A woman has shared her experience of nearly marrying someone she believed was her soulmate, only to find out he was not the “real gentleman” he seemed to be.
When Megan Clarke first met Lord Bertie Underwood, she wasn’t looking for a relationship. However, his charm, generosity, and romantic gestures quickly won the 27-year-old over.
Megan’s fairy tale romance, however, did not lead to a happy conclusion.
Talking to Metro, Megan revealed she met Bertie when he entered the bar she worked at on the Isle of Wight, UK, in 2017.
A month into their relationship, with numerous date nights, rides in his Bentley, and gifts from Harrods, Megan had moved into his luxurious three-story beachfront home.
On Christmas day, Bertie proposed with a lavish Cartier diamond ring, suggesting that Megan could officially become a ‘Lady.’
Megan subsequently quit her job at the bar to work at Bertie’s watch-selling business.
This is where the adage “if something sounds too good to be true” should begin to resonate.
Suspicion arose when letters started arriving at the house addressed to various other people. A year and a half later, Megan’s curiosity led her to delve into Bertie’s office, where she uncovered more letters with different names. An online search revealed Bertie’s true identity: he was a con artist named Robert Madejski.
Megan discovered that Madejski had opened several credit accounts in her name, leaving her approximately $40,000 in debt.
She wasn’t the only victim; reports indicated that Madejski also targeted men using Grindr.
Megan described herself as “a trusting person until people give [her] a reason not to,” and noted that Madejski was “good at what he did” and appeared flawless in his deception.
Reflecting on the situation, she said: “Every single person he’s done this to and had sexual relationships with have been different. There is absolutely no pattern in type, gender, or age, which makes me think there weren’t real feelings ever involved.”
Madejski was apprehended on unrelated fraud charges but managed to escape halfway through his five-year sentence and remains at large.
Megan, who participated in Channel 4’s documentary Love Cheats to help raise awareness, stated: “Without a single doubt in my mind, I know he will be doing exactly the same thing to somebody else right now, and they will be completely oblivious as to who he is. I hope getting his face out there will lead to him being found.”
If you’ve been affected by similar issues and need confidential support, you can contact Victim Support by calling 08 08 16 89 111, starting a live chat, or visiting their website, available 24/7.