Chapter 7 — This Lady Royally Sucks
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AManda sy. Riley had some bad news for the follows of her blog and her cancer journey.

The doctor was gentle, but basically explained that at this point, IT is no longer medal plausible for me to be cured. In all fairness, I new be coming, but I was still tough to hear. I then asked how long again.

he added, all depends .

on how my body reacts to the drugs. Maybe three to six months.

S two weeks later, the brogs stopped being updated. There was no activity for five months. Until a new Brown post.

it's been a while since I posted, i've been trying to rediscover Normalcy. If i'm being honest, this isn't quite what I thought life without cancer would be like.

Yeah, AManda er's cancer was officially gone in her longest post yet. SHE got vulnerable with her loyal readers and really opened herself up telling them what you was actually feeling about finally saying goodyer to cancer. But IT wasn't quite what you might expect.

Cancer changes you. I am not the same person I was before I got diagnosed. Cancer made me stronger, bolder and a little harder.

The things I liked before cancer, and I thought we're important, aren't now the people I wanted to spend my time with and the things I wanted to do have drastically changed. I feel like cancer made me grow up a lot faster. I'm not as .

ignorant.

You can imagine how much of a toilet takes, never knowing what day will be your last, constantly being told you have months to live, only to go into remission, and then we laps over and over again. Cancer undoubtedly changed AManda. And when I came the responsibility, ie. S and pressure of sharing her story so openly for all to see.

After cancer is also really lonely and kind of dark if i'm being completely rock. When I was going through treatment, I got on one and be shot into the spotlight of receiving twenty four hour a day support, people cheering me on, leaving me next, messages, checking on me. Although being the center of attention is never something I wanted, IT was what I needed.

His interest in the .

way i'm on the felt like she's being shift into the spotlight, given that I was a under herself who chose to start her blog to .

not only keep friends and family in the loop but serve as a resource to all those newly diagnosed.

Being a cancer influencer is difficult, especially when there's questions about the authenticity of what you're putting out. There was the spotlight trulia wanted. Don't forget, while AManda was posting this, SHE knew at this point that the irs were investigating her. I'm watching her every move.

He told me that he was going to be taking down some of social media. And her blog.

SHE, told a close friend, rebeca fero, that the blog was coming down. He said.

because of that, because they were doing all of this research or investigation, SHE was taking down her blog, and he was going to be a lot more private on social media.

IT turns out this was to be her last ever blog post.

It's almost like P, T, S, D for cancer living in constant fear. When will you come back without all the distraction to keep you out of your head?

But while IT might have .

been the end of her blog, IT wasn't the end of a Manda sy Riley and her cancer story.

I'm charlie webster.

You're .

listening to skanda.

With the ongoing ee arrest investigation and the court battle with Nancy over a restraining order, a mother probably needed a break from the blog anyway. At the same time, her career was taking off with a huge promotion. SHE left her job as an english teacher of valley Christian to become principle a pacific point elementary school in guillory, california.

At the time that the man that was going for a restraining order, SHE, had become a principle of a Christian elementary school.

Nancy.

and that happened, I was dumb, founded by IT because her previous work experience was a substitute teacher for english. And then when he got a job as a full english teacher, SHE taught for a few months and then was out on sickly for months on end until they let her go. And then he got hired as a summer camp person at the Christian elementary school, and went from camp councillor basically to principle, which is my bag, my .

AManda d. Moved to gillray, a half hour drive from, somehow a is class as the southern n gateway to silicon valley, we drawed up to get way, to get a feel of where all this happened. The town is known as the garlic capital of the world. We could smell garlic from miles away. Ninety percent of america's garlic is processed there, with over one hundred million pounds of garlic harvested every year.

I was born and wheeler hospital in geri in one thousand nine seventy eight. And my mom was a nurse and my job was a police officer. I was hear my whole life.

I was a smaller town. Then, you know, you walk to school. You did everything.

This is local girl room. Mom reback a Spencer SHE, has two boys, James and JoNathan. JoNathan is terminally ill. He has a rare fatal disease called newman pig disease type sea ever bees.

very given in donating to my son. People are amazing. We have this big fun way to razor at the winner every year.

And we've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for my son's disease, and people like go out of their way to help my child. There is just of a special place that will always be home. I still live here else to olive here till I die.

Rebeca was looking for a new school for her son on James. JoNathan on's Younger brother, jana husband, were looking for somewhere that would be able to cater for their family's needs. SHE settled on pacific point, where AManda was principle.

My husband went to private school in the same town, and Christian school when my mother, mom, passed away. Her last wish was that my son would go to private school, and especially a Christian private school. So we were, we met miss rally. We had a tour, and we talked about how amazing the school is. We just walked around the school with my two children, and they showed us the different classrooms and what the school is all about.

At that time, I had talked to her because we were talking about James, you know, having his brother with a terminal illness, and how hard we wanted to make sure that they knew that he would be missing school because he had to come with us at that point for JoNathan s. treatments. So SHE said, oh yes, we understand and we played together.

At that time, he told us he was in remission and that he had been getting treatment for years and he was doing Better. SHE just had to go in know few times. And that's all I knew about the cancer that .

SHE SHE was in remission.

What we have first impressions of her.

amazing, sweet, kind, beautiful, well spoken. Her son and my son were in the same class. We knew what was happening.

I just thought he was wonderful. My husband, I both thought he was wonderful. We were just, we were impressed.

My son struggle with learning things in the beginning of kindergarten, so we had to come in the meetings with her and the other teacher and kind of talk about him, different ways of him learning. So SHE actually tested him in her office and did all these things with James. Just kind of see where he was academically because he wasn't quite with the other kids.

Now he is, but at that point was a slow learner. So SHE did all the testing with him, called me about IT. So, I mean, he seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing. I never once thought he wasn't a great principle. Every morning, SHE would sit there, and he had this big board.

They do their assembly lies, and then you would walk up to the board, and I would say you could either ask for a high five and not a hug, you know, and all the kids would point to what they wanted and SHE hug. Every kid they wanted to be hug high five, every kid that needed to be high five and really made a personal SHE was so good with the kids. Most of the kids wanted to hugger, not shaker hander wave.

IT was just an amazing thing. All the most of the parents stayed for this every morning. I was a very happy place to go to, and SHE made things happy. SHE could walk in and light up every child in that room.

Although AManda was no longer updating her blog after her news that he was come for free, pacific point was doing a fun raiser for two six staff members. One of them was among the sy. Riley. Her cancer was back again.

We found out that her cancer was bad when parent miss Cindy did fun raiser together. Can fuse to come in in the mornings like in her baja amas and stuff, like sometimes to get worked up before he had to go have treatments. So of course we all donated.

We all wanted to help both of them. IT was heart breaking in, you know, these two women who give their life to the children were both out of the remission, and their cancers both came back. IT was just fun raising just to raise money through donations and stuff.

S to both of them. They would email through the school too. IT was another school was involved. They just wanted to help them with whatever they needed for expenses. So everybody is joy and money.

The scholes set up a website with the title, helping mrs. Riley and misinformed fundraising. They said that all proceeds will go to help them, both with medical bills and living expenses, while they are fighting the good fight. Those who donated would receive a personalized t shirt with the term that point strung on IT. These are some of the comments that were left on the .

fun raising site. mrs. Rally has been a blessing to my children. We love you, mrs. Rally.

and I love and prayers are with you. Both love you, mr. Our prayers and we wish .

them all. Praying for mrs. Rally and mr. Cindy. My god bless them and give them courage through this difficult time. Wishing them both good help.

We personally donated five hundred as a family, and we donated to both of them. We just donated because we know you always did try to help other people see this rati having two little boys, one in the same class as my son, the other one a year older. He was heart rakings seeing the little boys and wondering how their moms doing.

One time I saw is brightly coming in the morning, and he was still in her baja, alas. And he said, you know, he was just having a really hard time and he needed to get the school. And you know, that had come back. And then, you know, she's just trying to get back together. SHE took a couple months off at that point and then he was coming back, and we were also excited when he came back.

What were you told about that .

period of time that he was back into treat? And we were just told by the school that he was very sad and net trying to support her through the cancer coming back. They had told us he was hotch in former and know they were just supporting her.

Even though the blog was officially finished, AManda's updates didn't stop though now there was no specific mention of the word cancer, just that he was sick. The pictures moved to facebook, and instead of writing blogs, SHE posted self a videos in hospital like this one.

So today is my seventh day in the hospital, and that is my last day in this hospital. As I found out, i'm officially moving to a higher level care hospital. smile. So if you could just pray against my nerves and that the doctors are able to find answers.

And when you saw her after that, what did he say?

He just said her cancer was back and he was treatment and hoping that they would get Better. And then we all would pray you, and they would pray for her in the assembly lies.

And did you pray for her? And absolutely .

was demonstrating, you know, you know what support that? Is that passionate with your children and that wonderful anybody in general, with cancer, not having a child at second, seeing all this stuff that really goes on in the world with sik kids? I need faith, my son.

If some reason we don't find a care, he goes before me, which shop to god, that won't happen. But reality is that probably will. I went to faith because I have to believe that there's something more out there. I have to.

The scores didn't give much information to parents about AMandas continued absences.

We've heard that he was in the hospital and he .

was just one person.

Did Nancy called? And that's like how I found out more information.

Nancy was calling anybody you could get a hold of to let people know that there was more to AManda story than meets the eye. And AManda was doing all SHE gard to get Nancy out of her life.

The restraining, whether he wanted, was not just for me to be restrained in talking to her or coming near her, but also restraining against her family, so from her husband, the step daughter and the two children, but they were concerned about, I didn't want me contacting employers or relatives of the protected parties.

AManda reached out to Rebecca cafe. o. SHE was a friend that took the family photos and used to work with a mandera motegi.

a man. I asked me if i've been contacted by a reporter. No, what's going on and she's like, oh, well, apparently there was some conflict with corey x wife, but there was allegations going against Manda and cory .

and some type of tension.

And he just said that, you know is that wide like as a friend that a reporter and they're are trying to like kind islanders case, but they've reach out and poking around, but there's there's no trip, any of that. And so they can't get any information because none of it's true. So the reporters they came and they're not any SHE said SHE was like falling restraining order or SHE was putting a .

coating sh on IT what was response .

to I remember thinking like how unbelievable, horrible, you know, to be one just going to cancer and like the day a day of, like figure things out of me feeling like, crap your bills like, what if I die I am like leaving to the children behind like all of these things and then to deal with something like sander ing you I mean, I was like this x wise is a piece of for work.

AMandas court case had nothing to do, however, with the x wife a litter, AManda filed for a civil harassment restraining order against mancy claim in Nancy had gotten her fired from her previous job, gotten her husband fired from his job, that Nancy was harassing her family members and friends and posing as a federal agent. So what was IT like going to court for this?

So we ended up having a two day hearing with the judge assigned to the case, almost like a little trial. There's no jury or anything but the judges, your jury, basically, and you is presented just like a trial. I had to take the stand.

My lawyer walked me through whatever dated, and then her retourne cross examine me and ask me questions. Also, I took the stand. A man to took the stand or husband arry took the stand.

We had a couple of witnesses that took the stand. And it's like going through a trial. I knew that the ramifications of this one south could jeopardize my work, my career. That's my livelihood. I knew I was important, and I would if we did not take this slightly at all.

The consequences for Nancy, if the civil harassment case didn't go her away, were serious. IT wasn't just her ability to contact demand a circle that was on the line. IT was her professional credibility and reputation. SHE had to prove that what AManda was claiming about her wasn't true. IT started with employment records from AManda's previous job as an english teacher.

We presented all our evidence, the records that were sapin ted, from her previous workplace. It's a three inch binder of them communicating with AManda by a text and emails about her never showing up to work because he has cancer and that she's too sick to teach and too sick to come in. And parents complaining that their kid's teacher isn't there.

And so the school had no choice but to replace her. They couldn't find substitutes anymore and that they were paying her. And he was not coming into work because he was too, six years of her cancer.

There was a parent at that school that was of the mindset that ARM SHE didn't have cancer and told people at at school. And I got a call from the principal of the school. The first thing he asked me was, why didn't we sit in her background check? I said, a man to rally is not charged with anything.

I said, I cannot tell you on the phone that a man, ter ryley, does not have cancer. I said, what I will tell you is that if you would like more information, here is the name of the federal investigator, here is her name, here is her contact number, and if you have questions about anything, you should call her. And that was the extent of my conversation with that school.

So I never got her fired. I never called the school at one point. He is aiming.

I emailed the brother hundreds of times, called the school hundreds of times. I mean, we subpoena all my cell phone records, all my workflow records. We brought all of that to cord for the judge. There's no calls. There's no cause .

there were calls. Nancy did make calls, maybe not hundreds, but he was actively calling people.

My attorney prett me. Amazingly, there was a lot to prep. There was a lot because he basically had to go through the list of AManda included in the documents and then have evidence for that. You know, of me not doing these things in the best, the ability to show that and prepped to be able to answer questions, not only from my own attorney, but from whatever heard tourney would ask.

was that the first time you met AManda in person?

Yes.

what did you think he came in?

Impeach, ably dressed very well, put together. You know, he was at that point a principal at elementary school. So he looked very much that part, you know, blazer, dress, heels, the hole IT SHE was her bubbly SHE was her friendly towards the judge kind of gig I go, where do I go? Where do I do about doing this? And her tourney was with, we testified, and then there was like, ten minute break.

And then we had lunch. He was a lunch break. And at that time, I was talking to my councilor with myself and to attorneys.

At that point, we were saying, okay, we should walk out and go get something to eat. Where in downtown O, Z, and you walked right over to ice is, oh, you should try this cafe. You should try this place to get coffee, and they make great sandwich. Es, and I I heard the voice, but he took me a second to register that this was a man of talking to us. And I just kind of like, turned and looked in my tiny went, okay, thank you and he was like, oh yeah, that there so many great places down like, just like nothing was wrong like we were just all there together for some IT was a very strange interaction. And I just thought I was extremely odd.

What was he saying to understand?

Oh, SHE spoke, you know, all about how I got to fired because as far SHE was concerned, they told her that I called and I threatens them. And I said, if you don't fire her, i'm gonna public and say that you allowed this front to continue. SHE talked all about that. He talked about how I would call and represent myself as a federal agent to people, people, and that if they didn't say what I wanted them to say, I was gonna arrest them. I was fused to be this menacing, threatening person to everybody is he talked about that he just to shed no problem, like I wanted to trust in the fact that the judicial system work for me or work properly.

One of the calls Nancy did make was to a team, AManda supporter, who wrote a letter to the calls backing AManda up. SHE says in her letter, Nancy claim to be calling on behalf of the IOS I was trying to acquire a permanent information to this case. I have pointed out to her that I had witnessed a more than one occasion AManda violently throwing up from treatment, and that, to me, was not something that could be fate.

The letter goes on to say SHE strongly suggested that was false and that because the investigation was under way, I was another of many who was being scammed. Ed, I did not for a second believe these deplorable allegations to know how much AManda has been through nance's actions are, quite Frankly, uncapable, and the letter continues. I have zero questions after the legitimacy of this, because the woman I saw with my own eyes was someone who is fighting the battle of her life.

Rebeca cafiero was also backing up team. AManda, this is a voice note. Rebeca cent, AManda.

love to understand, like the whole thing as much as you feel control sharing. But I will tell you, like if this I mean, again, I don't know the situation, but I get this as his acts and like this reporter and corrupt irs agent, or just like a super and very one, like, I mean, I will put the full power of everything behind exposing.

AManda and rebeca were exchanging voice notes about the court case. This voice now that a monday .

sent to Rebecca .

and walk with inning order charges, hey you, what you said, like, I wish no ill will .

against anybody but these people. Well, this lady really stuck. I was a really big problem for her, and I wasn't going away, and he needed me to go away.

I remember we came back from a break after we presented, and he came in and SHE printed out a picture of a award SHE claim. Ed SHE got that we were able to show IT was in her employment file that he had lied about IT, and they had found that out. That was one of the reasons they fired, or right, they would actually fact sector resume.

And he came in physically would like the award. But IT was the strangest thing. I was like, he had IT in the car. I don't know where that he went, got this from. He just was a very strange individual.

But the things that shouldn't have mattered SHE shouldn't have cared one aoa, that there was this little thing about her claiming to get this award when he was in college. Like edge shouldn't been her focus, but that was her focus. SHE came back in from break to prove he had that award. Very strange.

And what was curies involvement in any of this?

Cory testified to the fact that he, too, lost his job because I contacted his workplace. That didn't happen. He had already left the place of business like two or three weeks before I ever called there.

So I knew he was lying. He went on there and he, because my lawyer took them through her going back and forth in new york all the treatment he had. Oh, so you went with your wife to appointments? Yes, I I was there by her side. I was always with her.

AManda did post pictures of Carry on her in hospital throughout her blog. And even after he took IT down SHE dell posted the two of them in hospital together on facebook. Here's just one of the post that SHE shared alongside of self. I SHE took over the two of them in hospital, AManda in a hospital bed, and corry by her side.

Special showed up to this stud. It's been a crazy ride and he's been there the whole way, right by my side. Holding her family together comes to all the doctors surgery, ies and hospital trips and still works and loves on our voice. Thanks for .

being on rock. Sh'd never ever produced anything to the judge to show that he had cancer, which would would have been done in two seconds. SHE could have come in. Here's a no from a doctor. This is who IT is.

Judge, why don't you go call? And you could talk all about my cancer because that would have been really bad for me, right? That would have been the way to make me go away.

And we stated that many times over, and there was never anything. When we were going to court for the restraining order, we had suspended all documents. We had assisi, a documents from the medical facility that he was being treated up, which is colombia in new york.

They didn't have anything that they could release to us. And then they said, but we do have and we are able to share with you is not a medical record, but a letter that AManda rightly wrote to columbia. After I talk to columbia in septal blogging, they were quite concerned about what they saw on the blog.

They reached out to AManda and ask her to stop including them in the blog. Basically, a season to this letter was scent to her. And with that, he wrote the letter to them apologizing for wasting their time, and explained why he did what you did.

Here's a selection of experts from the letter that AManda allegedly wrote to colombia university, the hospital.

I intended to be public with my decision to stop treatment, but I panicked when people asked me what was next. I told them I would keep fighting when the reality was I already notified my hospital. I won't.

People kept asking what trial I was doing and how the treatment would go, so I lied. There's just not a nice way to say that I somehow justified IT in my mind that I would keep refusing treatment. And by people thinking i'm still in treatment, they wouldn't think I was a loser or a quitter when things got worse.

I'm really sorry for doing that. IT was a really bad choice. I wish I could take back, but I can't. I've pulled down the blog and again, apologize. The letter to colombia .

was accepted into evidence, though the judge acknowledged IT was here, say evidence among his team denied you'd ever read or .

written the letter.

After two days on the stand, multiple witnesses and testimony from cory AManda announced the final verdict was in.

You not panicked. You feel very empty. And to look up for a lot of apprehensions, just stomach, not like you're just kind of waiting. Waiting is hard regardless if you feel, hey, everything went great. We were able to compete on several things we knew we did, did what we set out to do but know we didn't know what to expect me. So yeah, there's not in your stomach feeling while you're waiting.

And what is the general.

the judge, that found there's no no reason for me to be restrained and that nothing was granted. There was no restraint water.

So what was IT like when the judge said there was no ground that was great?

He was great. IT was a big relief. He found that there was no, no reason to issue a restraining order. Her attorney did say, well, we feel we're going to appeal this and I remember like I just looked at my atterley and the judge said, if that's without, you're going to go that I think you should be warned that if you're going to file charges against miss muscatel, then SHE will have every right to every last medical record of your client so as long as you are aware that by going down that road, you should be aware that that opens up the door for this muscatel o and her retort, ney, to every last bit of medical information on your client. IT was a very small part of me that was like, oh, well, that would be interesting, you know, because you have to think, like said that would be that would be the end of IT.

I wish that cost in the end .

over two hundred thousand dollars.

The judge ultimately found that Nancy was protected under freedom of the press granted by the first amendment. However, had none seen not being a part of the press. The judge said that if miss moscato o, referring to nci was not a journalist, I think I would conclude that barely and just barely, there will be sufficient evidence to issue a .

protective order. I was not extremely annoyed, frustrated, angry that you would do this, but I have to say, was not unexpected and and not another character for her. I mean, I I was a really big problem for her. And so SHE do everything he could added.

you have a daughter and partner. What did your own family think when I started to become like, you know, you have folders and folders, and you know, especially when he starts to drag you through a core. And what do they think? Do they question your almost obsession? It's almost like you both became obsess with each other.

My daughters were in high school and my husband, they know the work I do. I've worked in true crime for over twenty five years in some capacity in everything from the O. J.

Simpson case being involved heavily, and that to amy fish, like there's so many cases I worked at over the years, they were just used to me being, whatever the case was I worth working on of the story. You know, that part of my life, like you, this is what you do. They were very used to that this was such an unusual case for me, because I was happening in real time.

They knew how much I love my work and how good I was added, and that I wasn't gonna stop. And we would joke about IT, my husband, definitely at one point, when they tried to serve papers for the harassment. His biggest thing was, know, he said that this is coming to the next level now, and they know where you live, they know who you are, and that we just pay more attention to comings and goings here, like just who's around and and we were at, wouldn't that he was fearful of her as much as the husband.

The husband is a body builder, is a big guy, was like, gather from what I was looking at and an understanding. And that was more of the concern that, boy, this guys got to be really angry with you as well. If you are accurate and he does not have cancer, do you are their worst nightmare? Because he knew they know I wouldn't stop.

They knew that everybody has touched by cancer. Everybody has people that have died from cancer, close or family members. You know, we lost my sister, we lost my mother in law, we lost my father, like in a very short period of time, a lot of people to cancer. And he felt the same. My idea that someone that needed to stop doing this IT made me know what he was capable, and know that you hate needed to be stopped even more because someone else wou'd had the ability to defend themselves like I did.

The end of the civil harassment case spooked a chain reaction.

Just going to stop going to church. I think question in that I did in some people, I know that you sometimes you grow out of churches and you go find another church. So I kind of made that assumption.

Maybe you just grow out another church. Yeah SHE just kind of to stop going me out to know where I member. There be moments I will catch myself, like, let me see how she's doing or go on or pay, you know.

And as I was see pictures of her again that she's struggling with cancer member. I checked on her page and I haven't heard from her. I seen her like in the hospital, but like crying like all you know, I saying what i'm going through something so rough right now. The worst season of my life and that was that given then I still was like, oh, he's still going through stuff, but I didn't still didn't think anything of IT.

Her blog was disabled and you know that's how I kept up on a lot of things and I was just gone. I didn't get wind that anything was going on until up that letter. The department of justice track me down, and that's when I found out I .

never thought he would ever been about IT. She's comes up like a really trustworthy person. So I didn't really think that was like my heart thinking, like she's making this out.

You know, I was not emotionally. This is twenty, twenty, twenty in the middle of the pandemic. I got out of like a call and I had emails partment I E ils from family who had been, and I have text message, is because most of my close friends had given at some point. So they were contacted.

I was home babysitting. And one of the parents, the one that deny that hundred dollars.

she's called me, he says, my hasty. I got this email from this stuck at turney about AManda rightly.

I was like, IT what? Like this is crazy. Like, tell me this is not true. Like, this is not.

I received a victims notification from the department of justice. I opened up that email and read that he was being investigated.

IT was .

shocking.

to save the least.

I was shock a man to took the blog down. SHE hit me with the restraining order and that one on for six months. And then he was indeed.

Saranda is hosted and produced by me, charlie webster and produced by Jackson mclin AManda's blog post are read by actor candle horn edit and theme music by new cop eller assistant producer casey heart assistant editor seem a gray wall additional production support from Stephen sladen will heel and the call urgent executive produced by me charlie webster and Nancy muscatel o sander .

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