After my date with Pierre and my divorce from online dating. I decided that it was time for retrospection and the best way for me to do that was to have a date with London. I felt like walking. I was happy and nothing could dent my mood on that day.

I walked under the sun, but it suddenly started to rain. I didn’t care; I love London. I realised that we shared the same conflicted personality. We were both ambivalent, controversial. Ancient, yet modern; seductive, yet frigid. Wild, yet sleek. Friendly, yet provocative. Well, like London that day, I stopped fighting my inner demons, ceased to ignore my weaknesses. I accepted them and embraced them from that day.

It was pouring, yet London and I were still functioning, crazily hopeful with an unpredictable messed up fuel. I stopped in front of the magnificent view of Big Ben. I felt powerful. I felt magical. I felt happy. I was myself.

Then a rainbow came up and I felt excited. I admired the colours. The colours of life: some are dark, shiny, or bright... Our emotional, personal, and professional experiences are reflected in these colours. All through our lives, we experience all sorts of events and some are darker than others. But if you can see the bright side of the rainbow, you’ll get out of it improved, brighter, and stronger. That rainbow summed up my life and most our lives. Yes, your life too!

To be rebuilt ourselves, we all need to go through difficult times and c’est la vie! But our story remains to be written and the end will be as harmonious as this rainbow. At least that's what I thought that day. I heart London; it is my home place now, and it is the only place I can see myself living.

Yes, a new chapter had already started, with my new career as an entrepreneur, my philanthropist work, my solo trips, and me meeting like-minded people around the world. I had the life I had always dreamed of, now I wanted to find true love.

I was ready to share this life with someone and give my whole self to a relationship. Lastly, I needed time to heal, then to have fun, then to understand my experience through my closure with Pierre and my writing, to finally find someone I know I will be attracted to and fondly in love with. I was ready. I needed to move on from these crappy dates before I started hating men and being frustrated. And it was the right time now.

This decision was mine; I didn’t want my mum, my sisters, my hormones, my friends, nor my emotions to dictate when I’d be ready or what sort of guy I should be with. A few acquaintances tried and I was just listening with one ear while the other one was kicking out the absurdities from my mind.

After this long walk with London, I realised that I couldn’t know myself more than now. I liked my experiences and I like London and its weird bunch of men. I like entertaining my friends with crazy stories. I just enjoy it! My life would be boring if it wasn’t the case and I wouldn't be writing this book, which in fact started as a blog right after my divorce. But my experiences were so crazy that my dearest friends Camellia and Bianca advised me to write this book.

So finally, meet Valérie Duval, born in Paris 32 years ago. People, in general, would say that she’s a friendly smiling woman and under her apparent coldness, is a very sensitive person. Attracted by original and atypical things and intriguing personalities, her ingenuity surprises and irritates. Her self-sufficiency, independence, and her confidence would hurt sensitive and insecure souls.

Utopian and eccentric, she has an exaggerated taste for excess and even chaos, which is probably why she liked, once upon a time, passionate and irrational relationships.

I know today who I am. I am Valérie de Paris, businesswoman Val, former wife Valérie, divorced Valérie, friendly Val, Valérie of London, and probably much more… I was all of these women. I loved the new version of myself, which was manufactured in Paris, and now improved in London, and after making peace with my inner self, was looking forward to the future.

Next chapter, please!