"Ash, stop. I'm sorry okay?" Hunter sighed walking after me as I made my way through the arena and to the curtain for my match. "I know I should have told you and it was wrong to hide him coming back from you." He continued as I slowed seeing Shane, his wife Marissa, their three sons, Vince and Stephanie still standing at the curtain. "Look Hunter, yes it would have been nice to know he was coming back, but it isn't my business anymore. I just want to stay out of his way." I sighed stopping the man from rambling anymore. "I'm so sorry Ash…I really am. I hope you know how sincerely sorry I am about this." He kept repeating "Tripsy, I'm okay. Don't be sorry" I sighed calling him the nickname I rarely used now and days. "Good luck out there" he sighed hugging me tightly before I Feel A Sin Comin' On by Pistol Annie's started to play over the speaker. "Good luck Ashanti" Stephanie called as I walked onto the stage a cocky grin on my lips as I walked down the ramp and slipped into the ring, my opponent, Naomi already inside. "And her opponent from Baton Rouge Louisiana ASHANTI" Lilian called before leaving the ring so the referee could call for the bell. It didn't take much to beat Naomi since I had a lot more experience than her and she was letting the crowds Shane O' Mac chants get to her. "Shake it off, ignore the crowd." I whispered in her ear when I got close enough that my face was hidden from any of the cameras. She barely nodded before she broke from my grasp with an elbow to my chest, my breath leaving in gasps as I dodged Rear View with a backbend, hitting her in the back of the head with a pele kick in order to roll her up and get the win. I slipped from the ring with a laugh as Tamina rushed in to try and attack me but I was one step ahead of her as I was already half way up the ramp. Blowing her a kiss I spun around and pushed behind the curtain trying to ignore Shane's eyes as they followed me over to the water cooler and then over to Renee for an interview.
"With me at this time is Ashanti, that was an impressive win over Naomi" Renee complemented "Thank you" I smirked twisting the cap off my water and taking a long drink. "Ash, everyone wants to know…after the history between you and Shane McMahon, what are your thoughts on what transpired right before your match?" she asked slowly, I had to take a deep breath to stay calm before I answered. "Yeah, Shane and I have history, but that's exactly what it is. History. Because right now, I am focused on me, myself and that Diva's Championship that Charlotte has." I paused rolling my eyes as Charlotte and Ric stepped into my interview "If I were you I would give up your shot at this belt, because it'd be really sad to see both you and Shane get embarrassed at Wrestlemania." She smirked stepping toe to toe with me. "Charlotte honey, I've wrestled a long time. You may think you have tricks up your sleeves, you may think you'll be going in with a leg up in the match because you'll have Daddy dearest with you" I paused sending her a cocky smirk "But he better watch himself, because if he tries to get in my way or interfere at all I will not hesitate to hurt him, and then you and TAKE that championship from you" I shrugged shoving her out of my way and leaving the interview area ignoring Shane who quickly finished his conversation with his wife and ran to my side.
"Ash how are you?" he asked following me through the halls and into my private locker room. "Fine" I answered shortly digging through my bags for sweatpants and a sports bra, changing and not acknowledging that he was still there. "I've been great too" he choked out as I tossed my clothes into my duffle and zipped it shut rounding on him with tears in my eyes. "Don't Shane. I didn't ask how you've been because I don't want to know how fantastic life is for you. I didn't talk to you first because I didn't want to acknowledge the fact that you have your dream life. I tried to avoid you so I could avoid the heartache that still follows whenever someone mentions you or I hear something that reminds me of you. Just don't Shane." I rambled out shoving past him and leaving the arena to go back to the hotel. I dropped my bags off in my hotel room before I headed to the hotel bar, choosing a booth in the back corner so I wouldn't be bothered as I drowned my sorrows in whiskey. Sadly it didn't work because less than 20 minutes later I was joined by none other than Vincent Kennedy McMahon. "Ashanti, I wasn't able to catch you at the show. I'm glad I saw you here" he sighed sitting across from me, holding his empty glass out in question "Knock yourself out" I agreed softly sliding him the bottle of whiskey and watching as he poured himself some before sliding it back into the middle of the table. "I'm sorry Ash…I told Hunter and Stephanie to keep quiet. Even Shane wanted to tell you ahead of time, and I said no" he sighed taking a sip of his drink before he continued "Marissa and Shane have been…struggling to put it simply…a lot of arguing and the likes. It's really something he should tell you but, he'll be on the road with us quite often and I don't want this to come between you and your job." He sighed finishing off his drink, his eyes locked on something past my shoulder.
"I'll leave you two alone. Thank you for the drink, and remember what I said" Vince whispered the last part before he walked away and Shane sat right next to me, not across from me, like right next to me practically on my lap. "We need to talk" he stated quietly grabbing the bottle and filling my glass. "Fine, talk." I sighed swallowing the contents of my glass in one go before he filled it again. "Marissa and I are filing for a divorce." That was not a way to start a conversation with the woman who you left because you knocked up the woman you're divorcing. "I'm sorry, what" I asked gritting my teeth and taking another shot. "Marissa filed for a divorce, she didn't want me coming back on the road. She doesn't trust me not to cheat on her" he sighed and I couldn't help it I burst out laughing. "The slut you cheated on me with doesn't trust you not to cheat on her. SHOCKER" I growled once I had caught my breath "Don't call her that." He snapped lowly his arm stretching to lay across the back of my chair and pull me closer. "Don't call her a slut? Cause baby, that's exactly what she is. Our relationship wasn't exactly private Shane. Or was it you that hopped into her bed? Because you see you never did tell me how you got her pregnant" I spat shoving away from him and standing to leave, the half empty bottle of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey in my hand as I headed for the elevator. "Ashanti will you stop. Can't we just let the past stay in the past?" he sighed running to get on the elevator before it closed. "Let the past stay in the past Shane? I was perfectly content to go around ignoring you and doing my job like I have been for how many years, until YOU approached me. I was perfectly content pretending you hadn't come back. YOU were the one who threw away a 7 year relationship for some chick you knocked up. YOU were the one who threw away an engagement and a wedding for some chick you knocked up. YOU were the one who ruined everything between us Shane." I paused as he slammed the stop button. "I hate that I still love you after everything you did to me Shane. I hate that I still get butterflies being this close to you. I HATE that I'm not Marissa, you want to know why Shane?" I was yelling at this point "Ask me why Shane, ask me why I wish I was Marissa" I shrieked shoving at him as he looked at me with fear and sadness.
"Why do you wish you were Marissa?" he asked quietly "Because when you came to tell me that you had cheated and knocked some bitch up two weeks before our wedding I had just found out I was pregnant. But unlike when she said she was pregnant you didn't give me a chance to tell you, you cut off all ties with me and wouldn't stop to give me the time of day. You wouldn't listen to Stephanie or Hunter when they tried to tell you. I lost OUR baby, MY BABY because you completely cut me out of your life like 7 years with me didn't make a goddamn difference to you. Like I was a piece of trash, I tried to kill myself Shane. Because I lost you, I lost the baby, I nearly lost my job because I was losing focus during matches." I whimpered slamming my hand onto the go button "Vince gave me time off, when I got back you were gone. I pretended nothing had ever happened, and after everything. After the cheating, the lying, the breaking up, the ignoring, the lost baby I STILL FUCKING LOVE YOU AND IT KILLS ME EVERY GOD DAMN DAY TO THINK OF WHAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN." I screamed tossing the bottle at his head before I ran from the elevator and tried to find my room from behind tear filled eyes. I shrieked as I slammed into a hard body and when I recognized it as Hunter I lost it and started sobbing letting him pick me up and bring me into his and Stephanie's hotel room where they sat with me while I cried and screamed and screamed and cried until finally I wore myself out and passed out on their couch. The last thought on my mind being the face of Shane McMahon when I had finally gotten to tell him everything.