Chapter 1

It's been ten years. Ten years since I left Mississippi, and I never thought I'd come back again. But then my mom calls and says I need to hightail it back to Clinton, because something happened. My first thought was that Mike and Brett were hurt and needed my help. She assured me that the family was okay, but that I needed to make it back and fast. So, I pulled up to the house where I spent the better part of my childhood and parked. I let myself into the house and smiled as the family dog, Carson came bounding over to me. I pet him and smiled as I stood in the grand foyer of Ted and Melanie DiBiase's house. I could hear them in the kitchen, my mom and dad, but they were talking to someone else. Someone who's voice I didn't recognize. I headed to the kitchen and called out to them before I got there.

"Mama, Dad? You here?"

"In the kitchen, Teddy."

My mom said back. I nodded and came around the corner and that's when I saw her. A woman I hadn't had contact with in four years, but a woman I came to think of fondly. Delilah Foxwood. My best friend. Lila and I had lost contact after a fight, but I knew she'd kept tabs on me, I could feel it.

"Lila?"

"Hey Teddy. It's been a long time."

"Yes it has."

"Theodore, Delilah came over today, because she's back in town and needs to speak with you privately. She didn't have any numbers for you. Your father and I will be in the office."

My mom said. She'd never been one for tact, my mom. So, I watched as her and Senior left the kitchen, and then I went and poured myself a cup of coffee. I offered one to Lila, but she'd declined it. I pulled out the chair for her and then pushed her in, and then went and sat down in front of her.

"What are you doing here, Lila?"

"Well Teddy, something major has happened, and you need to know."

"What, are you marrying one of my brothers or something?"

And that's when she stopped short. It then hit me, she was marrying one of my brothers. I just couldn't see which one. Mike was too old for her, and he was married with two kids, which left Brett. I couldn't handle this.

"Brett and I are in a relationship, and we love each other. We're getting married and I couldn't do that without telling you. We've been together now for almost three years. He recently asked me to marry him, and I told him I wouldn't accept without your approval."

I needed to process this. Brett was going to marry my best friend, and I couldn't let that happen. Brett had no reason to be doing this, unless he was going to try and ruin my life. Brett and I were super close, and I didn't want to lose that closeness, but he's trying to take the one constant in my life from me.

"Wow…I guess I'm just kind of shocked. I thought that you two didn't like each other."

"Well, we didn't. Then I got pregnant, and you were nowhere to be found, so he stepped in."

Pregnant. With my daughter. The most important thing in my life. Bailey. Bailey Renee Foxwood-DiBiase. And now Brett was stepping in to be my daughter's father? Absolutely not. I stood up and put my hands on the table.

"Bailey is my daughter, Lila. Not Brett's. And I will NOT let Brett come in and take over. I've been an amazing father to her! I have not disappeared! And what is this shit about you not having my cell number? You have my cell number! My cell phone number has been the same for the last four years!"

"Nobody is saying that Brett is taking over! Bailey is your daughter, yes. But where have you been? You haven't been there for her! Brett has! When she cries for daddy, Brett's there!"

"I will fight you and Brett, Lila. I will fight you so hard! I will win custody of my daughter. My name is on her birth certificate! Mine! And I take care of my own!"

I said, walking out of the house. I didn't know how to go about filing the proper papers. I didn't. All I knew was that I had to do something. I got in my car and called some people, but then I happened across this phone number I forgot I had. It was a girl that I'd met in Baltimore, Maryland. She'd do anything for me…and she did that night. She had been completely mind blowing that night, and I'd never forget the tricks she did. I dialed that number and waited as the weird ringback tones rang and I heard the soft click.

"Hello?"

"Hello darling."

"Teddy! You in Philly?"

"Of course not, but I can be. That's not what I'm calling for. But it could be. Listen Cheryl, I need your help."

"With what?"

"I need to take control of a really horrible situation. You're the only person I can think of. I don't wanna talk about it over the phone. I've got a couple days off…I can be in Wilmington in five hours."

"Works for me. Call me when you get here."

She said, hanging up. Cheryl Canton. She was a beautiful woman. Definitely not my usual type, but beautiful nonetheless. She had curves in all the right places, red hair, hazel eyes and glasses. Most people would call her fat. I'd call her curvy. I pulled out of the driveway, and thought of a million different reasons as to why this marriage between Lila and Brett was a bad idea. I couldn't find anything. Nothing. There was nothing there, besides the fact that Brett was trying to steal the reason for my existence-my daughter, the beautiful Bailey. I drove to the airport on autopilot and purchased one ticket to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I got on the plane, wondering how good of an idea this was.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia International Airport

Of course I was nervous. I hadn't seen Ted since Baltimore. Sure a few text messages here and there were par for the course with us, but I like Ted. He's actually an okay guy.

"Flight 977 from Jackson Mississippi to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is now unloading at gate 4."

That's Ted's flight. I was at the right gate, and I planted myself in a chair and waited. I wasn't planning on anything sexual from him. Not when he sounded the way he did on the phone. He was desperate, and I could tell. He came off the plane wearing crisp khaki pants and a white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He spotted me right away and walked over to me. He pulled me into a hug and smiled.

"The least judgmental person I know…"

He said. I nodded and knew he thought of me that way. I wasn't a judgmental person, but something had driven him to fly East. I took his hand and we walked all the way over to the baggage claim area. He waved me off and we headed right towards the exit. I didn't know what he wanted, but I knew it had to be important. He spotted my car immediately and chuckled. I still had the car that I'd had when I'd driven to Baltimore.

"You still have the ghetto machine?"

"My car is not ghetto, DiBiase. They don't make cars like her anymore. She's sturdy, which is good for me."

I drove a gun metal gray 2000 Saturn SL2, that depending on how the sun shone could be black, or gray. He slid effortlessly into the passenger seat and flipped through the CD book I left on the seat. He popped the mix CD I had out of the CD player and put in another one in. I knew which one it was, and I smiled.

"I'm glad to see you, Cheryl."

"It's always good to see you, Ted. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I need a favor. And I'm hoping you'll tell me yes."

"Okay, what?"

"Well, as you know…my daughter's mom is my best friend. Well, I just found out that my best friend, is marrying my brother Brett. She's threatening to take Bailey away from me. I need someone to help me keep her in my life. Cheryl, I want you to be my girlfriend."

I stopped short. We hadn't even left the parking lot yet, and he was already telling me this. But I could relate to having my children taken away. My ex-husband, Adam Copeland, had decided that I was incapable of taking care of our two daughters, Mariah and Sunshine, and took them after we divorced. I turned to look at Ted.

"This is for Bailey's sake, right?"

"Absolutely. And in turn, we could prove to Adam, that you're good with kids again. I know all about your story. I know about the ill fated marriage. You were Stephanie McMahon's right hand, and then Adam made you look bad. I don't believe a word of what he said. So please, let's do this and make Lila and Brett see that I'm not a slacker…"

And right away, I could see that he needed me. Bailey was the one thing that made him complete. I could see that. So I nodded and agreed to do it. He'd given me an impassioned speech and I was sold. I sort of wished I could have made that passionate of a plea to save my children.

"What do I have to do…"

I asked, waiting for Ted to answer as I pulled out of the parking lot and hit the highway. I could see Ted thinking about it, and waited to hear his answer. I shrugged and smiled, and didn't know just what I was getting myself in to.