Betrayal Season 5, Episode 2: "In Sickness and In Health | Saskia's Story"

Podcast by iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Published: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the life of Saskia Inwood, chronicling her journey from a tumultuous childhood to adulthood, and how her seemingly loving and supportive partner, Mike, ultimately betrays her in unimaginable ways. The episode explores themes of trauma, resilience, the “perfect victim” myth, and the devastating impact of hidden abuse. Through interviews with Saskia, her friends, and family, listeners are taken through her early life, struggles with mental health and addiction, the supportive facade of her marriage to Mike, and the disturbing discoveries leading up to his exposure.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Saskia’s Childhood and Early Struggles

• Happy Yet Traumatic Upbringing:
  • Saskia grew up in suburban D.C. Her childhood seemed “idyllic and traumatic at the same time,” as described by her sister, Marisa [06:16].
  • Her father suffered a major mental health crisis, leaving him unable to function as the person her mother married [06:35].
• Feelings of Neglect:
  • As the youngest of four and with her mother preoccupied by her father’s illness, Saskia often felt unwanted and unloved [07:28].
  • Notable quote:

    “Home didn't feel like a place that I was even really wanted … I don't think I got a hug from either of my parents ... until I started giving them out when I was in college.” — Saskia [07:28]

• Early Introduction to Drinking:
  • Saskia and her friends started drinking as early as 10, using it as a coping mechanism [08:02].

  • “Growing up from a very young age, binge drinking every weekend, that was our culture.” — Megan, Saskia’s friend [08:25]

2. Resilience and Loyalty

• Supportive Friend and Passionate Social Worker:
  • Saskia was always there for friends in crisis, such as Heather, whose abusive relationship she helped navigate [10:04].
  • Her empathy led her to a career in social work, working with vulnerable teens in foster care [10:30].

  • “Nobody that I have worked with in 27 plus years has done what Saskia has done ... with such optimism and joy ... as Saskia.” — Rob, attorney [11:16]

3. Patterns in Relationships: From Chaos to ‘Stability’

• First Marriage & Substance Use:
  • Her first marriage was marked by excessive partying and drinking [13:06], leading to loneliness and alcohol abuse [12:45].
• Turning Point & Personal Growth:
  • Leaving that marriage, Saskia sought therapy and tried to break patterns from her childhood and previous relationships [13:36].

4. Meeting Mike: A False Sense of Safety

• Mike as the Antithesis of Chaos:
  • Mike appeared stable, nurturing, supportive, and provided Saskia with the “healthy relationship” she felt she’d never had [14:13].
  • Family and friends approved and encouraged Saskia’s relationship with Mike [14:34].
• Feeling Seen and Supported:
  • She opened up to Mike about her vulnerabilities, past traumas, and mental health [15:54].

  • “He found me at a very vulnerable place ... Mike gave me all those things.” — Saskia [15:54]

• Mike’s Ongoing Support During Decline:
  • He was deeply involved during her mental and physical health struggles, helping at home, encouraging medical care, and expressing commitment through love letters [19:21], [20:04].

  • “Now that we have each other, there is nothing we can’t handle together.” — Excerpt from Mike’s letter, read by Marisa [20:17]

5. Mysterious Illness: The Decline Begins

• Rapid Onset of Debilitating Symptoms:
  • Severe fatigue, inability to wake up, insomnia, anxiety, and depression intensified after she carried her sister’s baby [16:57–18:09].

  • “It was like I was under quicksand or something … I was literally just trying to survive and get to the next day.” — Saskia [16:57–17:25]

• Reliance on Medication and Alcohol:
  • Despite treatment changes, nothing worked. Alcohol emerged as the only relief, but exacerbated problems [18:09].
• Career Impact:
  • Saskia had to take medical leave from work, feeling guilt over letting down her clients and colleagues [18:51].

6. Alarming Incidents and Growing Isolation

• Escalating Health Events:

  • Incidents included collapsing, injuries, blackouts, and concerning episodes noticed by friends and family [30:07], [45:07].

  • “I remember getting out of bed and I went in the shower. I kind of felt like I was underwater ... and I sat down with the shower still on ... crawled back to my bed. I must have slept for another six hours or something.” — Saskia [30:11]

  • Her absence from important events like her son’s birthday deeply affected her [46:02].

• Disbelief and Desperation:

  • Those closest to her were confused and worried, vacillating between attributing her symptoms to drinking and suspecting something more serious [45:39].
  • Saskia internalized shame and withdrew, believing she was becoming a burden [49:15].

  • “I was going crazy and I was an embarrassment. I was isolating myself from my friends, thinking that they didn't have the best intentions for me.” — Saskia [49:15]

7. Red Flags and The Night Everything Changed

• Strange Behavior from Mike:

  • Saskia noticed odd behaviors, especially around the time of their wedding [02:44–04:00, 21:01–21:41].
  • She awoke at night to see two people on Mike’s laptop, not understanding the context [03:21], [21:20].

  • “He said, ‘Oh, say hi.’” — Saskia, recalling Mike’s reaction when caught [03:44]

• Minimization by Friends and Self:

  • Friends initially reassured her it was nothing but “watching porn” [22:31].

• Ongoing Medical Crisis:

  • Even as these unnerving incidents continued, Saskia continued rationalizing them and trusted Mike, who remained supportive on the surface [28:27].

8. The Devastating Revelation

• Second Disturbing Incident – Chatterbait:
  • During a blackout episode after a Halloween party, Saskia awoke seeing Mike on his laptop again, this time recognizing the word “Chatterbait” and noticing a viewer count [53:35].

  • “I told myself this is really important and I need to remember anything that I can ... I saw the name Chatterbait. And then I remember seeing 1600 followers … Just remember these things. These are significant. And I passed back out.” — Saskia [53:35]

• Confrontation and Truth:
  • Saskia confronted Mike, who admitted she was the person in the video, streamed without her consent [54:29].

  • “I realized I was like, that's my underwear. I said, is that me? And he said, yes, that's you. And he said, I guess we're both a little bit crazy.” — Saskia and Mike [54:29–55:16]

• Aftermath and the Search for Justice:
  • The episode ends as Saskia realizes the horrifying depth of Mike’s betrayal and sets up the legal, personal, and emotional fight to come.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family Neglect:

  “Home didn't feel like a place that I was even really wanted.” — Saskia [07:28]

• On Coping with Early Trauma:

  “It helped me cope with a lot of things that I hadn't dealt with yet, like stuff from my childhood.” — Saskia [09:10]

• On Mike’s Perceived Support:

  “If I needed to sleep in, if I wasn't feeling well, he could take the kids to their sporting events … He would always make dinner every night.” — Saskia [19:21]

• On Sickness and Self-Blame:

  “I just wanted to be a good mom and a good wife and my kids remember those things ... my son knows I didn't go to his birthday party that year.” — Saskia [46:02]

• On Realizing the True Nature of Her Abuse:

  “I told myself this is really important and I need to remember anything that I can ... I saw the name Chatterbait … Just remember these things. These are significant.” — Saskia [53:35] “I realized ... that's my underwear ... is that me? And he said, yes, that's you.” — Saskia [54:29]

• Friends’ Retrospective Realization:

  “And I was like, holy shit. Knowing what I know now, I should have been like, get out.” — Heather [22:50]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Saskia’s Childhood and Family Dynamics: 05:06 – 07:28
• Early Drinking and Coping Patterns: 08:02 – 09:26
• Relationships and Social Work Career: 10:44 – 14:13
• Entering Relationship with Mike: 14:13 – 15:54
• Collapse into Mental & Physical Health Crisis: 16:35 – 19:07
• Mike’s Caretaking and Support: 19:21 – 21:01
• First Suspicious Incident Before Wedding: 02:44 – 04:00, revisited at 21:01 – 21:41
• Signs of Something Seriously Wrong: 27:57 – 31:36
• Hospitalizations and Decline: 33:20 – 34:24
• Impact on Family and Important Events Missed: 45:07 – 46:02
• Concerning Episodes Observed by Friends: 36:06 – 38:03, 44:12 – 46:52
• Second Incident and Chatterbait Discovery: 51:58 – 54:29
• Confrontation and Mike’s Confession: 54:29 – 55:16

Episode Tone and Closing Thoughts

The episode is emotionally raw, candid, and deeply empathetic. Drawing heavily from interviews with Saskia and those close to her, the narrative is unflinching in depicting the messiness and pain of living through hidden abuse, the spiral of self-doubt and illness, and the ways in which a perpetrator can manipulate their victim and inner circle. It challenges listeners to examine assumptions about “the perfect victim,” highlights the importance of listening to and believing survivors, and foreshadows Saskia’s coming fight for justice.

Next Episode Preview:
A preview teases an explosive reveal and the involvement of authorities, as Saskia fully comes to terms with Mike’s betrayal and seeks justice [55:21].

Resources:
For help with sexual violence: rainn.org/betrayal or call 1-800-656-HOPE.