Dear Espearite,
You have no idea how spot on you are. I don't know how long you have been doing this, but your interpretation is very, very, good. I wanted to know the true motivation and you have uncovered it for me. I am saddened that is was for material gain, but not surprised. Your accuracy is uncanny.
Here is the story: This man was someone I lived with for four years while in college. We were to marry but broke up because we could not agree on important issues (like children). When we were together I was an undergrad and he was a PhD candidate in English. He resurfaced 30 years later claiming to be a published author. He said his works were about our time together, published under a pen name. He would not tell me the title, but he sent me excerpts and book reviews to prove his claim.
The reality was that he was in a bad marriage and wanted out. His wife was an actual PhD in English, published author, and professor where we both went to school. She was older than he and now very ill. He had married her right after we broke up. Shortly after he made contact with me, his wife stumbled upon his stories. She immediately filed for divorce and moved out.
He then focused his efforts on me. I hired a PI to find out if his claims were true. They were not. He was not published author. He might have thought he was going to be published and so lied to impress me. Once he got started with that lie it was impossible to back down. Once I found out the truth, it was over. So yes, he lost out, all the way around.
He told me he loved me and always had, but the greater truth, I think, was that he wanted out of his bad marriage and into my life, which he perceived to be very comfortable. It truly saddened me to see what my college boyfriend, and first real love, had become. I didn't want to believe it, as you can imagine.
Thank you so much,
TD