Vassalage: Truth, Lies, and Power
When I was five years old, I watched my father threaten to drive off a bridge. Years later, I began to understand the truth: my father — a respected school headmaster and teacher, trusted by families and admired by students — was not who he appeared to be.
Vassalage: Truth, Lies, and Power is a serial narrative podcast and true story about how one man’s lies and abuse of power tore his family apart — and my attempt to understand why so many people chose to believe him instead of the truth. Told through the actual letters exchanged during my parents’ bitter divorce, alongside memories I can’t forget, this podcast examines power, control, loyalty, manipulation, and deception — and what happens when truth is managed, softened, or replaced to protect the person who controls the board.
Season 1: The Prologue sets the stage. The pieces are arranged, the players take their positions, and a family prepares for a conflict that will change everything.
Season 2: The Departure unfolds day by day through letters written during a family crisis. As the situation escalates, the story told to the outside world is carefully shaped — not through quiet, but through narrative substitution, strategic omission, and reputation management. What emerges is my study of how truth is redirected, how authority is protected, and how reality itself becomes negotiable.
Companion Book & Exclusive Content
This podcast is the companion to my upcoming book. To be the first to know when it’s released, join my mailing list at https://www.mjmaeyers.com.
Bonus Letters & Behind-the-Scenes Insights
To hear the full, unedited letters featured in these episodes — plus behind-the-scenes context — visit patreon.com/mjmaeyers.
In a world where power protects lies… speaking the truth is how you change the game.
Disclaimer: All names, locations, and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.
Vassalage: Truth, Lies, and Power
Role Models
In this episode of Vassalage: Truth, Lies, and Power, I continue reading my mother’s letters — one to my father, and one to my sister and me — as she reflects on the choices that shaped her marriage and the lessons she wanted us to learn from it. Through her words, I see how painful examples become powerful teachers, and how role models don’t just show us daughters what to do — they show us what to survive. I also explore the concept of triangulation, a manipulation tactic at the heart of so many family dynamics, and compare it to what unfolds in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley — where charm, deception, and emotional control become a means of power. In working on this episode, I realize that my father’s manipulation didn’t begin years into their marriage — it started right at the beginning.
⚠️ Content Note:
This episode discusses sensitive themes, including suicide, manipulation, emotional abuse, and family conflict, and may not be suitable for all listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
🎵 Music Credit:
Opening and closing music features Moonlight Sonata performed with permission by Paul Pitman. This piece is used intentionally. My father often played Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven on our piano at home, and I remember sitting in the hallway listening as a young child. Its presence in this podcast reflects the emotional atmosphere of these events — restrained, familiar, and unresolved.