I don't think you're an idiot, K. You trusted & opened your heart, and you got burned. That's happened to a lot of us. What you didn't know at the time is that this guy was not being honest.
Of course, now that you know what kind of guy he is, allowing him to continue to manipulate you would make me rethink my opinion.
I dunno. I wrote the other post when I was tired & cranky. That always brings out my vindictive streak. Disregard what I said before. Toss his stuff, or give it to charity, or whatever. And take care of yourself & your kids.