Boyle Custom Home

I had a very bad past experience with a contractor so I was very hesitant to embark on a remodel. However, my home could use a few updates and fixes so I hired Mark Boyle, Boyle Custom Home. Mark was a friend of a friend and he had heard that I was searching for a contractor so he contacted me looking for work.
The remodel has several phases and I estimated with my architect that everything could cost about $ 400,000.
For phase 1, I decided to hire Mark and I must admit I learned a lot from him. He was very pleasant to work with so I thought.
After a couple of months of discussions, designing, etc., we had finally completed a design and ready for contract signing. Mark abruptly did not return my calls. He just dropped the project. Rumors had it that he found another larger project so he did not want to waste his time with me.
I was devastated, angry, annoyed, etc. I could not believe how unprofessional he was. If he had told me that he found a larger project and could not work on mine, I would understand. He is the sole provider for his family (wife with two children) so he needs to support them. I get it but I did not deserve to be treated like that.