Saving face...why was that so burdensome? Why do sorry and I need you and I love you always have to be the hardest words to ever express?
Chapter EIGHTEEN
“Harry Balls-son,” Eduardo jokingly asserted, walking over to the man and greeting him.
“Ed-weirdo,” Harry replied in his best Spanish accent, shaking his friend’s hand.
“Don’t tell me you’re Amber’s attorney?” Eduardo asked, shaking his head, “When did they let you out?”
“Fifteen minutes ago, I ran over here as fast as I could.”
Eduardo started to laugh. He knew Harry from a long time ago and was surprised Amber remembered who he was. A high-powered Beverly Hills divorce attorney, Harry was known for hitting below the belt when it came to alimony. Many a famous actress was his clientele. He had been incarcerated for harboring a fugitive for two years though; Eduardo was truly staggered to see him free. “So she subbed out her pathetic counsel?”
“Got the call just yesterday, you don’t mind, do you?”
“Why should I be? You’re the best, and I expected nothing less from her. Have you met my counsel yet? Harry Billson, this is Tim Sinclair, Tim—Harry.”
The two men shake hands and all three were about to enter the courtroom when Eduardo pulled Harry back.
“Before we go in Harry, can I speak to you...alone?”
“I highly oppose of this Eduardo,” Tim suddenly said.
“I know—I know, it’ll be just a second,” Eduardo stated, wrapping his arm around his old friend and leading him away from his own counsel.
“What’s on your mind? It can’t possibly be about me being unethical and stealing that get out of jail free card.”
Eduardo gave out a chuckle, “No, this is about my soon to be ex-wife.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m not going to reject any offer that you place on the table Harry,” Eduardo confessed, feeling his heart swell up with emotion. “I may not like my wife right now...she’s done some pretty unforgivable things, but I’ll always care for her and I want to make sure she’s taken care of financially.”
Harry stared at him agape. “Do you realize what you’re saying? She could walk away with most of your fortune.”
“I know—but you see, I’m in the position to make more, and she isn’t. I vowed that I would always see to it that she was well cared for and I can’t break that promise.”
Harry shook his head. “In all my years Eduardo, I have never come across an ex-husband who wanted to take care of his ex-wife. It’s kill or be killed where divorce is concerned. I take it Amber doesn’t know about your sudden burst of knighthood?”
Eduardo doesn’t laugh this time, “No—no she doesn’t, and I’d rather keep it kind of discreet. So, whatever it is, come at me with all your ammunition, would you?”
“Absolutely—consider this war.”
Harry hugged Eduardo and they both turned toward the courtroom. Eduardo noted his counsels discerning look and shrugged the guy off on his way in.
Amber was already seated at the table and didn’t look at Eduardo as he sat down at the opposite end. It was a few months later and Amber had cut her hair off completely and looked more like a boy than some natural beauty.
The judge swore the session in and Harry went first. “Petitioner will now be seeking...forty thousand dollars monthly alimony, for five consecutive years, up and until she remarries.”
Amber’s eyes go wide. That’s not what was in the agreement! What the hell did he just do? She thought they agreed on a much lesser amount. What the hell was going on? Did he just add an additional thirty thousand to the ten she originally asked for? She tugged at her attorney’s jacket, “Harry, what the hell are you doing? Don’t get him angry, please, he already agreed to the ten grand a month.”
Harry bent over and whispered back to her, “Trust me love...I’m going to be your hero when this is over.”
“Your Honor,” Tim finally chimed in, “The decision of alimony has already been agreed upon, why is Petitioner’s counsel suddenly raising the sum?”
The judge turned and gave Harry a sharp look. “Mr. Billson, you care to clarify?”
“Just realized something your Honor…Mrs. Sanchez needs to continue her life of luxury. When Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez were married, Mr. Sanchez demanded that Mrs. Sanchez quit her job and stay home to raise their young son. He explained to her that she would become a woman of leisure, his words, not mine—and she never had to work again. I believe Mrs. Sanchez deserves the increase to continue the life that’s she been accustomed.”
Eduardo leaned over and whispered something to his attorney; Amber could see him in the corner of her eye doing so. His counsel seemed upset and angrily whispered something back in return.
Tim cleared his throat, “It seems Respondent has had an epiphany of some sort and agrees to the forty thousand a month alimony.”
Amber’s jaw dropped to the table. What the hell was Eduardo doing? Amber sat there in awe as her attorney stated back and forth her demands, while Eduardo’s attorney began to agree with every single one of them: The house, their three cars, the dog and all the furniture, winter vacation homes in Tahoe and Aspen, a time-share in Kauai, fifty-five percent holding interest in all of Eduardo’s business investments and that ridiculous amount of forty thousand dollars a month?
Amber suddenly buried her head within her hands and realized now what her ex-husband was trying to do. He didn’t want Amber to leave without making sure she was at least a little bit happy. Trying to concede and leave on happy terms; trying to ease any future pain. But she didn’t want to be taken care of anymore; she just wanted to run away. Die alongside Peyton.
She yanked at Harry’s lapel again and cut short his further claims in midsentence. “I don’t want it,” she said feeling her heart pound uncontrollably.
He looked at her as if she just lost her fuckin’ mind. “Mrs. Sanchez,” he hushed down, “Amber…what part don’t you want?”
Amber stared at him serious, “Any of it.”
Harry’s eyes grew wide, “What?” He let go bewildered. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”
“Why not?” Amber suddenly raised her voice, looking at the judge now; making sure her choice was loud and clear. “I don’t want it, I don’t want his money, and I don’t want his property. I don’t want anything. I just want a divorce…and the dog, I want to keep the dog.”
Eduardo gazed over at Harry and his soon to be ex-wife. His heart was suddenly being pulled from all directions. What the hell was she doing? Amber wanted nothing?
Harry suddenly spoke up after shaking his head a couple of times, “Your Honor...Petitioner is withdrawing all appeals.”
The judge stared at him astounded. Eduardo just shut his eyes. Damn her. She really did want to cut all ties.
Amber stood up and then stormed out of the courtroom, Kleenex in hand, wiping away her tears that were gushing down her face. Eduardo stood up and then darted out after her, but she was too quick and seemed to disappear in the crowds of people exiting out through the glass doors.
Later, Eduardo found Harry waltzing along the corridor.
“Harry...”
Harry turned around and gazed in to his friends eyes. He was just as disbelieving as he was, “I had no idea Eduardo. I didn’t know she was going to request such ridiculous legal recourse.”
“Would you do something for me?”
“Sure, anything.”
“Set up a trust account. Set it up in her mother’s name, Sheila Thomas. Amber’s mother will be the Executor to her estate, I trust her with my money. I’ll send her the forty grand each month.”
Harry just stood there agape, “Eduardo, can I ask you something?”
“Sure—anything.”
“Why are you getting a divorce?”
Why? Why was he divorcing her? Why was he walking away from the only woman he ever truly loved? Did their relationship die when their son did? “Harry, if I
knew the answer to that we wouldn’t be here now, would we?”
*****
Eduardo actually waited until the divorce papers were legally stamped “recorded” when he finally approached Stacey’s door.
“Can I come in?”
Stacey was in the middle of reading a book, but Eduardo Sanchez suddenly crowding her doorway was a way better option for the evening, “Absolutely.”
Eduardo walked in, but remained hesitant. Stacey studied his eyes for a moment and decided a drink was in order.
“Would you like a glass of brandy?”
Eduardo’s throat closed up, his heartbeat escalated…Good God, he was nervous? He hadn’t been on the prowl for a very long time and it felt awkward to be alone with another woman knowing his only intention was to bed her. To be honest, he wondered what Amber was doing at that moment and pined away for her and her presence. What was she doing now? The house had been sold three months earlier and he had to let go of Mrs. Lopez, there really was no need for a nanny any longer, and the last he heard, Amber had moved to the valley and into an apartment somewhere near the foothills. Eduardo continued to stay by the beach and bought a townhome in Malibu. All their past acquaintances had been severed too, he not only divorced his wife, but he divorced their friends as well.
He gazed over at Stacey and felt guilt running through his veins. He would be using her, plain and simple. Would she mind? Would she even care? Or would she simply relent from the sheer joy of getting exactly what she’s longed for?
He downed the remaining brandy in his glass then gave Stacey a sweltering look. He watched her place down hers as well and that was all the confirmation he needed. He stepped into her and closed the space between them. Circling his green eyes around her milky white skin first, he thought “I love my wife” and grabbed Stacey into his arms and kissed her passionately.
Eduardo started to undress her and Stacey did the same; two bodies in a heated impatient choreography. He unraveled his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, she unzipped her dress, unhooked her bra. Eduardo darted in towards her neck; she kissed his chest sensuously until they found their way to the bed.
Stacey couldn’t believe it, it was what she had dreamt about for the past twenty years. He was finally filling her, ramming her and oh God he was so big and wonderful, everything she always fantasized he would be like and he didn’t disappoint. Stacey closed her eyes as Eduardo continued to make love to her and Stacey relished every luscious second.
Later, Eduardo woke up in a cold sweat. Sitting up in bed, he threw his legs over to the side and sat on the edge of the bed. Feeling sweat dripping off the center of his back and neck, he turned to look over at Stacey; she was sleeping soundly with a smile pasted to her face.
“At least someone’s happy,” he muttered to himself, drawing up his boxer shorts and roaming over by the windowsill.
It was winter in California and the rain pounded hard onto the glass, tapping at the window like someone wanting to get in. He stood still and gazed out at the storm and instantly brought to mind what rainy days always reminded him of; his ex-wife.
He went to drop off Adrian’s Disney video in the middle of the night and was suddenly caught off guard by Amber still being awake. God, her arrival was nothing short of spectacular! She had flung the door open to his prurient universe, enticing not only his body, but his very mind and soul. Good God, he loved her then…Good God, he loved her still! Good God, what the hell did he just do? He just had sex with a gorgeous blond and he was feeling nothing but remorse? Only one emotion could contribute to the feeling that he was having. Guilt. Never in his wildest imagination did he believe he’d be making love to another woman other than Amber for the rest of his life. Amber was his soul mate, the woman he felt finalized with. Why did he just have sex with Stacey? He felt sick all of a sudden, nauseated.
He walked over to the bathroom and turned on the faucet to splash cold water in his face, but then leaned over the wash-basin to throw up. He was sick, he was tormented, or was he really ill? He felt like death warmed over and looked at himself in the vanity mirror. He looked like death warmed over.
He unexpectedly stiffened up when he felt Stacey’s hands running up and down his back; caressing his shoulders, his waist down to his groin. He turned around and looked sharply in her eyes. He felt sick again, he’s never been this afflicted before!
“You OK?” She asked, watching him dart toward the toilet to throw up the rest of the brandy.
Eduardo hugged the toilet bowl, “No, just go back to bed Stacey, I think I just ate something bad.”
Stacey started to exit within hearing Eduardo vomit once more.
She closed the door behind her and guessed having sex over and again was out of the question?
Chapter NINETEEN
A few months later, the routine began to get a little bit easier. No more sobbing on the way there, only some stifled emotion as he drove through the wrought-iron gates.
Eduardo arrived at the cemetery midday. He got out of car and slowly emerged the area where his little boy had been. As soon as he reached the gravesite, he stared down at the headstone.
Peyton Enrique Sanchez
Our Miraculous Son
Mommy and Daddy Will Always
Love You
He started to choke back tears again and knelt down to admire the various flowers that surrounded his son’s gravesite. It was Peyton’s birthday—he would have been five.
There were flowers from his own mother, his former mother-in-law, Peyton’s Aunt Molly, and...Good God, could it be—a wrapped present hidden behind the bouquets with a card that read, “Love Mommy.”
Tears ran down his face at once as he picked up the present and gazed up and around him. Amber was nowhere in sight but she had obviously been there and a strange pang was felt deep within his heart because he had missed her so. No, that wasn’t the complete truth, he missed her a lot; being around her, hearing her voice and being able to touch her daily. He looked down at the present again and felt compelled to open it. He wanted to see what she got him. What an awful horrible feeling! What the hell happened to them? Was it really Peyton’s death that had broken them apart? Or was it something else entirely? They never really did get a chance to heal. He just accused her—she just blamed him—and no one was sane enough to bend, or were they doomed from the very beginning, marrying his brother’s wife; some kind of divine retribution, punishing them for their retched sins?
Eduardo knelt back down and placed the present back on top of his son’s grave. He suddenly felt compelled to see Kyra, his daughter from his first wife Leticia. Eduardo then placed the present he brought for his son next to Amber’s just before he left.
He arrived shortly after at Leticia residence, at the home he had bought with her when they were married. He really didn’t want to take care of her, but felt it was necessary for his daughter to continue living in comfort; a four-bedroom, three bath home right smack in the middle of a posh part of Encino, California.
He knocked on their front door then waited a few seconds until Leticia suddenly appeared with her blond highlights and upgraded bosom.
Leticia Sanchez was still tall and still beautiful with stunning green eyes similar to Eduardo’s. She was still single and still resentful and judged her ex-husband up and down as if he were some riff-raff off the street. After their divorce, Leticia joined a “Why Men Cheat” women’s healing group and tried to get over her ex-husband, but could not. The depression was madness and full of loneliness and Leticia then signed up for Match.com. It didn’t work; everyone that she dated was then hopelessly compared to her ex-husband so Leticia sent Kyra off to stay with her parents and flew off to Cabo San Lucas for some rest and relaxation (i.e., some mindless sex). Having only slept with one man (her ex-husband) her entire life, she bedded the first man she came across and woke up the next morning with the waiter she met at the hotel restaurant. He was fifteen years younger than she and Leticia felt more like a tramp than some cougar when
she learned of his age and sent him on his way. Two days later, she hooked up with another man, some television actor on vacation and he sent her on her way. One night stands simply weren’t for her and decided when she returned to the states, she was going to go back to church and find a good Catholic mate. There wasn’t one; they were too old, married and too young or had a fear of commitment. She just couldn’t get over that ex-husband! She felt blind-sided, she had no clue and Eduardo had always acted the same when he was around the family. He always gave her the attention that she had craved and made love to her when she needed the intimacy; she just missed being with him. Oh, she hated being single and hated feeling this way constantly and decided to redo her self-image and started with her self-esteem. Large breasts; she always wanted them and what better way to spend her ex’s money than to get breast implants? She always hated having small breasts and opted towards the Pam Anderson’s. But when the plastic surgeon explained to her that Leticia’s back wouldn’t be able to sustain that much weight, she chose the Carmen Electra’s instead.
Broken Obsession - Part Two Page 12
