Betrayal - Ashley | Betrayal Weekly

Episode Date: August 1, 2024

Ashley is robbed, deceived, and endangered – all by the person she trusts the most.  If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at [e-mail] and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, it's Joel and Matt from How to Money. If your New Year's resolution is to finally get your finances in shape, we've got your back. Prices, they're still high. And the economy is all over the place. But 2026 is the year for you to get intentional and make real progress. That's right.

Yeah, each week we break down what's happening with your money, the most important issues to focus on. And the small moves that make a big difference. Kick off the year with confidence. Listen to How to Money on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm John Polk. For years, I was the poster boy of the conversion therapy movement. The ex-gay who married an ex-lesbian and traveled the world telling my story of how I changed my sexuality from gay to straight. You might have heard my story, but you've never heard the real story. John has never been anything that gay, but he really tried hard not.

to be. Listen to Atonement, the John Polk story on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanko Wally. And I'm Hurricane de Bolo. It's a new year. And on the podcast's health stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that, or am I just depressed? Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new.

It invites us back home to ourselves. I'm Mike Delarocha, a host of sacred lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal. This year, we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release. If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show, up in your life. Sacred Lessons is here for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delaroach on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. They call from an 800 number. I didn't know who it was, but I answered the phone, and I heard you were getting a collect call from an inmate county jail. That wave of dread came over me. You have that decision to accept the call

We're not accept the call. My heart sank. My stomach went into my throat. I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most, and the deceptions that change everything. A few months ago, we heard from a woman named Ashley. When our team first met Ashley,

she was working as a correctional caseworker in a prison and was pursuing her master's degree in forensic psychology. I'm very interested. tune with people's emotions and how people are feeling. I love people. I will go above and beyond to help somebody in need. Ashley's a sensitive person, and the betrayal she experienced was so intense. It nearly broke her.

It's a twisted story of theft, deception, and even threats from a Mexican drug cartel. I was sitting there thinking, who did I marry? Am I sleeping next to somebody who would murder people for a cartel? When we first spoke with her, I was surprised how flatly she describes what she went through. It was almost like she was divorced from emotion. So we asked her about that directly. If I let myself get emotional about it, I am in danger of getting back to that dark place that I don't want to find myself in. I know it's not a healthy coping mechanism, but like I disassociate from it.

When Ashley was 26, she was working as a mental health case manager. It's her passion. Her life was on track. She was proud to be living alone in her first apartment. She even worked a second job as a swim coach to make extra money. But there was one big thing she still wanted in her life. Love. She'd had a string of bad boyfriends and was looking at.

for someone stable, someone she could build a life with. I was using all the dating apps like Tinder, all that fun stuff. That's when a new guy started at Ashley's job, Jake. He was confident and smart. She was immediately drawn to him. Not necessarily romantically, but just as a person. Jake had really long black hair down to the middle of his back. and kind of looked like somebody that was like in a band or something.

Not the type of guy I would date. The two shared the same work schedule and soon became fast friends. Jake even teased her about being on dating apps. I'd come into work and share my dating experiences on these apps. It started off by him kind of joking about the types of guys that I would go out on dates with. what they did as a profession or like their screen names or whatever on the dating apps. One day, Jake came into the office with bad news. He told Ashley that over the weekend,

he found out that his wife Amber was cheating on him. He wasn't going to tolerate cheating. And so he kicked her out of the house, changed all the locks, and they were going to get a divorce. Ashley was sympathetic, especially because the couple had a three-year-old daughter together. One day, he left from work early because he had this lawyer appointment and he was going to go file for divorce. He thought it was best to separate and raise their child together but separate.

A few weeks later, Jake asked Ashley to hang out after work. She expected something casual, like beer and wings. But Jake had other plans. He showed up at my apartment and he bought me this huge bouquet of flowers and they were just gorgeous. Pinks and orange and just really pretty flowers. To Ashley's surprise, it was a date. When they went to dinner that night, Jake showed her a different side of him. He was a gentleman.

He was such an upgrade to what I was used to. He just seemed very honest. which was a breath of fresh air to me because I came from relationships where there was a lot of lying and hiding and secrets. He seemed to just be upfront and honest about everything. And I was like, this is a nice change of pace. Jake was also thoughtful. He would walk into work in the morning with her favorite coffee in his hand. That was just the beginning of Jake's generosity.

He would randomly buy me like designer purses or jewelry just because. He was just like, I saw this and I thought of you and I thought you'd like it. So I bought it for you, which, you know, I've never had someone do that for me before. It was romantic. They started having date nights every Thursday and Saturday. They were the highlights of her week. Around that same time, Jake was settling his divorce and finalizing the sales. of his house.

He was like, I sold the house, but I have to be out in a week. I don't have anywhere to go. And I'm like, well, you can move in with me. Even though Ashley and Jake had only been dating a few months, she didn't want someone she cared about to struggle. Plus, she saw a future with this guy. So Jake moved in. Ashley's only concern was how his three-year-old daughter would handle the change.

She knew how much his only child meant to him. I love kids. I'm good with kids, but I don't have any children. I didn't know how that was going to work or how he was going to explain to her, you know, that, oh, I'm living with her now. Ashley knew she wanted kids of her own one day and was willing to make room for Jake and his daughter. She offered to set up a bed for her in the living room, but his daughter never came to stay. His ex-wife Amber wasn't happy about Jake's new relationship. Amber did not trust me. Amber did not want me around their daughter.

And he said that she was keeping her and breaking the custody order that they had. Ashley didn't want to get involved in the custody battle. Despite the stress of the divorce, living together was surprisingly easy. The couple would go to work together, come home at night, to make dinner, and then snuggle on the couch to watch movies. It was simple. He made her happy. I could have the worst day ever, and he always found a way to make me laugh. After about a year together, Jake took her on a trip to visit Kentucky, where Ashley used to live.

She was delighted by the gesture. She took him around to all of her old haunts, and he was genuinely interested in getting to know the places she loved. That night, he gave her another. gift. We were getting ready to go to sleep and he slid over a box and just tapped me on the shoulder and made that little like noise. I was like, what is this? And he was like, well, open it. And it was a ring. And I was like, are you asking me to marry you? And he was like, well, Duh. Ashley admits the proposal was

underwhelming, but she didn't care. I loved him and I wanted to marry him, so the proposal and how it was done at that point didn't matter. I just wanted to move forward and start building a life with this person. Jake found an elopement package, a weekend getaway at a bed and breakfast.

Most of the day was a blur for Ashley, except for the vows the couple had written for each other. She remembers that moment clearly. Mine were all about how I promised to love him and be the best wife I could be, and his were joking about how we met at work and how this friendship ended up becoming what it is today. The very last line of his vows, he used the song, Africa, by Toto, about

how it's going to take a lot to drag me away from you. At the time, I was like, oh, that's sweet. But looking back now, I'm like, hmm, an interesting way to end your vows. Interesting. Perhaps more like foreshadowing. New goals, and in this economy, a better money plan is more necessary than ever.

I am Matt, and I'm Joel. We are from the How to Money podcast, and every week we help you to spend smarter, save more, and make sense of what's going on out there. If you want 2026 to be the year you finally feel in control of your money, we're here to give you the tools and advice to help you make it happen. Listen to How to Money on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers, but it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster, hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam, available now.

Listen for free on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanko Wali. And I'm Hurricane de Bolu. It's a new year, and on the podcast's health stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early.

Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? We talk to experts who share real experiences and insight. You just really need to find where it is that you can have an impact in your own life and to start doing that. We break down the topics you want to know more about. Sleep, stress, mental health, and how the world around us affects our overall health. We talk about all the ways to keep your body and mind, inside and out, healthy. We human beings, all we want is connection. We just want to connect with each other. Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone.

Listen on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every January, we're encouraged to start over. But what if this year is about slowing down and learning how to understand ourselves more deeply? What if this year is about giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help? I'm Mike Delarocha, host of Sacred Lessons. This is a podcast for men navigating stress, emotional health, fatherhood, identity, and the unspoken pressures were taught to carry alone.

We talk honestly about mental health, about healing generational wounds, and about learning how to show up with more presence and care. If you want a healthier relationship with yourself and the people you love, then Sacred Lessons is the podcast for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Dolorotcha on America's number one podcast network, IHeart. Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike DeLauce and start listening on the free IHeart Radio app today. After a year of dating, Ashley and Jake had tied the knot

in a simple elopement ceremony. As she said in her vows, she promised to be the best wife she could be. That meant making the marriage work, even in the hard times, just like her parents had. My parents were never divorced. I grew up with my parents together,

and I wanted to have one and only one marriage, just like my parents. But early on, the couple had a few fights, fights where she saw a new side of Jake. There's one specific night that Ashley says she'll never forget. She'd been working her second job as a swim coach. That night she stayed a half hour late to hang out with the other coaches. When she got back to the apartment and unlocked the door,

Jake was sitting there, glaring at her. And he was like, where were you? And I was like, I was like, I was, talking to the coaches, we were having a good time. And he was like, that is not okay for you to be coming home a half an hour late and not be notifying me of this. And I'm like, I'm sorry, it's only a half an hour. Ashley didn't like the behavior and knew he was overreacting.

But at the same time, she thought, Well, maybe that's just a way that he is trying to be protective of me and like showing me that he cares where I'm at and he's worried about me. Jake was always a bit worried about Ashley. She struggled with depression and anxiety. And Jake fixated on that. I've had bouts of depression and anxiety throughout my whole life. He kept telling me over and over and over,

I need to not work that I need to focus on getting better with my mental health. He told me that he thought I should pursue Social Security disability. And how can you expect to go to work and handle all the stress when you can't handle stressors in our marriage and in our life? You take naps and you rest and you go to therapy and work on your mental health and I'll do everything else in life for you. It just made me become more and more dependent. on him.

Ashley eventually stopped working and started collecting disability. With less income, the couple moved into Ashley's mom's house to save money. But during the move, Ashley realized she couldn't find one of her most treasured possessions. My dad gave me his military cult 45 gun before he died. That was one of my dad's favorite things he had. You know, I was crying and I was like, I don't know. know where it is. She started to worry that one of her ex-boyfriends could have stolen the gun.

Jake was trying to calm her down. He said if any of her exes had stolen the gun, he could get it back for her. He took a deep breath and confessed that he had connections. And I'm like, what do you mean? You have connections. And then he told me that for several years, he has been involved with A local gang that worked for one of the Mexican cartels, the Sinolaa cartel. Cartel?

Her husband involved in a Mexican drug cartel? This was news to Ashley, shocking and terrifying information. Even though Ashley is now detached from what happened to her, she was certainly not so calm about it in that moment. This was a huge deal. She couldn't believe this revelation was just coming out now, after they were married. She asked how exactly he was connected to the cartel. He said that his job was to be, quote, a problem solver. And of course, I had to ask what that meant.

And then he told me how he would murder people for whoever told him to. I asked him how many people he had, quote, taken. care of and he told me he was like at 19. And it's not personal, it's business. I was sitting there thinking, who did I marry? Am I sleeping next to somebody who would murder people for a cartel? Ashley stayed awake that night, trying to understand what this meant for her and Jake's future. Could he really be a hitman for the cartel?

Every question that I had, he had reasons. for it or he connected the dots for me that weren't making sense. He backed up a lot of stuff. He would show me emails. He'd show me text messages with conversations with people. What was even more disturbing was that he was simply unfazed by the gravity of this. Jake acted as if it were just a simple little secret. You should feel privileged that I even let you in

this part of my life. I've never told anybody else that I was involved in this stuff and you know more about this than anybody else. Ashley was scared and felt completely trapped. Jake expressed that he was too. He

explained to me how he was trying to get out and they weren't going to let him out. These guys were serious and they weren't afraid to hurt families. Some of the stories about how people ended up missing were scary because he would explain that they will make it look like an accident

or you will just disappear and never be heard from again. By him telling me about the cartels, was that putting me in danger by knowing that information? In fact, Jake said they were both in danger. Shortly after that night, he told Ashley he broke ties with the cartel. making the two of them a target. Now, they needed to go on the run and hide out. The higher ups in the cartel told him, if you come back to the area, you're going to be dead.

We're going to get you. The impact of the stress and terror began taking a toll on Ashley. I wasn't eating. I wasn't sleeping. I lost quite a bit of weight. I was not able to sleep unless I was medicated. They hid out in hotels for a few weeks. Eventually, Jake deemed it safe enough to return.

Ashley felt safer with him than without him, so they moved back in with Ashley's family. It wasn't long until another issue surfaced. Ashley's mother and grandfather apparently had their identity stolen. Their bank accounts were being hacked. My mother would literally get a paycheck deposited on Friday, and then on Saturday go to buy something, and her bank account was overdrawn because someone hacked her bank account. Every few weeks, her mother and grandfather

would notice a security breach. Just when it was solved, another one would arise. Both Ashley and Jake threw themselves into helping her family triage the problem. Jake was really attentive to my mom and my grandpa.

Always sitting down with them at the kitchen table, calling the bank. that became his sole focus was helping my mom and my grandpa fix their bank accounts. It went on like this for six overwhelming months. In the back of her mind, Ashley feared that the missing money could have something to do with the cartel, but she didn't want to burden her mom with the truth about Jake. So she kept it all inside.

One day, her grandpa got his bank statement and noticed something particularly concerning. $20,000 was missing from his savings account. He called the banks. You know, they said for them to have it insured and covered and put back into his account, that he has to do a police report. So my grandpa went and did a police report. And our local police said it looks like the money was being taken out of an ATM. So we'll pull the footage from that and see what's going on.

The family didn't hear anything from the police for a few weeks. Until one night... Our bedroom door gets bust down. Police are pointing guns at both me and him telling us, put our hands up. They asked if his name was Jacob Levin and he said yes. They told him, like, stand up and face the wall and put your hands behind your head. I'm trying to talk to the top and I go, what's going on? What, like, what would happen?

And he said, well, ma'am, I'm going to let you know. We have evidence that Jake was the one dealing the money from your grandfather's bank account. It didn't add up. Jake had been the one going out of his way to help her grandfather sort through this whole financial mess. The only explanation she could think of is that this was all her grandfather. happening because Jake had left the cartel. In order to steal from her grandfather, he had to be desperate to come up with cash quickly. And that meant she and her family could be in danger. So she pawned her valuables and paid his bail. She took him straight to a hotel where they could talk in private,

and he confessed. He explained to me that he had received a message from one of these people in the cartel, and they were threatening me and my mom and my grandfather. And if he didn't come up with some form of payment, they were going to harm us. They knew where we were living and they were driving past our house. So he said that he was concerned for our safety and my family's safety. He also explained why he kept the whole scheme a secret. He told me that he didn't want to add more stress and worry to me because I was always kind of worried and stressed out

about things going on in our marriage, our finances, people in the cartel after us. And he told me he didn't want to add more to my plate. Right then, she wanted to walk out. The fear for her safety and her family's safety, was overwhelming, but more powerful than fear was a deep insecurity. I was brought up with the like never give up on something, try your partist to make anything work attitude. I just didn't want to fail.

And I thought that if I washed my hands of him and the whole marriage, I was failing. Their relationship was hanging on by a thread. Things were so tumultuous that Ashley picked up and left the hotel to spend the night at her mom's house. When she went back to the hotel the next morning, she found Jake missing, along with a few other important things. He had cleared out all of his things in the hotel, including a lot of my things that he took. Three of those things were three of my guns that I had in the hotel, and they were registered to me. The guns were gone, and so was Jake. He wasn't answering her phone calls.

The hours turned into days. That's when she and her family started looking for their valuables, and they found even more things missing. The weapons missing kind of prompted everybody in the house to start looking at our valuables. That is when my mother noticed that her wedding band, and engagement ring set were missing, as well as my grandmother's wedding ring and engagement band.

I was upset about the weapons, but the wedding ring sets from both my mom and my grandmother's was the ultimate betrayal to me. Those did mean so much to me and my family, especially because my father meant the worst. world to me. And my dad has since passed and those things are things that can't be replaced. So it hurt real bad. The wedding rings were the final straw for Ashley. She knew immediately that her husband had stolen them. At that point, I knew I met nothing to him. I couldn't. I couldn't

not fathom how somebody could take something that meant so much to somebody and take it to a pawn shop and pawn it for however much money he got for it. To him, it was just things. But to me and my family, those things are priceless. And at that point, I knew that I was just a thing to him. She and her family made a list of the missing items and took it to the police. At that breaking point, Ashley decided to start researching her husband's legal record. She saw the recent theft charges, some small claims court records, and then she clicked on a document about his divorce from his first wife. And one thing I noticed was the time frame of it.

Jake had told me that he filed for divorce in 2017. This wasn't filed until 2021. Jake had told me that he was the one that filed for divorce. This was showing that Amber was the petitioner and Jake was the respondent. So I read more and then I read that the case was dismissed. Ashley needed answers. So she decided to go to the one person who would have them. Jake's ex-wife, Amber.

A few years ago, Amber had messaged Ashley on Facebook. Instead of reading the message, Ashley had just deleted it and blocked his ex. I went back on Facebook. I unblocked her and I asked her if she would be willing to talk to me because I have some questions about her and Jake's marriage. Amber replied a few days later. And what she said changed everything. As far as I knew, Jake and her only had one child together.

And one of the first things she said to me was, you do realize that Jake has five kids. Your new goals. And in this economy, a better money plan is more necessary than ever. I am Matt. And I'm Joel. We are from the How to Money podcast. And every week, we help you to spend smarter, save more,

and make sense of what's going on out there. If you want 2026 to be the year you finally feel in control of your money, we're here to give you the tools and advice to help you make it happen. Listen to How to Money on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers, but it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him?

I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster, hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam, available now. Listen for free on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyankawali. And I'm Hurricane de Bolu. It's a new year, and on the podcast's health stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early.

Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? We talk to experts who share real experiences and insight. You just really need to find where it is that you can have an impact in your own life and just start doing that. We break down the topics you want to know more about. Sleep, stress, mental health, and how the world around us affects our overall health. We talk about all the ways to keep your body in mind, inside and out, healthy.

We human beings, all we want is connection. We just want to connect with each other. Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A new year doesn't mean erasing who you were. It means honoring what you've survived and choosing how you want to grow. It means giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help.

I'm Mike Dolorotcha, host of sacred lessons. This podcast is a space for men to talk openly about mental health, grief, relationships, and the patterns we inherit, but don't have to repeat. Here, we slow down, we listen, we learn how vulnerability becomes strength and how healing happens in community, not in isolation. If you're ready to let go of what no longer serves you and step into the year with clarity, passion and purpose. Sacred Lessons is your companion on your healing journey. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delarocha on America's number one podcast network, IHeart.

Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike Delo Rocha and start listening on the free IHeart radio app today. Ashley learned that her husband didn't just have one daughter, like he said. He had four other small children. Four children, he pretended didn't exist. And Amber had a lot more to say. say. The story Jake had told about his ex-wife cheating on him, Amber says that never happened. She had divorced him after he disappeared suddenly. Their divorce wasn't finalized until 2021.

But Ashley had married Jake in 2018. Was their marriage even valid? She went to a divorce attorney to find out. The lawyer had explained to me that, well, no, according to, the date on my marriage certificate and the date of Amber's dissolution of marriage, my marriage, in fact, was never legal to begin with. Her term was, it was null and void from its inception. Everything was crashing down around Ashley when she got a phone call from the detective, working on Jake's case. And he said, I have some news for you. You might want to sit down. I'm like, I just found out my marriage was never real. The man I married had a wife and five children that I didn't even know about some of the children.

Stole from my family, you know, what else could there be? The police explained they had just arrested Jake again. And this time, he was living with his new fiancé. I'm like, excuse me, fiancé? And he said, yeah, Jake was living with a woman. She had children. And this woman and him had plans about a week prior to him getting arrested to fly to Las Vegas and get married in Las Vegas. The police searched Jake's phone, where they found even more troubling details.

He told this woman that he did have five children. But his five children all died in, I think it was like an automobile accident, like a car crash. And I do believe that Amber was a part of that crash as well. He told his new fiancé that he wanted to be a stepdad to her kids because his own had all died. Jake had been in jail for a few days when Ashley got a call. They call from like an 800 number, and I didn't know who it was, but I answered the phone. And as soon as I heard you were getting a collect call from an inmate county jail, that wave of dread came over me. My heart sank.

My stomach, like, went into my throat. You have that decision to accept the call or not accept the call. She knew she needed to confront him about his lies. as much as I did not want to talk to him, I had to ask him questions. And I know if I didn't accept that call, that I wouldn't have another chance to ask him directly those questions. So she summoned all of her courage and accepted the call. And I said, you have five children. You never told me you had five children.

You told me you had one. and his response was, quote, it is what it is. I said, you were never divorced from Amber. And he goes, that's news to me. And I was like, you know our marriage was not like a marriage. We were never legally married. And he again said, that's news to me. Before Ashley hung up, he asked if they had a future together.

I'm pretty happy with myself that I was very firm and bold and said, absolutely not. No, we do not have a future together. So that was probably the moment where the healing began. That was like the final cut of the cord. After that final phone call, Ashley began accepting the extent of his lies. I don't know. who this person is, I don't know who he ever was. And quite honestly, there's nothing I can believe that he ever told me

outside of the fact that here's his name and his birthday, because I have his birth certificate. Was he actually a problem solver for the cartel? Or was that a lie to? Now that I'm out of the situation and completely removed and I can see the whole picture for what it is, I do not believe any of the cartel stuff was real. I believe that was like a scare tactic to just keep me worried, keep me on edge, like a diversion.

Pay attention to the cartel stuff, but don't look at what I'm doing. Scare tactic is an understatement. Lying about being a hitman for the cartel. It's a lie that created a baseline of terror in her everyday life. A lie that allowed him to justify years of deception, anger, and theft. A lie that made dozens of smaller lies seem more plausible. Jake's been in county jail for nearly two years, awaiting trial on charges of theft, fraud, theft of a firearm, and defamation with intent to defraud.

Ashley submitted a victim impact statement to the court, where she recounted the emotional and financial damage he caused her and her family. The police weren't able to recover the stolen items from Ashley's family, the priceless family heirlooms. Ashley doesn't know if she'll ever see them again. She's learning to make peace with that. This situation led me to realize out of all the stuff he has taken from me and my family, I'm not going to let him take something else from me. That includes my outlook.

on the world, my outlook on men. Like, I don't hate men. I don't think all men are liars and cheaters because of what happened to me. She's putting her life back together. She just finished her master's degree in forensic psychology, and today she's a correctional caseworker in a prison. It's work that brings purpose and meaning to her life. I go to work every day, and I deal with incarcerated individuals.

who have victims, have hurt people, and I, being a victim myself, don't let that affect how I treat any of my clients. I believe that they can find redemption. I do think that people can change, and a part of my job is to help them find that way. so that they can redeem themselves and get out and find a way to live a happy, successful life that won't have them end up back in prison.

Incredibly, she even believes that Jake has potential to find redemption. If he just takes accountability for his crimes and the harm he caused. And there's one silver lining in this terrible situation. I never had to get a divorce because I never had a legal marriage. Ashley is focusing on moving forward, going to therapy and putting the pieces of her life back together. We end all of our episodes with the same question. Why did you want to tell your story? I want people to know that something like this can happen to other people.

And hopefully somebody hears my story and either makes them take a second look in a situation that they're in, or if somebody else is in a similar situation, they don't feel alone. Because one thing that really helped me when I was going through this was hearing similar stories. It made me feel like it's not me. This happens to other people, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel, because if other people have gone through the same things I went through, then it's possible that I can also find that happiness and clarity. On the next episode of Betrayal. I remember her entering the Nikki waiting room, first off with no baby,

and she just had this look on her face. If you would like to reach out to the betrayal team or want to tell us your betrayal story, email us at Betrayalpod at gmail.com. That's Betrayal P-O-D. at gmail.com. Also, please be sure to follow us at Glass Podcasts on Instagram for all Betrayal content, news, and updates.

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 was executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fasen,

hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning, written and produced by Monique Laborde, also produced by Ben Fetterman. Associate producers are Kristen Malkuri and Grace Bollinger. Our I-Heart team is Ali Perry and Jessica Kreincheck. Audio editing and mixing by Matt Dalvecchio, Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines, music library provided by Mide Music,

And for more podcasts from IHeart, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Joel and Matt from HowTo Money. If your New Year's resolution is to finally get your finances in shape, we've got your back. Prices, they're still high. And the economy is all over the place. But 2026 is the year for you to get intentional and make real progress. That's right. Yeah, each week we break down what's happening with your money, the most important issues to focus on.

and the small moves that make a big difference. Kick off the year with confidence, listen to How to Money on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm John Polk. For years, I was the poster boy of the conversion therapy movement, the ex-gay who married an ex-lesbian and traveled the world telling my story

of how I changed my sexuality from gay to straight. You might have heard my story, but you've never heard the real story. John has never been anything but gay, but he really tried hard not to be. Listen to Atonement, the John Polk story on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanko Wally. And I'm Hurricane de Bolo. It's a new year, and on the podcast's health stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be.

I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new. It invites us back home to ourselves. I'm Mike Delarocha, a host of sacred lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal. This year we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release.

If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show up in your life, Sacred Lessons is here for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delaroach on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.