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A year after filing her initial complaint, a Triangle area woman has dismissed her lawsuit against her ex-husband’s new wife, who is also his coworker at the ex-husband’s oil company.
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Jan Poole sued Susan Cribbs, now known as Susan Mercer Gaines, last year under North Carolina’s alienation of affection law. North Carolina is one of several states that still recognize the concept, which dates to a time when wives were viewed as property, The News & Observer previously reported.
Poole accused Cribbs of intentionally destroying her marriage with Todd Gaines, the CEO of Gaines Oil Co., which is based in Chatham County, The N&O reported. Poole’s marriage to Gaines fell apart in 2023, after Todd Gaines reportedly sent his then-wife a romantic text intended for Cribbs, according to the lawsuit.
Todd Gaines also allegedly accidentally called Poole several weeks later, enabling her to overhear him telling Cribbs he loved her, the complaint states. Poole later came to believe the affair began in 2021 or 2022.
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Todd Gaines filed for divorce in July 2025, and Cribbs divorced her husband in October 2025, public records show. Cribbs and Gaines then married last December.
Gaines Oil Co. has been in Todd Gaines’ family for three generations and describes itself as aiming “to honor God” through its work, according to the company’s website.
Poole voluntarily dismissed her complaint Monday, according to court documents. The dismissal was filed with prejudice, meaning it can’t be brought back at a later date.
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This story was originally published October 20, 2026 at 2:03 PM.