After dinner, we took our wine and pups outside to his beautiful outdoor living space. It was November, the fire was crackling, and for the first time in a long time, I felt safe. It felt natural to lean into him, to feel his arm around me. So, I asked the question lingering in my mind:
“Milo, why did you do all of this for me?”
His response shook me: “Angie, I’ve known you for a long time. I could tell you weren’t happy—even if you couldn’t see it, everyone else could. You’re always the one taking care of everyone else. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
Cue the impulsive kiss from me. What was happening?! Maybe it was the thoughtfulness he put into the evening or maybe it was just watching the lines of his tricep muscle as he picked up my dish and put it in the washer. Cooking a 5 course meal and cleaning it up afterwards. Something that I have never seen a man do before! It was Hot.
Unraveling the Lies of My Marriage
As my new relationship with Milo blossomed in secret, my old life was unraveling.
I had spent 20 years believing my marriage, while lonely, was at least built on some kind of foundation. But when I started peeling back the layers, I realized it had been an illusion.
The “friend” I confided in? The one who comforted me, distracted me, gave me advice? She had been having an affair with my husband. He financed her life, created a job for her in our other business right next to my salon, as I interacted with them both every single day. I learned the affair started because she asked him for help financially. He showed up at her door with a big stack of cash in exchange that the payoff was sex. She did it. Then he trapped her financially and used fear to control her with me not finding out. In the course of a year she had racked up over $80,000 on our credit cards. He actually gave her a card tied to OUR account with her name on it. He put her up in a house, paid her rent, and furnished it. I questioned how she was doing all it on her hair dresser income because she had a terrible work ethic.
If you're asking yourself how I didn't suspect anything... its because the whole time we were friends she was in love with another man that was also in a relationship. The whole thing was toxic. It gave me anxiety just to hear about it. She would talk openly about him with us and I just assumed she was in love with him and waiting around until he finally left his very long time girlfriend. This had been going on for years. I think they may still be involved but they aren't a "couple". She's been justifying being the other woman for almost 8 years now. This girl has no self worth or love.
The betrayal ran deep. But I played the long game, keeping my composure, gathering information, documenting everything. When the truth finally came out, he panicked. The younger woman wasn’t his future, and now, he had lost his ability to manipulate and control me too.
And then, the ultimate move of desperation: 6 months prior he sold our house and moved into a penthouse uptown. Then after realizing I was moving on, he left uptown and moved into my apartment complex. The building right next to mine. Where he could see into my windows. Really Dude?
Breaking Free
He dragged the divorce out, burned through money so he wouldn’t have to share it, and manipulated people around me to keep all of his secrets from coming out in detail. I was betrayed by people I thought were my friends, people who either protected themselves because he had something on them or didn't want to get tangled in "the web". I don't blame them though. It was a mess.
After finally learning all of the details I had to dig some more just to validate that all of the gut feelings I ignored were real. I learned about multiple affairs, also with my friends. sex workers, porn addictions,
But I wasn’t going to let that break me. And I definitely didn't blame myself. These were his demons.
I knew I needed space to process all of this, on my own so I could cry if I wanted to cry, laugh if i needed to laugh or just sit in quiet. So, I took a solo trip to a wellness retreat in Arizona. Six days of no distractions, no outside voices, just me, processing my thoughts, journaling, yoga, breathwork, and nature. It was the best decision I ever made.
That’s where Angie Casper died, and Angie Marie was born.
Finding True Healing
I came back changed. The confusion was still there, but so was some clarity, if that makes sense. It was hard to wrap my head around what the last 20 years was. I had sacrificed so much of myself for someone else. Someone that didn't appreciate it. but through the time away, I found something even greater: myself and now a new purpose.
Before, my passion for health was focused on the physical—nutrition and movement. But now, I saw the full picture. Healing isn’t just about what you put in your body or how you move—it’s about what’s inside. The trauma, the pain, the unhealed wounds from childhood. If we don’t face them, we live inauthentically shoving everything down to act as if it's ok, or become a victim of your circumstance and use it as an excuse for not moving forward.
We can perfect our appearance all we want—new hair, a fit body, stylish clothes—but if we don’t heal what’s within, we’re just dressing up our wounds.
If someone doesn’t love you for who you truly are, is that love even real?
Reflection Questions:
Are you sacrificing parts of yourself for someone else’s comfort?
Do you feel valued in your relationships, or are you constantly giving without receiving?
Have you ignored red flags because the truth was too painful to face?
What past wounds or traumas might be influencing your choices today?
If you removed external validation, would you still feel confident in your life choices?
Are you living for yourself, or for the expectations of others?
What is one thing you can do today to prioritize your own healing and growth?
The Next Chapter
This is just the beginning of my story. There’s so much more to unravel, to process, to share. Healing from the past 20 years forced me to look even deeper—to my childhood, my experiences with neglect and trauma, and the ways I fought to be more than what I came from.
The next chapter isn’t about pain; it’s about transformation.
Because the more we unlearn, the more we grow into who we were always meant to be.