Page 3 of Raven's Hacker
Looking back…it had beenyearssince we were close like we used to be when it was just the two of us and we were free to do whatever. After Ryder came along, a lot of the things we used to be able to do, we couldn’t do anymore. And I knew when Ryder got a little older, Matt started trying to go back to who we were before we were parents. It had probably been at least four years since we were close confidants to each other, and the last two, he had really been pulling away from me emotionally and physically. He had been traveling for work more, which, looking back, was a total fucking joke. What real estate agent needed to go to monthly, weekend-long seminars?! And week-long conventions?! Huh?!
God! I facepalmed myself so hard, I knew I was going to have a handprint on my forehead for a little bit. I felt like such a fucking idiot; my cheeks heated in shame as tears tried to sneak down my cheeks unchecked. He started, slowly, ever so slowly, pulling away from me when Ryder was about four or five. I didn’t honestly remember the last time we were intimate.
It's beenthatlong.
As I lay in bed, wondering if I qualify to be a nun since I was swearing off all men, hadn’t had sex in so long I didn’tremember, and was willing to never get tangled up in something like matters of the heart again. Never again. I wondered if we could get a bowling team together. Call ourselves the Sisterhood of the Traveling Chastity Belt. My phone dinged, pulling me from my thoughts.
Jefferson: Just filed everything. Had a filing friend going in early. He happens to be a bridge player who came over last night. Seems your case will be the first to go through this week. Also, the first to go out this afternoon. Can we have everything packed by then?
Raven: You betcha! Not too much to pack. I’m only taking what I bought or came with. If we have video evidence of my stuff being…used…I want compensation to replace said pieces. I don’t want them, even if they can be professionally cleaned. I would have to sell them.
Jefferson:Noted. I’ll have the PI start going over everything we’ve gathered to dig into specifics aboutthat.
Raven:I have the U-Haul set to be picked up in two hours. He’ll be at work by then, so we can start right away.
Jefferson:Good. I’ll meet you girls at noon. Tell your mother I love her.
Raven:Gross. Tell her yourself.
Jefferson:LOL
They were so cute it was gross. Absolutely, adorably disgusting. I both loved and hated it, because I both wanted that kind of love, and never wanted to put my heart out there to be in such a vulnerable state again. Deciding that now was as good a time as any to get up, I did. I went through my morning routine, made breakfast for myself, my mom, and Ryder.
We were dropping Ryder off at a friend’s house for the day. He had questions for me every day, and they were getting harder to answer. I didn’t want to alienate him from his dad, but I also didn’t know how to lie to him and keep him in the dark about what was happening. He was a smart kid. He knew something was going on; he just didn’t have all of the information to put it all together yet. I promised myself, and him, the day he was born, I’d always maintain an honest relationship with him. So, when your eight-year-old asked, ‘Why aren’t we living at home?’ or ‘Are you and Dad getting divorced?’ I hated not knowing how to answer those questions. There wasn’t a manual for it, and I hated going in blind.
I wanted to tell him that we were going through this because his dad was a selfish bastard who wanted to fuck his boss and spend all his time with her instead of us. That was where he had been for the last few years, according to the PI information he’d gathered. Thank God this PI was thorough. He’d managed to dig up our whole marriage.
Thankfully, this was the only time he stepped out on me. Unfortunately, he still stepped out on me. Starting five years ago. It began as an emotional affair between the two of them. Petey noticed a shift in the text exchanges five years ago, when they started to become flirty. It didn’t get physical until four years ago. It all hurt to know he was living a different life, a separate one without Ryder and me, like we were his dirty secret. And this was where I, as a mother, was struggling. How do you tell your child this? I didn’t think it was appropriate to just tell him, but I had to tell him something because he was asking all kinds of questions. I didn’t know how to tell any of that to my son, who only wanted answers. I knew I had to give the age-appropriate one, so I told him, simply.
“Dad loves you, buddy. But he and I want different things. Different grown-up things. So, we won’t be living together anymore. But you now have two rooms! And you get time with just mom or just dad! Double birthday and Christmas gifts!” I plastered a smile on my face, trying to make it seem like the coolest thing in the world. I must have fallen short in my acting because he didn’t seem convinced.
“It’ll be okay, bud. Things always play out how they’re supposed to.” I said, hugging him to my side, kissing him on the top of his head.
I bit back tears as I tried to stay strong for him.
T H R E E: Local Hacker.
Raven’s POV
Three days later, the day Matthew got served with divorce papers, he’d blown up my phone with texts, calls, DMs, and even emails. Reading his messages, it seemed he had rushed home, saw that we, along with all of our things, were gone, minus most of the furniture. Thevoice noteI got after he read the note I had left, saying he was going to need to reimburse me for it all, since he’d ‘stained’ it during their time, wasnot kind. I didn’t block him, though. As per Jefferson’s orders, that way we could continue to collect more evidence from him. Anything we could use for a restraining order, also. Jefferson was just looking for things now, having fun toying with Matthew like he did to me. We would keep all the messages, just in case they might help in the divorce.
None of the messages were pretty.
The voicemail I got after he talked to Sullivan about what it meant that I filed first in the divorce, and he was most likely told that, since he’d lost ground on being the first to file, it was even worse. He’d called me every name in the book, wished all but a peaceful death on me, and then realized he had to go with his third choice of lawyer; he was even more pissed. Sullivan’s license to practice law was temporarily suspended while being investigated for breaking bar regulations.
It took amonthbefore the divorce could actually start. His lawyer was smart enough to suggest mediation. Though when hisgirlfriendwas served, he lostallcivility. He said he’dsee us in court, which was where we were currently sitting. Emily was sitting in the row behind my side with Ryder. Matthew was sitting with his boss, mistress, girlfriend, whatever she was to him, behind him, and his lawyer. His lawyer was currently shaking his head at his client’s outburst. I motioned to Mom to take Ryder out of here. I didn’t want him to hear anything else. This was getting ugly, and I needed to protect him as much as I could. I needed that more than I needed her here with me.
“The next outburst in my courtroom will have you held in contempt of court, Mr. Owens.” I watched from the corner of my eye as he sat back in his seat, face angry and arms crossed over his chest, looking like a child who was just told no, an overgrown toddler throwing a tantrum. Honestly.
How was Ieverattracted to this man?
Once Jefferson was done presenting evidence, of not only the affair, but of my husband and his Karen (pardon me while I barf real quick)posing as meto open up these other accounts, the judge was furious. He looked like he was going to have flames coming out of the top of his head.
“Is your lawyer here with you, Ms. Hannahan?” She nodded, a small woman standing up next to her introduced herself as the legal counsel.
“Alright. I’ve seen the evidence. Is there anything Ms. Hannahan would like to say in her defense?”
“No, your honor.”
