“I have always been a wealthy man. I was born into a house of wealth, raised by wealthy people, and found wealth myself as I entered the adult world. I started my own business that became an instant hit. It has given me enough money that I can buy anything I want to in any store. I have a big house, big bank account and a huge amount of fame. There is 1 thing that I don’t have though, a family,” read my newest journal entry.

As I crawled under my bed covers and began to think about my lonely life, tears began to stream from my face. Every night went like this, I wrote in my journal, turned out my lights, and began to think about my sad, lonely life. I had many friends growing up. I used to be a ‘cool kid’. That changed quickly once I left college. At first, I was flat broke, spent my money on a bunch of useless things I didn’t need. As I grew older, I became wiser with my money, saving it and investing in stocks and start up companies. Eventually, I started my own business that grew quickly and spread across the world. Sadly, my newfound riches brought no friends with them.

At first, my loneliness did not bother me because I had money as a friend, but that changed, as I grew older. I began to come home to an empty house, cook a meal for 1, and go to bed alone. Then, one night, I just started to cry. I cried for what seemed like forever, alone and depressed, scared there would never be anyone I my life to keep me warm at night. Years of this brought me to see a counselor, who helped me through the pain. She was the only thing that kept me from a dark part of my mind for many years. I eventually stopped seeing her and did not cry as much as I used to. Of course, things did change and now, a couple years after counseling, here I am, crying before bed, again.

I woke up determined to find a friend. I got dressed, ate, and brushed my teeth. I then got into my car and drove. I drove until I found a bookstore that was open. In it, I found a woman buying a book, a book I came to love. Awkwardly, I walked up to her and shook her hand. Her skin was as soft as a cloud, or at least what I imagined a cloud would feel like.

“Hello, I’m David Koch,” I told her; so quiet she almost couldn’t hear me. I think that she was scared by me when we first met.

“I’m Donna Noble,” she replied with a fake smile spread across her face, I could see the shyness in her eyes, hidden from me.

This is when I first met who I hoped would become my wife. I eventually invited her over for money, drowning her in expensive jewelry and pricey clothes. She came over almost every week to spend time with me. As we got to know each other more, She spent more and more time at my house. We even started to go out. I kept showering her in gifts and presents and souvenirs, not wanting her to leave.

On our first date, we went to the movies and saw some romance she wanted to see. I thought romances were as annoying as a kid who kicks you seat on an airplane. I put my thoughts to the side and went with her. We got drinks and a large popcorn. When we went into the theater, a man bumped into her and the popcorn jumped from her hands. I bought her a new one.

For our second date, we went to the mall. We went to her favorite store and I bought her everything she liked. Donna thanked me and I helped her get it into her home. She lived in a small apartment with barely any furniture. She apologized for the mess and brought me to her room. I could smell the mold and mildew as I walked through it, but I didn’t care. I put away any rotten thoughts about Donna as I began to trust her. I saw spiders on their cobwebs in the corners of the room, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about her sloppiness because my love for her was too strong for me to see her flaws. I saw what I wanted to see in her and not what I should have seen and for a while, I wasn’t lonely. For a while, I didn’t cry at night. For a while, I was happy again, but only for a while.

I kept buying Donna things. A fur coat here, a puppy there. It seemed that money jumped out of my wallet. My love for her made me blind of the bad things she had done to me.

“Do you want this necklace?” I asked, ignoring the $1,200 tag.

“It is extravagant!” Donna answered as I paid for it.

“Y’all mus be a happy cuple,” a man said to us when he saw me give it to her.

On the ride home, I just could not stop thinking about Donna. The woman that kept me warm at night, filled an empty hole in my heart, and made my house whole. She wasn’t Donna, she was MY Donna.

“I was alone before you came along,” I whispered to Donna as we laid down for bed, “I cried myself to sleep sometimes, wanting somebody in my life and the you came along and made me whole. I love you for that.”

“I love you more than anyone else,” she said, sadly I did not hear the lie she had spoken.

We did many more things for the next couple of months, the happiest of my life. We saw movies, went to nice restaurants, saw national monuments, went to different continents, and so much more. As I began to love Donna more and more, she began to love her new, rich life more and more.

“I have had a great time with you,” I told Donna one night, “I just cannot imagine life without you!”

“You have no idea how much I have enjoyed being with you and how much my life has and will change,” she replied with a sinister look on her face.

Like always, my old counselor called me up to see how I did the past month. I told her all about Donna and how things had been going. She was very happy and excited that I had found happiness. She was the first person that I had told and I am glad that I did.

The next day I could not stop thinking of how good my life had been since I met Donna, how much it had changed. As I thought about my new life, I began to cry. I began to cry because this was the first time I had felt happy in decades. I cried because this was the first time I had a friend in decades. I cried because my life was full.

“Good morning!” Donna shouted, probably trying to annoy me, “I made you pancakes for your birthday.”

“Thanks,” I replied, not able to believe that I was 50 already.

“I can’t believe you are already 60,” she had said jokingly.

“Come on, it’s only 50, do I look THAT old?” I laughed.

“More than you know,” she gave me a huge smile and hug, “Now come and eat!”

I eventually got up to eat her world famous blueberry pancakes. Once I was done, we sat down on the couch to watch TV like we do every Saturday morning. When Donna didn’t sit down, I asked why not. She said that she needed to work and find a job. When I asked why, she said for money.

“Donna, I have enough money for us to have retired ten years ago, why get a job now?” I asked her in a quizzical manner.

“Oh, you know, just in case I need it in the future. You know, sort of like insurance.” Donna mumbled.

I then replied, “What do you mean money for YOU?? Why not for US? Are you planning on doing something?”

“Listen, I don’t think that we are meant for each other,” Donna replied, obviously uncomfortable.

“WHAT? I thought that you loved me! I was going to ask you to marry me!” I yelled back.

“I never loved you! Don’t you see, I only went out with you for your money, that’s all you ever were to me, something to buy me stuff!” She rudely shouted.

“What? You used me?” I had asked, never having somebody pretend to like me for my money before.

“Well, I saw an opportunity and I took it.” She told me as if it were ok.

“What kind of a person does that? That is a horrible thing to do. Just get out of my house! Leave everything I have ever given you and drop off whatever you don’t have with you. Just get out!” I yelled, ready to burst into tears.

She then proceeded to leave my house and life forever. I watched her go and as soon as the door closed, I burst into tears. I finished crying and called up my counselor because I knew that the tears and crying were going to start again. I knew that the sad, pathetic life of mine would become a lonely one also, again. I tried to find everything that had to do with Donna and throw it away or destroy it. I just could not get over the fact that she had wasted my time for selfish reasons. I then went into my room and cried. I cried until sweet sleep took me to a dream.

“Riiiiiiiiiiinnng riiiiiinng!!” the phone rang.

“What?” I asked, sleep muffling my voice.

“Hello, I am sorry to call you so early. I just wanted to tell you that I am going to pick up my things today see you soon,” said a voice that I hoped I would never hear again, Donna’s.

I went around and tried to find anything that belonged to her and stacked it in a pile. I just did not want her to stay a long time. It became closer and closer to the time that she said she was going to get here and I became more anxious. When she finally arrived, I gave her the stack of her stuff, but she insisted on looking around to make sure she got everything. Like I expected, she did not find anything else of hers that I had missed. I eventually got her out of the house and watched her drive away. I then sat down to cry. What else would I do, could I do, but cry. I again had nobody in my life and it hurt me to think that. I just could not wait for my counseling appointment.

“How have things been since this all happened?” Asked my counselor, Lilly.

I told her about how often I have been crying and how sad I am all of the time. She decided that I needed antidepressant medicine and gave me a prescription. I did not realize how much the medicine was going to help me at the time. I drove home and watched the sun set.

When I got home, I pulled out my journal and wrote, “What a year this has been, I have had so much happen to me and I don’t know what to think. I made a friend, but then found out they weren’t a real one. That really hurt. Will I ever find anybody for me? Will anyone ever make me happy?”

I had begun to give up on ever finding somebody to be in my life. I came to accept this fact and move on with my life. More and more people tried to become a part of my life, but many of them had bad reasons to try and become a part of it. I stopped crying every night and eventually stopped thinking about my lonely life. As time passed and I grew older, I found a wife. She had good reasons to be with me and never was rude. Once I found her, I never cried again. There was one thing that I learned from Donna though. I learned that although money can buy jewelry and furniture and anything you want, there is one thing that it will NEVER be able to buy for you: Happiness.