Betrayal Weekly – Kimberly's Story

Podcast: Betrayal Weekly (iHeartPodcasts & Glass Podcasts)
Host: Andrea Gunning
Guest: Kimberly
Release Date: October 23, 2025
Episode Theme:
An intimate, harrowing first-person account of Kimberly—a woman whose successful, two-decade marriage was destroyed by her husband’s shocking double life, abuse, and betrayal. The episode chronicles Kimberly’s journey from love and partnership through devastation, trauma, and ultimately, hard-won resilience.

Episode Overview

Andrea Gunning returns to Betrayal Weekly to share Kimberly’s story—a cautionary tale of shattered trust and the long, traumatic road back to safety and selfhood. Kimberly recounts in vivid detail the rise and fall of her marriage to Tim: their modest beginnings, ascent into affluence, seemingly happy family life, and the unraveling that exposed Tim’s infidelity, involvement with sex workers, and escalating surveillance and harassment. This episode highlights themes of deception, manipulation, psychological abuse, and the ongoing consequences of betrayal.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life and Love Story

• Kimberly’s Upbringing (03:28):

  • Grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a modest family, but exposed to culture and travel through parents’ sacrifices.
  • “My parents would save up money and take us to New York and go see Phantom of the Opera... backpack through Europe...” – Kimberly (03:28)

• First in Family to Attend College (04:02):

  • Attended a women’s liberal arts college, among affluent peers—her first exposure to wealth and connections.

• Career Beginnings & Meeting Tim (05:03):

  • Moved to DC for a job in publishing; met Tim at a Halloween party.
  • Tim was an ambitious, charming southern transplant, working for a senator.

• Falling in Love (07:59):

  • Quickly grew close, enjoying high-society DC events and supporting one another’s ambitions.
  • “He was just so proud of me... he would always say, ‘I’m really proud of you. You’re doing so great.’” – Kimberly (08:04)
  • Their relationship quickly became serious.

2. Building a Life Together

• Marriage and Early Hardships (10:14):

  • Married in 1998; struggled financially at first, sharing simple lunches to save for the future.

• Supporting Each Other’s Careers (11:05):

  • Kimberly supported Tim through grad school while also working full-time.

• Financial Success (12:38):

  • Tim’s success in day trading and executive roles led to significant wealth—half a million dollars saved by their late 20s.
  • Decision to have children followed financial stability.

• Parenthood (13:24):

  • Welcomed three daughters; Tim supported Kimberly as a mother.
  • As his career flourished, Kimberly eventually left work to parent full-time.

• Family Life & Traditions (14:47):

  • Purchased a mountain vacation home—created years of happy memories.
  • “It was a magical place… We hiked every single trail and saw every single waterfall…” – Kimberly (14:51)

3. Cracks Appear: Estrangement & The Pandemic

• Growing Distant (15:23):

  • Kimberly noticed emotional disconnection as family routines eroded.

• Pandemic Disruption (16:05):

  • Tim, once energized by career travel, became agitated, restless, and aggressive in isolation.
  • Kimberly concealed her own stress to protect her daughters.
  • “It just became this daily fight… I had never seen him behave like this.” – Kimberly (16:26)

• Red Flags (17:13):

  • Tim’s alcohol use escalates.
  • Kimberly catches glimpses of “pictures of women” on his phone, sparking suspicion.

4. Discovery & Devastating Truth

• Finding the Evidence (22:36):

  • After searching Tim’s belongings, Kimberly discovers a stash of “Viagra, condoms, lubes, sex toys” in his gym bag.
  • “Everything I had always feared, he was cheating on me.” – Kimberly (22:36)

• Tim Confesses to an Affair (24:06):

  • Tim admits to sleeping with a cashier from Whole Foods, much younger than him.
  • Kimberly, reeling, asks him to leave immediately.

• Deeper Deceit Uncovered (26:40):

  • Kimberly’s own sleuthing on Tim’s computer reveals he’s been acting as a “sugar daddy,” paying young women for sex and support.
  • “My Tim... was a sugar daddy. He had been paying young women to have sex with him.” – Kimberly (26:47)
  • She tallies at least $40,000 spent on sex workers, with frequent trysts around the children’s school.

• Tim’s Emotional Breakdown (29:22):

  • Tim admits he has “a hole that I can't fill” and spirals into self-destructive behavior, including punching himself and threatening suicide.

5. Divorce, Surveillance, and Escalation

• The Divorce Battle (30:58):

  • Divorce proceedings turn bitter; Tim tries to minimize Kimberly’s settlement.
  • “If you continue down this path, I will... spend it burning you to the ground.” – Tim, quoted by Kimberly (31:57)

• Desire for Independence (35:59):

  • Kimberly fights for a clean cash settlement—refusing alimony as a means to escape control.
  • Eventually secures a 30/70 split, granting her freedom.

• Tim’s Threatening Behavior (36:43–42:38):

  • Kimberly experiences stalking:
    • Tim sends a disturbing gift basket with nuts (despite daughter’s known allergy).
    • Shows up at her date’s restaurant, loudly accusing her of illicit activity.
    • Sends taunting, invasive messages referencing her private appointments.
    • She discovers a tracking device in her car and learns he hacked her home security system, watching and listening remotely.
    • “He had accessed my home security system, logged me out, logged himself in, and made himself the master user…” – Kimberly (43:22)

• Protective Order Victory (45:20):

  • Court grants her a restraining order in a precedent-setting case:
    • “My attorney’s asking him, how many times did you look into Kimberly’s house and watch her? And he was like, countless. And the judge popped her head up, and she said, sir, I need you to explain that... Can you quantify that? He’s like, dozens.” – Kimberly (44:36)

6. Aftermath, Loss, and Reckoning

• Tim’s Downward Spiral (46:05):

  • Tim resorts to wild spending (private investigators, luxury junk, even trained attack dogs).
  • Builds a campaign of harassment, even threatening their daughters with legal action.

• Tim’s Death by Suicide (46:50):

  • Kimberly is notified by one of his ex-girlfriends that Tim took his own life.
  • “I felt shocked. And then I felt relief. And I hate that I felt that.” – Kimberly (46:54)

• Estate Turmoil (47:31):

  • Kimberly and her daughters are left to manage Tim’s chaotic legacy: a hoard of expensive, often irrational purchases, and evidence of his unraveling.

• Seeking Understanding (50:11):

  • Kimberly learns Tim checked into rehab for childhood sexual abuse, not substance abuse—a facet of his trauma she never fully understood.
  • “I called them... and they're like, he wasn't here for substance abuse… he was here for childhood sexual abuse. I was just shocked.” – Kimberly (50:45)

7. Resilience and Moving Forward

• Honoring the Good (51:35):

  • Kimberly and her daughters plan to scatter Tim’s ashes at their mountain house, focusing on good memories.

• Lingering Impact (52:02):

  • Kimberly admits lasting trauma:
    • “I have trouble finding joy like I used to. This did such a number on me for so long.” – Kimberly (52:02)

• Mother-Daughter Strength (52:19):

  • She reflects that her daughters gained skills, empathy, and resilience through adversity.

• Message for Listeners (52:55):

  • “I think it’s important for people to know when they do hit that rock bottom moment... You can get through these horrible times. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you're going to get to the other side.” – Kimberly (52:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kimberly’s Crushing Discovery:
  • “There was a treasure trove of Viagra, condoms, lubes, sex toys, and they were not mine. I was like, oh my God... everything I had always feared, he was cheating on me.” (22:36)
• On Her Husband’s Deception:
  • “I learned that my Tim... was a sugar daddy. He had been paying young women to have sex with him.” (26:47)
• On Betrayal:
  • “You just betrayed me in every single sense, and I need you to leave.” (25:02)
• On Living in Fear:
  • “I was definitely in trauma mode, wondering when he was going to pop up again... I unlocked and locked my door so many times, I actually broke the doorknob.” (42:46)
• Courtroom Moment:
  • “How many times did you look into Kimberly’s house and watch her? And he was like, countless. And the judge... said... can you quantify that? He’s like, dozens.” (44:36)
• Processing Tim’s Suicide:
  • “I was shocked. And then I felt relief. And I hate that I felt that. But it’s human nature. He had abused and tortured me and made my life living hell.” (46:54)
• Resilience:
  • “You can get through these horrible, horrible times... keep putting one foot in front of the other and you're going to get to the other side...” (52:55)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 03:28 | Kimberly’s childhood and first exposure to wealth | | 05:03 | Meeting Tim in DC | | 06:19 | First date at Russian embassy, whirlwind romance | | 10:14 | Marriage and adjusting to life together | | 12:38 | Financial success, decision to have children | | 14:47 | Purchase of mountain house, cherished family time | | 15:23 | Noticing growing distance pre-pandemic | | 16:26 | Tim’s personality changes during pandemic | | 17:13 | Discovery of suspicious online activity | | 22:36 | The discovery of evidence—Kimberly’s confrontation | | 24:06 | The confrontation and confession of infidelity | | 26:47 | Discovery of payments to sex workers and “sugar daddy” activity | | 29:22 | Tim’s emotional breakdown and confession of emptiness | | 31:57 | Tim’s threat to “burn Kimberly to the ground” during divorce | | 35:59 | Kimberly’s insistence on a cash settlement, ending alimony | | 36:43 | Tim’s escalation: stalking, surveillance, intrusion | | 43:22 | Kimberly discovers Tim hacked the home security system | | 44:36 | Court confrontation and judge’s reaction | | 45:20 | Protective order victory and its legal significance | | 46:50 | Kimberly learns of Tim’s suicide | | 47:31 | Managing Tim’s hoarded estate | | 50:45 | Learning about Tim’s childhood trauma and failed rehab attempt | | 51:35 | Plans for closure and remembering happier times | | 52:55 | Kimberly’s message of hope for listeners |

Conclusion

Kimberly’s story is one of extraordinary resilience—the journey from blissful partnership through betrayal, terror, trauma, and the struggle to rebuild a sense of self and safety. She candidly recounts how the man she loved and trusted became a stranger who threatened everything she valued, culminating in his abuse, manipulation, and tragic death.

Above all, the episode delivers a clear, empathetic message: you can survive deep betrayal and trauma. Kimberly’s determination, her bond with her daughters, and her willingness to share her truth are a testament to healing against the odds.

Next Episode Teaser

A new story of betrayal between best friends—tune in next week.

If you have experienced betrayal or wish to share your story, reach out to the Betrayal team via email or join the community on Substack.