Frank, who thought his fists could solve any problem, had felony assault on a federal officer added to his growing list of charges.

Their sprawling mansion was seized under federal asset-forfeiture laws. Their offshore accounts were frozen. The country-club friends who used to laugh at my “sensitivity” abruptly stopped answering Linda’s desperate, tearful phone calls.

The fortress of lies had crumbled into dust.

Meanwhile, my own phone began to ring again.

Old friends I’d been forced to push away, colleagues I’d been isolated from — they came back, one by one.

With the funds I’d legally secured before the raid, and a substantial settlement from the expedited divorce, I bought a small house of my own.