Editor’s note: Lovefraud received the following story from a reader who we’ll call “Jenna.” At the end, she posts a document written by her sociopathic ex about the price of his soul, which provides a unnerving glimpse into how he truly thinks. Names have been changed.
I have spent the last 18 years dealing with a classic sociopath, a man who lies beyond my wildest imagination. I have come to believe that he isn’t just evil that is too easy an explanation. Evil people can’t help themselves; they can be “born bad.” No, this man chooses to be sadistic and mentally cruel. He can be “nice” when he wants to. He has a now four-year-old granddaughter who adores him and thinks her “Papa” hung the moon. If she ever sees on her own what he is, he will be her first broken heart.
He calculates his moves and sets up his victims over a long period of time — feeding off one woman after another, using the exact same pattern, until they no longer are sating his appetite for whatever it is he hungers for money, respect, ego gratification. I have never met anyone like this before. He enjoys what seems to have been his life’s work. He often said he “didn’t like women or children.” I should have listened.
I met him through work in April 1992. I was 44 years old, attractive and I thought relatively intelligent. My boss knew him from a previous job, considered him an associate, and brought him in to do some computer consulting. Looking back, my first impression was that he was focusing on me, trying to impress me. I should have heeded my bells and listened to my first impressions. He was knowledgeable about everything, charming, and I realize now he talked only about himself, his business plans, his big ideas. Going for lunches developed into a relationship. He was never pushy or all over me just the opposite.
Moves in
He moved in with me on January 2, 1993 after I had broken off with him because I thought he was playing me. I went away that Christmas alone, and when I came home, he was ensconced in my home, with the fireplace burning, two dozen long-stemmed red roses, a bottle of wine and a six-page handwritten letter about what a fool he had been and how much he “loved” me. The fool was me; I let him stay.
I had been on my own for a long time so I tried to establish some beginning boundaries. The first year we were together, he had to pay half the rent and half the living expenses, but slowly that morphed into us having joint accounts, and making decisions as a couple.
Within two months, he would fall asleep on the couch watching TV. I worked, he didn’t. He was trying to build a consulting business, but I think he did nothing most days. I’d come home and he’d be busy doing dishes that he had obviously just started, so it would look like he was busy.
No sex
Within six months, he withdrew sex. “I don’t know why” was his stock answer to every attempt to work through this. I thought maybe he had problems so I backed off and learned to live without a normal and healthy love life. It was step one in completely undermining my own self confidence, self image and willingness to walk away. I was mature, had not been committed enough to really work at previous relationships, so my mindset was, “I love this man and I am going to work at this.”
In 1994 he got a job that lasted four months. He talked me into starting my own business and I did freelance accounting. When he was fired from his job I was never able to find out why, but they let him go on a Tuesday and paid him only to the end of that day, which had to mean just cause. Knowing what I know now, no doubt he was inappropriate with female staff or maybe even male staff, because now I wonder about everything. Nothing was as it seemed.
August 1996 and he has just started his second job lasted six months, during which, I find out, he has been having an affair with the receptionist. He moved out March 1997 and came back begging me to give him another chance in May, saying he was nothing without me; he might as well go live on “skid row” because he would never be able to get off the couch again if I wouldn’t take him back. We had a business to consider he reminded me. He made love to me four times during the “take me back” stage. Soon as he was safely back, sex stopped, but he did come to bed at night. In later years, he would sleep in the living room, on the couch every night, in his clothes and only came downstairs to get a change of underwear, knowing that hurt me and was the exact opposite of what I wanted.
In business together
Over the years this scenario was repeated. In 17 years he held down four jobs, all of which lasted max six months. He talked me into going into business with him and we are 50% shareholders in a small home-based business that supported us from 1999 onward. I am seriously living to regret this, as I divorce and try to extricate myself from him. He talked on the phone a lot, and I did all the heavy lifting.
I had my life savings, which wasn’t much, but it bought us the home I live in now. We moved here in 1999. Yet another “job” he had, this time contracted through our company. He lasted five months in what was supposed to be a five-year contract.
I have to say that the privacy act and employer’s unwillingness to share information is a tremendous handicap to women in my position. Even as 50% owner of the company, no one is willing to tell the truth. If any one of the people who saw through him, anywhere along the line, had had the courage to tell me what my husband was up to, it would have opened my eyes. I was getting his side of the story only, and his best skill is, he is a honed and practiced liar. No matter how suspicious or concerned or questioning I might be, he could talk himself out of it, so I’d wind up giving him the “benefit of the doubt.”
Job in Florida
On April 21, 2009 my husband (he wanted to get married in 2003) left “on business” to take a consulting job in Florida. When he left, I prayed that this would be make it or break it. My health and spirit were so broken that his decision to take this job was almost a relief.
A month after he was gone I began to feel better physically, but such was my commitment to my marriage that I actually said out loud, what worried me was he would want to come back, and I wouldn’t want him to. I would feel obligated to take him back, even though I knew I was living in a toxic relationship. A counselor said to me afterwards that if you have a kind heart, cut people some slack and believe in God, and in doing unto others, you are custom made for this type of predator. They count on it! Your decency and your ability to love and forgive are the very tools they use against you.
First month, he web-cammed daily while I helped him get set up, furnish his apartment and paid his bills. He phoned me 10 times a day on his way down to Florida, saying how much he missed me already.
Cheating
The lies kept up until June 27, 2009 when he avoided an opportunity to web-cam home to see our 3-year old Granddaughter who was visiting. Everything began to add up. I spent all day July 1, 2009 trying to figure out how to hire a private detective in Florida. Turns out he had put himself on a dating site within three weeks of arriving there, and he had “grown an inch” from the time he left here. By August he was on Craig’s list as well and had grown yet another inch!
I had to take control of our business servers and over the course of the next few months I received emails from two women, who came after the one the private investigator filmed him with. His story to them he had been a widower for 40 years, had raised his two girls alone, his wife had been tragically killed in a car accident, t-boned when his youngest was just 2 months old. He had sacrificed himself to raise his daughters. Turned out I wasn’t the dead wife he was speaking of he was actually referring to his first wife, who is alive and well and who is still married to the man who really helped her raise the children.
Second woman who contacted me, did so because she had been told I was his “cousin” and I “worked for him” and she wanted to know if I was going to be helping her learn how to work for him. Both the women who contacted me were kind enough to send me the “ads” they answered, and photos of themselves and one even send me photos of them together, which I could have lived without.
My honesty saved the two women who connected with me, but every woman who crosses his path is at risk. I have come to see that he is like a reverse serial rapist. It is all about power and control, and once he assesses what you want and need most from him, in my case, warmth, love and affection, he withholds that from you. He apparently was quite lustful with the women he met on line and I wonder now, who was he cheating on me with during the 10 years we’ve been in this town? A man doesn’t go from being celibate for 17 years to suddenly being active. I now consider it a gift that he didn’t touch me at least I know my health isn’t at risk.
The document
Interestingly enough, in the “document” you read below, the woman referred to as “Marsha” is in fact his first wife (you know, the one who wasn’t killed in a car accident). The second woman he mentions, is the woman he cheated on “Marsha” with and left Marsha for. It would seem that none of us who came after mattered at all.
I found this document while searching his computer using the word “university” because he claimed to have a Bachelor of Commerce degree and I wanted to share that with my lawyer. This document, written by him on Oct. 1, 2005 at 7:30 pm, popped up. His oldest daughter’s birthday. The night after my 58th birthday. Two years and one month to the day after our marriage, and two months before he would “set me up” by putting me as sole director of our company, which as it turns out, has backfired on him, but it was part of a long-term plan he had and was slowly working on, a trap that would be used when he was ready to spring it.
I can tell you that when I opened this document, it embarrassed me to read it. I never knew this man at all. I have no doubt that I was in my office working, or making dinner, or cleaning up after dinner, while he sat in his office writing this. I can tell you that knowing what I know now, he doesn’t have “a soul to sell.”
I’m weeks away from my divorce being final. He has fought me every step of the way, threatening me, filing lawsuits against the company, using the business and my fear of losing my home and what little security I have left. He has harassed both me and my lawyers, gone out of his way to increase my legal fees, hoping to break me. He represents himself, and at every turn is foxier and more cunning than one could ever believe. Normal does not apply. I wonder what the women before me went through and know in my heart, they went through exactly what I am going through. I can’t wait to get rid of his last name legally.
He threw away his life and I need to be punished for that. I wasn’t supposed to find out. I was supposed to continue in the role I had played, the easily conned wife who kept knocking herself out trying to make her marriage work, while he kept his options open and explored for greener fields.
PS: Job in Florida lasted four months, then they let him go. I have no doubt he is trolling for his next food source as I write.
The Price of My Soul
- To return to Easter, 1956 when my parents moved.
- To have all of the knowledge that I have now and have had in the past.
- To be popular with both boys and girls. At school, in clubs and all other parts of my life.
- To excel in sports without injury, particular in hockey, track, football and baseball. To be good enough in football, baseball and track to attract quality athletic scholarships.
- To excel in school without undue effort. To receive the highest marks in every subject, to effortlessly complete all homework and assignments. To receive the highest possible marks on all tests and examinations. To be the valedictorian in both High School, University. To be first in my class in Graduate School.
- To have the inherent ability to make the right and correct choices regarding education, finance, investments and career.
- To be attractive, fit and athletic for my entire life. To live well in to my 90s and to be happy, contented and satisfied with my life. To die with no regrets.
- To never smoke or partake of non-prescription drugs. To always drink alcohol responsibly and never get drunk or impaired.
- To never have an illness and to be immune from all disease.
- To be hardworking, focused and disciplined. To be courteous to everyone. To be calm, soft-spoken and fair. To have, and experience, no prejudice.
- To be unusually attractive to all women, of legal age, regardless of age, race, color, marital status or religious beliefs. To have the inherent ability to communicate my interest to a particular woman and to have her feel a tingle in her loins and know that, by overtly contacting me, she will experience the most satisfying sexual encounter that is it possible to have.
- To have the inherent ability to bring women to the deepest orgasm possible at my whim and thought. To do so, if I wish, just by touch, by stroking, or by any other means that I wish. To have women become addicted to sexual relations with me. To be completely uninhibited in sex and to have each of my partners wish to be willing to try anything. To be able to bring my partners to orgasm orally, anally, vaginally and any other way I choose. To have them long for each way. To be able to bring women to multiple orgasms, including ejaculation, and to be able to experience multiple ejaculations, myself, within minutes of each other. To never lose this ability until my death.
- To never, either myself or a chosen sexual partner, experience a jealous husband, fiancé, lover or friend. To never end a sexual relationship in any way other than as enduring friends.
- To have women become so addicted to my sexual prowess and their satisfaction that they will do anything that I wish to continue the relationship. To have them recommend me to their women friends and to have those friends join us in the relationship.
- To have this attraction begin from the moment of puberty and, until I am of legal age, to have these relationships with women older than myself.
- To have these women pay me for my company until I have graduated from school and have become a wealthy person. It would be my expectation that, beginning at 13 years of age, I would earn $100 per week from each of my lovers and that I would have five lovers. I would expect my income to increase with each year until legal age.
- To have the inherent ability to save my money and to invest in the most profitable manner. To always know the correct time to buy stocks, bonds or other investments and to always know when to sell at the maximum profit. To never make a losing investment.
- To always know the correct time to create a new company or service and to always know the correct time to sell the investment. To never lose money in this manner. To always have prior knowledge of startup companies and to know which ones will succeed and which ones will fail. To always know the optimum time to cash in the investment.
- To be financially well of by the age of 18. To be a millionaire by the age of 20. To be a multi-millionaire by the age of 25. To be a billionaire by the age of 30 and to be the richest man in the world by the age of 40. To remain so until my death.
- To be asked to mingle in the highest levels of society all over the world. To be politically astute and to have political influence worldwide.
- To never marry and to never have children. To die, peacefully and happy, having left a legacy of both deeds and money that will be invested for good. To have planned those investments so that they will never stop working for good.
- To have several loving relationships during my lifetime. To love deeply and be loved deeply. One of those relationships is to be with Marsha Jackson and the other with Susan Morris. Both are to be deeply satisfying for everyone involved but are not to be monogamous on my part. As in other relationships, they will be so satisfied that they will want to share me with their female family members and friends.
- To be an outstandingly accomplished dancer. To be able to bring a women to climax just by whispering in her ear while dancing. To be able to engage in a conversation, with a woman, about absolutely anything. To have her feel no offense at the most intimate of conversations and comments. To be able to bring her to climax during those conversations.
- To be appreciative and knowledgeable of the arts. To be an engaging and interesting speaker. To have an inherent ability to lead people in the direction I choose for them to go. To always do so for good, never evil.
- To be truly satisfied and happy in everything that I do. Especially in each and every sexual relationship that I have. To be able to give the deepest possible pleasure to my partner and, in turn, to receive the same.
Dear dancing warrior,
I was sad to hear that your little canary just died. Im sure it didnt suffer.No matter how tiny our pets are they leave indelible prints on our hearts!
Jesus said,
“there isnt a sparrow that falls, but our heavenly Father notes its passing.”
Im sure there is a place in Heaven for all of our beloved pets, be they feathered or furred or finned!
Just as Im sure that well all be reunited one day with our beloved pets!
Just be thankful that we CAN feel grief, and sadness and that we are fully human, something the spaths in our lives never were!
Im sure in Heaven he is making the angels cry with joy with his sweet songs!!!Maybe they needed him in heaven!!
Love, and {{HUGS}}}, Mama gem.XXX
Oxy, That was SO funny about your grey parrot. They are very smart, arent they?
Love,
Gem,XX
DancingWarrior
So sorry for your loss. That little bird sounded awesome. You have brought a tear to my eye! the way you describe this little guy singing and eating his lettuce leaf and having a bath…his life is ten million times more innocent than us!!! I have no doubt he had a wonderful life with you and you will see him again, I really believe they will be waiting for us when we arrive….please google Rainbow Bridge poem it’s beautiful and will lift you up….blessings xx
DancingWarrior, I’m so sorry for your loss – pets do so much for us that we don’t realize how important they were to us until they cross that Rainbow Bridge. The paraphrased Native American explanation goes like this:
When our beloved pets pass out of the here-and-now and into the spiritual realm, they cross over on a rainbow. When it’s our time to pass, we find them all waiting for us at the bottom of the rainbow to escort us on.
Brightest blessings to you, and healing energies for your grief.
Thank you all for your kind comforting words.
Wini,
yes, the canary was part of the family memories and he had a distinct personality and was very intelligent.
OxDrover,
African Gray got the cat good, didn’t he. LOL very very funny. I am glad you have him to cheer you up on a bad day, what a smartie!
Gemini,
thank you, yes they leave indelible prints. This canary was a Red Factor, which means they are pink, peach, orange, even bright red if they eat foods like red peppers, carrots etc. He was a very pretty bird.
Bulletproof,
Oh I could watch him forever. I would let him out of his cage now and then and he’d go in the sink and splash around if there were any dishes with water in it. I would put in a plastic bath container he’d jump inside, adn I could watch him roll his belly in the water, then ruffle his featehrs to spread the water through, run out of the bath, frolick, shake, fly, then return for more splashing. He had a ball. After ten trips back and forth he was soaked through and looked hlariously scrawny with his feathers wet. That’s what I feel sad about, to have seen that joy in him, and then to see his so helpless and hurt.
It amazes me how noble and peaceful his little lifeless body looked. His feathers, his closed eyes, his little beak, his wings. Just a beautiful bird.
And empty spot in the kitchen where his cage was. Now I’ll put away his cage…. Saddens me how life just goes on.
Last night I went to throw out the garbage in the garage, just as h. pulled up to drop off daughter from basketball. It was 11PM. I stayed in garage a moment to see him say bye to her–it’s dark in garage, and bright outside from his headlights pointed at garage door.
Suddenly, he walked toward the garage window, and motioned with his hands to screen his eyes and peer into the darkness, and quickly I crouched down by my car because I felt awkward if he saw me just standing there. If felt a bit creepy to have him walk toward “me” and look inside that way. I can’t tell if he saw me.
Daughter told me that he looks in the garage every time to see if I’m home and when she asked him what he’s looking for he said he’s afraid to be there when I’m there bec. he thinks I’ll call the cops on him.
Today I covered garage windows with newspaper. He came to take her to a bball tournament, and when she went out I saw her smile in response to his smile and comment about the windows. Haha I don’t know what he said, but I know what he can’t see. Weird huh, the game I need to play so I stop his stalkerish behavior?
My daughter is funny when she went to take out her bag before he came, she noticed the newspaper and was shocked, “Whoa, holy C**!” then added “Smart.”
I don’t want to obsess, but I think he is just possessive and wants to know if I’m home or out. There is nothing interesting in the garage-tools, wheelbarrow, plant pots, bbcue. If my car is there, I’m not out having fun? Is there something I’m missing? Otherwise the hosue is off the road with tall trees blocking view from the road so he can’t see anything.
DW – smart move.
if he were really afraid he wouldn’t hanging around to see if you were there, he’d just eff off.
remember, it is NOT about you and what you are doing, but about him and what he WANTS to do.
my take – he isn’t looking to see if you are home because he is ‘scared’ but because he wants to do something he can’t if you are watching; AND maybe there IS something in the garage that you don’t know about.
even funnier – put a video camera in the window. snort! 🙂 sorry – the idea just made me smile. a lot.
DancingWarrior…the contrast in your 2 posts is stark….the joy in the first one, the ability to appreciate the life and beauty of a little bird….
and the trepidation and caution you feel around h..just so sad, but what stands out is…you are a beautiful person and deserve so much more than the creeping around …good that you put the paper up…it’s a message of no contact…it states you are no longer connected to him…just cautious and protective…and your daughter is right, that is really smart.
Dear Dancing,
Interesting that he is peering in the window to see if your car is there or if you are home or not.
Yea, great idea to block the view. Anything that you can use to take away his perceived power of information. You also might make sure that ALL your windows are WELL covered at night and that there can be no peeping in. I am also out in the country where no one can see my house from the road and nearest house is over a quarter of a mile so screaming would do no good….I hate curtains, but did get very OPAQUE shades to drop down at night to cover the windows. You can get those plastic roll lup shades that are cheap and mount inside your windows and are easily rolled up and down to keep him from peeping in.
My guess from what you have said is that he feels OWNERSHIP of that house and so it is OK for himm to peep in.
I would also get DEAD BOLTS and outside motion lights installed on the corners of the house. Relatively cheap but if he sneaks around at night the lights will come on, you might even want to lookk into the little motion activated cameras too, they also take photos in the dark. If you can’t afford real ones get some fake ones and mount them where he can see them.
I thhink also that he is getting a rush and feels that he is controlling you because you “hide” from him when he comes to pick her up.
Next time you get a chance you might have someone go with you and go to the game, a large man if you can find one that would be willing. But an assertive woman at least, and have the video recorder and digi recorder on stand by.
Oxy,
Feeling OWNERSHIP of the house is just right, moreover I know he is furious that I’ve been living in “his” house while he is in a rented condo. He does feel strongly that he owns the house–all he did in spare time was cut sheetrock to put walls in bsmt, and work on house projects.
(years ago he locked me out after we’d had an argument, child outside in carseat)
I strongly agree that he gets a rush feeling control and power over me bec. I am hiding and scared. If he saw me in that horrible crouching position by the side of my car!
Great idea fake cameras. Can’t you tell they are fake?
Only windows w/out shades are laundry room and kitchen sink window over the front porch, and my bedroom that’s high off the ground. Others have shades
It bothers me that I WAS actually scared seeing his face walk toward the garage–it totally felt like prey/predator, and I have to stop that. My heart was actually pounding hard–is there something wrong with me, overreacting? Or was the situation just unexpected and embarrassing and I had no place to exit quickly.