*** I must admit I KNEW someone was going to defect at Invasion, I just thought it would be Chris Jericho. That would have made me happy and I would have been able to like WCW again. But NO, Stone Cold Slut Austin had to prove exactly what he is. Oh well. ***
*** Stephanie's POV ***
We had won. Shane and I pulled victory out of a hat. Shocked the world, I think JR said. Sure, Stone Cold Steve Austin wanted nothing to do with me, but he hated Vince more. And we won.
I went back to my dressing room after celebrating in the ring with Shane, Austin, and Heyman. It was a beautiful day. My company would be a success. I stopped short when I noticed the room was empty. Hunter had been in there when I left.
"Hunter?" I called softly.
There was no answer. But there was a scrap of paper on the table. All it said was "How could you?"
I sat on the couch, staring at nothing. I hadn't even thought of how allying with Austin might affect Hunter. Obviously I should have. If I was honest, I hadn't thought about Hunter much since I acquired ECW.
I packed my things and grabbed my car keys. I hurried into the hall. I bumped into Booker T.
"Hey there Stephanie," he said, smiling brightly.
"Hi Booker," I said, trying to return his smile.
"You coming with us to party?" he asked.
"Maybe later," I said. "I need to talk to someone first."
"Okay," Booker said. "Have a good night if I don't see you again."
I waved goodbye to Booker T. I honestly liked him. There aren't many people in Shane's WCW that I honestly liked. For that matter, there aren't many wrestlers in the ECW that I liked. Only Raven and Tazz really.
I continued down the hall to the arena garage. I heard footsteps behind me. I hoped it was Hunter as I turned around quickly.
"Well if it isn't the Princess," Chris Jericho sneered.
"Jealous?" I asked. I loved arguing with Jericho. He thought he had me pegged. No one knew me, really knew me, not even Hunter. To let people know you is to let them know your weaknesses.
"It's real hard to be jealous of someone who is so willing to sell her soul for power," Jericho replied. "You know, JR had it all wrong when he said your father was the devil. Austin is the devil. Now he's all yours."
"You're a bastard Jericho," I muttered.
"You've always known that," Jericho countered. "But how does your husband feel about that celebration you had with the man who called him selfish? The man you vowed to destroy for him?"
I felt the color drain from my face. That is such a cliché, but I felt it. "I don't, I mean, I..."
"I bet he doesn't like it," Jericho said, "You know, I always used to tease you because I respected you. I liked you even, for your loyalty mostly. Now I don't know if I'd even pull over to help you repair a flat."
"I'm the same as I've always been," I said, despising the tears that filled my eyes. I hated how he got to me. I remembered saying how I hated him to Shane and Paul just hours earlier.
"I find that very difficult to believe," Jericho said. "I guess you made your bed."
He walked away. How could he see through me like that? It didn't matter. I needed to find Hunter. Chris Jericho could jump off a cliff for all I cared. It would help my company.
I pulled my cell phone from my case and dialed Hunter's cell phone. Surprise, he didn't answer. I should have told him what was going to happen. I could almost hit myself for not warning him.
The drive to the hotel seemed almost four times longer than it actually was. But Hunter wasn't there. The good thing was that his clothes still were. I checked messages, but I heard nothing.
I watched the news, I flipped aimlessly through the TV stations, I did nothing. I paced the room, nervously waiting for my husband. I wasn't afraid of my husband, just afraid of losing him.
The phone finally rang at about two in the morning. "Hello?"
"Stephanie?" a vaguely familiar voice said.
"Yeah," I answered. "Who is this?"
"Billy Gunn," he replied. "You might want to come pick up your husband."
"Where is he?" I asked, feeling immensely relieved.
Billy directed me to a near-by bar. I was there in less than five minutes. Hunter was sitting at the bar, surrounded by his friends from the WWF. They all seemed like they were in mourning.
"Hunter," I said quietly.
He looked at me. His eyes seemed so cold. "What?"
"Let me take you back to the hotel," I said.
"Why should I?" he asked. He wasn't drunk. He knew exactly what he was saying. And he was aiming for the heart. "Who would want to go home with you?"
I felt my eyes narrow. Nobody insulted me and got away with it. "I can think of plenty of people."
"You guys were right," Hunter said, getting off of his barstool. "I should have listened to you all along. You see Stephanie, everyone told me you were a slut in the beginning. You hid your true colors for awhile. Good job."
"It's easy when you're married to an idiot," I replied, hating myself. I loved him so much. Our relationship may have started as a business arrangement, but I fell hard for him.
"For awhile there I thought I'd rather be an idiot than wise to you," Hunter shot back. "But now I am. I just firmed up my contract with Vince. I'll be back in the Federation in November."
"You, you wouldn't," I said uncertainly. It became apparent that I had about six WWF superstars watching my husband and I exchange insults and hurt each other as bad as we possibly could.
"You wouldn't ally with my worst enemy," Hunter said. "Oh wait, you already did that."
"I should have told you," I admitted. "Warned you."
"You shouldn't have done it!" Hunter exclaimed.
"It was the only way Hunter!" I exclaimed. "It was the only way to get Vince where it hurt."
"How can you talk that way about your father?" Hunter asked. I could hear the disgust in his voice. I felt it coming off of him in waves. "What has he ever done to you beside love you?"
"You don't understand," I said. I was proud of keeping control of the tears that wanted to spill. But I was ashamed of myself for what I had done.
"Thank God," Hunter said, turning his back on me.
"Hunter, just come back with me," I pleaded. "We can talk this all out back at our hotel room."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Hunter said. "We'll let our lawyers sort out anything that's still between us."
"What?" I asked, not believing what I was hearing.
"I want a divorce Stephanie," Hunter said. "I've had enough of you being a devious, manipulating bitch."
I looked around, feeling completely helpless. "No," I whispered. I knew he wouldn't hear me. I turned around and ran from the bar.
"Stephanie?" someone asked.
"What?" I asked, angry that someone stopped me from getting back to my hotel room. "Oh, hey Kurt."
"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, his voice tinged with anger. "Here to gloat?"
"Oh no Kurt," I said. "Please just...I have to go."
"Stephanie?" he asked, grabbing a hold of my wrist. He turned me towards him. He saw the tears this time. "Damn. What's wrong?"
"Everything Kurt," I replied, letting the tears flow free. "Absolutely everything."
"Didn't you know this was where all the WWF wrestlers were coming?" he asked, wiping tears from my cheeks.
"No, I was here to pick up Hunter," I said.
"He was here?" Kurt asked.
"He's still in there," I answered. "He wants a divorce."
Kurt pulled me into a hug as I sobbed. I was amazed that someone I had betrayed on numerous times could hold me in his arms and comfort me. Deep down, Kurt Angle was a pretty good guy.
"Are you going to be okay tonight?" Kurt asked.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I really don't know."
"Why don't you go and get some rest," Kurt suggested. "You'll really be able to think about it all in the morning."
"Kurt," I said. "I'm sorry I was such a bad friend."
"Not so bad," Kurt replied. "But now you know how to be a better one right?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding my head.
"Good night Steph," Kurt said. "Good luck."
"You too Kurt," I said.
I walked back to the hotel room and laid on the bed I had shared with Hunter the previous night. I saw his leather jacket on a chair. I got up and grabbed it. I fell asleep, holding it close to me. Please God, let me get through this.
*** Stephanie's POV ***
We had won. Shane and I pulled victory out of a hat. Shocked the world, I think JR said. Sure, Stone Cold Steve Austin wanted nothing to do with me, but he hated Vince more. And we won.
I went back to my dressing room after celebrating in the ring with Shane, Austin, and Heyman. It was a beautiful day. My company would be a success. I stopped short when I noticed the room was empty. Hunter had been in there when I left.
"Hunter?" I called softly.
There was no answer. But there was a scrap of paper on the table. All it said was "How could you?"
I sat on the couch, staring at nothing. I hadn't even thought of how allying with Austin might affect Hunter. Obviously I should have. If I was honest, I hadn't thought about Hunter much since I acquired ECW.
I packed my things and grabbed my car keys. I hurried into the hall. I bumped into Booker T.
"Hey there Stephanie," he said, smiling brightly.
"Hi Booker," I said, trying to return his smile.
"You coming with us to party?" he asked.
"Maybe later," I said. "I need to talk to someone first."
"Okay," Booker said. "Have a good night if I don't see you again."
I waved goodbye to Booker T. I honestly liked him. There aren't many people in Shane's WCW that I honestly liked. For that matter, there aren't many wrestlers in the ECW that I liked. Only Raven and Tazz really.
I continued down the hall to the arena garage. I heard footsteps behind me. I hoped it was Hunter as I turned around quickly.
"Well if it isn't the Princess," Chris Jericho sneered.
"Jealous?" I asked. I loved arguing with Jericho. He thought he had me pegged. No one knew me, really knew me, not even Hunter. To let people know you is to let them know your weaknesses.
"It's real hard to be jealous of someone who is so willing to sell her soul for power," Jericho replied. "You know, JR had it all wrong when he said your father was the devil. Austin is the devil. Now he's all yours."
"You're a bastard Jericho," I muttered.
"You've always known that," Jericho countered. "But how does your husband feel about that celebration you had with the man who called him selfish? The man you vowed to destroy for him?"
I felt the color drain from my face. That is such a cliché, but I felt it. "I don't, I mean, I..."
"I bet he doesn't like it," Jericho said, "You know, I always used to tease you because I respected you. I liked you even, for your loyalty mostly. Now I don't know if I'd even pull over to help you repair a flat."
"I'm the same as I've always been," I said, despising the tears that filled my eyes. I hated how he got to me. I remembered saying how I hated him to Shane and Paul just hours earlier.
"I find that very difficult to believe," Jericho said. "I guess you made your bed."
He walked away. How could he see through me like that? It didn't matter. I needed to find Hunter. Chris Jericho could jump off a cliff for all I cared. It would help my company.
I pulled my cell phone from my case and dialed Hunter's cell phone. Surprise, he didn't answer. I should have told him what was going to happen. I could almost hit myself for not warning him.
The drive to the hotel seemed almost four times longer than it actually was. But Hunter wasn't there. The good thing was that his clothes still were. I checked messages, but I heard nothing.
I watched the news, I flipped aimlessly through the TV stations, I did nothing. I paced the room, nervously waiting for my husband. I wasn't afraid of my husband, just afraid of losing him.
The phone finally rang at about two in the morning. "Hello?"
"Stephanie?" a vaguely familiar voice said.
"Yeah," I answered. "Who is this?"
"Billy Gunn," he replied. "You might want to come pick up your husband."
"Where is he?" I asked, feeling immensely relieved.
Billy directed me to a near-by bar. I was there in less than five minutes. Hunter was sitting at the bar, surrounded by his friends from the WWF. They all seemed like they were in mourning.
"Hunter," I said quietly.
He looked at me. His eyes seemed so cold. "What?"
"Let me take you back to the hotel," I said.
"Why should I?" he asked. He wasn't drunk. He knew exactly what he was saying. And he was aiming for the heart. "Who would want to go home with you?"
I felt my eyes narrow. Nobody insulted me and got away with it. "I can think of plenty of people."
"You guys were right," Hunter said, getting off of his barstool. "I should have listened to you all along. You see Stephanie, everyone told me you were a slut in the beginning. You hid your true colors for awhile. Good job."
"It's easy when you're married to an idiot," I replied, hating myself. I loved him so much. Our relationship may have started as a business arrangement, but I fell hard for him.
"For awhile there I thought I'd rather be an idiot than wise to you," Hunter shot back. "But now I am. I just firmed up my contract with Vince. I'll be back in the Federation in November."
"You, you wouldn't," I said uncertainly. It became apparent that I had about six WWF superstars watching my husband and I exchange insults and hurt each other as bad as we possibly could.
"You wouldn't ally with my worst enemy," Hunter said. "Oh wait, you already did that."
"I should have told you," I admitted. "Warned you."
"You shouldn't have done it!" Hunter exclaimed.
"It was the only way Hunter!" I exclaimed. "It was the only way to get Vince where it hurt."
"How can you talk that way about your father?" Hunter asked. I could hear the disgust in his voice. I felt it coming off of him in waves. "What has he ever done to you beside love you?"
"You don't understand," I said. I was proud of keeping control of the tears that wanted to spill. But I was ashamed of myself for what I had done.
"Thank God," Hunter said, turning his back on me.
"Hunter, just come back with me," I pleaded. "We can talk this all out back at our hotel room."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Hunter said. "We'll let our lawyers sort out anything that's still between us."
"What?" I asked, not believing what I was hearing.
"I want a divorce Stephanie," Hunter said. "I've had enough of you being a devious, manipulating bitch."
I looked around, feeling completely helpless. "No," I whispered. I knew he wouldn't hear me. I turned around and ran from the bar.
"Stephanie?" someone asked.
"What?" I asked, angry that someone stopped me from getting back to my hotel room. "Oh, hey Kurt."
"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, his voice tinged with anger. "Here to gloat?"
"Oh no Kurt," I said. "Please just...I have to go."
"Stephanie?" he asked, grabbing a hold of my wrist. He turned me towards him. He saw the tears this time. "Damn. What's wrong?"
"Everything Kurt," I replied, letting the tears flow free. "Absolutely everything."
"Didn't you know this was where all the WWF wrestlers were coming?" he asked, wiping tears from my cheeks.
"No, I was here to pick up Hunter," I said.
"He was here?" Kurt asked.
"He's still in there," I answered. "He wants a divorce."
Kurt pulled me into a hug as I sobbed. I was amazed that someone I had betrayed on numerous times could hold me in his arms and comfort me. Deep down, Kurt Angle was a pretty good guy.
"Are you going to be okay tonight?" Kurt asked.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I really don't know."
"Why don't you go and get some rest," Kurt suggested. "You'll really be able to think about it all in the morning."
"Kurt," I said. "I'm sorry I was such a bad friend."
"Not so bad," Kurt replied. "But now you know how to be a better one right?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding my head.
"Good night Steph," Kurt said. "Good luck."
"You too Kurt," I said.
I walked back to the hotel room and laid on the bed I had shared with Hunter the previous night. I saw his leather jacket on a chair. I got up and grabbed it. I fell asleep, holding it close to me. Please God, let me get through this.