Just when we thought that The Real Housewives of Orange County would be all about Heather, real life intervened.
Noella Bergener was ghosted by her husband, who served her with divorce papers without warning or explanation.
On social media, she admits how brutal it is to relive all of this pain months later.
More, she confirms that he has still not explained anything, offered financial support, or visited their young son.
This week’s The Real Housewives of Orange County once again showed where things stand for Noella.
Visually, she is a beautiful woman. Emotionally? She is a shell of a human being in several scenes.
In real life, she is watching all of this play out nearly half a year later, and she is not okay.
“BRUTAL to relive,” Noella reflected in a lengthy Instagram caption.
“5 months ago my husband and partner of 6 years left the house with his toothbrush,” she remarked.
James did this while “leaving behind his life, family, and home.”
“He ended our marriage,” Noella described, “with service of divorce papers from Puerto Rico.”
“Which he doesn’t qualify for,” she pointed out.
“Since we are California citizens,” Noella continued, “and nothing untoward happened in our marriage there.”
“We had been arguing since I found out of his tax debts through gossip sites 3 weeks prior,” Noella shared.
“And,” she continued, she “was confused with his push back to selling our vacation home to cover them.”
The sale of a recently-acquired vacation home could have wiped away the debt. No part of James’ behavior makes sense.
“To this date James has not visited our son,” Noella revealed this week.
He has not visted their two-year-old “or given me any explanation for his departure.”
“He has fled the state to evade service,” Noella lamented.
“My cards are still shut off,” Noella added, referring to the total demolition of her finances at her estranged husband’s hands.
“He hasn’t paid a dime in support,” she added.
Noella noted that “he stopped paying for our home.”
“And,” Noella revealed, James “is currently holding up our divorce.”
Apparently he is refusing to move forward “unless I sign a statement saying that I lied about him, his business partner, and his brand.”
“I spoke nothing but the truth,” Noella added, “and have all the receipts.”
“If anything I really protected my husband,” Noella pointed out.
She said that she protected him “by not speaking about his issues.”
“But rather,” Noella said, “focused on my journey in this now divorce.”
“He is the father of my child and want him to be well,” Noella expressed.
“After his departure I made the decision to stay on the show,” she explained.
She did this even though it was a show that “we were primarily doing to promote his brand.”
Noella decided to continue filming “because frankly it was the only thing getting me out of bed.”
It has been clear in recent episodes that her life being turned upside down adversely impacted her emotional well-being.
“And,” she added, “with the hope that others going through something similar could understand they’re not alone.”
“I realize there are three sides to every story,” Noella acknowledged.
“I have asked him to give an explanation through a 3rd party to provide insight,” she wrote.
This is a request “which he has repeatedly declined.”
“Everything I’ve said and am saying are FACTS,” Noella emphasized.
“Thank you for your continued support and prayers for my family,” she wrote to her fans and followers.
“I don’t wish to encourage James bashing with this post,” Noella concluded. “Just providing insight to the hell I am still in.”