Season Two of Vassalage: Truth, Lies, and Power begins with a disappearance.

In April 2004, my father abruptly walks away from his family, his marriage, and the private school he helped build — leaving behind confusion, fear, and a trail of letters that tell a very different story than the one he presents to the world.

Season Two, The Departure, unfolds over just nine days.
Twenty letters exchanged during seven of those days.
More than 8,500 words.
All written in real time as my family scrambles to keep a school alive, protect one another, and make sense of a man who insists he is not abandoning anyone — even as he disappears.

This season is told largely through the letters themselves, allowing you to experience events as we did: without hindsight, without resolution, and without knowing what comes next.

If you’ve ever watched power shift the moment someone stops playing along…
If you’ve ever seen love used as leverage…
If you’ve ever wondered how control survives even after someone leaves…

Season Two begins January 27

🎵 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.

🌐 mjmaeyers.com