A/N: Italics are flashbacks and everything else is Dwayne talking. Also, I would never wish these events on Dwayne Johnson. I am a big fan and I am iffy about his movie career. So to vent, I wrote this. Enjoy!
--
I won't hate them back, no matter how many times people remind me of what happened. The fans made me who I am, and I love them. If you love something, you can't suddenly turn your back on them because of some stupid change of heart. Hell, I don't even hate Dany for leaving me. Even though we hardly talk now, and I only see Simone, frozen as a 10-year-old, in that picture I have, I still love them. I wonder, all the time, if they remember and love me.
I remember when Dany left me. She had every right to. Why would she want to stay with someone who'd become unfaithful?
"How could you?!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed her suitcase and began to bombard it with her clothes. As she frantically tried to do it quickly, she kept talking, "I trusted you! When you were walking on that red carpet, or shooting that stupid movie, I trusted you! You were thousands of miles away and I had faith that you'd never do something so awful behind my back!"
Dwayne stood near the dresser, watching her run back and forth from the closet to the bed. He hadn't meant to cheat on her, just like he hadn't meant to get drunk that night. It had just happened. If he could take it back, he would've. She went on and he hung his head, "The worst part about this is that you didn't even want to tell me! You tell me 3 years later. That was real smart of you, Dwayne! How do I know you haven't been doing the exact same thing, night after night, during that time you tried to keep it from me?"
His head shot up and he walked up to her, looking her straight in the eye, "Dany, I won't try to convince you, but believe me. I did not do anything else that could possibly break your trust again."
She looked away from his stare and zipped her suitcase, picking it up off the bed, "Believing you at a time like this would me like me letting you keep her."
Dwayne's eyes widened as he watched her leave the room. She headed into Simone's room and slammed the door, locking it before he had a chance to stop her.
Thinking of that day makes my heart feel like it's not beating. I knew I'd broken her heart but she didn't have to take Simone with her. I'd never broken Simone's trust and I actually had the chance to become the father she needed. She and Dany would call me while I was making movies. Just hearing the sounds of their voices made me feel like I was almost home.
"Hi, daddy!" Simone said in her little toddler voice. Dwayne smiled, "Hi, precious, how are you?"
"I'm otay. How is Howlywud?" She played with the phone cord, wrapping it around her little fingers.
"It's great."
"When c'I come see you?" she asked, desperately wanting to see the place her dad had talked so much about.
"Whenever you want to," he replied, flipping through the pages of his script. He glanced at his watch and stood, "Daddy has to go now, sweetie. I'll call you and mommy later, 'kay?"
"Okay, daddy." She made a kissing sound, "I lub you."
"I love you, too."
"You…what?" She uttered, still shocked.
"Please don't make me repeat it, Dany," Dwayne said, placing a hand on her knee. She pulled away and got up, running up the stairs. He watched her leave and then followed. He was only halfway up the stairs when he heard their bedroom door slam. He knocked on it, "Dany?" The sound of her sobbing convinced him to leave her alone. He sat on the top stair of the staircase and buried his face in his hands. He didn't notice Simone sneak out of her room and sit next to him until he heard her voice.
"Hi, Dad."
He looked at her, "Hey, you."
She sat like him, elbows on her knees and said, "Are you and Mom getting a divorce?"
His eyes widened at her, "What? No, no! Why would you think that?"
"Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. When I think something is wrong, I know. I eavesdrop," she replied, looking downstairs at the living room, where he'd confessed.
Dwayne sighed and put his arm around her, "You're smart. But divorce? I'm not sure. But I can tell you this – no matter what happens, nothing will ever be the same."
"Great advice, Dad. Life was cool and now it'll suck," she said, nodding.
Dwayne chuckled, "Hey, if divorce is the answer, I want you to know that we love you just the same."
"I know, Dad. I'll still love you too."
"I know."
I try not to accept the fact that I'll never see Simone again. I keep thinking that she's in Miami, waiting for me to watch her in the play, or root for her when she plays sports. Sometimes, I end up looking for her when I go home. Then I remember that she's not even in the same state as me, let alone same house.
I remember she'd run around backstage when I took her to shows. She always wanted Ric Fliehr to baby-sit her, so she could hear from the guy who inspired me. I loved the nights we left the building and she'd ramble about everything Uncle Ric told her.
"I'm going to be a wrestler!" She'd shouted when she was 9.
Dwayne nodded, "Who is going to train you?"
"Al Snow!"
Dwayne frowned, "What?!"
"Just kidding."
Saying good-bye to her was hard. Even though I told her I'd always love her, she seemed to forget that.
"Don't cry, sweetie." Dwayne said, crouching and wiping her tear.
"Do we ha-have to g-go?" she uttered, wanting to shout out her frustrations.
"Yeah. It's better for you to stay with Dany. You can't stay with me," he replied, holding her hand.
"B-but I can come visit you, right? A-and you can come see us, right?" Simone asked, sniffling.
"I don't know. Did she tell you where you are moving to?" She shook her head. "Oh. If we're really lucky, we'll run into each other one day," he said, hoping so even though the odds were low.
Simone ran her hand across her eye, smearing her tears.
"Come on, now, beautiful. You're too young to cry so hard."
She let out a small laugh and then it disappeared, "Maybe, but nothing like this has ever happened before."
Dwayne's eyes dropped and he whispered, "Lucky, you won't have to go through this again."
"Yes, I will."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…I'm going to have to live without my dad. And you're going to have to live without your daughter. And if we ever meet again, eventually, we'll have to say good-bye all over again." At that point, she couldn't understand what she was saying and she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him. He hugged back.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too."
I didn't think my hiatus from wrestling would ever become permanent, but after Dany and Simone left, I knew it was over. The only thing I could hang on to now was the movie deals that people offered. But Vince had to play by the rules and he doesn't let me go by 'The Rock' anymore.
"Are you sure? You're a big star here, Dwayne. Do you really want to leave?" Vince asked. Dwayne's contract lay on his desk and it stated that he was WWE property until 2017.
Dwayne nodded, "I know I'm leaving earlier than I should, but I can't stay here. I am aware that this means I'll go through some legal battles with you but you can take everything you need. I can give you the money now if you want, and save both of us, and the company, lots of legal mumbo jumbo."
Vince cleared his throat, "What, may I ask, made you have this sudden change of heart?"
Dwayne shifted in his chair, "Well, Dany and Simone aren't in my life anymore. And movie deals keep coming. I can't keep leaving WWE, letting the fans down over and over. So, I should just leave permanently and spare them the upsets."
"You'll upset them when they find out. You do know that, right?"
"Yes."
"And you can't use 'The Rock' anymore, understood?"
"Yes."
With that, Dwayne left the office and said good-bye to the boys, for the last time.
Saying goodbye to the company that made me was like saying good-bye to Simone and Dany – for a moment, I felt like I had no reason to live. But I still have movies to make, and it's an okay job. But still, if I could go back and not make the movie that made all this possible, I would.
Yep, I would not have made Hellderado if I knew this was going to happen.
--