My hands are shaking as I take the phone and call Jana.
I have to know.
“Channing! What the hell do you want?” Jana answers the phone.
“I want to know if it was true.”
“The baby?” she asks with a sigh. “I told you it was.”
“But why didn’t you tell me before?” I ask then take a drink of the Scotch.
I can hear ice clinking against a glass and know she’s drinking something hard herself. “I knew you’d be mad.”
“Were you planning on using him to get my money?” My heart kind of clenches in my chest.
“I knew that’s how you’d look at it. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. One of those times when you were punishing me for my affair with Morgan is when it happened. You made sure you came inside me many times if you will recall. You were marking me as yours, I suppose. Well, you succeeded, Channing. Only when you tossed me off that boat after I told you I was pregnant, you didn’t want me to be yours any longer.”
“That’s a lie, Jana. I didn’t throw you off that boat. I know for a fact Morgan had a boat out there. Why would he if you two didn’t have this planned?” I ask as I fall onto the sofa.
“The fact is he was worried about me. He and I had talked, and I told him I was pregnant. He wanted to start our affair back up that’s why we were talking. It was him who said you’d not be happy about a baby. With me anyway. And he was right. He was worried when I told him how I was going to tell you. And the truth is I did put something in the wine to chill you out. A Xanax is what I used to try to make sure you were calm before I told you the news.”
“And then you jumped overboard and swam to his boat, didn’t you?” I ask then take another swig.
“No, Channing. Then I told you we were having a son, and you called me a liar and picked me up and tossed me over just as the storm hit and you left the sails up so you could get away from me before I could swim back to the boat. That’s what happened. The story about the other fishermen was a lie as your father did find me. I was afraid of you, Channing.”
“I didn’t do that. I know I didn’t. I’m going on the Stan Wilcox Show and I’m taking a lie detector test. If I did that to you and a baby, then I deserve any punishment my peers see fit. Because that is a true crime.”
She sighs, “He called us today too. We’ve agreed to go. You will see, it was all you, Channing.”
“See you on the show then, bye.” I end the call and hold the cold glass to my forehead.
My mind is blank. I feel numb.
Did I really have a son and lost him because I threw that bitch overboard?
Chapter 6
BETH
The bedroom door opens slowly and Channing comes in with his head hanging low. A bottle of Scotch in one hand and a glass full of it in the other tells me he’s in an awful state.
I suppose I need to try to raise him out of this funk he’s gotten himself into. Though I am upset with him about this baby thing, I feel sorry for him at the same time.
He places the bottle on the nightstand by his side of the bed and starts to walk to the bathroom. I have a book in my hands I’m not really reading so I place it on my lap. “Channing?”
The way his eyes are all sad looking and his face is drooping pulls at my heartstrings. “What?”
I pat the bed next to me. “Come here. I’m sorry for being so hard on you earlier.”
He sits down and sighs. “I talked to Jana.” He sighs again then looks at me. “I don’t remember her telling me she was pregnant, but she says she did. She said she told me on the boat them I threw her overboard. The thing is, I don’t remember anything much until the storm hit and I couldn’t find her.”
I run my hand over his shoulder. “So, you may have done it?”
“She admitted to putting Xanax in the wine. So I don’t know what I might have done. I can tell you that if she did tell me she was pregnant then I would’ve been mad. That’s a fact. She said she drugged me to calm me down when I found out the news.” A tear falls down his cheek.
My heart breaks for him and I pull him in for a hug, rocking him back and forth, I say, “Baby, I’m so sorry. If you truly did lose a child my heart goes out to you. But the fact is you can’t trust her word. Take the lie detector test and whatever the results are deal with them.”
“If I really did throw her overboard I deserve to go to prison.” His body is shaking and I hug him tighter to me.
“I know you will accept the consequences of any actions you may have done. But you don’t know if you did anything wrong or not. So let’s put this out of our minds for tonight and just pray the test shows you are innocent,” I say then kiss his cheek.
He pulls back and looks at me. “Jana and Morgan have agreed to go on the show too.”
“Good, then they can also take lie detector tests and then everything will be known.” I get up off the bed and stand between his legs.
Taking the glass of Scotch from his hand, I place it on the nightstand by my side of the bed and turn back to him to unbutton his shirt. He takes my hand, stopping me. “If I did it, will that be the end of us, Beth?”
It takes me a while to answer him as I have to really think about that. And he searches my eyes as I do. Then I say, “Channing, I am in your corner. For the long-haul, I will stand up for you. If you did do that, there were extenuating circumstances. If you are found to be lying about other things, though. Such as who started the BDSM thing, and Jana’s willing participation in it, then I’m out. Because you will not be the man I fell in love with.”
He nods. “I respect that and have no fear about that being a lie. That is the truth. The only thing I’m afraid of is a thing I can’t remember. Everything else is the truth. I swear it.”
“Then if the test shows you did commit that crime then I will still be here for you. I do love you with everything in me. The only thing that will hinder that love is if I find out all you’ve told me is a lie.” I run my hand over his stubbly cheek. “But I do trust you and the fact you admit you may have done it is a thing I have great respect for.”
His arms run around my waist and he pulls me to him. “What did I do to deserve you, Baby?”
I run my hands through his dark waves and smile. “In my opinion, we were made for each other. I’ve felt at home in your arms from the very beginning.”
“And I have in yours as well.” He pulls me even closer to him and I lean into him and kiss him.
The kiss is sweet yet full of the deep emotions we both are experiencing. My love for him is true and I know that without a doubt.
And if I find out he is a liar it will do some real damage to me. Damage which won’t soon be repaired.
Our mouths part and he runs his hand through my hair. “Want to take a shower and let me show you how sorry I am I’ve brought all this drama into your young life?”
With a wiggle of my eyebrows, I say, “I would love that. And please don’t apologize for the drama. I’m glad I can be here for you in your time of need, Channing. I do believe if we can get through this, we can get through anything.”
He lifts me up in his strong arms and carries me away. And I pray he and I will be this close after the Stan Wilcox Show.
Fingers crossed!
Chapter 7
CHANNING
A young blonde woman places the microphone underneath the collar of my light blue shirt. I have on a normal suit, not one of my Armani’s. I’m not trying to look like the spoiled billionaire who gets his way no matter what.
Beth waits in the green room and I try hard not to look at Jana and Morgan who are in two chairs across the stage from me. Stan’s chair sits empty between us and I found his lie detector administrator to be a bit of a hard-ass.
With a test like that there are no gray areas. Yes, or no is all you can answer. And sometimes there need to be explanations. Like when he asked me if I had ever beaten my wife.
I had to say yes, but it was only because she told me to. Begged me to. Told me
she wanted it and deserved it. But he didn’t ask me if she’d done any of that. Only if I had done it.
Stan will be delivering the test results on us all and my heart is pounding. The little blonde smiles at me after she’s done placing the microphone and asks me, “Can you say a few words so I can make sure it’s working, Mr. Michaels?”
“What should I say?” I ask her.
With another smile, she says, “That will work, right there. I heard you loud and clear in my headset. Thank you. I hope this all works out for you. I’ve been following this thing since Jana disappeared in the first place. It’s a very interesting story. And I hope everything goes in your favor.” She leans in and whispers, “I’ve met a lot of liars working on this show and I see big red flags about those two.”
“You do?” I ask, letting hope make a brief appearance in my heart.
She nods. “But I have been wrong before.” She winks and walks away.
I’m thinking all these mother-fuckers love to mess with people’s minds!
The lights dim and the theme music for the show comes out of the speakers. And the entire stage begins to move. In a very slow way, the stage goes from us looking at the back of the studio to a crowded audience.
They’re all clapping and smiling and I feel good for once as I look out at what looks like a bunch of normal people. Much better than a jury, I suspect.
The announcer introduces us. “Welcome to The Stan Wilcox Show! Today we have a story straight out of the headlines here in Miami. The billionaire owner of the hometown hockey team, The Skippers, Channing Michaels…” I can’t hear anything else he’s saying as the audience boos me so loudly.
I try hard not to get up and leave. It’s humiliating and I can’t wait for this to all be over. I was about to wave but put my hand back in my lap and look down.
The announcer goes on, introducing Jana and Morgan who get claps and cheers. I don’t listen, though. I can’t hear a thing with the blood pumping through my veins so hard.
Then Stan walks in from the side and the people cheer for him. He stops, and the music goes away as he pulls the microphone close to his mouth. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for coming by today.”
They all hoot and holler and I’m reminded of the old days when people would come from all over to watch a person get hanged. There is a bloodlust in some people.
I don’t share that.
Stan continues once the audience settles down, “We have Channing Michaels who is accused of throwing his wife overboard a few months ago. Her story is she told him she was six months pregnant with his child and in a drugged up rage he tried to kill her. But she was lucky enough to be found by a boat full of fishermen. Unfortunately, the act caused her to lose their baby. Channing has been charged with attempted murder of his wife and the murder of his unborn child. We’re here today to see who is telling the truth.”
The audience cheers as he turns and walks up to me. He gives me a nod and I nod back then say, “It’s a pleasure to be on your show, Stan.”
He shakes his head then says, “As you are the accused I will not allow you to sit on my stage. You will stand until the results of the lie detector test prove you to be an innocent man. And you will call me, Mr. Wilcox, until that happens, if it does.”
I stand and say, “That’s fair, Mr. Wilcox. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Stan looks into my eyes. “Channing, on top of the results of the test, I also have a paper here from the district attorney who is charging you for these crimes. If the test results prove you did not commit these crimes, all that is needed is my signature on these papers and the charges against you will instantly be dropped and you will be a free man once more. If the lie detector test proves you are lying and did commit the crimes, then I have another set of papers ready for my signature which will mean an officer will immediately take you into custody where you will remain in jail without bail until a trial. Do you understand and accept this offer, Channing?”
With a nod, I say, “I do. Thank you, Mr. Wilcox.”
“Wait here, Channing,” he says as he walks over to Jana and Morgan who sit silently. He looks at them both. “Jana Michaels and Morgan Riley, as victims, my heart goes out to you both. But if either of you is found to be lying I expect you to stand and take the responsibility for your actions. Do you understand?”
They nod and say in unison, “I do.”
I shift my weight as Stan holds up the manila file with the results. My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear and take in a deep breath to calm myself so I can pay attention.
He pulls the first paper out and looks it over. “This is my first time seeing the results for the questions I asked my administrator to ask Morgan Riley.” He moves it to the back of the stack of papers then says, “This is also the first time I have seen the results for Jana Michael’s test.”
I watch his eyes move over them both and he moves the paper. Maybe I’m reading more into his reaction than is real but I think there’s some confliction in his eyes.
He pulls the next page out. My results. “This is also the first time I have seen the results for Channing Michaels.”
The way his footsteps pound on the wooden stage floor is a sound I doubt I’ll ever forget. His voice is loud as he says, “First I want everyone to know that Channing admitted he has no memory of what happened on the sailboat that day. He said he has no idea if he committed the crimes or not. Channing has claimed he did not take the drug, Xanax, knowingly. He said Jana admitted to him during a phone conversation recently that she put the drug in the bottle of wine only he drank from. She said she did it to calm him for her news. The news about the baby she’d been so afraid to tell him about. Is that right, Channing?”
“It is, Sir.” I put my hands behind my back and hold them as I stand up straight and look right into his eyes. “If I did the things she is accusing me of, I will gladly accept any punishment that’s given to me. And I promise to give her financial restitution for not only hurting her but for the tragic loss of the child she carried.”
The audience claps, thank God!
“Channing, if it is found that she has been lying, do you plan on divorcing this woman?” he asks.
The audience goes silent as I answer, “I do.”
He gives me a nod. “I happen to have one of our county judges here today. Give us a wave, Judge Stone.”
A tall, slender, blonde woman stands up in the front row with a paper in her hand. She waves as the audience members cheer for her for no real reason, save she’s a judge and here for some reason.
Stan looks at me as he says, “She has annulment papers. With your signature alone, your marriage to Jana will be eradicated. How does that sound to you, Channing?”
“Really!” I fight the urge to jump up and down and hug this man. “That would be awesome, Sir!”
“Good!” he says.
Then Morgan rises and says, “That cannot be legal!”
Stan spins around and makes his way to Morgan. “It is completely legal. Is it not, Judge Stone?”
Some crew member runs to hand the woman a microphone then she answers, “When a marriage is as short as this one is and there is evidence to support the marriage was entered into for criminal reasons then the marriage can be annulled by the injured party. Should I state the criminal code for you, Mr. Riley?”
He sits back down and runs his hand over his head. “No. I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Stan looks back at Jana. “How does that make you feel that your husband is so ready to be out of your marriage?”
“It doesn’t surprise me at all. He has a young bimbo who has him wrapped around her slutty little finger.” She looks at me. “Isn’t that right, Dear?”
I keep my mouth shut. Not bothering to look back at her.
Stan asks her, “But you and Morgan, here, have a thing going on anyway. So why should a marriage to Channing matter to you?”
“The money, of course. I gave that marriage all I
could and the prenuptial he made me sign has made it so I can’t get a cent. I feel he took chunks of my flesh, I should get something.” She looks pleadingly out to the audience. “That man beat and tortured me as he had me strung up and defenseless.”
Boos make the stage shake. And I hold my head up high. Not allowing her spin on that to hurt me.
Stan turns and comes back to me. “Channing, you did admit to doing those things to her. What do you have to say for yourself about that?”
“I say, she asked me to do it.” The boos just get louder.
One man stands up. “I should do that to you and see how you like it!”
Not looking at him, I say, “Jana was the one who introduced that type of thing into our lives. She bought the equipment and told me she needed that to get off. It was never a thing I wanted to do. I only did it for her.”
Stan turns away from me and looks back at the audience. “BDSM is an often misunderstood practice. I did my research and found an interesting fact about the lifestyle. It seems many women do choose it. Most because they may have lived a life where they felt out of control of themselves and seek someone to keep them in line. I don’t agree with it at all, but some do and that’s what I’m trying to let you all know. And Jana was asked if she initiated the lifestyle and if she asked Channing to beat her with whips and chains until she said the safe-word which meant for him to stop.”
He levels his eyes on Jana. She smiles and says, “Which is preposterous.”
Stan’s eyebrows go up to the top of his shiny head as he pulls a paper to the front of the stack he’s holding. His eyes move over it then he stops and looks at the audience. “When Jana was asked if she was the one who brought the BDSM lifestyle into her marriage with Channing Michaels her answer was no and the lie detector results show Jana Michaels was not telling the truth.”
Gasps rush over the people who judge so quickly. I smile as I knew that was how that was going to go. “But, it is true!” she shouts.
Stan ignores her and goes on, “Jana was asked if Channing Michaels beat her with whips and chains until she bled on his own accord or at her request.”
“He made me!” she shrieks and the waterworks start flowing.
Doctor's Demands: A Submissives’ Secrets Novel Page 121