Living Well Is the Best Revenge (But Knowing She's Living in a Hovel Isn't bad Either)

By Cheryl Lavin

March 7, 2014 4 min read

Today we have an update on the Hank and Iris saga that began in 1987.

"Iris was physically my type," says Hank. "She looked like Marlo Thomas. The only thing she didn't have on my 'perfect woman' list was a pair of D cups, which she pestered me to buy. She was a lot of fun to be around and sexually uninhibited."

Hank wasn't bothered by their age difference — Iris was 13 years older — or the fact that she had three teenage kids who were "basket cases" or her health issues. She was on kidney dialysis three times a week and needed several surgeries.

But, during their seven years together, he was bothered by her crazy, violent behavior and the fact that she was a liar and a cheat.

She left Hank at one point and moved in with another man. A year later they reconciled, but the craziness, affairs and lying escalated.

As a last ditch effort, Hank and Iris saw a counselor. "The counselor told me flat out that I needed to get away from her. She thought Iris was extremely violent with a tenuous grip on reality."

One night, while Hank was sleeping, Iris attacked him with a club. He tried to have her locked out of the apartment, but her name was on the lease.

She bruised herself and told the cops Hank had beaten her. She had him served with a restraining order, emptied his bank account, and told his boss lies. He was removed from his own home, broke and out of a job.

"The courts didn't pay any attention to me because I was a 'wife beater' — even though she wasn't my wife and I had never beaten her."

When all was said and done, Hank's possessions could have fit in a grocery cart.

Hank married years later, but Iris wasn't through with him. For years, she would call his relatives to check up on him. And then there's that restraining order that haunts him every time he leaves the country. Somehow, a six-week "order of protection" had become permanent.

When we last heard from Hank three years ago, he was living the good life that Iris had always wanted.

"I have a large brand-new home and new cars. I take vacations around the world, dine out frequently and buy my wife custom jewelry. The whole package."

Hank is back to say he finally decided to have that restraining order lifted. He contacted a lawyer and purchased a background check on Iris.

She was living in a ramshackle house in a high-crime area.

"Then I took note of what wasn't in the background check. There was no phone number, email address, driver's license, vehicle registration, property, credit cards, social websites or employment history. It appeared she was one step away from living under a bridge.

"Yeah, she stole all my stuff, but when I was left with nothing, I moved forward.

"Iris had apparently had experienced her last little triumph with me and hadn't had any luck finding a new victim to support her. Her youth was gone and the crazy was on overdrive — after hitting the bottom, she decided to break out a shovel and see how deep the dirt was. If she has cable TV I'd be surprised."

Did you get revenge? Send your tale, along with your questions, problems and rants to [email protected].

Like it? Share it!

  • 0

Tales From the Front
About Cheryl Lavin
Read More | RSS | Subscribe

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...