Donisha | Betrayal Weekly

Summary

Betrayal Weekly: “Donisha”

Podcast: Betrayal Weekly
Host: Andrea Gunning
Guest: Dinesha Quiller
Date: July 9, 2026

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Overview

In this episode of Betrayal Weekly, host Andrea Gunning brings listeners an emotional, detailed account of Dinesha Quiller’s journey through love, deception, and resilience as she recounts her relationship with a man she knew as Lorenzo—a man whose lies spanned fake identities, secret families, and eventual criminal charges. The episode explores Dinesha's tumultuous path from hopeful beginnings to shattering revelations, examining the life-altering impact of betrayal and the ways she rebuilt after tragedy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life & Family Dynamics

• Dinesha’s chaotic, loving childhood

  • Grew up in a small two-bedroom house in Long Beach, California with seven children including biological, half, and adopted siblings.
  • Her mother was “super mom”—exhausted but held the family together.
  • Describes the environment as “very chaotic, a lot of fighting for attention.” (05:46)

• Strict religious upbringing

  • Pentecostal church with strict rules about dating, clothing, and behavior.
  • “My mom was anti boys, anti dating. She would tell me constantly that you don’t trust men. You don’t rely on men.” (06:28)
  • Found self-expression in small acts: colored hair extensions.

2. Young Adulthood: Big Dreams, Harsh Realities

• Career ambitions and disappointments

  • Planned to follow a “formula” of college, husband, children, and career, but was repeatedly rejected from jobs after earning a degree in communication disorders.
  • “I had a chip on my shoulder because I had a degree.” (08:06)
  • Turned to accounting—found satisfaction and independence.

• Difficulty finding a romantic partner

  • Struggled with dating expectations set by her religious upbringing.
  • “I was doing everything right. I loved God... I thought, why am I not getting my husband?” (08:32)
  • Eventually relished independence: “By my 30s, I was feeling like the badass bitch, like I am doing this life stuff.” (09:32)

3. Meeting Lorenzo: Hope and Romance

• Dating app connection (Woo)

  • Wanted a partner who was “responsible, led his family”; met Lorenzo—a tall, charismatic man with a military background.
  • “His pictures were just everything. He was super sexy.” (11:46)
  • Effortless connection on first date, deep talks about goals and family (13:27–14:23).

• Lorenzo’s persona

  • Described himself as a retired military colonel, currently working as a federal agent (DCIS).
  • Showed off uniforms, shared stories of injury and heroism.
  • “He had a gun on him all the time. No matter where we were, he had a gun in his badge.” (16:38)

• Early deepening of relationship

  • Moved in together, discussed faith, dreams, and started planning a future.
  • “We would have long conversations and it would morph into philosophical conversations.” (17:26)
  • Dinesha becomes pregnant after mutual decision to start a family: “He came to most of the appointments, drove me there. He stayed with me the entire time.” (20:47)

4. First Cracks: Secrets Revealed

• Lorenzo admits to secret children

  • Out of nowhere, Lorenzo confesses to three older children from previous relationships.
  • “That was my choice. You took that choice away from me.” (28:13)
  • Lorenzo claims he wasn’t involved with their lives and was ashamed.

• Strange phone call from a woman claiming to be his wife

  • Thanksgiving: Dinesha receives a message from a woman looking for her “husband, Lorenzo.”
  • Lorenzo insists she’s “just my ex, she’s crazy. Don’t believe her.” (31:20)
  • Seeds of doubt are planted, but Dinesha tries to hold her new family together.

• Anxious engagement

  • Lorenzo proposes; Dinesha says yes but is nagged by suspicion.
  • “But to be honest, in the back of my mind, I’m like, something felt off.” (32:45)

5. Unraveling: The Truth Comes Out

• Lorenzo’s ‘Arbitration’ business and criminal behavior

  • Starts side business, leveraging supposed law enforcement credentials to act as arbitrator in custody cases.
  • Incident: Gets arrested after an altercation while impersonating legal authority.
  • “He said he was concerned because he did not reveal his arrest to his superior at work.” (35:58)

• US Marshals show up at Dinesha’s door

  • Searching for “Larry,” aka Lorenzo; reveal he’s wanted for a weapons charge.
  • “My whole body is hot. I feel like my stomach is dropped.” (41:07)
  • Lorenzo vanishes, later found to be on the run.

• Online sleuthing exposes the full truth

  • Dinesha uncovers Lorenzo had been arrested multiple times for impersonating peace officers, extortion, and other crimes under different names.
  • Discoveries: Forged documents, fake birth certificate, repeated impersonation of federal agents.
  • “All of those arrests are public records, so I was able to look everything up. And his charges were child endangerment, false imprisonment, conspiracy, violence, impersonating a peace officer.” (46:45)

• Contact with other women

  • Phone call with another “fiancé” reveals Lorenzo (real name: Larry Diamond Jr.) had multiple simultaneous relationships and another child with a woman living next door.
  • “He was never working. Every time he was not at my house, he was at her house. That he is sleeping around and I need to get tested.” (49:09)

6. Consequences and Closure

• Lorenzo’s arrest and sentencing

  • Pled guilty to multiple charges; sentenced to 18 months.
  • During prison, concocts new lie by sending Dinesha a fake CIA endorsement email.
  • “He will go through the ends of the earth to fake a CIA call to get you to believe his. Like, this is so stupid.” (56:51)

• Final goodbye

  • After release, Lorenzo reveals he really has cancer; Dinesha visits him in hospice and forgives him before his death.
  • “I held his hand and told him I forgave him and that I got this and I will take care of our daughter and he can let go.” (59:16)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “I'm resilient because I struggle with depression, anxiety, but this did not strike me. I am still going. I'm still standing strong and I'm going to be fine.” – Dinesha Quiller (61:29)
• “He showed me love like no one else had showed me before this. I felt respected. I felt loved and desired. Having him destroy my life. And now he was dying.” – Dinesha Quiller (58:39)
• “He was not an agent with the government. All of that's made up. And because he's not an agent with the government, he's in big, big trouble because he's pretending.” – Dinesha Quiller (47:19)
• “I still am not 100% sure what the truth is.” – Dinesha Quiller (60:30)
• “My focus is on my baby and doing my job well.” – Dinesha Quiller (60:50)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------------- |----------- | | Dinesha's upbringing & family dynamics | 05:35–07:14| | Romance with Lorenzo begins | 11:18–15:29| | Pregnancy and building a life together | 19:12–21:16| | Lorenzo’s first major lie: hidden children | 27:15–29:41| | Thanksgiving phone call from “wife” | 30:33–32:03| | Engagement, but with doubt | 32:33–33:22| | ‘Arbitration’ incident and Lorenzo’s arrest | 34:45–36:12| | US Marshals appear, Lorenzo disappears | 40:37–44:37| | Dinesha discovers Lorenzo’s true criminal past | 52:27–55:32| | Fake CIA endorsement email | 56:21–57:23| | Lorenzo’s illness, hospice visit, and final goodbye | 58:17–59:16| | Dinesha’s healing and message to listeners | 61:11–62:17|

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Dinesha's Reflections and Closing

• Healing & Strength:
  Dinesha refocuses on raising her daughter and thriving in her career, openly discussing her ongoing healing process and the grief of “the life that I thought I had.”
  • “My focus is on my baby and doing my job well.” (60:50)
  • “I cycle through grief on a daily basis. I feel very lonely having experienced this... so I really wanted to find my people, tell other people they’re not alone, and to just know that somebody knows what I’m going through.” (61:48)

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Tone & Style

The episode is honest and raw, featuring Dinesha’s storytelling in her own voice, balancing moments of heartbreak, vulnerability, and humor. Andrea Gunning’s narration is empathetic and investigative, offering supportive commentary and context throughout.

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For listeners, this episode is both a deep cautionary tale and a testament to resilience in the face of devastating betrayal.

Transcript

[Andrea Gunning]

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[Andrea Gunning]

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[Dinesha Quiller]

I cannot have this. I have worked very hard to have a life of peace and we have a child now. I cannot have U.S. marshals knocking on my door asking me where you are.

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[Andrea Gunning]

I'm Andrea Gunning and this is Betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most and the deceptions that change everything really quick. Before we get into the episode, I have a small favor to ask you. If you're enjoying listening to Betrayal, please take a second to hit the follow button on your podcast app and please rate and review. We read all the comments and your voices help our show improve and evolve. I really mean it when I say thank you for listening and helping us grow. Also, if you want behind the scenes content or resources, follow etrayalpod on Instagram or follow me tsandreagunning all right, onto the show. Growing up, Dinesha Quiller was used to chaos. She was one of seven kids.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I have a brother, a sister, a half brother and then my mom adopted three of her nieces.

[Andrea Gunning]

They lived in a two bedroom house in Long Beach, California.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Eight people. It was very chaotic, a lot of fighting for attention.

[Andrea Gunning]

Danisha had a good relationship with her father, but he was in and out of the house when she was growing up. As the primary caregiver, her mom held everything together. With seven kids, it was an exhausting job.

[Dinesha Quiller]

She was super mom. She was stressed out, and it wasn't easy.

[Andrea Gunning]

When the house got too loud, Danisha escaped into her bedroom and watched her favorite TV shows. She practically had the TV guide memorized.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I'm an 80s kid, so it was Full House and Perfect Strangers.

[Andrea Gunning]

Dinesha's mom ran a tight ship, especially when it came to dating.

[Dinesha Quiller]

My mom was anti voice, anti dating. She would tell me constantly that you don't trust men. You don't rely on men.

[Andrea Gunning]

On Sundays, Danisha's family attended church. They were Pentecostal, and that came with its own expectations.

[Dinesha Quiller]

There were so many rules. Sex was on the top of the list. If you did that, you were just done for.

[Andrea Gunning]

Danisha followed all of the rules very carefully. There were certain movies she couldn't watch, certain clothes she wasn't allowed to wear. So she had to find creative ways to express herself.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I got extensions, and they were always rainbow colored, and that was exciting. It was pretty much the only thing my mom would allow.

[Andrea Gunning]

In high school, Dinesha made a plan for her future.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I thought that immediately after high school, I would go to college, find my husband, buy a house, have a couple kids, and then be a career woman.

[Andrea Gunning]

After graduating, Danisha enrolled at Biola University, an evangelical Christian university in Southeast la. She graduated with a degree in communication disorders.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was really looking forward to doing either speech therapy or some sort of work with the deaf community.

[Andrea Gunning]

After college, she was eager to start her life. She couldn't wait to get a job, get married, and start a family.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was like, doors are going to open, right? This is obvious.

[Andrea Gunning]

She started applying to jobs in speech therapy, but she was rejected again and again. It was discouraging.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I had a chip on my shoulder because I had a degree.

[Andrea Gunning]

And that wasn't the only thing that wasn't going to plan. Dinesha struggled to find a romantic partner. She put herself out there and went on dates, but she didn't meet anyone she genuinely connected with.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was miserable. This was not what I signed up for.

[Andrea Gunning]

Her childhood in the church hadn't prepared her for this disappointment.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was doing everything right. I loved God. I talked to God. I read the Bible. I thought, why am I not getting my husband?

[Andrea Gunning]

She'd always believed that there was a formula to a fulfilling life. But now that she was an adult,

[Dinesha Quiller]

she began to see the formula doesn't exist. Everybody's on their own journey.

[Andrea Gunning]

She had to start figuring out what she truly wanted when she wasn't trying to follow other people's rules. So she decided to go back to school for accounting.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I love accounting. I am very Virgo. And I want the receipts. I want to know the proof.

[Andrea Gunning]

Danisha worked hard and excelled at school. After getting her graduate certificate in accounting, she quickly found a job. She'd been ambitious her whole life, but in her 20s, she found a way to channel her hard work towards goals that genuinely excited and challenged her. She was finally living life on her own terms. She started saving up money and bought her first condo.

[Dinesha Quiller]

By her 30s, I was feeling like the badass bitch, like I am doing this life stuff.

[Andrea Gunning]

While going back to school for accounting, she'd established a serious relationship. She and her boyfriend had been together for years. But as she excelled, she noticed he wasn't growing with her.

[Dinesha Quiller]

This man was just kind of bumming. He was a very nice man, but he was not motivated, and it was bumming me out.

[Andrea Gunning]

She wanted a life partner who was as ambitious as she was, Someone who she could rely on, who she could trust enough to build a family with.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I had enough, and I said, you have to go, you have to go. And so he went, and I felt like this weight off my shoulders.

[Andrea Gunning]

After the breakup, Dinesha decided to live on her own. She was surprised at how much she loved her newfound independence.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I smoothly walked into having my own place and my own space and peace of mind. I started working out. I had a personal trainer. I had people over when I wanted to have people over. I had a jet tub in my condo. My favorite thing to do was get a glass of wine and some snacks and go take a nice hot bath.

[Andrea Gunning]

As she got into her late 30s, she knew the window to have kids was closing. She started considering the idea of pursuing motherhood on her own.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I had a career. I had a home, so this kid would not miss out on anything. But ideally, ideally, I would love a great partner.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she decided to give dating one more shot. After her last breakup, she had a clear picture of what she wanted in a romantic partner.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I desired somebody who really took responsibility for his family and led his family.

[Andrea Gunning]

Danisha made a profile on a dating app called Woo.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It's an app for people who love to date bigger people, Mainly men and bigger women. I was a thick girl and proud of it.

[Andrea Gunning]

After a few days, she matched with a man who stood out from the rest. His name was Lorenzo.

[Dinesha Quiller]

His pictures were just everything. He was super sexy.

[Andrea Gunning]

They messaged back and forth a bit. At first, it was casual.

[Dinesha Quiller]

We rarely talked about the times that we did it. Was a fruitful conversation. I really liked him.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo wasn't pushy or overbearing. If anything, he was more reserved. He had a military background.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I just remember being impressed with him and really wanting to crack this nut. But, like, he would not open up as much as I wanted him to.

[Andrea Gunning]

Dinesha was hoping that Lorenzo would ask her out. He hadn't been forthcoming about what he wanted yet. In the meantime, Danisha went on dates with other guys she met on Woo. But none of the men she was meeting impressed her.

[Dinesha Quiller]

One night, I had a date with a man named Richard. He was okay. He was not a bad guy, but it was just not for me. And I got home, and I was really not feeling well about that. Like, this keeps happening. I keep meeting okay men, but I'm not meeting the man.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was starting to lose hope that the man of her dreams was out there. But in that exact moment, her phone rang.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Lorenzo called and said, I have some time off of work. Do you want to meet? I was still in my outfit from the date prior that evening, and I absolutely wanted to meet. I could not wait.

[Andrea Gunning]

Even though it was late at night, they made plans to meet up for their first date.

[Dinesha Quiller]

We found a bar called the stash on 4th street in Long beach, and they had seating outside.

[Andrea Gunning]

When she got there, she locked eyes with Lorenzo.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He was beautiful to look at. Six, four, just towered over me. Big guy, dressed to the nine. Smelled so good.

[Andrea Gunning]

They made their way to the bar's outside patio.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He pulled my chair out. Such a gentleman. We talked about our upbringing and our goals and our careers.

[Andrea Gunning]

On other dates, making conversation felt like pulling teeth. But talking to Lorenzo was effortless.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And then we got on the conversation of do you want kids? He didn't have kids. I didn't have kids. And I said, I'm willing if I find the right person.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo said he'd always wanted to be a dad. This made Denisha lean in. Usually the guys she met either already had kids or weren't interested in starting a family. When Denisha looked at her watch, she was surprised to see that hours had gone by.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I told him it was getting kind of late, and when he walked me to my car, made sure I was on the inside of the sidewalk, which was so sweet.

[Andrea Gunning]

Standing on the sidewalk next to Denisha's car, Lorenzo leaned in to kiss her.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It was the best kiss that I have ever had in my life. It was just amazing.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo didn't walk away until he was sure Dinesha was safely on her way home.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Watched As I burst onto the main street, made sure I got home via text. I got home with a smile from ear to ear. I was cautious, but so excited. It was a great night. The best date I've ever had.

[Andrea Gunning]

This was the kind of guy she'd been waiting for. When she woke up the next morning, a text from Lorenzo greeted her.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He had left me a text message and dedicated a song to me. It made me smile and get butterflies in my stomach.

[Andrea Gunning]

Her second date followed soon after, and then their third.

[Dinesha Quiller]

We were joined at the hip since our first date.

[Andrea Gunning]

Soon they made their relationship official. Danisha's knowledge of Lorenzo's life grew from a few bullet points on his dating profile to the full story.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He grew up in Puerto Rico for the first portion of his life. His mom was still there. He had been in the military for most of his life. He had enlisted right after high school. He started in the army and then matriculated into Marines. And then he went all the way up the ranks to colonel.

[Andrea Gunning]

He showed Danisha some of his old uniforms, decked out with military pins and accolades. He shared stories from his years in the service. He told Danisha about the time he stepped on a homemade bomb while on deployment.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It really destroyed his body and then was put back together in Germany. Yeah, like titanium and everything.

[Andrea Gunning]

He'd since retired from active military service, but he still worked for the Department of Defense.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He worked for dcis.

[Andrea Gunning]

Dcis, or Defense Criminal Investigative Service, investigates fraud and corruption within the Department of Defense.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He had a gun on him all the time. No matter where we were, he had a gun in his badge.

[Andrea Gunning]

After dating men who lacked direction, Lorenzo's passion for his work was a breath of fresh air.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was really impressed. The military, the high profile government job, it just was like a cherry on top of this sexy man. Like, he's on the right side of things, making sure our military is safe. And I felt safe with him. I felt protected.

[Andrea Gunning]

As the time they spent together grew so, so did their feelings.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It didn't take long for us to be telling each other we loved each other.

[Andrea Gunning]

Soon, Lorenzo moved in with Danisha. They spent countless hours watching movies and TV shows together and debriefing about the characters and themes of the story.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Afterwards, we would have long conversations and it would morph into, like, philosophical conversations. And we would get deep into our religious background. And he also was deconstructing his faith.

[Andrea Gunning]

They could talk about anything. When conflicts did arise, they worked through them together with patience and care.

[Dinesha Quiller]

The disagreements we had were short and sporadic, and it was More of a conversation. It felt so adult. It felt so good to just be able to express something I didn't like or something that was bothering me and we could just talk it out.

[Andrea Gunning]

The only thing they couldn't really talk about was Lorenzo's job.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It was super secret. I couldn't know too much. Every once in a while, he'd give me a little bit of an inkling about a case that he was working on, but no names, no details.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo worked long hours.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He would come home at like 4 o' clock in the morning or he would be gone for a week.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo told Denisha he had to travel

[Dinesha Quiller]

often for me, and my girlfriend called him FBI because we knew he was working for the federal government in some high profile thing. And so I would call him FBI babe when I was referring to him.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Lorenzo was traveling for work, he always stayed in touch over text.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He would send me pictures of the plane he was going on. He would send me pictures of him in uniform going into a high profile meeting before he had to turn his phone in.

[Andrea Gunning]

At work, Lorenzo was fearless. And with Denisha, he was caring, gentle and patient. She felt at home by his side. She'd been waiting for a love like this her whole life.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And I've heard stories before that if you know, you know. And I just. I knew, I knew this was him. I knew this was my guy.

[Andrea Gunning]

They had only been dating for a couple of months, but she knew what she wanted. Danisha was in her late 30s, and she told him her priority was starting a family.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Finally, you know. And two grown up nerds were both almost in our 40s, never married, no kids. Let's do this together.

[Andrea Gunning]

So they made the unconventional decision to prioritize starting a family as soon as possible.

[Dinesha Quiller]

If it happened in my mind, it would be just a blessing. And then it happened. I was so elated.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was pregnant. It felt like fate. But she was nervous to tell Lorenzo now that being a dad wasn't just an idea, but a reality. What if he changed his mind?

[Dinesha Quiller]

I told him, you don't have to stay. I could do this on my own. And he said, absolutely not. That was not even a question in his mind. We're going to do this first time parents. Let's do this.

[Andrea Gunning]

But Dinesha had a lot of complications with her pregnancy.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I had everything in the book because I'm older, I was already high risk. And then 12 week mark, they did the diabetes test, had diabetes, had to go on a very strict diet. Around 34, 35 weeks, I started getting High blood pressure, so I had to test my blood pressure several times a day. I was going in for non stress tests two times a week. It was a lot.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo was by her side through everything.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Lorenzo was my anchor. He came to most of the appointments, drove me there. He stayed with me the entire time.

[Andrea Gunning]

Denisha was Lorenzo's top priority. Even when he got home from work at 4 in the morning, he got up two hours later to prepare her breakfast in bed.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He really was focused on making me happy and making me comfortable. Lots of massages, lots of love.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo started putting together the nursery, hanging up shelves and doing the physical labor so that Denisha could rest. Watching him take care of her gave Dinesha confidence that he would be a great dad.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He was just so gentle with me and I was a mess. I was crying all the time and he made me feel happy and he got me in a better mood every time. I knew that he was going to be an amazing father.

[Andrea Gunning]

When their daughter was born, Lorenzo was right there by her side and he

[Dinesha Quiller]

got to cut her cord and he was the first person she touched. It was so amazing. And the nurses try to bring her to me and I'm like, please give her to her dad.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was a magical moment. Looking at her daughter in Lorenzo's arms, Danisha was filled with pride for her family.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I could not believe I had my man and my baby. I was just so excited.

[Andrea Gunning]

Finally her fairy tale was coming to fruition. If you've ever tried to find a psychiatrist who takes your insurance only to hear there's a months long wait list or they're not accepting new patients, you know how frustrating that can be. That's why I want to tell you about Talkiatry. Talkiatry is 100% online psychiatry practice that provides comprehensive evaluations, diagnoses and ongoing medication management for conditions like adhd, anxiety, depression and more. Unlike therapy only platforms, Talkiatry is psychiatry. You're meeting with a licensed medical provider who can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication when it's appropriate. What stands out is that Talkiatry accepts major insurers and with more than 800 clinicians, you can often get matched and schedule your first appointment in just a few days. You'll work with the same provider over time so your treatment plan can evolve with you and support real Progress. More than 300,000 patients have already found high quality psychiatric care through Talkiatry. Head to talkiatry.com betrayal to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's talliatry.com betrayal to get matched in minutes.

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[Dinesha Quiller]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I was looking for fun ways

[Domino's Pizza Advertiser]

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[Dinesha Quiller]

unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills. But it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial.

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[Dinesha Quiller]

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[Andrea Gunning]

When Denisha became a mom, she was overjoyed. Watching Lorenzo care for her and their daughter felt like a dream come true, the type of love she'd always wished for. They had a baby shower. Lorenzo's mom and sister traveled in from Puerto Rico to be there.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I got them gifts and I thanked them for coming to be with Us and celebrate this new journey and how amazing it is that this is their first grandchild and niece. And they were really receptive.

[Andrea Gunning]

Because of the nature of Lorenzo's job, he didn't have paternity leave.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He was only home for a week. His job did not want him to be off for that long. He demanded that week. Him having to go back to work was really hard. I really wanted him there.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo worked a lot, but he still did everything he could to be a great dad. When he wasn't working, he jumped in to help Dinesha.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He was helping me figure out lactation and breastfeeding. He was always washing the baby bottles. And when baby was stressed out and wouldn't sleep and she was screaming and screaming, he would take over.

[Andrea Gunning]

One day in August, when their daughter was three months old, Denisha and Lorenzo were spending time together. Suddenly he turned to face her. He looked anxious.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Out of nowhere, he just says that he had to tell me something.

[Andrea Gunning]

Then Lorenzo dropped a bombshell and he

[Dinesha Quiller]

confessed that our baby was not his first baby. He actually had three additional children. A 12 year old, a 10 year old and an 8 year old with two other women.

[Andrea Gunning]

Dinesha was completely taken aback to say that.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was shocked is an understatement.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was numb and angry. She left the house to get some space.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And then when I got back, I just begged him to tell me everything. What do you mean? You're not a first time dad. I don't understand.

[Andrea Gunning]

He said the kids were from two different relationships he'd had in his 20s. They didn't live in the area and he wasn't involved in the kids lives. Lorenzo tried to explain why he'd kept this from Denisha.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He said he didn't want me to leave. He thought that if I knew he had other children, I would not be into him anymore. And my response was that was my choice. You took that choice away from me.

[Andrea Gunning]

He explained that he'd never been given the opportunity to parent his older kids. So when he met Dinesha, it felt like a fresh start.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I asked a lot. Please tell me everything. No more secrets. We're in this together. Anything else? Are you married? Like, what is going on? What about these other women? And he assured me nothing else. There's nothing else. There's nothing else. And he is very, very sorry that he did not tell me about these other children.

[Andrea Gunning]

The lie stung, but Lorenzo seemed genuinely sorry. He admitted that hiding this was a mistake. He was apologetic and wasn't defensive.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I really wanted to let it go. I Kind of understood where he was coming from, why he would keep that from me.

[Andrea Gunning]

She asked if she could meet his other children.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I would love it. I would get snacks. We would watch movies. And he was really reluctant. He did not like that idea. And then told me that the other children's mothers would not be on board, that he rarely gets to see them anyways. There was a lot of animosity between him and the other mothers.

[Andrea Gunning]

Dinesha believed him. She was on maternity leave, busy with their newborn. And after Lorenzo came clean, he showed his remorse with his actions, doting on Dinesha and their daughter.

[Dinesha Quiller]

We had a great time all through my maternity leave. He was really attentive. Even after this ball that he dropped, we tried to get past it, and I thought it was doable.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Lorenzo had to travel for work, he found creative ways to stay in touch.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Baby girl and I would hang out in the living room. We had the nanny cam right next to the tv, and it was one of those nanny cams that you can patch through and talk through.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo would log into the nanny cam so he could see Danisha and his daughter and talk to them while they hung out at home.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And it felt really good, actually. It was really sweet. He was watching all the time. You just pop in and watch. I would hear his voice, and he's like, daddy's girl. Daddy's here. And talk to baby and talk to me. And it just was lovely to see that he was connecting, even though he had to be away.

[Andrea Gunning]

By Thanksgiving of that year, their daughter was six months old. Denisha and Lorenzo were in the car driving to her family's house for Thanksgiving dinner when Danisha saw that she had a missed call from an unknown number.

[Dinesha Quiller]

There's a message from the call. I asked him to play it out loud as I'm driving, and it's this woman that I've never heard from or heard of, and she says she's looking for her husband, Lorenzo.

[Andrea Gunning]

Danisha nearly swerved off the road.

[Dinesha Quiller]

My heart drops, and I'm like, what is going on? Just a couple months ago, you told me you had three kids. And now some stranger is calling my phone saying that she is looking for her husband. What is happening?

[Andrea Gunning]

She expected Lorenzo to be panicked and apologetic, but he was unfazed. He had an explanation.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He assured me, that's my ex. She's crazy. Don't believe her. Please don't let this ruin everything. We have something good. I love you. This is our family. Don't let her get in your head.

[Andrea Gunning]

But the whole Time she was at Thanksgiving dinner. The woman's words, my husband Lorenzo, echoed in her mind.

[Dinesha Quiller]

But it was baby girl's first Thanksgiving, so I pretended like everything was great.

[Andrea Gunning]

She put on a brave face around her family. When they got home that night, Lorenzo tried to reassure Denisha that there was nothing going on with his ex. He showed her the text messages between them to prove there was nothing to worry about.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I saw the text messages, and it seemed legit, so it helped me kind of let it go.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was still suspicious, but she wanted to believe Lorenzo. They had just started a family together.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was fighting for my little family. I thought for sure this was my time, and I'm fighting tooth and nail to keep it as much as possible.

[Andrea Gunning]

One night, Denisha and Lorenzo were at home watching a show together, as they often did.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Baby girl was in bed already. It was late at night. We were watching dexter, and he pulled out a ring.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo asked Denisha to marry him. She said yes.

[Dinesha Quiller]

We took a little happy picture and posted it on social media. And I was engaged the next day. I squealed with my mom on the phone and all that stuff. But to be honest, in the back of my mind, I'm like, something felt off.

[Andrea Gunning]

She had always imagined that getting engaged would be one of the happiest moments of her life, but her happiness was laced with doubt.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I kept thinking about the other mother that called me, like, where is she in this story, in this engagement? I don't know why, but I could not get her out of my mind.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo was passionate about his role as a federal agent, but as time went on, he wanted to start a side venture.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He was really into arbitration, which is like the middleman when somebody has an argument with another person.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo decided to open a consulting business where he would use his negotiation and conflict management skills to help clients navigate complex custody battles or divorce proceedings. He told denisha that his specialization within the federal government allowed him to be an arbitrator. This wasn't her area of expertise, so she didn't think much of it. She offered to use her accounting skills to help get the business set up.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I helped him draw out, like, a policy and how to get paid and all that stuff.

[Andrea Gunning]

Then Lorenzo started taking on clients.

[Dinesha Quiller]

His first case was a family here in southern California. It was a child custody case. The mom was not attentive to the child, and the dad really wanted custody, but they were not seeing eye to eye, so he was going to see both sides and file paperwork.

[Andrea Gunning]

One day, Danisha was hanging out with some friends when she got a Call from Lorenzo right away. She could tell something was off with him. He seemed flustered. He told her, I have to tell

[Dinesha Quiller]

you what happened today. Please don't be mad. And I was like, okay, what happened?

[Andrea Gunning]

There had been an explosive dispute in the child custody case he'd been working on.

[Dinesha Quiller]

The mom was supposed to drop the baby back off at dad's house and never did so. So Lorenzo went with dad to go and look for the child. He said, they found mom and child and Lorenzo got out to get the child, and the mom fought him and he held her back. Authorities were called and the mom went to the hospital.

[Andrea Gunning]

When the police came, they arrested Lorenzo and his client, the child's father.

[Dinesha Quiller]

So Lorenzo and the father went to jail, but he had bailed himself out.

[Andrea Gunning]

He was calling her after posting bail. Denisha was stunned and furious.

[Dinesha Quiller]

This was a client of yours, your first case. Why were you on the street looking for people and grabbing kids out of people's arms? Like, why would you do that?

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo didn't have much to say in his own defense.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He said, I just got passionate, you know, it was a mess.

[Andrea Gunning]

He brushed off the altercation as merely a one off. He did have one major worry, though.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He said he was concerned because he did not reveal his arrest to his superior at work. And because he works for such a high profile government job, that could be a whole thing. So I was like, so then tell them.

[Andrea Gunning]

To Denisha reporting, it seemed like the obvious thing to do, But Lorenzo told her it wasn't that easy. A little while after that, Tanisha was home alone with her baby when she heard a commotion outside her front door.

[Dinesha Quiller]

They are knocking at my neighbors right across from me. Really loud, aggressive knock. And I hear whoever is knocking asking for Larry.

[Andrea Gunning]

The neighbors didn't answer. Dinesha heard footsteps walking away.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And suddenly the knock is on my door. I opened the door. These two men in street clothes are claiming to be U.S. marshals, and they're looking for Larry. I explain, I don't know a Larry. And they said, well, he goes by Lorenzo.

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[Andrea Gunning]

Tanisha and Lorenzo were making Things work. Raising their one year old daughter together. Lorenzo's work as an agent with DCIS meant he was often away from home. One day, Danisha was at home with their baby when she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, two U.S. marshals were standing on her front porch.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And they're looking for Larry. And I explain, I don't know a Larry.

[Andrea Gunning]

This didn't make sense. Surely the agents had the details mixed up and were at the wrong house.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And they explain, well, he goes by Lorenzo. Sometimes my whole body is hot. I feel like my stomach is dropped.

[Andrea Gunning]

Then one of the marshals pulled out a photo of the man they were looking for.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And they show me a picture, and it's the first thing I ever saw. It's his dating profile picture. I was like, yeah, that is my fiance. They repeat that they're from the US Marshals and he is wanted.

[Andrea Gunning]

Danisha's head was spinning. She needed more information.

[Dinesha Quiller]

What are you talking about? What is this about? And they said, we can't really tell you much, but he is wanted for a weapons charge. And I said, well, that doesn't make sense. He's an agent with our government. He wears a badge and a gun.

[Andrea Gunning]

U. S. Marshals asked if Lorenzo was home. Denisha said he was not. But they told her they needed to come in and search the house themselves. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I've never been in trouble, not even a little bit. I mean, a couple of detentions in junior high, so I don't know the law like that. So I allowed one of them to look. I asked them to be quiet because baby girl was sleeping.

[Andrea Gunning]

One of the marshals searched the house while the other asked Denisha questions about Lorenzo. When they were certain he wasn't hiding inside the house, they gave Denisha their contact information and left. Denisha felt like the ground beneath her was shifting, like she couldn't take a full breath.

[Dinesha Quiller]

My mind is all over the place. Totally nervous, in a fog. I was so scared that I did something wrong. I immediately called Lorenzo, but he already knew. He's like, yeah, I saw it on the nanny cam.

[Andrea Gunning]

He'd been watching the U.S. marshal search their home through the nanny cam he set up in their living room.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It was as if he were waiting for this to happen. Why would he watch at that very moment? Why now? He knew he knew something.

[Andrea Gunning]

As always, Lorenzo was calm and had an explanation.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Don't worry, babe. It's just a misunderstanding. It's because I didn't tell my boss about the Arrest.

[Andrea Gunning]

To Dinesha, that explanation didn't seem to add up. The U.S. marshal said he was wanted for a weapons charge. Lorenzo's arrest had been months ago, and he never made any mention of a weapon. Plus, as part of his job, he was required to carry. None of this made sense.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I don't know why the government would be this mad about a stupid arrest. You got in a fight. Like that's not a big deal.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo assured her that he had everything under control.

[Dinesha Quiller]

This is nothing. And he will fix it. Don't worry. I'm going to clean it up.

[Andrea Gunning]

First, there was the lying about his kids, the secrecy around his job. Then there was his arrest. And now he was wanted by U.S. marshals.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I cannot have this. I have worked very hard to have a life of peace. And we have a child now. I cannot have U.S. marshals knocking on my door, asking me where you are. Like, this is ridiculous. What is happening?

[Andrea Gunning]

Even though Lorenzo seemed calm on the phone, it became clear to Denisha that he was hiding something. Because that day, she waited for him to come home. But he never did. Not that day or the next day. And he wasn't answering her calls.

[Dinesha Quiller]

That's when she realized he was essentially on the run, trying to avoid the U.S. marshals, trying to avoid arrest. I had no information. I didn't know where he was. I didn't know what was happening. Nothing felt normal.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo called her a few times. He'd tell Denisha he was safe. He was still sorting it all out. She kept urging him to just be honest and turn himself in.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I don't understand why people are looking for you and why it would be so hard for you to just go ahead and tell your boss, get your punishment and get it over with.

[Andrea Gunning]

As the days turned into weeks, she clung onto the idea that he could fix it and come home to their daughter. But his absence meant Denisha was suddenly responsible for running the household.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I hadn't seen him. He is not helping me take care of the baby. He is not financially there either. I'm doing this all by myself.

[Andrea Gunning]

The longer Lorenzo was on the run, the more Danisha questioned the stories he'd been telling her.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It was a balance of really scared, angry, and missing him all at the same time. I was so anxious and my neck hurt. I was so tense.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo had been gone for nearly a month. Denisha was in denial.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I have a baby with him, and I love him so much. I didn't need perfection. I just wanted my family together. Even if it's fake peace, it's Peace. And I could pretend like nothing else is wrong.

[Andrea Gunning]

When she didn't hear from him, she started checking online, Googling his name to see if there was any news. That's how she saw the picture they

[Dinesha Quiller]

actually posted on Twitter, which is so weird to me, but I see my big, strong man with handcuffs.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo had been arrested.

[Dinesha Quiller]

They found him. The U.S. marshals found him. I don't know where they found him. I always try to look at the background. It looks like a house, maybe a parking garage, but, yeah, they got him.

[Andrea Gunning]

But Denisha still didn't know what exactly Lorenzo had done.

[Dinesha Quiller]

All of those arrests are public records, so I was able to look everything up. And his charges were child endangerment, false imprisonment, conspiracy, violence, impersonating a peace officer. All of them are horrible, but the one that really stood out to me was impersonating a peace officer.

[Andrea Gunning]

Peace officer is a blanket term to describe law enforcement officers. It includes the police, sheriffs, and special agents. Seeing that charge was the first time Denisha realized Lorenzo wasn't who he said he was.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He was not an agent with the government. All of that's made up. And because he's not an agent with the government, he's in big, big trouble because he's pretending. That made more sense to me than just a stupid fight.

[Andrea Gunning]

There were no further details in the arrest record. What did they mean by child endangerment and false imprisonment? In the moment, all she knew for sure was that he'd been lying to her. And seeing his charges, she knew that his lies were serious criminal.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Emotionally, I was a mess. I was embarrassed and shocked.

[Andrea Gunning]

She struggled to accept that this was really happening. Worst of all was accepting that the future they'd been planning together was gone.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And this was after, like, these fantasy conversations that I would have with him getting married and buying a house and, like, really living our lives out as a power couple. All that went out the window.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was left to raise their daughter on her own while Lorenzo sat in jail.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I'm still going through postpartum, and I'm working full time, trying to keep up with the bills and life and cleaning. It's all on me. It's all on me. So because he's in prison, I'm only able to talk to him when he calls me.

[Andrea Gunning]

The first time they talked on the phone, Lorenzo didn't have any answers. He stuck by his story that he was a federal agent and his arrest was all a big misunderstanding.

[Dinesha Quiller]

His perspective of the story of how he got arrested in the first place does not add up. So what Is happening is all. I kept thinking, like, what is happening? Am I ignoring something?

[Andrea Gunning]

Then one day, Danisha got a phone call while she was at work. She recognized the caller id. It was Lorenzo's ex, the woman who'd called on Thanksgiving.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I answer, and she comes in hot. She comes in like, who is this? And she sounds like she's ready to fight. I say, I'm Lorenzo's fiance. She said, I'm Lorenzo's fiance.

[Andrea Gunning]

But the truth was, Dinesha needed her help. Maybe this woman had the answers she didn't.

[Dinesha Quiller]

She asked her, can you tell me what's going on? Tell me your perspective. She tells me, he was never working. Every time he was not at my house, he was at her house. That he is sleeping around and I need to get tested. It's really serious.

[Andrea Gunning]

It turned out they weren't the only two women. Lorenzo had been in multiple relationships at the same time. And he made all of the women he was with believe they were the only one. But that wasn't even the worst of it. The woman on the phone said that Lorenzo had gotten another woman pregnant around the same time. Time that Danisha had been pregnant with their daughter. And this other woman apparently lived in Danisha's neighborhood.

[Dinesha Quiller]

And she said she lived just next door and has a baby around the same age as my baby.

[Andrea Gunning]

And this was on top of the three secret children he had before he met Denisha. She recognized the pain in this woman's voice, and she believed her Lorenzo had deceived them both. Later that same day, Lorenzo called Denisha from prison. She answered on the first ring, and

[Dinesha Quiller]

I let him have it for the first time since all of this has been going on. You're trash. I don't trust anything you're saying. I'm going to get full custody. I don't want to ever see you again. We're not getting over this. We're done. And I don't say things unless I meet them. And I meant them.

[Andrea Gunning]

She hung up the phone.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was sad that I'm losing what I really wanted. But also I'm in a space where I cannot continue to pretend like everything's okay. This is not okay. It's not normal.

[Andrea Gunning]

The man she loved felt more like a phantom.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Now what can I say is even real? Did he love me? Why me? Why did you choose me?

[Andrea Gunning]

Denisha kept in touch with Lorenzo's mom. One day when they were out to lunch, his mom said something that exposed yet another lie.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I asked his mom how Puerto Rico was, and she says that she's never been there. Not only were they not there, but he was not born in Puerto Rico. So that was a lie. He was born in la. He was named Larry.

[Andrea Gunning]

Before Lorenzo's arrest, she'd seen a copy of his birth certificate.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Certificate which showed me that he was born in Puerto Rico and his name was Lorenzo. I saw the birth certificate. It said Puerto Rico.

[Andrea Gunning]

But that document must have been forged.

[Dinesha Quiller]

So who doctored this document? That's so weird. And why lie about that?

[Andrea Gunning]

Hearing this reveal threw Denisha off. She was too flustered to ask his mom any follow up questions in the moment. But later, when she was alone, she realized she needed more answers. She didn't even know who Lorenzo was and she wanted to find out.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Now I know Larry is officially who he is and born in la. I was able to get deeper and look for more receipts.

[Andrea Gunning]

She scoured the Internet for everything she could find about Lorenzo, AKA Larry. Her search for the truth took years. We want to walk you through Lorenzo's criminal past, Combining what Denisha and our team has found out. His given name at birth was Larry Cornell Diamond Jr. In total, he had six arrests and convictions. We're going to detail a few of them. It all started in 2000 in Los Angeles. Larry was 22 at the time. He and his friend Robert Hyun showed up unannounced at a woman's apartment. They knocked on her door and told her that they were FBI agents. They said that they needed to search her home. They were armed and she let them in. But they weren't FBI agents. They were bounty hunters. The Los Angeles Times reported on the crime. Here's part of that reporting read by a voice actor. Hyun and diamond proclaimed to be affiliated with a non existent branch of the FBI. Huon and diamond created a fake search warrant and claimed they were FBI agents when they made their way through a woman's San Pedro apartment searching for stolen computers. Both men were wearing holstered semi automatic guns and silver badges that they claimed were FBI badges. That was the start of a pattern, an almost pathological scheme of impersonating authority like FBI, CIA, or police as means of extortion. After he was released, Larry went right back to it. In 2003, he walked into a hardware store where he intended to carry out his next crime. The district Attorney's office in central California released a statement explaining what happened that day. We've had a voice actor read part of it.

[HomeServe Advertiser]

Diamond went to the hardware company dressed like a law enforcement officer. He was wearing all black, displaying a

[Andrea Gunning]

badge and claimed that he was An

[HomeServe Advertiser]

FBI agent with the american consulate. He then threatened to arrest the owner unless the owner paid $10,000 directly to Diamond.

[Andrea Gunning]

For that offense, he served a four year prison sentence. This was so much darker than Denisha imagined. Lorenzo wasn't just lying about his identity. He was threatening and exploiting innocent people. He would show up armed and in disguise, then demand money or valuables. He abused authority he didn't even have, and he did that over and over again for his entire adult life. Lorenzo wasn't just unfaithful or delusional. He was dangerous. In September of 2016, he legally changed his name to Lorenzo Sanchez diamond. The very next week, he was arrested again, this time for possession of a firearm. Danisha poured over all of these documents.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I'm reading the whole thing, and they catch him at a Denny's in his military gear with guns in his trunk, and he gets arrested.

[Andrea Gunning]

None of his arrests or prison sentences deterred him. Each time he was released, he picked up where he left off and continued his impersonation. Khan. Even after Denisha ended things with Lorenzo and he was imprisoned for the sixth time in 2023, he would insist that he was always a federal agent. At least that's what he told denisha. But he asked her not to come to his sentencing hearing. There, he pled guilty to all the counts he was facing. He was sentenced to another 18 months in prison. Dinesha thought that would be the end of the story. But while Lorenzo was behind bars, she got a strange email.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I got a mysterious email from bubba Walker. Never heard of this person. They introduced themselves as CIA agents, and then there was a MP3 voicemail. In was a computerized female voice.

[Andrea Gunning]

The sender claimed to be an employee at the CIA singing Lorenzo's praises for his invaluable efforts in the global war on terrorism. They said Lorenzo was a good man with more intelligence than most.

[Dinesha Quiller]

The recording just was like, lorenzo Sanchez is a great person and he's a great stand up citizen and that I should trust him. It also said not to tell anybody about this message and to destroy the message. After I got it, I told everybody. My sister was like, well, I can say a lot of bad things about this man, but he will go through the ends of the earth to fake a CIA call to get you to believe his. Like this is so stupid.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was laughable. She no longer believed anything Lorenzo said. After nine months behind bars, Lorenzo was released on good behavior. Even though things were over between them, she let Lorenzo facetime their daughter occasionally. On one of those calls, Lorenzo said he had some grave news.

[Dinesha Quiller]

That's when he revealed he had cancer. I thought it was another tactic, another lie, maybe to get my walls down again, to see if he can get back into my good graces.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she told him, you're not invited

[Dinesha Quiller]

in my home or my heart anymore. If you're sick, I hope you feel better soon.

[Andrea Gunning]

But the next time they had a video call, Dinesha noticed that the room he was calling from was different. He was in the hospital, and he looked gaunt. He'd lied about so much. But this time, he was telling the truth.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He has stage four colon cancer. He's very sick.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo's health only declined. From there, he went into hospice. Danisha decided to visit him and say goodbye.

[Dinesha Quiller]

He looked really frail. You could push him over with just a breath.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seeing him at the end of his life brought up overwhelming, conflicting emotions.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Before all the things that went wrong, he showed me love like no one else had showed me before this. I felt respected. I felt loved and desired. Having him destroy my life. And now he was dying.

[Andrea Gunning]

She walked over to his bedside.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I was so sad. It was so sad to see I never wished this for anyone. I held his hand and told him I forgave him and that I got this and I will take care of our daughter and he can let go.

[Andrea Gunning]

She left his room. Within 48 hours, Lorenzo passed away. Denisha reached out to us a few months later. She's still processing the loss.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It's unending grief. Grieving the life that I thought I had. The husband, the baby, the house, all of those things. Had it for so little, such a little time. I'm grieving that all the time. I'm grieving the single motherhood of it all. And I grieve for my baby.

[Andrea Gunning]

That grief is muddied by confusion.

[Dinesha Quiller]

It's really hard to determine who this person was.

[Andrea Gunning]

Lorenzo's obituary describes him as a doctor, author, poet, and rapper who loved macaroni and cheese and watching Jeopardy. His LinkedIn profile describes him as a legal expert and human rights consultant. Lorenzo tried on so many disguises, so many prestigious careers. Doctor, lawyer, federal agent. Denisha knows now he wasn't any of those things. She's left wondering if anything he ever told her was real.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I still am not 100% sure what the truth is.

[Andrea Gunning]

Dinesha has had to make peace with the confusion and grief Lorenzo left behind. She hasn't been in contact with the other women Lorenzo deceived. For her, reaching out would reopen wounds she is trying to heal.

[Dinesha Quiller]

My focus is on my baby and doing my job well.

[Andrea Gunning]

She has built an impressive career.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I'm making six figures at a nonprofit as the accounting manager. I'm so proud of me to be in this role. I worked hard to get here.

[Andrea Gunning]

She's created a safe and loving home where her daughter gets to express herself authentically.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Baby girl is thriving. She loves school and it's already time to enroll her in regular elementary school. And that's emotional. And she loves dancing, loves ballet.

[Andrea Gunning]

These days, Dinesha sees her own strength clearly.

[Dinesha Quiller]

I'm resilient because I struggle with depression, anxiety, but this did not strike me. I am still going. I'm still standing strong and I'm going to be fine.

[Andrea Gunning]

We end every weekly episode with the same question. Why do you want to share your story?

[Dinesha Quiller]

I cycle through grief on a daily basis. I feel very lonely having experienced this and not having a lot of people that understand where I'm at that wore these same shoes and had the same thoughts. So I really wanted to find my people, tell other people they're not alone, and to just know that somebody knows what I'm going through.

[Andrea Gunning]

On the next episode of Betrayal Weekly. You've got to arrest him because I don't know where this is going to end. He's a liar, he's a manipulator, and he's an abuser and I don't think he'll stop unless he's made to stop. If you'd like to share your story on betrayal, please email betrayalpodmail.com that is betrayalpodmail.com Please note that we are not a mental health organization. If you are in crisis or currently experiencing domestic violence, we encourage you to seek local help or dial 911. Please contact organizations that offer immediate support. In our show notes, we've included a list of US based resources. You can follow us on Instagram etrayalpod or find me at it andreagunning to access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our substack@betrayal substack.com we're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. Five star reviews go a long way. Big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Faison, hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning, written and produced by Olivia Hewitt, our story editor is Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Fetterman. Our associate producer is Leah Jablo Production management by Kristen Melchiori Booking support by Curry Richmond. Our iheard team is Ally Perry and Jessica Krynczyk. Audio editing by Tanner Robbins with additional editing and mixing by Matt d'. Albacchio Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines Music Library provided by MyMusic and for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Domino's Pizza Advertiser]

It's called soccer. It's called football. Soccer foot ball Domino's Best deal ever. Lets you get any pizza in, including stuffed crust with any toppings for $9.99. Okay, we can agree on that. Yeah, fully. So pineapple? Don't ruin it. Get any pizza, including stuffed crust with any toppings for $9.99. Finally, something everyone can get behind. And if the rest disagree, that's between them and Domino's, which means the only thing left to fight over is who's ordering dom. Price is higher for some locations. Excludes XL and specialty pizzas. Select this offer from $6.15 to $7.26 online only. Size availability varies by crust. Tank Max 7 toppings 6 for pan and New York style crust. Minimum purchase required for delivery. Prices, participation, delivery area and charges may vary.

[Troy Millings]

This is Troy Millings from Earn your leisure when traveling for events or festivals throughout the country, every dollar matters. We compare flights, prices, hotel rates and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check Lyft before booking a ride. I Prices can change throughout the day, depending on traffic, weather, and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner, or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to Check Lyft could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience. Save money.

[Dinesha Quiller]

Check Lyft Honestly, Honestly, Honestly.

[HIV Prevention PSA]

No one wants to think about hiv, but there are things that everyone can do to help prevent it. Things like prep. PREP stands for Pre Exposure Prophylactics, and it means routinely taking prescription medicine before you're exposed to HIV to help reduce your chances of getting it. Prep can be about 99% effective when taken as prescribed. It doesn't protect against other STIs, though, so be sure to use condoms and other healthy sex practices. Ask a healthcare provider about all your prevention Options and visit findoutaboutprep.com to learn more.

[Andrea Gunning]

Sponsored by Gilead this is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.