If you've suffered the horror, possibly humiliation, of a broken engagement, take comfort this Valentine's Day - you're not alone.
And, very possibly, you've not had to go through the wringer with the world and his happily-married wife watching every comfort chocolate you scoff, every bag full of shopping therapy you carry, every misjudged rebound kiss.
Happy days for Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, co-stars of The Notebook
So here, for broken hearts everywhere, is a lesson in how to split with dignity, divide up the spoils and - shivers at the thought - hand back the ring, even in the glare of the ready-to-pounce paparazzi...