Jess McHugh (Host/Narrator)

Sarah seems to have understood something fundamental. Tragedy brings us together. Whether it's a friendship or a romantic partnership, being vulnerable enough with another person to let them help you through a crisis, to stand by you at a funeral or a hospital bed. This is where real intimacy is created. And Sarah seems to have taken this idea and just run with it.

Sarah seems to have understood something fundamental. Tragedy brings us together. Whether it's a friendship or a romantic partnership, being vulnerable enough with another person to let them help you through a crisis, to stand by you at a funeral or a hospital bed. This is where real intimacy is created. And Sarah seems to have taken this idea and just run with it.

Sam, of course, didn't know any of this at the time. She continued bringing Sarah deeper into her world, her real world.

Sam, of course, didn't know any of this at the time. She continued bringing Sarah deeper into her world, her real world.

Sam's mother has been battling stage 3 ovarian cancer for years. So while Sam drove her mother up to Boston for treatment at Dana-Farber, Sarah would help out. She'd help Sam's kids with their homework, plan meals for the family, walk her mother's dog. And get this. While Sam was taking care of her mother's illness, holding her hand through chemo, She was also doing the same for Sarah.

Sam's mother has been battling stage 3 ovarian cancer for years. So while Sam drove her mother up to Boston for treatment at Dana-Farber, Sarah would help out. She'd help Sam's kids with their homework, plan meals for the family, walk her mother's dog. And get this. While Sam was taking care of her mother's illness, holding her hand through chemo, She was also doing the same for Sarah.

Sarah had told her the cancer lie, too, said she had lung cancer. Sarah told Sam, I'm terrified, overwhelmed with medical results. I just can't take any more bad news. So Sam started receiving Sarah's test results, and then she would be the one to relay those results to Sarah. More than once, Sam remembers sitting anxiously in her PT practice, refreshing her email, waiting for results to come in.

Sarah had told her the cancer lie, too, said she had lung cancer. Sarah told Sam, I'm terrified, overwhelmed with medical results. I just can't take any more bad news. So Sam started receiving Sarah's test results, and then she would be the one to relay those results to Sarah. More than once, Sam remembers sitting anxiously in her PT practice, refreshing her email, waiting for results to come in.

As both Sarah's partner and her caregiver, Sam was in Sarah's world twice over, totally enmeshed. Fast forward to January 2022, the moment when everything started to spiral out of control. News was getting around that Sarah may have lied about a great many things, including her service in the Marines, her medals, possibly even her claims of having cancer.

As both Sarah's partner and her caregiver, Sam was in Sarah's world twice over, totally enmeshed. Fast forward to January 2022, the moment when everything started to spiral out of control. News was getting around that Sarah may have lied about a great many things, including her service in the Marines, her medals, possibly even her claims of having cancer.

When the news first reached Sam, she was in total disbelief. She'd seen a pile of proof over the years. Her enrollment in the Wounded Warrior Independence Program. Years of blood work that she'd received directly from the VA. Sam was trying to wrap her head around this, so she hopped on the phone with one of Sarah's VFW buddies, a guy named Justin. They'd gotten to know each other over the years.

When the news first reached Sam, she was in total disbelief. She'd seen a pile of proof over the years. Her enrollment in the Wounded Warrior Independence Program. Years of blood work that she'd received directly from the VA. Sam was trying to wrap her head around this, so she hopped on the phone with one of Sarah's VFW buddies, a guy named Justin. They'd gotten to know each other over the years.

Sam told Justin, I've seen years of medical documents, even her cancer diagnosis. There's no way Sarah's lying. How would someone even make that up? More after the break.

Sam told Justin, I've seen years of medical documents, even her cancer diagnosis. There's no way Sarah's lying. How would someone even make that up? More after the break.

In the days after that phone conversation with Justin, Sam still held on to the hope that maybe this was just some terrible misunderstanding. Sarah kept maintaining her innocence, saying she had the paperwork to prove it. Sam says she believed it, maybe because she wanted to believe it. At one point, Sam was driving to work and talking to Sarah on the phone about all of this. She got frustrated.

In the days after that phone conversation with Justin, Sam still held on to the hope that maybe this was just some terrible misunderstanding. Sarah kept maintaining her innocence, saying she had the paperwork to prove it. Sam says she believed it, maybe because she wanted to believe it. At one point, Sam was driving to work and talking to Sarah on the phone about all of this. She got frustrated.

She asked Sarah, begged her really.

She asked Sarah, begged her really.

And that's when Sarah finally said it. A one-word confession. No. She'd never been in the military.

And that's when Sarah finally said it. A one-word confession. No. She'd never been in the military.