killed by his lover's husband. and ashley entered a twilight zone of her own. >> it was like the ultimate humiliation. not only is your husband gone, but that marriage you were trying so hard to save, here is all of the answers as to why it was going wrong, but now you don't have a marriage to save anymore. it was like every emotion possible. i went through a divorce and a death all in one second. >> reporter: bizarre. >> and then i had to get prepared to tell my kids. and what story do you tell little kids? well, there's been an accident and your daddy won't be on the earth with you anymore. they just stared at me like what are we supposed to do now? >> reporter: what now indeed? and that very moment, a few miles away, rob hall was in the hospital bed, recovering from a grazing gunshot wound to his head, the result police said of a botched suicide attempt.