Member-only story
The Vile Sorcery of Narcissists and Scam Artists
They leave behind tendrils of rot and garbage
The worst thing about scammers and narcs is that somehow they convince good people to believe in them. They manage to worm their way into the hearts of caring, empathetic people and set up their rotten laboratories inside.
Laurie met John shortly after her father’s memorial service. She had moved in with her dad following her mother’s death to keep him company. Her parents had been married for 62 years and it was the first time her dad would be alone, so Laurie largely put aside mourning her mom while she nursed her dad through his final days of cancer.
After their father’s memorial service, Laurie’s sister Kathy and brother-in-law Tom suggested that Laurie travel with them to their timeshare rental for a month in Honolulu. Laurie had airline miles to cash in from an un-taken trip she and her father had planned, so she agreed. After all, perhaps a change of scenery from the house where her parents had lived — and died — would do her good.
John was a fellow timeshare owner who Tom and Kathy had known for years. Like them, he was retired — he had been lawyer working with the Peace Corps all over the world — and had homes in several countries. Laurie had been divorced for 6 years, since her early 60s, and was…
