>> reporter: brooke reached her breaking point, and in january 2011, did something she thought would get shawn out of her life forever. >> she was just, like, "i'm done with this situation. he won't leave me alone. i'm -- you know, i'm going to the wife. she needs to know about the situation." >> i think she was probably tired of -- you know, living in this -- this secret. you know, she wanted to be free from the situation. >> the wife knows, he'll leave me alone. >> yeah. i mean, you know, "if i'm honest with the wife, then maybe, you know, they can try to work out their problems. and he'll leave me alone." >> reporter: but it backfired. shawn's marriage imploded. >> she was just, like, i've gone to the wife. she's getting a divorce. she's made him move out. >> he lost everything after that. >> yeah. >> reporter: and friends say shawn continued to harrass brooke. in fact, they say, things only intensified. >> beyond emotional abuse? was it physical? >> yes. >> she had just told me that