Belle Burden should have known: the more money, the more brutal the divorce

‘Burden’s book is powerful because it reveals how easily comfort can be confused with security.’ Photograph: Jason Dean/Getty Images

Cassandra had built the kind of life many women are told to want.

She had a sprawling multimillion-dollar home along the “gold coast” of Connecticut, a manicured lawn, fancy cars and a country club membership, and sent her children to private schools. But when the marriage to her high-earning husband cracked, so did the illusion that their wealth was a good thing.