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.
OxDrover,
Thank you for bringing me back to common sense. I was thrashing in the deep end. I am in the throes of divorce (hopefully nearly done, if he lets it) and he is hammering me pretty hard this week, so sorry for himself and complaining about the bi&*(#$ in his life. She was never a b***h to him, she adored him and believed EVERYTHING he said, until her eyes started opening about age 13, when she watched him beat our family dog nearly to death to teach it to “not make him mad”. Totally freaked her out and taught her he wasn’t what she thought.
The ONLY two people in the world who see him as he is, my daughter and I. And I absolutely HATE him for what he did to her. And I don’t want to be a person who hates. Hate is just such a waste of enery and thought.
All this arguing WHY he owes me a division of community assets (He wants it all b/c I deserve nothing), when normally I might walk away? IT is b/c I refuse to bend down and take it anymore. I stand strong for myself and for her (b/c I am sick and it will actually go to her. I don’t tell him I’m sick b/c then he’d really drag out the divorce.)
Just to boast, b/c I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, my daughter forgave me long ago. It is I who can’t let go of the memory of “that look” on her face that haunts me forever, the look of knowing vulnerable betrayal.
SHE is a officer, 2nd deployment, Army Intel, working on her masters in forensic psychology and had to courtmartial one of her soldiers. Creeped her out b/c he was so like her dad, a sociopath (but that part wasn’t in the court martial. He was “failure to follow orders of commanding officer and dishonorable discharge.) She had to do a lot of soul searching before she could proceed with the trial.
Anyways, you served an explanation and I thank you for the reminder to embrace my common sense.
Hello all,
I am still waiting, in limbo. Aug. pretrial delayed to Sept 30. Two formal mandatory requests for production of doc’s, and a few written and phone reminders, and still NOTHING.
I emailed my atty to reschedule the Thur pretrial bec. I don’t have enough time to prepare.
I don’t know how atty can compel him to give the same documents I provided. Also I filed in June ’09 and wonder if judge will get fed up with delays and throw out the case and make me start over. F^$%in pain in the a$$!
I feel very dumb bec. I paid for many extra things for daughter not wanting to get involved with him. Summer camp, child’s auto insurance/license tests, school pay to play sports, and hotel stay for basketball tournaments over the summer. A LOT of money. Then her coach emails me that we owe him $900 for past season. Gulp!
I asked H. by email to pay for it and listed the amounts I paid, more than twice that. He doesn’t answer. After I sent this to my atty, H then writes a REALLY civil and polite email copyiing his reply to the coach, and telling me he’ll take care of it. Very businesslike and respectful.
I am mentally and emotionally EXHAUSTED from waiting. Hard to “move on” when there is no end in sight still. Perpetual heaviness and anxiety. And sadness.
BTW the guy I went out with who was complimenting me. . . I met him another time, it was nice, again he says something about my doing yoga makes me “very sexy”. . .okay . . . Then I invite him out for coffee or a drink by email, and he doesn’t answer. I tell you…I don’t get men. Mixed signals. BEfore I met him 2nd time, he confirms meeting time adn says “I’ll be the one with the rose in my teeth” Which I interpret as a romantic thing. It’s nice and fun. I’m must confused why then he won’t answer and email, even if it’s a “no.”
That’s it from me.
I’m wondering what you think of this second delay of pre-trial. I have to do it bec. I hired a fin. planner to help me, but she can’t do her job without having the documents to examine and make an informed decsion.
Thanks for listening. DW
Dear Dancing Warrior, I have just stuck my toes in the icy waters of the legal system. I really have no idea what to expect. It confuses me and is scary–you are not alone. Xpath has already tried stalling tactics. I responded by finding his achilles and exposing it to some of his own bad medicine. We have to make them feel uneasy, make them question our next move, eject them from the driver’s seat of our lives.
Glad to hear he will pay for bball–looks a little bit like he wants to look good on the way into the courtroom. I know the look of that one already. So what if he makes himself look like a hero to the coach, you know he is a zero and the judge will too when reviewing the breakdown of expenses and who paid what when. Use your knowledge as your strength to get through this.
And I am sorry if I overstep my bounds with you, but the coffee guy sounds like a jerk. He has already broken a “promise.” If you live by the “one and done” rule (thank OxDrover for that idea), he is OUT!
Stay strong, stay focused, and know that “this too shall pass.” My thinking and hope is that the legal piece of this puzzle can’t drag on forever and it is part of the healing process. All I know is, I will NEVERAGAIN give someone that much power over my life and if I truly find someone to truly love that loves me right back, they will understand that I will NOT get married again. My view of marriage from this position is that of institutionalized subservience. EFF that!
Fearless.
One and done–haha I like that. Cross him off the list.
My daughter just told me, in passing, that dad said “the divorce will take YEARS”
I was stunnned. When she says something, she doesn’t joke or make up things.
Hearing that gave me chills, literally. To think that he is actually that premeditated and that while I agonize over the process, to him it’s some kind of psych out game. F%^&*ing Bastard!!!
To bleed money with lawyers in that time, while he has a huge SUCKER of a lawyer to buy all of his acting and manipulation.
What do I do??? How can I force the process faster if he won’t cooperate? How can my lawyer get aggressive?
Dear Dancing Warrior,
My recommendation is not only ONE AND DONE, but RIGHT NOW while you are stressed out, and having enough trouble taking care of NUMBER ONE—don’t focus on anything BUT NUMBER ONE.
Relationships take time and effort, and you need every EVERY BIT of your energy and focus on YOU and the things you need for you!
I’m four+years out from the last P relationSHIT and I am only now where I think I MIGHT even be interested in a relationship if PRINCE CHARMING HIMSELF RODE UP ON A WHITE JACK ASS! LOL Besides, this year wasn’t a great hay crop and I will probably need every straw for the critters I already have!~LOL
Warrior:
Have your attorney file a motion to compel TOMORROW! Why wasn’t this done prior to extending the hearings?
Also, write out ALL questions YOU want answers to for an interrogitory and submit to his attorney. If no answer to those questoins DEPOSE him!
I would go straight to the deposition myself…..set a date TOMORROW right after your attorney files a MOTION TO COMPEL.
He is dragging it out…..not shocking…this is what they do….
You KNEW this would take a looong time….so don’t loose steam now! You can relax and date and whatnot AFTER the divorce is final. Your in it to ‘win’ it…..and this takes time!
Below is a general discovery process….
and guidlines of responding to discovery.
The good thing about dragging it on, is I wouldn’t spend too much on the child custody side your D is almost emancipated.
It’s redundant.
http://www.sawnet.org/divorce/info.html#discovery
Discovery
Discovery is the pre-trial process by which the parties in a case gather information from each other and from any relevant witnesses in preparation for trial. There are several methods of discovery:
Interrogatories
Document requests
Depositions
Subpoenas
Each method of discovery is a way of asking questions and getting answers from the other party to the suit and from relevant witnesses. Through discovery each party can access facts, deeds, documents and information from and about the opposing side. Discovery also helps the court to make fair and informed decisions by revealing all the facts on both sides.
During the discovery process of a divorce proceeding, each spouse can get information about the assets accumulated and debts incurred by the other spouse during the course of the marriage.
Discovery assists each spouse in determining the value of property owned by the other spouse, such as investment properties, stock portfolios or retirement benefits. Through discovery spouses may also get information about assets accumulated before the marriage.
In addition to information regarding financial matters, discovery allows the parties to gather information relating to other areas of the divorce, such as child custody. Interrogatories are written questions that one party to a suit serves upon the other party or a witness. The party served with interrogatories must answer the questions in writing and under oath.
A request for the production of documents lists specific documents that one spouse asks the other to gather and deliver for review. The list may be quite extensive. The documents requested in a divorce proceeding typically include bank statements or other financial statements.
A deposition is the oral testimony of the opposing side or witnesses for the opposing side. The testimony is taken under oath out of court, typically at one of the lawyer’s offices. Responses given during the deposition can be used to discredit a witness who changes his or her testimony at trial.
A subpoena is an order to appear and testify in a court hearing or deposition. Subpoenas are used to require a person who is not a party to the case to appear and testify about certain matters pertaining to the case. Evidence that isn’t in the possession of the parties to the case may also be subpoenaed from third parties.
In a divorce proceeding a subpoena may help a party get information about a spouse’s employment, bank accounts, retirement benefits, insurance coverage and medical records.
Responding to discovery requests
Generally, a party or witness has 30 to 60 days to answer a discovery request. If your spouse doesn’t respond to your discovery request, you can file a motion with the court to compel your spouse to respond. The court sets the time limits within which both sides must complete discovery. The court also has the power to impose financial penalties if a party to a suit refuses to comply with discovery requests on a timely basis.
ErinB,
I’ll talk to my lawyer tomorrow.
I talked to my lawyer about a week ago and asked him “Can you compel him?”
He siad yes, and I said, “Do it.”
But I haven’t heard back and have just waited.
I am disappointed, again, in how soft my lawyer has been, even though I told him who he is dealing with.
I asked for H. to give statements of old employers’ retirement accounts–where the dollars are currently. He claims they are hard to find because the old banks from 1990 were takne over, then went out of business and there is no HR office to call and no records. Tax forms wouldn’t show if he had rolled over retirement acct. money elsewhere after a bank closed, so I have nor knowledge or record of it.
In a deposition he would have to willfully lie under oath to hide that information.
As for a subpoena, the old banks he worked for have been gone for years, even those who bought them are no longer in existence.
That comment really got to me. Years! I was pining away under the stress and anxiety and he is turning in the screws.
EB, when are you going to law school? You know you DO need to go and get your license! Can you even imagine what you could do as in a legal family practice? TOWANDA!!!!!!
Hi OxDrover,
Yeah. . . if prince charming on a horse rode in I should shrug and file my nails because I just can’t be bothered now.
Till I get this nasty wasp out of my life.
OMG Oxy, ErinB would kick some serious s/p A$$ in court.