In The Dark | EP 1 | Saskia's Story

Summary

Betrayal Weekly: "In The Dark" | EP 1 | Saskia's Story

Podcast: Betrayal Weekly
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Andrea Gunning
Theme: Firsthand accounts of trust shattered by shocking deception—this episode introduces Saskia Inwood’s story of marital betrayal, resilience, and the dark realities many women are only just beginning to bring into the light.

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode launches a fresh season of Betrayal Weekly with “Saskia’s Story,” shining a light on hidden crime and personal devastation. Host Andrea Gunning brings listeners into the life of Saskia Inwood, a woman whose world was upended by her husband’s secret life, exposing a crime so disturbing it left her questioning her reality and sense of safety. The episode explores trust, aftermath, and the slow process of healing, with deep honesty and empathy from all involved.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. The Moment Everything Changed

• Saskia’s Fearful Awakening
  • The story begins on the morning of October 28, 2018, after Saskia wakes from a night disrupted by half-remembered, ominous images on her husband’s laptop.
  • "I told myself, this is really important and I need to remember anything that I can." — Saskia Inwood (04:17)
  • "I woke up feeling so scared, like petrified. I didn’t know what I was looking at, but I knew that he was doing something in secret. It felt like I was in danger." — Saskia (05:07)
• Confrontation
  • That morning, Saskia confronts her husband:
    “I need you to tell me exactly what you’re doing, and I’m not going to tell the police if you totally come clean. And immediately the mask came off.” — Saskia (05:47)

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2. Background: A Life Rebuilt After Divorce

• Early Relationships & Family
  • Saskia’s warmth, humor, and "the Saskia laugh" are cherished by her lifelong friends (09:44).
  • Details of her first marriage to Chris, their children Alyssa and a younger son, and the painful custody battle after a difficult divorce.
• Support System
  • Close sisterly bond with Marisa, who is present for every emotional and practical hurdle.
  • "Saskia is my best friend...she’s the one person I can be myself around and say anything to.” — Marisa (13:31)
• Dating Again
  • After her divorce, Saskia quickly feels pressure to find a new partner, encouraged by Marisa to look for someone more stable and established (15:09).

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3. Meeting Mike: The Seeming "Good Guy"

• Online Dating & First Impressions
  • Saskia meets Mike on Match.com. Both are single parents, and his photos with his daughters and dog catch her eye (16:03).
  • "He was not the type of person that I usually go for at all. He was a little bit nerdy...he talked a lot about his job and things like that." — Saskia (20:59)
  • Marisa urges her to give Mike a real chance: “Some guys are more second date material. Maybe him being timid means he’s a regular guy.” — Marisa (21:47)
• Building Trust
  • Mike gives Saskia safety and stability:
    “He said, ‘I will never hurt you. I will always be here for you. Don’t run away. Let me help you.’” — Saskia (25:33)
  • His devotion and kind gestures—notes on her pillow, gifts from business trips—win over her and her support network.

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4. Blending Families & New Beginnings

• Meeting Each Other’s Kids
  • The kids get along from their first meeting at Dave & Buster’s:
    “His daughter grabbed my daughter’s hand and they were walking around together...they basically were best friends after that.” — Saskia (29:49)
• Living Together & Surrogacy Journey
  • Saskia offers to carry a baby for her sister Marisa after IVF disappointments (36:16).
  • Mike is supportive throughout, drawing praise from Marisa:
    “I was grateful for Mike...He was very supportive. Yeah, we called him one of the team.” — Marisa (39:12)

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5. Engagement & Marriage: Cracks Begin to Show

• Proposal & Wedding
  • After a trip to Amsterdam, Saskia hints it would be nice to be engaged (40:56). Mike proposes in a private, thoughtful way on her birthday with a personalized book.
    "He gives me this little book...on the last page it said, ‘Will you marry me?’...It was beautiful. You know, we hugged and kissed and I said, ‘it’s about time.’” — Saskia (42:47)
• Mixed Reactions at the Wedding
  • Some friends, like Megan, saw a happy blended family:
    “She seemed so happy and we were all happy for her...It was just a great day for everyone.” — Megan (46:14)
  • Others, like Heather, noticed Saskia seemed distant and uncomfortable:
    “She looks so uncomfortable...the entire time she’s up there during the ceremony, they’re far apart.” — Heather (47:03)

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6. Red Flags & Betrayal Revealed

• Ominous Warning Before the Wedding

  • Heather recalls Saskia coming over “unnerved” before her wedding, describing a blurred incident where she saw Mike’s laptop open with people on the screen.
    “She seemed unnerved...said that her and Mike had been out drinking...she saw a laptop open and there were people on the screen.” — Heather (47:19)
  • Saskia’s memory is foggy, but the image haunts her:
    “It was literally like a snapshot in time in a fog...I didn’t know if it was like a movie or whether he knew them.” — Saskia (47:58)
  • Mike’s only response: “Oh, say hi.”

• Season Preview

  • The episode closes with a chilling teaser:
    “People were paying to see this go down.” — Megan (48:57)
    Saskia and her friends are left grappling with the reality that home and marriage—the supposed safe havens—can be where the gravest betrayals hide.

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MEMORABLE QUOTES

• “You’re a dangerous person who preys on vulnerable and trusting people. You’re a predator. Michael Levengood.” — Saskia, confronting her husband (09:03)
• “From then on out, Mike was team Saskia.” — Saskia, describing her sense of security (25:45)
• “She looks so uncomfortable... There was no hand holding, no loving gaze.” — Heather, on seeing Saskia at her wedding (47:03)
• “I need you to tell me exactly what you’re doing...the mask came off.” — Saskia (05:47)

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IMPORTANT SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• Saskia’s Night of Discovery: (04:17 – 05:47)
• Saskia’s Early Life & First Marriage: (09:44 – 12:59)
• Support from Sister Marisa: (13:10 – 15:00)
• Meeting Mike & First Dates: (16:03 – 22:08)
• Blending Families: (29:49 – 31:25)
• Surrogacy for Marisa: (36:16 – 39:54)
• Engagement & Wedding: (40:56 – 46:14)
• Wedding Red Flags: (46:39 – 47:58)
• Season Teaser: (48:57)

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TONE & STYLE

Open, reflective, and at times heartbreakingly matter-of-fact, with moments of warmth and humor from Saskia’s friends and family—contrasted sharply by the chilling realization of betrayal. Andrea Gunning’s hosting is both compassionate and incisive, helping the listener understand the enormity of Saskia’s ordeal while emphasizing her resilience.

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FINAL NOTE

This episode sets the stage for a season exploring hidden crimes and the strength required to heal from betrayal. Listeners are reminded they are not alone in their experiences—and are offered support resources via RAINN at rainn.org/betrayal.

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For additional support or to connect with the Betrayal community, reach out at [e-mail] and via Substack at betrayal.substack.com.

Transcript

[Andrea Gunning]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Andrea Gunning]

I have some exciting news to share. ABC has turned Betrayal Weekly into an eight episode anthology, which means each episode features one of your favorite Betrayal Weekly stories. You'll get to see the people involved, hear from people who have never spoken before, and actually see where the story took place. We are so proud and excited to share it with you all. It's called Betrayal, Secrets and Lies and you can watch it every Sunday at 10pm Eastern Standard Time, 9pm Central. Please check it out. On the morning of October 28, 2018, Saskia woke up in the same bed she always did. It was the bed she'd shared with her husband for years. She felt her regular cotton sheets around her and she opened her eyes to the same white ceiling. But this morning was different because the night before, Saskia had seen something.

[Saskia Inwood]

I told myself, this is really important and I need to remember anything that I can.

[Andrea Gunning]

In the middle of the night, she awoke in a haze to find her husband on his laptop. His face was aglow in the light of his screen. What was on that screen she knew would change her life forever.

[Saskia Inwood]

I was so out of it. It was like I was in a dream. But I also knew that this was really serious. I told myself, you have to remember this. I just knew and I passed back

[Andrea Gunning]

out in the morning. She could still picture it. Flashes of one image ran through her mind. It was a window into a life her husband never planned for her to see.

[Saskia Inwood]

And so I woke up feeling so scared, like petrified. I didn't know what I was looking at, but I knew that he was doing something in secret. It felt like I was in danger and I knew that I had to confront him and find out what was going on.

[Andrea Gunning]

That morning marked the end of a marriage of a family, but with that ending came a new dawn. Saskia didn't know it at the time, but in climbing out of bed that morning, she was finally climbing out of the dark.

[Saskia Inwood]

I told him I needed to talk to him. I had his laptop and I told him what I had seen the night before. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing, and I'm not going to tell the police if you totally come clean. And immediately the mask came off.

[Andrea Gunning]

I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, Season five, Episode one in the Dark. This season is about a crime our team had never heard of before. That is, until we heard about it from a listener. She was a woman in the Midwest, a mom. Over the course of a few months and many phone calls, she told us the story of what happened to her. And the crime she described horrified us. We couldn't imagine how anyone could do something so cruel to someone they loved. But then we heard from another listener, and another and another. That mom in the Midwest wasn't alone. Dozens of women were discovering the same thing. The husbands they knew in the light of day were different people. When the lights went out, one of these women was Saskia Inwood.

[Saskia Inwood]

That's a quick ride.

[Andrea Gunning]

After getting to know Saskia over the last year, we drove down to visit her in Maryland. She welcomed us into her home. Today, Saskia has a full, beautiful life. She's got a great job, two thriving kids, a house full of pets, friends who'd do anything for her. But it was a long road to get here. For a while, it was difficult to even leave her house.

[Saskia Inwood]

Being around people that just had normal lives or happy relationships or were talking about, I don't know what they bought at the store. It just wasn't where I was at. So it was easier for me to isolate. And everything went dark for me.

[Andrea Gunning]

Since that morning, seven years ago, Saskia's overcome something unimaginable. Betrayal that threatened everything.

[Saskia Inwood]

It was clear to me that Ms. Inwood was comatose. Not asleep, but comatose, unconscious.

[Andrea Gunning]

It was a betrayal that altered her sense of reality. It shattered her ability to feel safe in her own home and even in her own body.

[Saskia Inwood]

You pretended to squirt me through my ups and downs. Number one, flitting on that you were using me.

[Andrea Gunning]

By signing her marriage certificate, Saskia had no idea all that she was signing away and that the man she was marrying would try to break her.

[Saskia Inwood]

You're a dangerous person who preys on vulnerable and trusting people. You're a creditor. Michael Levengood.

[Andrea Gunning]

On our Trip down to Maryland. We spent a lot of time with Saskia's friends. She's had this same group since elementary school. For the most part, they haven't ventured far from home, which is Montgomery County, Maryland, about an hour outside of D.C. this group around Saskia, they're her people. They've been there since day one. When we asked her friends what they love most about Saskia, so many of them pointed to one thing.

[Saskia Inwood]

That Saskia laugh.

[Megan]

That is the most genuine, heartfelt laugh.

[Saskia Inwood]

Her laugh alone cracks me up.

[Andrea Gunning]

That's Melissa. And here's another friend, Carrie.

[Saskia Inwood]

She has this. It's like not a cackle because it's beautiful. She'll be like, ha, ha ha ha. I can't even do it. But I think I was close though.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia's got a great sense of humor and when it comes to dating, she's always looked for the same in other people. Here's Saskia.

[Saskia Inwood]

I always liked someone, you know, just making jokes. Someone fun, silly, goofy. Don't like to talk about work when I'm not at work, that kind of stuff.

[Andrea Gunning]

In her 20s, she liked guys with big laughs, big personalities, guys who didn't take themselves too seriously.

[Saskia Inwood]

But yeah, usually that came with not being the most responsible people in life.

[Andrea Gunning]

Some of the men she dated were unemployed. Others had a habit of getting into trouble.

[Saskia Inwood]

I remember I had one boyfriend who was shoplifting when I was with him and we both got in trouble. Even though it wasn't shoplifting. He felt terrible. It was like, let her go home. And they were like, no.

[Andrea Gunning]

When she was 28, she met the man who'd become the father of her kids. We'll call him Chris.

[Saskia Inwood]

We met at a Jaw Works concert. It's a reggae band.

[Andrea Gunning]

Chris seemed a little more responsible. He'd served in the army, but he was also the life of the party, just like the other guys from Saskia's past.

[Saskia Inwood]

I thought he was really good looking and funny and silly. So we started dating and things went pretty fast after that.

[Andrea Gunning]

Within a year, they decided to move in together.

[Saskia Inwood]

And then literally two weeks after that, I found out that I was pregnant.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia was thrilled at the time. She was a social worker in child welfare and she always knew that she wanted children of her own. They had a girl, Alyssa.

[Saskia Inwood]

Alyssa was the cutest baby in the world. I'll have to show you guys pictures. You'll die. She was so just chunky and so cute.

[Andrea Gunning]

She and Chris wanted to make their little family official and we took her

[Saskia Inwood]

in a little stroller to the justice of the peace. And we got married after that.

[Andrea Gunning]

They had another baby, a boy.

[Saskia Inwood]

We were ecstatic. We high fived in the sonogram room because it was the first boy on his side of the family. And Alyssa loved her little brother. She was always holding his hand and pulling in places.

[Andrea Gunning]

Being a mom was a dream. But Saskia felt alone in her marriage. After five years, Chris just didn't feel like her person.

[Saskia Inwood]

I felt like he didn't care about any of my needs or my wants. I've always wanted love and that wasn't it.

[Andrea Gunning]

So she asked Chris for a divorce

[Saskia Inwood]

and he basically told me, you can leave.

[Andrea Gunning]

He didn't fight for her. Even though she had asked for the separation. It wasn't easy. They had a years long custody battle.

[Saskia Inwood]

It was a very, very painful, difficult divorce. I felt very unsteady and scared during that period.

[Andrea Gunning]

During this time, she leaned on her older sister, Marisa. Of all the women surrounding Saskia, all the people you'll hear from this season, Marisa is Saskia's rock. She drove Saskia to every one of our interviews and she sat in the next room while we talked just so Saskia could feel her support.

[Marisa]

Saskia is my best friend. Over my lifetime, she's been the one person that I can be myself around and say anything to. And I feel like that's mutual.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Sasia first moved out, she stayed with Marisa. Marisa saw her sister cope with the separation.

[Marisa]

She was fragile, you know, definitely wanted it to work and did not want to be moving on and becoming a single parent to two little kids. I remember her crying a lot.

[Andrea Gunning]

But at the same time she was strong.

[Marisa]

She went out and got herself an apartment. She networked with her friends. She found her resilience. I was really proud of her.

[Andrea Gunning]

Here's Saskia again.

[Saskia Inwood]

I didn't wait very long after splitting up, getting my own apartment before I started looking for somebody. I definitely wish that I would have healed from my first marriage, but I think that there was just so much work to do that I had no idea I had to do that. I felt like I would find the answers in another person.

[Andrea Gunning]

Marisa could see how important it was to her sister to find a partner.

[Marisa]

Companionship is part of what gives us solace through hard times, you know what I mean? That social interaction and being loved by somebody, it's like soothing. So I feel like she's always wanted that in her life.

[Andrea Gunning]

But Saskia knew if she wanted a real partner, she might have to go for something different. To look beyond her usual bad boys.

[Saskia Inwood]

So my sister helped me make a profile, a match.

[Andrea Gunning]

Marisa pushed her to look for someone driven, established in their career.

[Marisa]

I was encouraging her to be choosy. She's always had professional careers and she's always been really great at her job because of her empathy and her compassion and her, you know, all of those strengths that she has.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia gave match her best shot. She went on a few dates, but no one impressed her.

[Saskia Inwood]

I was about to throw in the towel and just say, I don't feel like doing this anymore.

[Andrea Gunning]

And that's when she found Mike.

[Saskia Inwood]

His pictures seemed really sweet. There was one of him with a dog, which of course tugs at my heart. And then he had a picture of him with his two daughters.

[Andrea Gunning]

He was in the midst of a divorce too. He was a single parent, a girl dad, and he had a good job.

[Saskia Inwood]

He worked for bank of America. He was a vice president of marketing.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mike was the quintessential good guy, the safe choice. And safe was exactly what Saskia was looking for.

[Saskia Inwood]

My wish in life was to have true love and to have someone to be a good stepdad to my kids. And Mike seemed like the perfect guy. Foreign.

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[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia was ready to give up on dating when one profile caught her eye. Mike looked gentle. He was a girl dad with a kind smile and kind eyes.

[Saskia Inwood]

So I think I waved, winked, whatever you do, and he responded back. And then we started communicating. And he asked for a date pretty quickly.

[Andrea Gunning]

The first date was casual. They met at a brewery and we

[Saskia Inwood]

were going to have a couple drinks at the bar.

[Andrea Gunning]

But that night the bar was packed,

[Saskia Inwood]

so they sat us at the most uncomfortable, awkward twosome spot in the restaurant.

[Andrea Gunning]

Immediately, one thing was clear.

[Saskia Inwood]

He was not the type of person that I usually go for at all. He was a little bit nerdy. He had a glass of wine and he was like stirring his wine, which I thought was weird. He talked a lot about his job and things like that. Just wasn't as jokey as I'm used to.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia was used to guys who would crush a few beers in the first hour, guys who would have one eye on the game the whole date. Mike in his button down shirt and skinny jeans, swirling his wine was anything but.

[Saskia Inwood]

I just kind of wanted to get through the date and I remember afterwards telling my sister, like, he was nice, he's successful, everything on paper sounds good, but I'm not sure if it was there. And I remember my sister saying, if he's not your usual type, that could be a good thing.

[Marisa]

I actually encouraged her to go on a second date with him. I said, some guys are more second date material. Maybe him being timid on the first date means he's a regular guy. You know, not everybody has to be a huge personality.

[Andrea Gunning]

Off the gate, Saskia gave him another shot. And in round two, Mike started to grow on her.

[Saskia Inwood]

We were going to meet for a second date and I think I had something come up with the kids. So he suggested that we have a phone date and grab a glass of wine and we can talk. I'm not a phone person and it wasn't something that I thought that I would enjoy, but I thought it was really cute and endearing.

[Andrea Gunning]

By their third date, they both were a little more at ease. They got sushi and the date went well enough that Saskia brought him out with her coworkers.

[Saskia Inwood]

My friend was having a little birthday get together and we drove over to the bar and everyone's just having fun, drinking, taking shots.

[Andrea Gunning]

And after the party, Saskia took Mike home.

[Saskia Inwood]

He slept over in the morning. We ended up being intimate and I was like, I can get with this, I could do this. He was in really good shape. It felt like we had really good chemistry. It wasn't wild, it wasn't crazy, but just felt good.

[Andrea Gunning]

She started to see Mike in a new light. He made her feel safe and comfortable.

[Saskia Inwood]

And then it just kind of picked up after that.

[Andrea Gunning]

After a month of dating, it was time for Mike to meet Saskia's friend group. This wasn't an easy crowd to jump into. After all, they've known each other forever. Here's another one of Saskia's, Bridget.

[Bridget]

We just keep it real. We've known each other so long that we're not going to sugarcoat anything. If we see a red flag, we're gonna be like, what are you doing? You're an idiot. Like, let me Tell you what I see.

[Andrea Gunning]

Bridget's a tough critic. And knowing all that Saskia had been through, she wasn't sure if she was going to like Mike.

[Bridget]

When she just got out of this one marriage. I was very protective and I thought

[Megan]

the world of him.

[Bridget]

I thought he was great. And I was like, finally, she deserves this. She deserves to be happy.

[Andrea Gunning]

Here's another friend, Heather.

[Heather]

I liked him right away. I thought he was really nice. He seemed kind, he seemed gentle. I just thought he was put together.

[Andrea Gunning]

Marisa, Saskia's sister, liked him too.

[Marisa]

Normal guy, seems even keeled. He's not overly showy, trying to impress us. He's being polite, he's being respectful.

[Saskia Inwood]

Okay.

[Marisa]

You know, maybe this guy will work

[Andrea Gunning]

with her friends and sister's approval. Any doubts Saskia had about Mike went away.

[Saskia Inwood]

Everybody from the get go thought that he was just a catch.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mike was a great boyfriend. He took Saskia on nice dates, basketball games, fancy dinners, massages.

[Saskia Inwood]

He had plenty of money for us to do nice things. And it made me feel really special and important that he wanted to do these fun things with me and that I was worth that to him.

[Andrea Gunning]

But right as Mike started to get serious, Saskia pulled away. She was still in the middle of her custody battle. She didn't have room for one more thing on her plate.

[Saskia Inwood]

There was one time where I was having like a breakdown about stuff with the kid's dad and I just said, I can't deal with you right now, like I'm going through too much. And he was like, no, I'm coming over. Let me help you through this.

[Andrea Gunning]

That night he went over. He wanted to be there.

[Saskia Inwood]

He said, I will never hurt you. I will always be here for you. Don't run away. Let me help you.

[Andrea Gunning]

He showed up for her. She'd never had that before.

[Saskia Inwood]

From then on out, Mike was team Saskia.

[Andrea Gunning]

A teammate, a partner, someone that was on her side.

[Saskia Inwood]

He helped me to feel like my life was going to go on and that I could have a positive future despite what happened with my ex.

[Andrea Gunning]

As friends and family got to know Mike, they saw just how much he had to offer. Here's her friend, Megan.

[Megan]

He was like a knight in shining armor. I mean, she dated guys without a job. And then you get Mike and he's like vice president at the bank. And he was just like this standup guy with a great job and two kids. I mean, it looked great at the time.

[Andrea Gunning]

Megan was actually married to one of Saskia's older brothers, and her brothers didn't really Get Mike.

[Megan]

They thought he was like a dork. You know, they watch football, play cards, drink beer. And Mike was like this, you know, yoga guy who ate granola.

[Andrea Gunning]

The nerdy corporate type stuck out in this crowd.

[Megan]

I mean, he was just different. And that's what every one of us thought was a good thing.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia needed different. Slowly, Mike was integrating into her world and she liked that.

[Saskia Inwood]

He was everything that I thought would be good for me, good for my kids, and I did fall in love with him. It was in, like, the boom. You get hit with this love from the beginning, right? It grew at a pace that I felt like was a healthy pace.

[Andrea Gunning]

As their love grew, so did Saskia's comfort level. She could let her guard down.

[Saskia Inwood]

There was one time where we played strip bowling or something. I mean, something like that. It sounded fun at the time and it was kind of fun, especially because I never had that with my first husband. I didn't think he desired me at all. So here this was. And it felt like, wow, like, this person that I'm gonna be with, like, we do, like, desire each other and we can have fun and it is sexual and, like, that's good because it shouldn't be just a roommate situation.

[Andrea Gunning]

When he tried to spice things up, he was respectful of her boundaries.

[Saskia Inwood]

I remember one time he took a picture of me and showed me how good my butt looked or something like. And I explicitly asked him, what are you doing with that picture? And he's like, well, of course I'm going to erase it. I would never show it to anybody.

[Andrea Gunning]

She had every reason to trust him. They loved each other.

[Saskia Inwood]

When he would go to work in the morning, he would always leave me, like, a note on my pillow.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia shared some of those notes with us. Here's a voice actor reading.

[M]

One half of me wishes that we would have met ten plus years ago just because I think of all the time we would have had. But then I realized it just wasn't meant to happen back then. I am finally at a place in my life where I can embrace who I am. And I just feel like you are the other half, the one who makes me complete. It is not easy to open up so much because you open yourself up to being hurt. But I don't care. I will do anything for you to know how I feel.

[Andrea Gunning]

After years of feeling alone in her first marriage, Mike's words meant a lot. He made it clear how much he loved her. Whenever he traveled for work, we always

[Saskia Inwood]

had a nice sweet kiss before he left and a big Hug and we would talk every night and he would always bring me something from his trips, like a bracelet or a little trinket.

[Andrea Gunning]

But there was one final test their relationship had to pass. Introducing their kids. At the time, Mike's daughters were 11 and 7. Saskia's daughter was 5 and her son was 3. They set aside a whole Saturday for the kids to finally meet.

[Saskia Inwood]

We met at Dave and Buster's in the mall. I brought my kids, he brought his kids and his daughter grabbed my daughter's hand and they were walking around together and just so excited to show each other their favorite games and we had them pick out prizes at the end. And that was their first meeting and they basically were best friends after that.

[Andrea Gunning]

From that point on they began hanging out more and more, all six of them.

[Saskia Inwood]

Shortly after that we were at my apartment and we had a power outage, no electricity, and didn't know when we were going to get electricity turned on. So we all made a trip to Mike's apartment and so we had a little like family bonding there and it was really cute. We had to like figure out who's going to sleep where in this little two bedroom apartment. It turned into a really fun time.

[Andrea Gunning]

Mike's daughters started to feel like her own. As co parents, Mike and Saskia made a good team. They balanced each other out.

[Saskia Inwood]

He was kind of more the organized, practical one. I was more the social coordinator and the nurturing, fun mom. And so he relied on me for that and like I relied on him for saying like, okay, it's time to go to bed or those kinds of things.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia always loved motherhood and she loved having a packed house.

[Saskia Inwood]

I liked having the four kids together. It was like your breakfast is like a little conveyor belt. I liked it. I liked being a mom of four and we were a family. I wish I could say that we had a happy end to our story, but that wasn't reality.

[Sheba Cat Food Announcer]

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Complete disclosures [e-mail] disclosures if you're feeling

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[Martha Stewart]

Martha Stewart from the Martha Stewart Podcast. Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret. When prepping for cooking and baking, get ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Just lightly wet the counter so the paper grips. Lay it down and drips and spills stay on the paper, not on your counter. Cleanup is as simple as lifting it away to reveal clean counters effortless it is thanks to Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper. Wet it, set it, prep it, done. Available in the Reynolds wrap aisle at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco.

[Andrea Gunning]

A year into dating, Mike was staying at Saska's apartment most nights.

[Saskia Inwood]

And then my lease was getting ready to be up, and Mike and I both felt like it was just the natural progression to rent a place together. So we started looking and was really exciting.

[Andrea Gunning]

They moved into a townhouse. His daughters started sleeping over, too, whenever they weren't with their mom. Marisa felt like her sister had found

[Marisa]

the one with him and her balance. She did seem to be, like, kind of becoming her best self. They seemed like good partners. She brought the energy and the fun, and he brought stability and, you know,

[Saskia Inwood]

was a good match.

[Andrea Gunning]

At the time, Marisa was going through a lot. She and her husband Ronnie, were trying to get pregnant, and Saskia could see it was weighing on her.

[Saskia Inwood]

It was a lot of hope and disappointment regarding my sister's journey to have a child. She had so many almosts where they were trying to do ivf. She would be so excited. And a few weeks down the line, you know, they get the bad news, and I could just see that my sister was not going to be fulfilled without having her own family and having her own kids. So then after the last time that they told her she didn't have any more tries with the ivf, I just said, you know, I would love to give it a try.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia offered to carry Marisa's child. For Marisa, accepting this offer felt like giving up her dream of carrying a baby herself. But then again, this could be our only option. Here's Marisa.

[Marisa]

One of the things Saskia said to me was, you're comparing the wrong things. You're comparing carrying your own child with what is possible, and carrying your own child is not possible. She knew what to push me. And that was a big eye opener, like, oh, yeah, I'm still mourning a loss instead of looking at what I can gain here.

[Andrea Gunning]

After a lot of conversations, Marisa was in and Saskia was excited to carry her baby. Of course, it was a big decision. It would mean carrying another man's child and it would change her body significantly. So Saskia brought it to Mike.

[Saskia Inwood]

I discussed it with him. He said that he was on board and that he thought it was a really loving, special thing to do. I also talked with the kids about it, you know, told them we were trying to have a baby for Marisa. The baby might be in my tummy, and we had this whole kangaroo book that we read to them and I don't know that they totally understood. But once everybody was kind of on board, we started the process.

[Marisa]

I think it made her happy to be able to do it and everybody was so amazed by what she was doing. So you're getting us ton of positive feedback and you're pregnant and everybody loves pregnant people. I think it was a good happy phase for her.

[Andrea Gunning]

Still, pregnancy isn't all smiles. And Mike was there every step of the way, making things as comfortable as possible.

[Saskia Inwood]

For Saskia, having a baby at 36, as opposed to 29 was different. So I'd have more like aches and pains. He would give me massages every night. He was there by my side for whatever was important to me and my family also. And I think it brought him closer to my family. They thought, what a great guy, that he's not worried about how this would affect him, that he's going to be there for you.

[Andrea Gunning]

Seeing him step up during the pregnancy deepened Marisa's respect for Mike.

[Marisa]

I was grateful for Mike when they were together and he agreed to participate in that process. I thought that was amazing. I didn't think a lot of men would do that. And he was very supportive. Yeah, we called him one of the team.

[Andrea Gunning]

When Saskia gave birth, Mike was right by her side.

[Saskia Inwood]

He was there at the end of the delivery room bed. So he was like the perfect partner to go through this with.

[Andrea Gunning]

The nurses handed the baby to Marisa. Saskia watched with love. Her sister was finally a mom.

[Saskia Inwood]

I just thought he was so beautiful and I was so proud. And I could just see my sister, like, so proud, like, this is my baby.

[Marisa]

She gave me the greatest gift in the world. And I think she did that because of who she is, not because of any kind of sense of obligation or like, I need to offer this. I think she just felt my pain and wanted to step up for me. And I think that is a beautiful thing.

[Andrea Gunning]

After the pregnancy, Marisa and Saskia were closer than ever. And Saskia felt closer to Mike too. The care he'd given her confirmed what she already knew. Mike was a real partner at this point. They'd been together for three years, but the two of them never talked about getting married.

[Saskia Inwood]

Neither of us were like, gung ho looking to this relationship for a marriage. We didn't know if that was like the end result that we were looking for. We knew we wanted to be together, but as our families got really close, it didn't feel right to say, this is my Boyfriend.

[Andrea Gunning]

So Saskia told Mike how she was feeling.

[Saskia Inwood]

I was like, you know, it would really. It would be nice to be engaged. It would be nice to, like, be able to say, this is my fiance. We don't have to get married anytime soon. But it would be nice.

[Andrea Gunning]

And Mike thought it would be nice too. With engagement on the brain, Saskia and Mike took a trip to Amsterdam. They wanted to visit Saskia's relatives. Her mom's side is Dutch, and a vacation felt like the perfect way to celebrate the end of the pregnancy.

[Saskia Inwood]

We went to the Heineken brewery, walked around, got Nutella coffees, and went to the smoke shops. And I. I loved it because there was, like, cats in some of the smoke shops just walking around. I was like, this is my happy place. This is the best.

[Andrea Gunning]

They even went at the red light district.

[Saskia Inwood]

It felt like something that we were doing just because we, like, went in Rome, went to this one place, they give you, like, a ticket and there's a hole that you look through in a wall. So I looked, and he's looking at a different hole. And it was two people having sex. It was the least exciting. They had zero anything on their faces. Like, they were just, like, having sex. And I was like, what the hell? Who wants to watch that?

[Andrea Gunning]

The trip came and went, and despite conversations they had in the lead up to the trip, Saskia returned home without a ring.

[Saskia Inwood]

There was a lot of really cool moments where I'm like, oh, that could have been a nice engagement opportunity. So after we got back, everyone was just, where's her ring? Like, my brother was like, what's going on? What's going on? Mike kind of teasing him about it. And so I think that put in his head.

[Andrea Gunning]

Shortly after that came Saskia's birthday.

[Saskia Inwood]

We went to this restaurant with a bunch of my friends and we were sitting outside and I remember I was, like, talking with Bridget and she asked me about the trip or something. I said, look, I am about ready to just be pissed off because he knows we wanted to get engaged. And she was like, saskia, just don't bring it up today. Just give it another month or something. Just be patient. Later that night, we were in the bedroom and I was, like, getting ready to go to bed, and he gives me this little book and it's saying, like, all these things about our relationship, all the stuff that he likes about me. And, like, he personalized it and on the last page of the book, it said, will you marry me? And I was like, what? And then I looked up and he had the ring and it was a ring that I wanted. It was a tanzanite. I didn't want a diamond. It was beautiful. You know, we hugged and kissed and I said, it's about time. And yeah. And so it was really exciting.

[Andrea Gunning]

Sasuke and Mike were happy to be engaged, but they didn't feel a need to rush to the altar or even get to the altar at all. They'd both already been married once before. Being engaged was enough.

[Saskia Inwood]

I would have kept him my forever fiance. There was no, like, okay, now let's plan a wedding. We were okay with taking our time. And it was that way for about six months, maybe a year even. And then it seemed like all of a sudden he was in a hurry to have us pick a place, pick a date. He was very insistent upon it. Once he set that in motion, we started going to like different venues and that started happening pretty quickly. And then we decided on the Waverly Mansion and it was just a really beautiful venue.

[Andrea Gunning]

With most of the money going towards the venue, Saskia tried to save wherever she could.

[Saskia Inwood]

Heather was making cookie favors for there were like two lovebirds. There was. She's really good at making fancy cookies. I borrowed Bridget's dress, which she was happy about because she spent way too much money on it and only got to wear it once.

[Andrea Gunning]

Finally, the wedding day arrived.

[Saskia Inwood]

I got up, went to Nordstrom to have my makeup done, bought some makeup. You know how you have to do that. My sister's friend did my hair, all the girls hair. And then we all trucked to the Waverly Mansion and had the bride's suite there.

[Andrea Gunning]

The day was as much about the four kids as it was Mike and Saskia.

[Saskia Inwood]

Mike had this idea to do a sand ceremony where basically everybody picks a color of sand. My son picked blue, the girls picked purple and pink. Mike and I each had a color. And everybody pours sand into this glass vase and just symbolizes the family coming together, merging into one family.

[Andrea Gunning]

Megan, her sister in law, remembers it as a beautiful wedding.

[Megan]

She seemed so happy and we were all happy for her and we were happy for the kids that they had two new stepsisters and we had new nieces. We were just so happy to like integrate them into our family. And it was official now, so it was just a great day for everyone.

[Andrea Gunning]

But that wasn't how everyone felt. Here's Heather.

[Heather]

The entire night she seemed off

[Andrea Gunning]

sitting in her chair watching Saskia at the altar. Heather wanted to be happy for her friend, but to her, Saskia didn't seem

[Heather]

happy at all the entire time that Sassa's up and they're during the ceremony, they're far apart.

[Andrea Gunning]

There was no hand holding, no loving gaze.

[Heather]

She looks so uncomfortable.

[Andrea Gunning]

The thing is, Heather knew something the other friends didn't. The night before the wedding, Saskia had gone over to Heather's house to pick something up. But Saskia didn't seem like herself.

[Heather]

She seemed unnerved. And I said, what's going on? And I thought maybe she was just nervous about the wedding. She said, and I can't remember if it was like the very night before or some night previous to the night she came over. She said that her and Mike had been out drinking and they went back to the house and they started having sex. And she saw a laptop was open and there were people on the screen.

[Andrea Gunning]

For Saskia, the incident was blurry.

[Saskia Inwood]

We were in bed. I can't tell you what was happening before, after, but it was literally like a snapshot in time in a fog.

[Andrea Gunning]

She saw Mike on his laptop and on his screen there were two people.

[Saskia Inwood]

And I didn't know if it was like a movie or whether he knew them. And I remember being really confused and saying, like, what's going on?

[Andrea Gunning]

He turned to her for a moment and just for a moment, she slipped into a different reality.

[Saskia Inwood]

And he said, oh, say hi.

[Andrea Gunning]

Coming up this season on Betrayal.

[Megan]

People were paying to see this go down.

[Andrea Gunning]

Saskia had absolutely no idea what was happening to her.

[Bridget]

You're supposed to be safe.

[Pets Best Insurance Announcer]

That's your home.

[Bridget]

That's your husband.

[Andrea Gunning]

For resources on sexual violence, visit rainn.org betrayal that's R A I N N.org betrayal. You can also get free confidential 24. 7 support through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline. Just text HOPE to 64673 or call 1-800-656, hope you are not alone. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team or want to tell us your story, email [e-mail] that is betrayalpodmail.com or follow us on Instagram betrayalpod to access additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community. Join our [e-mail] 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. 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 Kaitlyn Golden. Our supervising producer is Carrie Hartman. Our story editor is Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Fetterman. Associate producers are Olivia Hewitt and Leah Jablo. Production management by Kristen Melcuri Additional support by Curry Richman. Our I Heart team is Ally Perry and Jessica Krynczyk. Voice acting by Steve Lilinsky audio editing by Tanner Robbins with additional editing and mixing by Matt d'. Alvecchio. Special thanks to Saskia, her friends and family and special thanks to Will Pearson and Carrie Lieberman. Betrayal's Theme is composed by Oliver Baines Music Library, provided by My Music and for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Sophia Donner]

OK Storytime this summer. Find your next obsession on Prime Video and listen. We're not saying you need another obsession, but there could be a lot worse ones. Steamy romance, addictive love stories and the book to save screen favorites you've already read twice, so why not watch them a third time off campus? L the Love Hypothesis and more Slow Burns Second Chances chemistry you can feel through the screen and it makes you wish you were actually in that movie. We've got binge worthy series can't miss movies perfect for when you're ignoring your own problems or procrastinating as one does. Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime.

[Martha Stewart]

This is Martha Stewart from the Martha Stewart Podcast. Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret. When prepping for cooking and baking, get ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Just lightly wet the counter so the paper grips. Lay it down and drips and spills stay on the paper, not on your counter. Cleanup is as simple as lifting it away to reveal clean counters. Effortless it is thanks to Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Available in the Reynolds Wrap aisle at Walmart Target, Amazon and Costco.

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[Andrea Gunning]

Learn [e-mail] this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.