A woman who made a shocking discovery about her fiance just weeks before their wedding has spoken out.
Two months before Megan Clarke’s wedding, she discovered that her relationship was based on deception.
People have been left shocked by the story, with one person penning: “The ‘fairytale’ is exactly that… a myth that only happens in movies. Most healthy relationships don’t start as a whirlwind, love bombing is not a good thing! Having healthy boundaries in friendships and relationships can prevent a lot of heartache and protect your identity. If your questions are not answered or the answers are vague and indirect they’re lies.”
A second adds: “Very powerful message for young women – build your own empire! Have your own accomplishments that you have earned. Megan wanted the fairy tale and lifestyle so badly that she forgot this important lesson. When you have your own, a man cannot impress or scam you with his offerings.”
The couple’s love story started like a fairytale when a charming young man entered the bar where Megan worked and immediately showed his romantic interest.
Living in the Isle of Wight in 2017, Megan had been enjoying her independence and wasn’t seeking a relationship.
But when this man, who introduced himself as Lord Bertie Underwood, pursued her with grand gestures, her mindset quickly changed.
Flowers arrived at her workplace, luxury gifts from Harrods were handed over, and they enjoyed high-end date nights in London, often traveling in his Bentley.
“He was charming, kind, thoughtful, loving. A real gentleman,” Megan shared in an interview with Metro.
Their relationship escalated, and soon, Megan moved into his three-story home by the sea, filling it with photos of their time together.
On their first Christmas, Bertie proposed with a diamond ring from Cartier, even suggesting she could adopt a Lady title upon marriage.
Their romance accelerated as she left her job at his request to join his watch-selling business, believing they were building a future together.
Yet, Megan now questions if any part of their love story was real.
“I think he’s one of those people who genuinely can’t love anyone,” she reflects.
After nearly two years, strange letters started arriving at their shared home.
Bertie explained these were for former tenants, but Megan couldn’t shake a feeling that something was wrong.
An office search led her to discover multiple cards under different names. When confronted, Bertie quickly dismissed her concerns.
Deciding to investigate further, Megan looked up one of the names on the cards and discovered Bertie’s true identity: Robert Madejski, a known con artist with a history of fraud.
Nearly everything he had told her – his aristocratic background, his accent, his career – had been fabricated.
Even her engagement ring turned out to be a fake.
His avoidance of social media made sudden sense; he was hiding from others he’d deceived.
When people question why she hadn’t uncovered the truth sooner, Megan explains: “I’m a trusting person until people give me a reason not to, and he was good at what he did.”
She recalls that he crafted elaborate but meaningless lies to support his larger fabrications.
He claimed, for instance, that his great-grandfather invented the Underwood typewriter, with photos displayed on their walls to validate his story, yet none of it was true.
When she confronted him, Robert offered no answers and ultimately vanished, leaving Megan heartbroken and burdened with the task of canceling their wedding plans.
Romance scams, like Megan’s experience, have become alarmingly common.
In the UK, nine million people fell victim to various scams in the past year alone, per Citizen’s Advice, and romance fraud, in particular, often goes unreported due to shame.
Victims lose not only money but also their trust and sense of security.
In the aftermath, Megan shared her story on social media, receiving messages from others who had similarly been deceived by Robert.
He had left her in debt and even created credit accounts in her name.
Determined to rebuild her life, Megan started a photography business and began therapy to help process her traumatic experience.
Although fearful when she learned that Robert had escaped from prison, Megan hopes sharing her story on Channel 4’s documentary Love Cheats might help lead to his capture.
Now focusing on her work and friends, Megan has moved forward but remains cautious.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she noted: “Dealing with a breakup is hard, but realizing you weren’t in love with a real person is something I still struggle to get my head around.”
