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 Survivorlady,
Yep, tell them you were taken up in a space ship by aliens, they will believe you, tell them your X is a psychopath, NOPE tooooo far out to believe! LOL That would be funny if it weren’t so true!
You ARE fortunate that your X abandoned you and the kids, doesn’t mean he won’t be BACK though, so keep your eyes peeled for the smear campaign or some kind of “pay back” for whatever he is going to accuse you of. Don’t live in terror, but just keep your eyes peeled and be cautious. They seem to be like the bad penny and keep turning up!
4 kids by the OW? WOW, they do procreate don’t they? I’m glad that you had enough credibility to at least keep your family believing you. That punch was at least worth something after all, too, if it showed him up to your kids.
I’m glad that you are focusing on making a new life for yourself and your kids! God bless!
They are all so similar.. it’s amazing and the magical thinking is a key element..
http://www.womenexplode.com
I’m not sure which is worse, them thinking they are God or us thinking we can fix them, that all they need is some love and understanding! Where is the puke emoticon when you need it the most? ! LOL
Hi OxDrover,
Yes they do procreate….he also had 4 kids with the previous wife before me….so in total 10 kids. When he was married to me, I made sure he paid his child support, it was the right thing to do. He knew I was very adamant about it, because after 1 year into my marriage I found out he had defaulted by 18,000.00, made him phone his first wife and beg forgivness. He did very reluctantly and he knew he had to, because he was not ready to leave he had no money and new to the city therefore no other “supply”. His first wife forgave the loan on the condition he pay on time each month. And I made sure he did. Now when I look back, she was a good lady. poor women must have gone through hell. So now its my turn, and I hope the women he is with makes him pay on my behalf (fat chance). She has her own 4 kids to contend with. The postive thing is that I know EXAACTLY what to expect from him, I seen the behavior with his first wife…they are pretty consistent with their behavior. He has never been to any of his kids graduations or weddings, my daughter has just graduated and he was not interested in even sending her a card. But the best of all is that he is telling his first family that it was i who made him not contact any of them all these years, I was the wicked witch of the west. And they believe him. So my kids want nothing to do with their siblings because they are so gullible, then again, those kids never saw their father as a grown up like my kids. All those poor kids knew is that they got up one morning and he was gone. Their mother never spoke ill of him, so they would not be more heartbroken. These people do procreate and it makes them feel powerful and full of knowledge. I was hoping that my marriage to him was actually void, that he was a bigamist, but no, he actually was divorced from his first wife, too bad, it would have been a bogus like he was.
Evil, evil, evil, thats all they are.
Dear Survivorlady,
10 Kids, whoopie!!!!! I guess it must make them feel powerful or something! LOL I guess that is like how frogs procreate, lay lots of eggs, not take care of any of them, and hope that some survive. The more eggs you lay the better chance you have of passing on your genetic material.
Of course not all of his kids will turn out to be psychopaths like him, aren’t we GLAD!!!! My sperm donor had 1 out of 4 of us that did, and at least one grandchild that is a Psychopath. Not sure about my half-sibs’ 3 biological children. my P son is in prison and hopefully won’t have any kids, and my other bio-child has decided NOT to have any kids considering just how much of the P-genetic material we have on both sides. I agree with his decision.
Well, hope the first wife and those kiids turn out okay, and even though he is smearing you to her, you did the right thing and even if she doesn’t know it, God and you do so that is what counts. Sorry he wasn’t a bigamist! LOL ROTFLMAO Oh, well, you win a few, you lose a few! LOL Silvermoon might ought to be glad hers was a bigamist! LOL I think she had more legal trouble getting “rid” of him legally though than even a divorce.
HELP w/ LEGAL stuff please? EB, Matt, if you’re around…
or anyone with divorce/legal experience.
I have to respond to production request by 7/22. Got his L’s letter and some copies of financial docs (not enough at a glance). His L’s letter is very nasty, exaggerated, claiming he gave me more $ during separation than required by cs guidelines, and to cease immediately any improvements w/o consulting him, and that he wants access to the house to retrieve some “effects” asap, overall a very aggressive nasty accusatory tone, even depracating of my ability to “know my finances by now” and that she’s been waiting for my docs. in vain all this time (when she’s just requested them at last court hearing on 6/23 and deadline is 7/22. What a b**yatch!!
I am waiting to get report from fin. planner still. Don’t know HOW best to respond to the lies and attacks.
I paid 17K of joint cc debt with any extra $ he gave since we separated, but this was 2 yrs ago and don’t have access to my bank accts. that far back, just one year.
I paid joint car/house insurance, or child camps, or cutting trees and such with any “extra” $ he gave me, and also the mediator I engaged last summer when he wouldn’t cooperate re. c.s.
How do I ask my lawyer to respond to these aggressive and unfounded attacks? And H sends a “spreadsheet” of all the money he gave me, adds it up, to prove that it’s way more than mandated c.s. guidelines. I think the c.s. guidelines are bogus too bec. they calculated the amount based on a DRAFT affidavit from LAST year when we consulted the mediator. I haven’t prepared the final affid. yet, the fin. planner is working on it now and I have till 7/22. So I think the c.s. amount may be too low.
How do I use my L’s time most efficiently so I don’t get bogged down in he said she said re. the horrible exaggeration and lies he presents IN WRITING in his lawyer’s letter so it’s on record as if I am the unreasonable one who is asking for too much.
Please send any experience/advice you have re. best response and how my L can best argue for me.
Thanks.
Dear Warrior: I’m not EB or Matt, I think EB’s computer is flakey, and not sure where Matt is, but as dealing with ANY P on ANY subject, keep in time, they are the LIE! Every time they open their mouths they are lying.
FIRST: BREATHE, do NOT panic! Keeping the waters muddied, and making as much chaos as possible is the purpose of this CARP!
Second: Get in touch with your bank about the previous year’s statements, you can get them though it might take a few bucks and a little time standing in line telling the manager you NEED those now.
Third: Breathe again!
Just because HE CLAIMS SOMETHING DOESN’T MAKE IT TRUE!
NASTY TONE is an attempt to rattle your chains…..IGNORE IT.
BREATHE again!
Of course he tries to make you out as unreasonable—that’s what Psychopaths do. Don’t expect him to tell the truth or be reasonable.
BREATHE again! Now put your arms around yourself and HUG yourself and say “this is going to be okay!” (now make yourself believe that !) I know it is frustrating to deal with these jark offs but again that is what they do, keep us reeling and off balance, so just keep on breathing, and go for a nice walk and burn off some of those stress hormones!
If they can keep us concerned about the minor things, or reeling to try to prove what they say is a lie, then they gain strength and we go CRAZY—this is GASLIGHTING AND CRAZY-MAKING at its best! Just like a slight of hand artist, they make you look at the left hand by waving it around, while they pull the trick with the right hand. They are good at it too.
Hang on (this always seems to happen on a weekend or friday afternoon so we have all weekend to stew! LOL (((((Hugs))))) and I will keep you in my prayers!
Oxy,
It is hard not to get rattled. Let me quote his L’s words:
“I have requested a fin affidavit to no avail. The parties have been separated since May ’08. She should understand her finances by this time I assume. My client mad a reasonable proposal to split the equity equally despite the contributuion made by his father. He has been paying support and other expenses since the parteis separated. It is my opinion that your client is not negotiating fairly, or in an uneducated manner. If your client desires a trial, then let us cut to the chase and proceed accordingly bec. my client has a strong case”
And I am upset because MY LAWYER does not go on the offense the way his does, and I don’t know if her BARK and LOUD threats about the trial that I have not even mentioned, it is still over a month before the PRE-trial–I just don’t get this person’s obnoxious insinuations. Her client has a strong case? How is that? I don’t get why my lawyer seems to be just sitting back while this woman goes on the OFFENSIVE?
Maybe it’s premature, and there is nothing for him to “fight” about yet. I just hate being in the dark about what will happen, what may happen, what the plan or strategy is.
thank you Oxy. I will TRY to breathe. It’s overwhelming just sorting through docs. and knowing what the hell they mean. And I need to respond by Thursday. Feel unprepared.
Dear Warrior,
I know sweetie, that is the THREAT of “go to trial” and all that CARP.
When the plane my husband was in crashed in the neighbor’s field (the owner, a student of my husband’s caused the crash) because my husband was “pilot in command” the guy sued me for $50K for his “emotional pain and suffering and damages” LOL When the deposition was over in which my attorney made his guy look like the greedy money grubbing creep that he was, his attorney wrote and said “My client though I know he would receive all he is asking for in court is willing to SETTLE for $15K so let’s just get this out of the way.”
My attorney did write his attorney back and say” there’s not a jury in the USofA that would give you client a DIME so let’s just go to court if you think you have a case!” They settled for ZERO $ and the neighbors about rode the guy out of town on a rail with tar and feathers!
So calm down and BREATHE! Worrying about WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN is futile “so quit it RAT NOW!!!!!” I know wht you mean though, it is so frustrating because there is NO NEED for all this CARP!
I would get with your attorney on Monday and ask him/her/it what is going on–calmly! It isn’t about justice, mom, apple pie, or the American way it is about making the most noise! (((hugs)))) have a better weekend and do something nice for yourself. Chin up!!!!
WARRIOR:
STOP!!!!!
It’s all the pre dance….and none of it matters…..WHY ARE YOU reading into these letters from the L? THey are designed to posture and upset you…..STOP!
Don’t get sidetracked by this shiat!
Every attorney says they have a great case…..
Don’t let this scare you.
Carry on….doing what your doing….preparing the financial docs and submit them by the ordered time. PERIOD!
If there is no legal separation….then he wasn’t supporting you/kid and that money makes NOT a difference ONE IODA!…..he was contributing out of personal obligation….
VERY few divorces go to a trial….the judge forces you to settle, one way or another….and judge will keep you in that courtroom until your sick of paying your attorneys and you wear down.
This is why you need to know what you want/need vs what you’ll settle for BEFORE you go to the conference hearings.
Don’t give him anything ‘effect’ wise, until your FINAL! Or a judge orders this…..
I assume since he’s been gone over 2 years, he’s got his toiletries and clothing……so nothing else is urgent. Another ploy….POSESSION is 9/10ths of the law….and one move i’m glad I stood ground on…..
It wasn’t that I wanted everything necessarily, I just knew that If it wasn’t in my posession…..I didn’t have the upper hand…..if he wants it …>HE can ask for it….and he can make arrangements to collect it…..through the judge.
Give him another thing to keep on his mind. (It’s a backspath move).
Your bank has the statements……ORDER THEM NOW!
Just because an attorney writes a letter, doesn’t mean a judge will see it….so who cares what she writes or claims…….it’s the way they work.
If she writes a letter, she gets paid! It’s only revenue producing and to create an adversarial divorce to keep it going so SHE keeps the money rolling in.
Your freaking out…..DON”T ….StoP, just keep carrying on in the direction you were going in……and BE STRONG !!!! Be a WARRIOR that you are!!!