BROKEN-MENDED

I fell into the accounting world at age eighteen. I worked for a friend of husband #1, Jimmy.

His friend was a used car salesman. It wasn’t pretty. But I caught on very quickly. Remember two twenty six? Anyway, I just kept doing office work.

In 1985 I took this lame-brained job, (for me--again I don’t intend to offend anyone--) as an “Administrative Assistant”. My training was to be a month with the out-going assistant. At the end of the first week she couldn’t answer my questions. She left with her severance pay and I was on my own. The software we were using had several unacceptable bugs in it. Which of course I brought to the CEO’s attention, (he wrote it). I requested his assistance in fixing it, updating it, etc. After about three weeks of this, he showed me how to get into the program and edit it myself.

So I fell into being a computer programmer.

For me, a piece of cake. I loved it. With in two years I had been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of this corporation with the salary, perks, bennies, briefcase, pantyhose, three piece suits--just all of it.

That man, Mr. CEO raped me in the office two or three years later, truly I can’t remember when it happened. I continued working there as my then husband, #2, Joshua, was and had been out of work for close to a year by then with a back injury. I had to bring home the bacon. I didn’t say a word and Mr. CEO, apologized, so for me all was fine--after all--Gary, (sperm donor) never apologized. All was fine until a lady in our Seattle office phoned me one day to tell me that Mr. CEO was “coming on to her”.

Now Momma bear appears. It’s one thing to screw me when I don’t want it--but don’t you dare screw with my people. She said she had a feeling he had done something to me--We brought it to the President of the Corporation’s attention--

Savannah was fired; Mr. CEO threatened me again.

I quit.

Mr. President said the day I quit, “You’re gonna sue us, huh?”

“You bet your sweet ass I am.” I walked out the door.

The stalking began.

I lost two jobs as a result of the stalking, and then I lost my mind.

Seriously lost my mind.

The “man” would stand on the street in front of  my home, gun in hand aimed at my house. I would call the police.

“There’s nothing we can do until he steps onto your property.”

Cool.

I took to hiding in the corner of my bedroom, peeking out the window constantly. It wasn’t pretty. Husband #2 stopped making love to me after I told him about the rape, and accused me for being at fault. How nice is that?

The beauty in it all came the day I was arrested.

Yes, arrested.

I was standing in the hall of the County Court House awaiting a settlement hearing in my civil case against Mr. CEO and his buddies when two men in suits approached me.

“Are you Amanda Berger?”

“Yes.”

“Put your hands in front of you please.”

I thought it was a joke.

I expected the boom box to appear and for these two dudes to start a strip dance or something.

But it was no joke.

I was swiftly escorted down the hall to the County Jail.

Now that makes for quite the interesting day. I had been unable to work, as a result of loosing my mind, was on anti-depressant drugs and tranquilizers for the “Post traumatic stress” and “Clinical Depression”.

These two dudes played the good guy/bad guy scenario, rather badly if I do say so myself. I was then placed into the hands of a female deputy where I was taken to a room and told to strip.

WHAT? IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?

I asked if I could have a clue as to why this is happening, what are the charges, just any kind of a clue--PLEASE???

“They told you in the other room.”

“No they did not.”

“Well you have to be searched.”