January 2002
Hunter stormed into Chris Jericho's dressing room.
"What's up?' Jericho asked, drolly noting Hunter's temper.
"It's off," Hunter said.
"What's off?" Jericho asked.
"Us beating the crap out of Austin," Hunter said. Since a month before he had come back, Hunter had been planning with Jericho and The Rock to make Austin feel safe before Hunter finally got his revenge.
"Why?" Jericho asked.
"Because Stephanie and I are over!" Hunter yelled.
"Whoa boy," Jericho said. "Slow down."
"Well," Hunter said, taking a deep breath, "I sat down with Stephanie to talk yesterday..."
"Hunter I don't understand," Stephanie said, tears running down her cheeks. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to be able to kiss me without shuddering in horror," Hunter said. "I want you to be able to sleep through the night in the same bed as me, I want you to..."
"To sleep with you?" Stephanie asked.
"If you want to put it like that," Hunter said.
"That's exactly how I put it," Stephanie said. "I can't sleep with you Hunter. Don't you understand? Everytime I think about it I remember the pain I went through when I lost the baby. The pain you went through and then I just clam up."
"Clam up?" Hunter asked.
"I can't do it Hunter," Stephanie said. "I just don't understand."
"I think I've been a very patient man," Hunter said. "But I will not be celibate for the rest of my life Stephanie."
"I don't expect you to," Stephanie said.
"I won't cheat on you," Hunter said.
"Then maybe we should get a divorce," Stephanie answered.
Hunter looked at his wife in shock. How could she so calmly suggest they get a divorce? How could she even contemplate it?
"Is that what you want?" Hunter asked quietly.
"I don't know," Stephanie said.
"You don't seem to know anything anymore," Hunter said.
"Look, I've been confused," Stephanie said, sitting down on the bed in their hotel room.
"Maybe you should see a counselor," Hunter said patiently. "Or maybe we can go to marriage counseling."
"I don't want to go to counseling," Stephanie said adamantly. "I'm not crazy or anything. It's just a phase."
"Phases don't last for months and months," Hunter said.
"How would you know?" Stephanie asked.
"I just know what you are going through is not normal Stephanie," Hunter said. "I want to help you but I don't know how. So I think you should get counseling."
"Maybe I just need to wait this out Hunter," Stephanie said.
"Maybe I just need to stop trying," Hunter said. "Maybe I should let you think I don't love you and that I don't care about you anymore. Maybe I should leave."
"I will," Stephanie said. "If you need anything I'll be in room 321."
"Who's in 321?" Hunter asked.
"What does it matter?" Stephanie asked as she began to pack her duffel bag.
"I'd like to know who my wife is running to for comfort since it obviously isn't me," Hunter said.
"Why don't you call and find out," Stephanie said.
"Don't go," Hunter said.
"I think we both need some space," Stephanie said.
"Fine," Hunter said.
"I'll be around," Stephanie said. She turned back to Hunter. "Look, I love you, but I think we both realize that things have changed."
"Hopefully not too much," Hunter replied.
"Hopefully," Stephanie echoed before leaving the hotel room.
Jericho listened intently. "That's it?"
"What's it?" Hunter asked.
"You and Stephanie are over because she needs some space?" Jericho asked.
"That's not it," Hunter said.
"Okay," Jericho said, "because I was starting to think you were overreacting."
"No, that was yesterday," Hunter said. "This morning I started to get curious..."
Hunter was walking in the hotel aimlessly. He "somehow" ended up on the third floor. He ran into Albert.
"Hey man," Albert said.
"Hey," Hunter replied. "What's up?"
"Not much," Albert said, "I didn't get much sleep last night though."
"Why's that?" Hunter asked.
"Someone in the room next door to me was having some fun last night," Albert said. "Damn room 321."
"Room 321?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah," Albert said. "I mean I understand some people like it loud, but that was just ridiculous."
"That's ridiculous," Jericho said. "Maybe she told you the wrong room number."
"That's what I thought," Hunter said. "So I planted myself outside of the room."
"That's a little obvious," Jericho said.
"But it got the job done," Hunter said. "After about an hour, Jeff Hardy and Stephanie walked out of the hotel room together."
"Was there anyone else in the room?" Jericho asked.
"No," Hunter said.
"It still seems like you're jumping to conclusions to me," Jericho said.
"I find it really funny that you of all people are the one defending Stephanie," Hunter said.
"I guess I think of her as a friend of sorts," Jericho replied.
"Well, you were right in the beginning," Hunter said. "She is a slut."
"Hunter that's a little harsh," Jericho said.
"I asked her," Hunter said.
"And?" Jericho asked.
"She admitted it," Hunter replied.
"Oh shit," Jericho said.
"My thoughts exactly," Hunter said. "So I figured since I'm her husband and she refuses to make love to me but she will bang that little punk Jeff Hardy I have every right to want a divorce."
"I could see that," Jericho replied.
"I'm glad someone can," Hunter said.
"Stephanie doesn't want a divorce?" Jericho asked.
"Hell if I know," Hunter said. "I kinda called her a trash-bag ho and punched Jeff and left."
"Well, that works," Jericho said.
"I'm thinking of heading to New York this weekend and moving my stuff out of the apartment," Hunter said. "You want to come?"
"Sure," Jericho said.
"Thanks." Hunter said. "I need to talk to a lawyer too."
"Of course," Jericho said.
"I feel like such an idiot," Hunter said.
"Don't say that," Jericho said.
"But really, I feel like everyone else knew," Hunter said. "You should have seen that smug smile on Albert's face when he was talking about 321."
"Maybe you were imagining it," Jericho said. "It's natural to trust the woman you love."
"I wish I had never fallen in love with her," Hunter said. "I felt like I had just gone through a Rock Bottom, a Stunner, a Last Ride, and the Lionsault all at once."
"That would be some move," Jericho said dryly.
"Love: the Ultimate Finisher," Hunter said.
"I'll have to remember that one," Jericho said.
"You know, it was depressing after I had gotten hurt to realize how I had alienated all of my friends," Hunter said. "I'm proud to consider you a friend."
Jericho looked at Hunter. "Thanks man. Ditto."
Hunter stormed into Chris Jericho's dressing room.
"What's up?' Jericho asked, drolly noting Hunter's temper.
"It's off," Hunter said.
"What's off?" Jericho asked.
"Us beating the crap out of Austin," Hunter said. Since a month before he had come back, Hunter had been planning with Jericho and The Rock to make Austin feel safe before Hunter finally got his revenge.
"Why?" Jericho asked.
"Because Stephanie and I are over!" Hunter yelled.
"Whoa boy," Jericho said. "Slow down."
"Well," Hunter said, taking a deep breath, "I sat down with Stephanie to talk yesterday..."
"Hunter I don't understand," Stephanie said, tears running down her cheeks. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to be able to kiss me without shuddering in horror," Hunter said. "I want you to be able to sleep through the night in the same bed as me, I want you to..."
"To sleep with you?" Stephanie asked.
"If you want to put it like that," Hunter said.
"That's exactly how I put it," Stephanie said. "I can't sleep with you Hunter. Don't you understand? Everytime I think about it I remember the pain I went through when I lost the baby. The pain you went through and then I just clam up."
"Clam up?" Hunter asked.
"I can't do it Hunter," Stephanie said. "I just don't understand."
"I think I've been a very patient man," Hunter said. "But I will not be celibate for the rest of my life Stephanie."
"I don't expect you to," Stephanie said.
"I won't cheat on you," Hunter said.
"Then maybe we should get a divorce," Stephanie answered.
Hunter looked at his wife in shock. How could she so calmly suggest they get a divorce? How could she even contemplate it?
"Is that what you want?" Hunter asked quietly.
"I don't know," Stephanie said.
"You don't seem to know anything anymore," Hunter said.
"Look, I've been confused," Stephanie said, sitting down on the bed in their hotel room.
"Maybe you should see a counselor," Hunter said patiently. "Or maybe we can go to marriage counseling."
"I don't want to go to counseling," Stephanie said adamantly. "I'm not crazy or anything. It's just a phase."
"Phases don't last for months and months," Hunter said.
"How would you know?" Stephanie asked.
"I just know what you are going through is not normal Stephanie," Hunter said. "I want to help you but I don't know how. So I think you should get counseling."
"Maybe I just need to wait this out Hunter," Stephanie said.
"Maybe I just need to stop trying," Hunter said. "Maybe I should let you think I don't love you and that I don't care about you anymore. Maybe I should leave."
"I will," Stephanie said. "If you need anything I'll be in room 321."
"Who's in 321?" Hunter asked.
"What does it matter?" Stephanie asked as she began to pack her duffel bag.
"I'd like to know who my wife is running to for comfort since it obviously isn't me," Hunter said.
"Why don't you call and find out," Stephanie said.
"Don't go," Hunter said.
"I think we both need some space," Stephanie said.
"Fine," Hunter said.
"I'll be around," Stephanie said. She turned back to Hunter. "Look, I love you, but I think we both realize that things have changed."
"Hopefully not too much," Hunter replied.
"Hopefully," Stephanie echoed before leaving the hotel room.
Jericho listened intently. "That's it?"
"What's it?" Hunter asked.
"You and Stephanie are over because she needs some space?" Jericho asked.
"That's not it," Hunter said.
"Okay," Jericho said, "because I was starting to think you were overreacting."
"No, that was yesterday," Hunter said. "This morning I started to get curious..."
Hunter was walking in the hotel aimlessly. He "somehow" ended up on the third floor. He ran into Albert.
"Hey man," Albert said.
"Hey," Hunter replied. "What's up?"
"Not much," Albert said, "I didn't get much sleep last night though."
"Why's that?" Hunter asked.
"Someone in the room next door to me was having some fun last night," Albert said. "Damn room 321."
"Room 321?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah," Albert said. "I mean I understand some people like it loud, but that was just ridiculous."
"That's ridiculous," Jericho said. "Maybe she told you the wrong room number."
"That's what I thought," Hunter said. "So I planted myself outside of the room."
"That's a little obvious," Jericho said.
"But it got the job done," Hunter said. "After about an hour, Jeff Hardy and Stephanie walked out of the hotel room together."
"Was there anyone else in the room?" Jericho asked.
"No," Hunter said.
"It still seems like you're jumping to conclusions to me," Jericho said.
"I find it really funny that you of all people are the one defending Stephanie," Hunter said.
"I guess I think of her as a friend of sorts," Jericho replied.
"Well, you were right in the beginning," Hunter said. "She is a slut."
"Hunter that's a little harsh," Jericho said.
"I asked her," Hunter said.
"And?" Jericho asked.
"She admitted it," Hunter replied.
"Oh shit," Jericho said.
"My thoughts exactly," Hunter said. "So I figured since I'm her husband and she refuses to make love to me but she will bang that little punk Jeff Hardy I have every right to want a divorce."
"I could see that," Jericho replied.
"I'm glad someone can," Hunter said.
"Stephanie doesn't want a divorce?" Jericho asked.
"Hell if I know," Hunter said. "I kinda called her a trash-bag ho and punched Jeff and left."
"Well, that works," Jericho said.
"I'm thinking of heading to New York this weekend and moving my stuff out of the apartment," Hunter said. "You want to come?"
"Sure," Jericho said.
"Thanks." Hunter said. "I need to talk to a lawyer too."
"Of course," Jericho said.
"I feel like such an idiot," Hunter said.
"Don't say that," Jericho said.
"But really, I feel like everyone else knew," Hunter said. "You should have seen that smug smile on Albert's face when he was talking about 321."
"Maybe you were imagining it," Jericho said. "It's natural to trust the woman you love."
"I wish I had never fallen in love with her," Hunter said. "I felt like I had just gone through a Rock Bottom, a Stunner, a Last Ride, and the Lionsault all at once."
"That would be some move," Jericho said dryly.
"Love: the Ultimate Finisher," Hunter said.
"I'll have to remember that one," Jericho said.
"You know, it was depressing after I had gotten hurt to realize how I had alienated all of my friends," Hunter said. "I'm proud to consider you a friend."
Jericho looked at Hunter. "Thanks man. Ditto."