The Dating Detectives – "The HR Nightmare: Part 1" (Feb 16, 2026)
Episode Overview
In this gripping first installment of a two-part saga, hosts Mackenzie Fultz (professional PI) and Hanna Anderson (comedian) welcome guest "Kayla" to recount her harrowing, twist-filled experience with a duplicitous boss-turned-lover in her HR career. The episode’s core theme investigates workplace manipulation, red flags in relationships (romantic and professional), and the trauma and fallout from being gaslit and deceived by someone in authority. The emotional narrative draws on themes of isolation, mental health, and the importance of community, particularly for those navigating LGBTQ+ identity and workplace dynamics.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Unusual “Dogfish” Story Begins
- Kayla is introduced as a rare female “dogfish” case (i.e., a conning, manipulative woman in dating).
- She moved to North Carolina straight out of college (mid-2019), took a job as an HR assistant, and was mentored by Martin and directed by Erin (her soon-to-be boss and the central figure of the story).
- Initial tension with Erin: She did not want to hire Kayla, ignored her at work, and only softened after Kayla earned a promotion.
2. Work Relationships Get Personal
- Erin’s life is publicly turbulent at work: divorce, mother’s death, cheating husband.
- As Kayla's professional star rises, so does Erin’s attention and (eventually) her desire to keep Kayla on the team, matching an outside job offer to retain her.
- Erin begins to build a friendship with Kayla, treating her as a peer rather than the “kid” she initially dismissed.
Quote:
"She starts to stop seeing me as a stupid kid. And now she's starting to see me as actually a professional adult that knew what she was doing."
— Kayla [08:47]
3. The Blurring of Professional and Personal Boundaries
- Erin is 17 years Kayla’s senior. They bond over workplace gripes, personal struggles, and share more frequent, informal contact.
- Erin becomes a confidante, offering personal advice on Kayla’s failing relationship.
- “Casual” work friendship morphs as Erin begins texting and calling Kayla “babe”—which at first seems platonic, given office culture, but soon crosses lines.
Quote:
"If you're working in HR at a company, who do you go to if somebody is...?"
— Mackenzie [13:42]
4. First Romantic Encounter and Immediate Consequences
- During a drunken post-work event (Dec 2022), Erin comes onto Kayla, culminating in a sexual encounter in the parking lot—initiated by Erin, initially resisted by Kayla.
- Kayla is wracked with regret and offers to quit; Erin insists on sweeping it under the rug:
"You're not quitting. We're adults. This is fine. We're just going to move past this."[17:19] - Internal struggles spike for Kayla: Did her promotions come from merit or attraction? She feels isolated, unable to confide in anyone.
5. Secret Affair and the Escalating Web of Lies
- Despite agreeing it was a one-time event, Erin later pushes for resuming their fling, leading to periodic hook-ups while continuing to work together.
- Erin regularly supplies elaborate excuses for cancelled plans—often involving sudden deaths, family tragedies, or oddly timed emergencies (e.g., bunny funerals, hospitalizations, and Orthodox Jewish customs).
Memorable moment:
Kayla recounts Erin’s astonishing excuse for missing a dinner: “I have to pick out the underwear for my sister’s husband’s mother for her burial.” This detail left the hosts stunned:
"That is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard on this show."
— Hanna [54:42]
6. Signs of Manipulation & Gaslighting
- Erin insists on secrecy (“I’ll lose my job”), never introduces Kayla to her kids, and constantly shifts responsibility and blame, eventually flipping the script and accusing Kayla of “ruining her life” when rumors about their relationship spread.
- Multiple fabricated tragedies—overdosed children, deaths, legal battles, and suspicious financial woes—arise in tandem with requests for forgiveness, secrecy, or money.
7. The Financial Hook: Loaning Money
- At Erin’s request (after a fabricated tax issue), Kayla ultimately loans her $10,000 with no repayment in sight.
- This coincides with intensified emotional manipulation: Picking fights, breaking up days before Kayla’s birthday (right after the loan), and gaslighting about her role as a “secret.”
8. The Slow Realization and Self-Investigation
- Kayla details her growing unease and PI-style research—trying to verify obituaries and suspicious alibis, only to be stonewalled with new lies about customs or non-existent family.
- Erin never brings her phone when visiting Kayla, leaves digital trails intentionally ambiguous, and keeps Kayla isolated from mutual friends and family.
Quote:
"Any time she comes over, she doesn’t have her phone... a woman whose phone is glued to her hand."
— Kayla [58:44]
9. The Emotional Toll and Growing Isolation
- Kayla moves closer to Erin, losing her support network. Erin manipulates Kayla’s guilt over confiding in her ex’s family, further deepening isolation and dependency.
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
-
On Erin’s manipulation tactics:
"She would always tell me that we were twin flames and that we were soulmates… I’m positive they’re from Reddit at this point, but she wrote me multiple poems."
— Kayla [32:58] -
On Kayla’s gradual suspicion:
"It was a little bit of a red flag. I would say it was like a pink flag almost. Maybe orange, yellow... tie dye. I was just kind of approaching with caution."
— Kayla [42:43] -
On workplace reporting in HR:
"If you’re working in HR at a company, who do you go to if somebody is…?”
— Mackenzie [13:42] -
On the pattern of deaths and tragedies:
"Just start tallying up the deaths. Because if you notice, we’re at 2 now. I was gonna say, at some point I would be like, Kayla, you’re my bad luck truck. Every time we make plans to hang out, someone dies or a pet dies..."
— Hanna [55:04]
Important Segment Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment Highlights | |-----------|-------------------| | 03:27 | Kayla introduces her story (moving for work, meeting Erin/Martin) | | 06:50 | Turning point: Erin keeps Kayla by matching new job offer | | 13:30 | First signs of personal boundary issues (calling “babe”, texting after hours) | | 16:03 | The night of the first hookup, Kayla’s initial resistance and aftermath | | 20:49 | Affair resumes—Erin’s coded texts, recruiting Kayla for a “fling” | | 23:21 | The first suspicious “bunny death” story revealed | | 25:03 | Erin’s sudden “hemorrhage” and urgent secrecy about work absence | | 31:59 | Erin lavishly gifts a diamond necklace, professes love on Asheville trip | | 34:48 | Erin ghosts Kayla post-getaway; new elaborate tragedy (daughter overdosing) emerges | | 38:23 | Erin cancels an expensive vacation with another detailed family emergency | | 54:11 | The underwear-for-burial story; detailed yet absurd excuses escalate | | 60:14 | The $10,000 loan and rapid spiraling of the relationship | | 66:24 | Kayla seeks clarity on meeting Erin’s kids, faces chronic stalling | | 67:14 | Cliffhanger: Erin calls, urgently demands Kayla drive 4 hours—episode ends |
Tone and Language
- Kayla is candid, wounded, but graciously transparent—even laughing at her naivety and the outrageousness of Erin’s lies.
- The hosts remain supportive, validating Kayla and interjecting comic relief without dismissing the gravity of her experience.
- The exchanges are conversational, funny, but deeply empathetic and serious around mental health struggles and abuse.
Closing Thoughts
The episode is a masterclass in slow-burn, real-world gaslighting and manipulation. As Kayla retells her story, the escalation from workplace boundary crossing to overt financial and emotional exploitation is revealed with mounting dread and gallows humor by the hosts. The “red flag tally” motif perfectly captures the bewildered, retrospective realization that something was always off—and will prime listeners for what’s promised in Part 2: the big reveals and implications for both personal healing and workplace vigilance.
Takeaways & What’s Next
- Trust your instincts—“trust, but verify” is repeated as a theme.
- The dangers of isolation and secrecy are highlighted; the importance of community is re-affirmed.
- The final segment (from [67:14]) teases a dramatic in-person confrontation for Part 2.
Hosts’ signature send-off:
"As always, trust your fetion, please. Good God, trust it. Please."
— Mackenzie & Hanna [70:18]
For New Listeners
This summary provides a comprehensive, spoiler-rich recap while preserving the episode’s sense of escalating dread and darkly comic absurdity. The hosts’ warmth and Kayla’s bravery shine throughout, ensuring both catharsis and educational value for anyone navigating complex work or dating dynamics.