EP 19 - Nancy

Summary

Episode Summary: Betrayal: Weekly - EP 19 "Nancy"

Introduction

In Episode 19 of Betrayal: Weekly, titled "Nancy," host Andrea Gunning delves into the harrowing true story of Nancy Glass, a woman whose seemingly perfect 15-year marriage unraveled into a complex web of deceit and betrayal. This episode intricately explores Nancy's journey from discovering her husband's infidelity to uncovering a deeper, more sinister conspiracy that had been orchestrated from the very beginning of their relationship.

---

Early Life and Family Dynamics

Nancy Glass grew up in Boston during the 1970s as the youngest of three girls. From birth, she was considered a medical miracle. Her mother was told that Nancy would not survive due to a severe heart condition:

[03:27] Seth: "When I was born, they told my mother that I'm going to die in three days because I have a pinhole in my heart and a twisted valve."

Nancy's mother defied medical expectations, and Nancy thrived without undergoing the predicted open-heart surgery. This experience fostered a close bond between Nancy and her mother, making Nancy her mother's best friend:

[05:05] Nancy: "Everybody loved her because she was just down to earth... She took care of me like no one else."

Nancy's father, a black man from Cuba, faced racial discrimination, which Nancy observed growing up. She recalls instances where her parents were frequently pulled over by the police, leading to painful moments of racial tension:

[05:26] Seth: "Back in the day, my mother and my father used to get pulled over a lot... because she's white."

These early experiences of navigating a racially mixed family environment shaped Nancy's perceptions and resilience.

---

Meeting Seth: The Beginning of an Orchestrated Relationship

As a teenager, Nancy met Devon, her high school sweetheart, but their relationship was tragically cut short by a car accident that left Devon in a coma. When Devon awoke, his personality had drastically changed, leading to the end of their relationship:

[07:57] Seth: "I went every day, waited in the room, waited in the room, talked to him."

Seeking to move forward, Nancy focused on her career and steadily built an independent life in Boston. It was during her daily routine that she regularly interacted with Marvin, a coworker who became a familiar and comforting presence.

Seth entered Nancy's life under seemingly serendipitous circumstances at a Caribbean cultural club:

[10:43] Andrea Gunning: "Seth wasn't exactly her type."

Their meeting seemed like fate, with Seth being an easygoing and respectful companion. Their relationship blossomed quickly, culminating in an early marriage prompted by an unexpected pregnancy, which Nancy initially believed was another medical miracle.

---

Marriage and Family Life: Building a New Life Together

Nancy and Seth married in their mid-twenties, setting up an idyllic life in a charming Boston apartment. They planned to retire early in Jamaica, a dream Nancy had long held. Their daughter brought immense joy, and their early years were filled with love and mutual support:

[17:23] Seth: "I was just in awe of her every day."

[17:27] Nancy: "She was a wonderful, wonderful little girl."

Seth was seen as an exemplary husband and father, handling household duties with grace and always being present for Nancy and their daughter. Their relationship was characterized by seamless teamwork and deep affection, earning admiration from friends and neighbors alike.

---

Suspicion Arises: Uncovering the First Signs

Despite the outward harmony, Nancy began to notice subtle changes in Seth's behavior. When Seth returned home late one evening, claiming to have stayed at work to help a coworker, Nancy felt something was amiss:

[25:17] Nancy: "So when he got home at midnight... I knew he wasn't at work at all."

She decided to wait and observe rather than confront him immediately, fearing that mistrust could irreparably damage their relationship. Nancy set conversational traps to gauge Seth's honesty, expressing recurring dreams of Seth being with someone else:

[28:20] Nancy: "And I told him I kept having a recurring dream of him being with somebody else."

Her suspicions intensified when she saw Seth outside their home late at night, accompanied by an unfamiliar figure:

[27:14] Nancy: "I saw a figure next to him... I knew that the figure next to him was no guardian angel."

---

The Confession: Seth's Betrayal Unveiled

The climax of Nancy's ordeal came on Christmas Day when Seth confessed to another woman being pregnant with his child. The revelation was devastating, leading Nancy to immediately sever ties with Seth:

[30:04] Nancy: "How can I fight for something I already lost?"

However, this confession was only part of the betrayal. Further investigation revealed that Seth had been leading a double life for the entirety of their marriage. The initial appearance of an orchestrated relationship was exposed as part of Seth's strategy to obtain a green card through marriage, as confirmed by Seth himself:

[36:37] Nancy: "He said, Marvin put us together for this crappy green card."

Seth had used Nancy as a means to an end, facilitating his immigration status while simultaneously maintaining another family in Jamaica. This revelation shattered Nancy's trust and made her feel like a pawn in a premeditated scheme:

[38:04] Nancy: "He said, you were chosen. So our relationship was set up from the beginning... I was just a pawn in their little game."

---

The Aftermath: Legal Battles and Personal Loss

Following Seth's departure, Nancy faced numerous challenges. She discovered that Seth had short-sold their shared home without her consent, leaving her without a stable residence and the loss of cherished personal items:

[44:00] Nancy: "My diaries and my ledgers... all of that was gone, and it was just devastating."

The financial strain and emotional trauma led Nancy into a state of disorientation, experiencing a blackout of three years during which she struggled to piece her life back together:

[45:02] Nancy: "I don't remember three years of that... I lost like two or three years of my life."

Despite these hardships, Nancy found solace and strength in her daughter, who became her pillar of support during the darkest times.

---

Seth’s Double Life and Orchestrated Deception

Seth's confession revealed his intricate web of lies designed to maintain his immigration status and sustain multiple families. His motivations were rooted in both personal relationships and a relentless pursuit of security:

[40:04] Nancy: "I don't understand. He said, I had to stay married a little bit longer because my girlfriend in Jamaica wanted to come here."

Seth had meticulously crafted his persona to appear as the perfect husband and father, all while managing his true intentions behind the scenes. This duplicity not only betrayed Nancy but also complicated the emotional and legal dissolution of their marriage.

---

Recovery and Resilience: Nancy’s Journey to Healing

Despite the profound betrayal, Nancy demonstrated remarkable resilience. She focused on rebuilding her life, both for herself and her daughter. Over the years, Nancy transformed her pain into strength, emerging as a survivor who reclaimed her narrative:

[45:52] Nancy: "I did survive, and I feel stronger now than I did before. The resilience in me, nobody can take that from me."

Fifteen years after the divorce, Nancy reflects on her journey with pride, having overcome immense adversity. She emphasizes the importance of sharing her story to help others facing similar betrayals:

[46:36] Nancy: "Maybe somebody's in it right now and they're not thinking about it because this happens too much and it's somebody's life... I have a lot to give from that heartache that can turn into a good thing."

---

Conclusion

Episode 19 of Betrayal: Weekly presents a compelling and emotional narrative of Nancy Glass's experience with profound personal betrayal. Through detailed storytelling and poignant quotes, the episode captures the complexity of deceit within intimate relationships and the extraordinary resilience required to overcome such hardships. Nancy's story serves as both a cautionary tale and an inspiring testament to human strength in the face of unimaginable challenges.

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Notable Quotes

• Seth on His Birth: "When I was born, they told my mother that I'm going to die in three days because I have a pinhole in my heart and a twisted valve." [03:27]
• Nancy on Her Mother's Love: "Everybody loved her because she was just down to earth." [05:10]
• Seth on Meeting Marvin: "He used to do the cat-calling, but this guy was just... You see your hypocrite." [13:18]
• Nancy on Marriage Certificate Discovery: "I saw a figure next to him... I knew that the figure was no guardian angel." [27:14]
• Nancy on Recovery: "I feel stronger now than I did before. The resilience in me, nobody can take that from me." [46:03]

---

Final Thoughts

Nancy Glass's story is a profound exploration of trust, deception, and resilience. Betrayal: Weekly masterfully unpacks the layers of betrayal that Nancy endured, providing listeners with a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological impacts of such a traumatic experience. This episode not only highlights the destructive power of deceit but also celebrates the human spirit's capacity to heal and thrive.

Transcript

[Andrea Gunning]

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[Andrea Gunning]

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[Nancy]

This is a freaking Lifetime movie. And I said, he deserves an Oscar. He really deserves an Oscar. I'm like, am I losing my mind? I couldn't believe it was happening to me.

[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. Nancy grew up in Boston in the 70s. She was the youngest of three girls. From birth, she was deemed a medical miracle.

[Seth]

When I was born, they told my mother that I'm going to die in three days because I have a pinhole in my heart and a twisted valve. She's like, I don't think so. She took me home. They told her, well, she's gonna have to have open heart surgery by the time she's five. Didn't. Well, she's gonna have to have at least by 18 or she's gonna die. Didn't. I'm 55. I've never had open heart surgery.

[Andrea Gunning]

Because of her heart condition, her mother kept a close eye on her. Her activities were restricted. She wasn't even allowed to go to gym class in school. Family and teachers babied her, mostly because she was so small.

[Seth]

I'm only 4, 11, and when I was 5 years old, I think I actually have a picture. I look like I'm two. So everybody treated me like I was a baby all the time.

[Andrea Gunning]

As a kid, Nancy went to the cardiologist every week for her heart condition. She wasn't scared about it, but she knew her mom was.

[Seth]

I even remember being over at her friend's house. We'd be playing with their children, and they'd be in the kitchen talking, drinking or whatever, and I would hear her crying and telling her friend, I'm so afraid that she's just going to die on me one day. I never told her I heard that. Never.

[Andrea Gunning]

She surpassed medical expectations and grew up to be healthy. But doctors told her she wouldn't be able to have kids of her own. The entire experience made Nancy and her mom really close.

[Seth]

I didn't hang out with friends on Saturday night. I hang out with my mother because she's just my best friend. Everybody loved her because she was just down to earth.

[Andrea Gunning]

Early on in her life, Nancy saw that her father was treated differently than her mother.

[Seth]

Back in the day, my mother and my father used to get pulled over a lot, and the cops would ask my mother, is he hurting you? Because she's white.

[Andrea Gunning]

Her father was black, and other kids teased Nancy about having interracial Parents, it's.

[Seth]

Like, what's wrong with your mother? There's nothing wrong with my mother. Are you talking about. My mother never paid attention to it. She said, if you pay attention, that's giving them more energy to do what they're doing.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Nancy was a teenager, she met a boy in her neighborhood named Devon. He was always trying to catch her eye.

[Seth]

So I'm like, who is this person? And he was extremely handsome.

[Andrea Gunning]

One day, Devon brought her a present.

[Seth]

So he heard that I love soft serve vanilla ice cream with colored timmies. From that day on, we were together.

[Andrea Gunning]

She and devaughn became high school sweethearts.

[Seth]

We were a class couple. Of course we were. We were together all the time. It was like nothing could come between us.

[Andrea Gunning]

Their plan was to be together forever. And to this day, Nancy still wishes they could have been. But tragedy derailed their future.

[Seth]

I had heard that there was this extremely bad car accident. And I was in a school that sat up on a hill so you could see like the police cars and the ambulances and all that. That looks like a really bad accident up there. Everybody knew but me. Nobody wanted to tell me because they.

[Nancy]

Were afraid to tell me.

[Seth]

He was in that car accident.

[Andrea Gunning]

He was a passenger in the collision and they needed the jaws of life to pull him out of the car.

[Seth]

When I found out, the person who told me said he was in a car accident and he died. I passed out. Woke up in the nurse's office and I'm like, I didn't just hear what she said. The nurse said he wasn't a car seat, but he's not dead. He was in a coma for three days. I went every day, waited in the room every day, waited in the room, talked to him.

[Andrea Gunning]

She was by his side when he woke up from the coma.

[Seth]

But when he woke up, it was a different person. You know, they asked things like, when's your birthday? What's your name? Who's the president? Things like that. He said his name was Robert something and he was born in 1921.

[Andrea Gunning]

Devon was never the same after that.

[Seth]

He started smoking cigarettes. Never smoked. He was like completely against it. He started drinking, swearing, and he was like, mean sometimes. And I'm like, who is this person? I was like, okay, it's going to get better. It's going to get better. It never got better.

[Andrea Gunning]

After his traumatic brain injury. It wasn't the same relationship. It was a lot for a 17 year old to manage emotionally.

[Seth]

I felt like he died in that. To me, he died in that accident.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy made the tough decision to leave Devon and focus on herself. She started her own life in Boston, working in the office of a stock brokerage. By her early 20s, she was living on her own and fully supporting herself.

[Seth]

I had a beautiful condo. My house was fully furnished.

[Andrea Gunning]

Every day on her lunch break, Nancy chatted with a guy who worked outside her building.

[Seth]

I worked in the financial district. There was always construction going on at the Liberty Mutual building. And you know, the construction guys would do the cat calling when the girls walked by. But there was this one guy, he was just. When he's having lunch, I'm going to lunch, he's having his lunch.

[Andrea Gunning]

His name was Marvin. And Marvin became a fixture in her daily life. A friendly face that she felt comfortable with.

[Seth]

And then he invited me to this club that he belonged to. It was like a dance club. It was like a Caribbean cultural club.

[Andrea Gunning]

He was Jamaican and Nancy's dad was from Cuba, so she was interested in Boston's Caribbean community.

[Seth]

And I was like, all right, me and my friends will come probably this weekend.

[Nancy]

I was like, all right.

[Andrea Gunning]

That weekend, as promised, she and her friends stopped by. It was a lively scene with music and dancing.

[Nancy]

So when I went into the club, I was expecting to see Marvin, you know, let him know that I did come for his invitation. And I never saw him that night at all.

[Andrea Gunning]

But she hardly noticed because she got distracted by a guy her age named Seth.

[Seth]

He asked me to dance. I danced. To me, it's just a dance. I went to sit back down with my friends to continue hanging out, and he asked me to dance again. All right, dance again.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth wasn't exactly her type.

[Seth]

Well, being 4 11, it is awkward.

[Nancy]

Because everybody's going to be taller than him.

[Seth]

Yeah, he's 6 3.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy and her friends decided to leave the party before it got too late.

[Seth]

By that time, the night was ending and he comes running out the club. I'm like, oh.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth wanted Nancy's number. It was the 90s, so he had.

[Seth]

To go to his car to get pen and paper.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy found it endearing. She thought she was meeting up with a friend from work and instead ended up meeting this nice guy. It felt like fate. The next day, Seth called.

[Seth]

I'll never forget, it was a Sunday. It was 2:00 in the afternoon. And he called. He said he was working. He was a butchie. He's like, oh, I want to come see you after I got off work. I said, all right. He was like, where do you live? I said, I live on Rivers Street. He goes, really? I Work on River Street. I'm like, wow.

[Andrea Gunning]

He worked just a few blocks down from her apartment, so they agreed to meet up for lunch. Seth recently moved to Boston from Jamaica.

[Nancy]

So he told me about, you know.

[Seth]

Living in Jamaica and that he was here on a visa.

[Andrea Gunning]

She loved his Jamaican accent, especially the way he said her name. She also liked his easygoing personality. So she said yes to a second date. That's where he really impressed her.

[Seth]

He cooked for me. He actually cooked it at his house and brought it to my house.

[Nancy]

That was like.

[Seth]

So it's Jamaican food. It was a red snapper. Delicious. Absolutely delicious. He's an excellent cook.

[Andrea Gunning]

She hadn't had a serious boyfriend since Devon in high school, and Seth reminded her a bit of him. He went out of his way to make her feel special, just like Devon had.

[Seth]

I always tell people, you sweep me off my feet.

[Nancy]

I would say the biggest attraction was.

[Seth]

He was pleasant and calm and respectful. He treated me like a lady. He was good to me. And everything just seemed like it clicked.

[Andrea Gunning]

After they'd been dating for a few months, Seth took Nancy to meet his uncle. He was one of a few people in Seth's family who also immigrated to Boston. When Nancy walked through the door, she was shocked.

[Seth]

And I was like, I know him.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was Marvin, Nancy's lunch break buddy.

[Seth]

And I was like, you do the construction at Liberty Mutual, right? He's like, yeah, yeah, I see you when you're going to lunch sometimes. Yeah, Well, I said, wow, what a small world.

[Andrea Gunning]

Years later, Nancy would find out it wasn't much of a coincidence at all. That summer, she and Seth took their first vacation together.

[Seth]

We went to New Hampshire, Hampton Beach. I went every year with friends or whenever. And I stayed at Bayview Motel every year right across from the beach. And I know that's where I conceived my child. I know that for a fact.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy had lived her whole believing she'd never have kids. She told Seth she couldn't get pregnant. When she found out that she was expecting, it felt like another medical miracle. Her first call was to her mom.

[Seth]

She was like, yeah, you'll have to get married now. I said, right now? Right now.

[Andrea Gunning]

It seemed old fashioned, but she trusted her mom to guide her in the right direction.

[Seth]

We went to city hall to register for the marriage certificate. I'm four months pregnant. And the lady gives you the paper. It's split in the middle. Your information is here, and his information is here. And I was like, oh, I have your birth date wrong. He's like, no, that's Right. I said, no, it's not. He's like, it is. Well, you can't be 26 with this date of birth. He was 19.

[Andrea Gunning]

He lied about his age. He wasn't 26 like he said he was 19. Nancy was 23 at the time. Seth gave her a simple explanation.

[Seth]

He had to make up that age for me to be interested. Because if he told me he was 19, I would definitely not date him, he said. I said, you're right. So he lied to be able to date me. I just stood there for a minute.

[Nancy]

The place that you get the marriage certificate was at the bottom floor in the building where there is an echo because there is a big square with balconies. And I screamed out, what? And it echoes all over the place. All you saw was people coming over, looking down.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth insisted that it wasn't a big deal.

[Seth]

He didn't comprehend that it was wrong. Like telling the child that it's wrong to play in the dirt. And they look at you like, why not like that? You know, like, what's the problem? I'm like, you know what, what do I do at this point? I got a marriage certificate in one hand and a baby in the belly.

[Andrea Gunning]

She decided she was going to let it go. She couldn't change his age, so she signed the papers.

[Seth]

I think I was more in love with my baby than any situation. I wanted her to have a married mom and dad and I wanted everything for her. So that was in my head.

[Andrea Gunning]

A few weeks later, Nancy and Seth had a small wedding. The couple set their sights on parenthood. They got an adorable apartment on the top floor of a converted Boston mansion, complete with a castle like turret.

[Seth]

It was like a cute little quaint honeymoon, beginning of life apartment.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy wanted the sex of the baby to be a surprise.

[Seth]

When she came out. It was a girl. He actually had a frown on his face. I said, I don't care if it was a frog.

[Nancy]

All that I went through, you better be happy.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth's disappointment quickly faded. They both fell in love with their daughter.

[Seth]

I was just in awe of her every day.

[Nancy]

She was a wonderful, wonderful little girl.

[Andrea Gunning]

Those first few years of their daughter's life were magical.

[Seth]

He was an excellent father. He always took care of my daughter. Always. Like he died for her. She didn't have Pampers, diapered like washing material diapers. He made her baby food. He's the one that got up in.

[Nancy]

The middle of the night.

[Seth]

I didn't change poopy diapers because he did that.

[Nancy]

All of it.

[Andrea Gunning]

He was Also excellent to Nancy.

[Seth]

He did all the cooking. He did all the cleaning. I could tell him, oh, I'm so tired.

[Nancy]

I'm coming home from work.

[Seth]

He'd have a bath ready for me. He'd have a glass of wine for me. He always cooked dinner.

[Andrea Gunning]

And this wasn't a phase for him. Year after year, Seth showed up for their family and their marriage. She and Seth were a team.

[Nancy]

We worked together in the house without effort. Not like, okay, you're going to do this and I'm going to. We just did it. Like, even my mother used to say, you guys just do things. Effortless.

[Andrea Gunning]

Years into their marriage, they were still very much in love.

[Nancy]

The romance was still there. As far as I'm concerned, that didn't change at all.

[Andrea Gunning]

Even a neighbor commented on how physically close they seemed.

[Nancy]

She was like, every time I see you guys, you're so close. She was like, he's mowing the lawn and you're right next to him. I'm like picking weeds. But we were. We were always close together like that. Always.

[Andrea Gunning]

At the time, Nancy worked at a bank.

[Nancy]

I had a computer to take home just in case it was inclement weather.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy was the only one in their house who used the computer.

[Nancy]

And I had told them, this is just my work computer. Only I can go on. All right. Everybody knew that. Smelling good. One day I went on the computer and a dating website popped up. It was called adultfinder.com I'll never forget it. Now. The username was there, but the password wasn't there.

[Andrea Gunning]

The username was Peter Parker. Attention parents and grandparents. Are you searching for the perfect gift for your kids this holiday season? Give the gift of adventure that will last all year long. A Guardian bike. The easiest, safest and quickest bikes for kids to learn on. Kids are learning to ride in just one day. No training wheels needed. I recently got my niece a Guardian bike and it's been amazing watching her learn to ride without training wheels. The bike's intuitive design made it easy for her to balance. And with a bit of help from her grandparents, she was off on her own in no time. It's given her such a boost of confidence. She feels so free and independent every time she rides. Watching her reach this milestone has been priceless and Guardian made it truly special. Join the hundreds of thousands of happy families by getting a Guardian bike. Today. Their holiday sales have begun offering the biggest deal of the year. Save up to 33% on bikes. No code needed. Plus get free shipping and a free bike. Lock and pump with your first purchase after signing up for their newsletter. Visit guardianbikes.com to take advantage of these deals and secure your holiday gifts today. Happy riding.

[Bartisian Representative]

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[Andrea Gunning]

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[Andrea Gunning]

Betrayal Five years into their marriage, Nancy found a strange dating website on her work computer with a username she didn't recognize.

[Nancy]

I'm like Peter Parker. So I'm like somebody got my computer and put their name on there, I'm thinking, Peter Parker's a person. And I'm like, Seth, what is. Did you see that? He was like, oh, those things are like pop ups. And I'm like, oh my God, let me call my company and let them know I did not go on that website. And they took it at face value. They didn't dig into it or nothing like that.

[Andrea Gunning]

And Nancy didn't either. Besides, her focus was on their daughter who had just started school.

[Seth]

I went to every after school program, every play, and I was always by myself because he was working.

[Andrea Gunning]

He'd taken a demanding job at the Metro Rail. He often worked overtime hours to make extra money. They were only in their 30s, but they were already planning for an early retirement.

[Nancy]

And we always talked about retiring in Jamaica. I have a house there up in the hills where his father had a house. It's beautiful up there. The air and everything is different. We had a book and everything that we wrote in what we want, what we're going to do, a book where.

[Andrea Gunning]

They wrote down their dreams for the future. In order to make those dreams happen, Nancy and Seth worked long hours. The only day they both had off was Sunday. That day was reserved for family.

[Nancy]

When she got older, like 10, 11, we would go to the mall. I would go one way and they would go another. Cause they're going to the video game store and I'm in Macy's or JCP or something. And we had walkie talkies. We had walkie talkies. It was cute. We had a lot of fun with her.

[Andrea Gunning]

One Sunday, Nancy was looking forward to their family time. But Seth took an overtime shift.

[Nancy]

Well, I called him at work for something, I can't remember what it was. And he said, he's not here. I'm like, oh, did he go to the bathroom or you know. No, he's not. Today's his day off. He's not doing overtime today. No. So when he got home at midnight, when he normally gets home, he comes in the door. I didn't mention to him that I knew he wasn't at work. I said, oh, you're home a little bit later than normal. I was like, I know there ain't no traffic at this time. Are you okay?

[Andrea Gunning]

He said he stayed late to talk to a coworker who was having a relationship problem.

[Nancy]

He was like. We were talking a long time because he was telling me that he cheated on his girlfriend and she found out. And that's why we was talking. He needed somebody to talk to. I was like, wow, a woman Always finds out. What you do on the doc comes to light. Don't forget.

[Andrea Gunning]

She knew she'd caught Seth in a lie. He hadn't been at work that day at all. And he certainly hadn't been comforting a co worker. So where was he? Instead of asking him directly, she decided to wait and see what else she can find out. Plus, she wasn't ready to accuse him of anything.

[Nancy]

Once you put it out there that you don't trust them, your full relationship changes. It can really ruin even, like, a friendship. Say you and I, if we're friends and my pocketbook is missing, I put it in the wrong place. But now I'm like, did you take my pocketbook? Our friendship is over. It's over. You just have to be careful with stuff like that, you know? So I was kind of stuck until I can get something tangible.

[Andrea Gunning]

And soon she would get something tangible or maybe metaphysical. Nancy was in bed late one night, and out of their bedroom window, she could see Seth standing outside their house.

[Nancy]

And I saw a figure next to him. And I was half asleep and half awake, and I'm still back to sleep. And I talked to him the next day, and I said, were you okay last night? Did anything different happen? He goes, yeah, I almost got into a car accident. We were the only two cars in a row that almost got in a car accident. And I was like. I figured something was wrong. He said, why? And I told him the story how I saw the figure. I said, that was your guardian angel that saved him.

[Andrea Gunning]

After that, Seth was spooked. He knew she'd seen something. And Nancy knew that the figure next to him was no guardian angel.

[Nancy]

After that, you can tell he was so nervous to do anything.

[Andrea Gunning]

She wasn't about to start spying on him, so she waited.

[Nancy]

I'm not checking your pockets and your cell phone records and finding out where you're going or following you. Where you going. I'm not doing that. I'm not checking no man like that. I don't have time for that.

[Andrea Gunning]

But she kept setting traps in their conversations just to see how he would react.

[Nancy]

And I told him I kept having a reoccurring dream of him being with somebody else.

[Andrea Gunning]

Christmas was coming up, and that year, Seth went all out.

[Nancy]

Every year, we always said we would buy each other just one gift and we'd splurge everything else on our daughter. And we did that for the longest time. Well, this Christmas I got. It was an ipod at the time, the skinny one. And he got it engraved in back with a whole paragraph I love you. I love you to the day I die. I'm like, oh, wow. I got the Nikes with the pedometer that was inside the shoe. I mean, he gave me so many, and it was expensive gifts. And I'm like, why'd you buy me so much? He's like, I just wanted to. I'm like, okay.

[Andrea Gunning]

As Christmas Day went on, she noticed that Seth was acting strange.

[Nancy]

He was so quiet. Like, he's a quiet person anyway, but I mean, nothing. After we did the gifts, we were going to my mother's house in Boston. Not a word. Driving there, not a word. During dinner, not a word. Coming back home, I was like, what's wrong with you? Are you. You sick? What's wrong? He was like, nothing. I was like, something's wrong. What's the matter? Nothing. Okay. We went to bed. Two o'clock. Thank God. If I said, I can't take it anymore, something is wrong. What is wrong with you? He jumps out of the bed and he gets on his knees like he's gonna pray and closes his eyes and said, I got another woman pregnant.

[Andrea Gunning]

There it was, the confession she'd been waiting for. But it was much bigger than she could have imagined. The revelation was so overwhelming. She passed out.

[Nancy]

It was like somebody like, boom, right in my chest. I finally came to and I just said, well, I guess you just have to go. He said, just like that? I said, yeah, just like that. He goes, you're not even going to try to fight for me? I said, how can I fight for something I already lost? I said, you can come get your stuff later. For now, you have to go. Like, right now. Because if you don't, I really don't think you're worth going to jail for. So I really think you should leave.

[Andrea Gunning]

Right after he left, Nancy called her mom. It was 3:00am but of course, her mom still picked up.

[Nancy]

And she's like, I can't. I really can't believe this. Because you would have never known that. And she loved him to death. She said, he deserves an Oscar. He really deserves an Oscar.

[Andrea Gunning]

The next morning, Seth was at their front door. He needed to pack a bag.

[Nancy]

And that's when I asked, how long have you been seeing her? He admitted to four years. He goes, I know you knew. I was like, how? When you told me about that Guardian Angel, I knew you knew.

[Andrea Gunning]

Then Nancy figured that the dating website she'd seen years earlier was connected to this affair.

[Nancy]

And I said, and who the hell is Peter? He said, it's Spiderman. Like, I'M supposed to know? I was like, what? He said, that's his real name. I said, so what does that have to do with you? Because you're not a damn spider, man. He said, it's my favorite character. Okay, Spiderman.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth had been weaving a web of lies for their entire marriage, and Nancy was just starting to unravel it. She told him to expect divorce papers on Monday.

[Nancy]

He was like, you're divorcing me. I said, dude, you're not getting it. I told you, you gotta go. What you think I just wanted you gonna spend a night somewhere and just come back home? No. Done.

[Andrea Gunning]

With that conversation. Their marriage was over. They'd been together for 15 years. Nancy thought she'd heard the worst of it, but she'd soon realize his deception was far bigger than an affair.

[Nancy]

Kiwi eventually told me the whole story, and I said, why me? He said, as my uncle would say, why not you?

[Andrea Gunning]

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[Andrea Gunning]

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[Andrea Gunning]

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[Andrea Gunning]

Was blown apart when her husband confessed to getting another woman pregnant. But that wasn't the whole story. The real story started before Seth and Nancy even met. Here's what Seth confessed.

[Nancy]

He goes, well, I came to America with a visa. I was only supposed to stay for six months. I started a job and I decided I wanted to stay. And he said Marvin told him that you have to get your green card and to get that he would have to get married. And I said, oh, okay. He goes, well, it was you. I said, it was me. Like I was chosen. He said, yeah. So our relationship was set up from the beginning and I had no idea.

[Andrea Gunning]

The night Nancy first met Seth at the Caribbean Club, that wasn't fate. It was orchestrated. She'd been singled out by Seth's uncle Marvin, you know, the guy from work. And he invited Nancy There for a purpose.

[Nancy]

His uncle had his eye on me and invited me to the club. When I came to the club, he made sure his nephew was there, made sure his nephew danced with me.

[Andrea Gunning]

She felt lucky meeting Seth at the club, but it turns out it was all planned for one goal.

[Seth]

He told me his uncle was like, she looks like she has money. He's the one that put us together for this crappy green card.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Nancy got pregnant, she knew Seth was still on his visa.

[Nancy]

He goes, I have to go back. And I'm like, oh, no, I need you having a baby. So I said, so we can't get married because I didn't know. He goes, yeah, we can, but that changes everything. I just have to go and make it right. At the immigration office with the certificate.

[Andrea Gunning]

Called a green card, she was having a baby and was scared to lose Seth. So back then, Nancy had jumped into action.

[Nancy]

And I was like, okay, so what do we need to do? He's like, well, it's easier and faster if we have a lawyer. And I said, okay. So I spent $10,000 of my own money to get the lawyer.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy saw the green card as another piece of paperwork they needed to get married. She had no idea she was part of an elaborate scheme.

[Nancy]

I definitely feel like I was singled out. Fortunately for them, it worked out and Seth got his green card. Marvin was the mastermind of the whole thing.

[Andrea Gunning]

And to add insult to injury, Seth had another reason why he chose Nancy.

[Nancy]

He goes, well, you told me you couldn't have any children that fit into the plan, that I wouldn't have to have any connection with you. I said, wow, you guys are evil. That is evil.

[Andrea Gunning]

This revelation made her feel as if her whole relationship was manufactured, that she'd been used.

[Nancy]

I was just a pawn in their little game.

[Andrea Gunning]

Every day of their marriage, he welcomed her home with a glass of wine and a home cooked meal. Nobody had ever shown her love like this before. If Nancy was just a means to an end, why did Seth bother staying with her for 15 years? Well, Nancy asked him that directly, and.

[Nancy]

I said, okay, well, we were married for 15 years, so I don't understand. He said, well, I know I'm going to hell because I had to stay married to you a little bit longer because my girlfriend in Jamaica wanted to come here. And for me to be able to bring her here, I had to show that I was economically fit to be able to bring her here.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy had assumed the affair was from Seth's online dalliances as Peter Parker. But it turns Out. He'd been with the other woman for their entire entire marriage.

[Nancy]

He knew her in Jamaica. I don't know if it was since they were kids or all their life. I'm not sure. But he brought her here from Jamaica.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth finally confessed his double life to Nancy because he was just in too deep. It turns out the pregnancy he told Nancy about wasn't the first one. He had a whole other family, he.

[Nancy]

Told me that day, because she was pregnant again. So there were four. She was pregnant with the fifth. At that point, he couldn't take it anymore, like, do what he was doing financially with me and our daughter. He said he had come to a point where it was just becoming too much.

[Andrea Gunning]

All those years, Seth claimed to be working overtime. He was actually going over to his other house, to his other children. It shattered Nancy's reality.

[Nancy]

I felt like I was living the life of the Truman show, and I still feel that way. I don't know what was real or not. I feel like I would have cried because I feel so stupid. Everything was fake. Who was I living with? Are the walls real? Am I going to push them down? And we're on a television program. What is this?

[Andrea Gunning]

Their daughter was 14 at the time, and Nancy wanted to protect her from the reality of her father's dishonesty. She tried to maintain a sense of stability for her and her daughter. She moved to a new place while they figured out the divorce, divided their assets, and split up shared lives.

[Nancy]

I had moved to a smaller townhouse. I was going back and forth to the home that we owned together, Seth and I, because I had to figure out what I was bringing to my new home.

[Andrea Gunning]

They were waiting to put the house on the market until the divorce was final. In the meantime, clearing out the old house was a constant chore.

[Nancy]

One day, I went during the day, and I went to open the door with my key, but someone on the other side of the door opened it for me. Someone's in my house. Scared the living craps out of me. I'm like, who are you? He's like, who are you? I'm like, this is my house.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seth Short sold their house without telling Nancy. The person who'd opened the door was the new owner.

[Nancy]

I was only on the deed and not the mortgage, so I guess I didn't need to be there for the sale of the home.

[Andrea Gunning]

Since it was a short sale, there wasn't even a profit to divide in their divorce. Even though she'd paid half the mortgage for a decade, it felt like a slap in the face. She couldn't move out on her own terms. But to make matters worse, some of her most prized possessions were still sold with the house, and she would never see them again.

[Nancy]

My diaries and my ledgers that I been writing in since I was 12, 13. Up until that point, I had, like, a memory box that I had my daughter's baby shoes in it. It had hair bows of hers, something little things that, like, memory stuff, ornaments that meant something, you know, baby's first Christmas, things like that. All of that was gone, and it was just devastating.

[Andrea Gunning]

After they separated, Seth wasted no time stepping into his new life. After all, he'd been building it for some time.

[Nancy]

He has this whole other new family to go to, as if he didn't have to skip a beat while I'm scratching and scrounging to try to move and find out where I can live best for me and my daughter. And it just didn't seem fair.

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy was left to pick up the pieces. It all took an intense toll.

[Nancy]

I don't remember three years of that. After the divorce, I was like, in a fog. I don't know any other way to explain it. And I told my mother I lost like two or three years of my life. I don't even know what happened in between that because I was just going.

[Andrea Gunning]

Her daughter got her through those difficult.

[Nancy]

Years, and she was always my priority. Always. You kind of feel ashamed because I started thinking to myself, how stupid could I be?

[Andrea Gunning]

Nancy is a survivor.

[Nancy]

Even though I was considered ill with the twisted vowel, haunt, murmur, I was born a warrior.

[Andrea Gunning]

It took years to recover emotionally and feel like herself again. And now, 15 years post divorce, she's proud of how far she's come.

[Nancy]

And after time went on, I can talk about this without crying, without being upset, like, he doesn't deserve my tears. That's not my fault. I did survive, and I feel stronger now than I did before. The resilience in me, nobody can take that from me.

[Andrea Gunning]

We end all of our episodes with the same question. Why do you want to tell your story?

[Nancy]

It is my story, and I want to tell it. Maybe somebody's in it right now and they're not thinking about it because this happens too much and it's somebody's life. You know, I have a lot to give from that heartache that can turn into a good thing.

[Andrea Gunning]

On the next episode of Betrayal, I said to him on those last few days, as I was holding his hand in the hospital, I was just like, man, you've got to go up there. You've got to talk to mom. You got to find the answers.

[Betrayal Team]

If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team or want to tell us your Betrayal story, email [e-mail] that's betrayalpodmail.com we're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. Five star reviews go a long way. A 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 Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Federman. Associate producers are Kristen Melcuri and Caitlin Golden. Our iHeart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Cruncheck. Audio editing and mixing by Matt D'Alvecchio.

[Andrea Gunning]

Additional editing support from Tanner Robbins.

[Betrayal Team]

Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines Music Library provided by MIB Music and for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Andrea Gunning]

Clock's ticking.

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