i used to have it all

i was the toast of the town for 10 years. i ran a successful business and painted on the side. rich old geezers patronized me. then it all came unstuck. it was just plain bad luck, really, and partly my fault for relying on luck. my wife who had been loyal until that point smiled kindly at me, the last time i saw her: "you'll find a way back to the top." Then she left in the arms of an older man.
i had the looks and the youth, but he had everything else. sometimes, i forget myself and wake up expecting to see the gilded ceilings of my old bedroom. now i live with my uncle, helping him with the tobacco plantation. perhaps i'll try again someday.

tldr

You always had dyslexia, that's for sure.