I hung up and immediately blocked her number. Within minutes, I got a text from an unknown number that was clearly her using Amanda's dad's phone, calling me every name in the book and threatening to make me pay for hurting their daughter. I blocked that number too and forwarded the threatening messages to my lawyer. The apple definitely didn't fall far from the tree.
When I told Bruno about the Elizabeth phone call, he was rolling. "Bro, her mom called you nothing special. That's rich coming from a woman whose daughter just got served divorce papers like a McDonald's order. I bet Elizabeth's the type who asks to speak to the manager at Walmart."
The next 30 days were absolutely wild. Amanda seemed to think if she made my life miserable enough, I'd change my mind about the divorce. She'd leave passive-aggressive notes around the house about how some people don't know a good thing when they have it and how certain people will regret their choices when they're old and alone. But here's the thing: it was my house.
So, I started inviting Valyria over regularly. She would come by after work sometimes and sit in the garage with me while I worked on the Impala. She'd hand me tools and just enjoy watching the process. It was everything I'd wanted to share with Amanda, but never could.
I could see Amanda watching us from the kitchen window, getting more and more agitated every time Valyria showed genuine interest in my work. By day 15, Amanda couldn't handle watching Valyria and me together anymore. She packed her bags in a dramatic huff and went to Rick's place, declaring she didn't need this house and that I'd regret throwing away our marriage for some college fantasy who probably wouldn't stick around once the novelty wore off. I felt nothing but relief when her car pulled out of the driveway.
Bruno's text when I told him she'd finally left read, "Amanda's gone. Time to celebrate. I'm bringing tacos. We're toasting to your freedom, Hermano."
The divorce was finalized 3 months later. Amanda tried to claim she deserved half the house despite not being on any paperwork, arguing that she'd contributed to the household and that her emotional labor should count for something. My lawyer shut that down quickly. She got her car, her personal belongings, and half of our joint savings account. That was it.
At first, I thought that would be the end of it. Amanda got what she thought she wanted: freedom to be with Rick without the burden of our marriage. But apparently, that's not how her twisted logic worked. Rick bailed on her about 6 weeks after she moved in with him.
According to mutual friends, he got tired of her constant drama about the divorce and her obsession with tracking my social media. She'd apparently spent their dates complaining about me and Valyria instead of focusing on their relationship. Bruno's reaction to this news was immediate. "Rick ran faster than a tourist from a street taco that's been sitting in the sun too long. Can't say I blame him."
That's when Amanda's behavior got really weird. It started with flowers. I'd come home from the shop and find bouquets on my front porch with handwritten notes about how sorry she was and how she wanted to talk things through like adults. The notes also included gems like, "I know you're just acting out because you're hurt," and, "We both know Valyria is just a rebound.
You'll come to your senses eventually." I threw them away and figured she'd get the hint eventually. She didn't.
Valyria started getting Instagram DMs from Amanda.
Long rambling messages about how Valyria was destroying a family and how she hoped Valyria was happy with herself. The messages got increasingly nasty, calling Valyria everything from a home wrecker to the kind of woman who preys on vulnerable men going through difficult times. When Valyria blocked her main account, Amanda created fake profiles to keep messaging her. The messages got increasingly unhinged, accusing Valyria of stealing someone else's husband and saying things like, "Enjoy him while it lasts because men like him always go back to their wives eventually."