When You Least Expect It (49 page)

             
Ray was sickened.  Amanda would be mortified if that happened.  “What does this mean for my case, Mike?  Is my life over?”

             
“Remember Ray, this isn’t a trial, just a hearing.  They have to prove you committed adultery before you left home.  Is that true in any way?”

             
“No, it’s not.  I just met Amanda last week.  Yes, we talked on the Internet, but I talked to lots of people.  It isn’t a crime, is it?”

             
“It’ll be fine.  The hearing is in a few days, there has been no postponement as of yet, so hopefully this will all be over with soon, and you can carry on with your new life.  Hang in there, okay?”

             
He laughed, “Easy for you to say.”

             
Ray fought off nausea and dialed Amanda’s number, forgetting to use the calling card.  He was happy that she was screening her calls.  “It’s me, Mandy, pick up.”  She picked up right away.

             
“What did he say?”

             
“He said under no circumstances are you to talk to Carrie or her lawyer.  Is your number unlisted?”  He held his breath.

             
“Yes, being a single woman and all.” 

             
Ray exhaled.  “Good. Make sure Alex knows not to give out any information to people he doesn’t know.  Mandy, I’m sorry, but if they find out where you live, they could subpoena you.”

             
Amanda gasped.  “Subpoena!  Ray how did this happen? How did I get involved?”  She suddenly became angry.  “This is your fault, Ray.  If you hadn’t lied and told me about not being divorced, this wouldn’t be happening.  Then it wouldn’t have mattered if her boss saw us, or if I stayed with you, or anything.  Now this just cheapens everything!”  She slammed the phone down, not wanting to hear another word.  She buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

             
Ray slowly hung up the phone.  His life really was over.  Not only might he not be able to support himself, but he could also lose Amanda in the process.  He hung his head, fighting off tears.  There had to be a way to stop her.  Carrie shouldn’t be able to do all this to him.  She made the last ten years of his life a living hell, yet he stayed with her, trying to make it work, trying to be a good husband.  She never tried.  It’s her fault that this marriage failed; she never put any effort into it, or gave him any sort of consideration.  Why should she be able to make the rest of his life miserable too?  He didn’t know how, but he was going to stop her.

~~~

              Mike Mahoney had been on the phone with Carrie’s attorney.  They now wanted everything; Ray’s car, both his pensions, an increase in the alimony, and for double the time.  They wanted Ray to pay for everyone’s college tuitions, including Carrie's tuition, should she decide to go back to college.  They wanted Ray to buy a car for each of the girls when they turned sixteen.   They wanted to change the reason for divorce to adultery, which would more than likely mean that Carrie would probably get everything she asked for, and then some.

             
He, of course, told her attorney that her requests were ridiculous, that she was making up the affair, and that his client vehemently denied it.  The stupid guy just laughed and said he would deny it to if it meant losing everything.  Mike didn’t know how to save Ray, except to talk to Amanda himself.  He called Ray at work.

             
“Ray Knight.”

             
“Hey Ray, this is Mike.”

             
“Please tell me you have some good news for me for a change.”  Ray doubted it, but could only hope.

             
“I want Amanda’s phone number.”

             
“What?  Why?” 

             
“I need to hear her side, Ray.  I need to know if we should call her in to plead your case before they get a hold of her.  Please, just trust me.  I know it sounds like I’m grasping at straws here, but I have to be honest with you, Ray; I am.  Now, please, give me the number.”

             
He reluctantly agreed.  “Mike, she’s already mad at me.  Do me a favor and go easy on her.  Please, don’t make her hate me.”

             
Mike promised to be gentle.  As he hung up, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ray.  He must feel as if his world were tumbling down around him.

             
He dialed Amanda, and listened to her answering machine pick up, but he knew she was screening her calls.  “Amanda, this is Michael Mahoney, attorney for Ray Knight.  If you’re there, can you pick up?  I understand why you’re screening your calls, but it is imperative that I speak with you.  We’re on the same side here.”  He waited, hoping she was there and would pick up the phone.

             
“Hello, this is Amanda.” 

             
Mike was relieved.  “Hi Amanda.  How are you?”

             
“Just peachy, how are you?”  She didn’t try to hide the irritation in her voice. 

             
Mike noticed it and changed his tone so as not to sound quiet as official. “I’m fine.  I’m sorry to intrude in your life this way Amanda, but I’m sure Ray has updated you on the situation over here.  I really need to hear your side of the story.”

             
“Why, don’t you believe Ray?  I’m sure he’s told you all the sordid details of this illicit affair that we’ve been having.”  She was having a hard time controlling her temper.

             
“I do believe him.  He says you two barely met last week.”

             
“Can you tell me how long ago you two met on the net?”

             
She sighed.  “We met a year ago.  Yes, he was still at home, but we were two people talking on a computer.  He needed someone to vent to, he was planning to leave his wife that very first time I talked to him.  I’d been through it before, so I just told him my story.  It was harmless.  We were two screen names on the computer, nothing more.  Then when I’d run into him in a chat room, we’d talk some more.  Have you ever been in a chat room, Mr. Mahoney?”

             
Mike reddened.  “Um, yes.”

             
“Are you having illicit affairs with every one you chat with, no matter what the subject matter is?”

             
“No.  I’m not.  I guess that’s the fun of a chat room.  You can say and be anything you want, no one knows you.”

             
“Exactly.  This is why I didn’t see the harm in talking to Ray when he needed a friend.  It’s not my fault that his marriage failed, I had nothing to do with his decision to leave his wife, nor did I coerce him in any way.  I just told him he deserved to be happy.  Maybe in the course of everything our feelings changed, but not while he was with his wife.  Carrie should really take a deep look inside herself if she wants to find the person responsible and stop trying to pin it on someone else.”             

             
Mike silently admired this woman.  He could see why Ray liked her. “Well, I’ve met Carrie, and she isn’t the kind of person to take blame easily.  She wants Ray to take care of her for the rest of her life, I have a feeling she’ll stop at nothing to get her way.  I’m sorry this has involved you, Ray has said many times it’s the last thing he wants.  I just need to know if you’re willing to say all this in court, if it comes down to that.

             
Amanda thought about this for a moment.  “And if I say no?”

             
“Ray will lose everything.”

              She sighed.  “So it could come down to me having to sit in front of Carrie and say all this?”

             
“Or we could have a written deposition.  I could present it to the judge at the hearing, and then maybe he would throw out the motion for adultery.  I’ll come to Texas, and we could do it out there.  What do you say, Amanda?”

             
Mike coming to Texas would be so much better than having to say it in front of Carrie.  She could think of nothing worse than that, even if in her heart, she knew she had nothing to be ashamed of.  “I’d be willing to do that.  Has it really come down to that?”

             
Mike tried to conceal his excitement.  “I think it’s the only way to save Ray.  Otherwise, he’ll be ruined.”                “When will you come down?”

             
“Let me set it up with the El Paso courthouse, and then I’ll let you know.  I’ll be in touch.”  Mike hung up feeling more positive then at the start of the conversation.

             
                                                        ~~~

“She’s going to do what?”  Ray was astounded.  “How did she take it?

              “Well, not so well at first, but she calmed down and is willing to help.  Her description of your relationship is credible; it can only help you, Ray.  We need this for the hearing.”

             
“There’s no other way?  I really don’t want to involve her.”

             
“It’s too late for that, she’s already involved.  It’s either we bring her up, or they do; I say we beat them to it.”

             
Ray reluctantly agreed.  “When will you be going to El Paso?”

             
“I have it scheduled for this Friday.  I just have to let Amanda know.  I’ll talk to you after that.  Don’t worry Ray; this is a good thing for our side.”

             
Ray hung up thinking it might be a great thing for his divorce, but a horrible thing for his future with Amanda.  At this very moment, he doubted there’d ever be one.

~~~

              Amanda was waiting for Mike to call her back with the details.  He had already called her and told her it would be Friday, she just needed to know what time and where.  She was sitting in front of the phone, sipping on coffee, when it rang.  Instead of screening it, she picked it up, assuming it was Mike.

             
“So finally you answer.  Hello Amanda, this is Carrie Knight.”

             
Amanda could kick herself!  Now what should she do?

             
“I know you’re probably considering hanging up on me, but that would be the coward’s way out.  But if you don’t have anything to hide, why not hear me out?” 

             
Amanda’s hair bristled.  “What do you want, Carrie.  I don’t have anything to say to you.  I don’t have to defend any of my actions; frankly, it’s none of your business.”

             
“I want to know why you had an affair with my husband.  I want to know details.  I want to know when, where, and how many times.  You owe me; after all, you broke up my marriage.  You’re the reason my children are suffering.  You’re why they have to come home to an empty house every afternoon, because I now have to work full-time.  We’re all miserable, and it’s because of you.”

             
Amanda couldn’t contain her anger any longer. She forgot all the warnings about talking to this woman and let her have it.  “No, YOU are the reason and the only reason.  The only thing I’ll admit I have done, Carrie, is be a compassionate ear to a sad and lonely man.  You didn’t even sleep in the same room with him, which is why he had to find solace in his computer.  So what if I chatted with him online, we lived miles apart.  So what if we were friends, you sure weren’t.  So what if I told him he deserved to be happy, you certainly didn’t give a damn if he was or not!”

             
Carrie was seething.  “You wait one damned minute.  You don’t know anything about our marriage!”

             
“I KNOW EVERYTHING! Ray and I’d talk all night long.  He would tell me how miserable he was because you had shut him out of your life years before.  How he was nothing but a paycheck to you.  You even tried shutting him out of your kid’s life…”

             
“YOU LEAVE MY KIDS OUT OF THIS!”

             
“THEN YOU LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!  Do you know that your kids encouraged Ray to leave you?  They must be miserable too, Carrie.  Ray was miserable way before he met me, so don’t blame me for your divorce.  Look in the mirror.  Take a good look at how you’ve treated him.  Husbands want to feel loved, to feel appreciated.  They want companionship, friendship and a lover.  Can you smugly sit there and tell me you’ve been all of that to Ray, and I came along and ruined it all?  CAN YOU CARRIE?”  Amanda was outraged.  How dare this woman?  “The only thing I am guilty of is being Ray’s friend.  Yes, we met last week.  Yes, you’re married legally, but in the process of a divorce.  You’re not living in the same house.  You’re not having a life together any more, and quite frankly to hear Ray tell it, you haven’t in years.  Marriage is more than a word, Carrie; it’s a commitment, one that you forgot about a long time ago.”

             
Carrie was shocked into silence. 

             
Amanda calmed down, surprised by Carrie’s silence.  In a quiet voice, she finished her argument. “You wanted to know, Carrie.  That’s what I know.”