"She's eight months pregnant."
"She killed her husband."
"Not really David's baby."
"Sleeping with The Rock."
"Conniving bitch."
Stephanie held her head up as she watched the judge come into the courtroom. She wished she could just ignore the whispers behind her. The whispers she had heard for the past month.
Stephanie jumped upon feeling a hand on her shoulder. She turned around at the comforting squeeze. She smiled gratefully at her brother, The Rock, and Chris Jericho. They all believed her, all believed in her innocence.
But many people found David's death a little too bit coincidental. He had just changed his will on the day of his death. There had been no paternity test to ascertain whether the recipient of most of David's assets was actually his son. And David had no history of abusing women that anyone could dig up.
She looked at the other people sitting behind her for a brief moment. Most of the people seemed to support her, believe that she had killed David in self-defense. But there was Stacy Kiebler who had testified that David abhorred men who beat women. There was David's mother who said David loved the baby Stephanie was carrying.
And then there was Hunter, who still carried some grudge against her for faking a pregnancy. He had regaled the judge with tales of many things she had done while married to him. Stephanie had wanted to cry while he was on the stand, yell at the injustice. She hadn't been that woman in years. She had changed so drastically upon leaving the WWF.
But Stephanie saw the irony too. She had been planning to kill David. She wasn't certain she ever could have done it, but she had planned for it. And he offered her the perfect opportunity to do so without actually breaking a law.
She had refused to let either Shane or Rocky testify as character witnesses. She didn't want to take the chance that they would perjure themselves, knowing they would never admit to anyone that Stephanie had planned on killing David. Since Jericho was unaware of the plot, she had let him take the stand. That had been the previous day.
Stephanie's lawyer said he had one last surprise witness. Then the defense would rest.
"The defense wishes to call Trish Stratus to the witness stand," her lawyer said. He had worked for the McMahon family for years. Larry Owens was one of Vince's closest friends and he had offered his services to Stephanie outright upon hearing that she was going to be tried for second degree murder.
Stephanie, Shane, Rocky, and Jericho all turned quickly to see Trish walk into the courtroom, looking very somber. "Trish," Shane whispered, obviously very surprised at his girlfriend's appearance.
Trish was sworn in and assumed her seat at the witness stand. "Please state your full name and address for the court."
"Patricia Stratus from Toronto, Canada," Trish said. She was looking at Shane intensely. There seemed to be some plea in her eyes, for him to understand what she was going to say.
"Miss Stratus," Larry started, going to stand in front of the witness. "What is your relation to the defendant?"
"We're acquaintances," Trish said. "Lately we've been friends, but that hasn't always been the case. I am also dating her brother, Shane McMahon."
"And your relationship to the deceased?" Larry asked.
"Ex-girlfriend," Trish said.
"When did you date David Flair?" Larry asked.
"I started dating David in January of 2003 and we broke up in April of 2003," Trish replied.
"And how many of your friends knew about this relationship?" Larry asked.
"Only one," Trish said. "Chris Jericho."
"Why no one else?" Larry asked.
"David wanted to keep it a secret," Trish replied. "He was dating Stacy Kiebler at the time and we were just having a fling."
"A fling that lasted four months?" Larry asked.
"Yes," Trish said.
"And why did the relationship end?" Larry asked.
Trish looked again toward Shane. She closed her eyes and said, "Because David beat me."
"One time or several times?" Larry asked.
"One time," Trish said. "I refused to stay with a man who could hit me."
"And why did he hit you?" Larry asked.
"Because he thought I was seeing someone else," Trish said.
"Who did he think you were seeing?" Larry asked.
"The Rock," Trish answered.
"The same person who the defendant was allegedly having an affair with?" Larry asked.
"The one and the same," Trish replied.
"Were you?" Larry asked.
"No," Trish answered. "Rocky and I had tried to hold together a relationship a little over a year earlier, but it didn't work out. We remained close friends."
"And how would you respond to statements that the deceased hated men who abused women?" Larry asked.
"He must have hated himself," Trish said.
"No further questions," Larry said.
The judge looked at the assistant DA who shook his head.
"The defense rests your honor," Larry said.
*
Stephanie watched the judge walk slowly back into the courtroom the next day. It was the woman who could decide her fate. The woman who could separate her from her unborn child for a long period of time.
"It is the decision of this court that Stephanie McMahon-Flair is not guilty of the charge of second-degree murder," the judge said. Stephanie felt her body almost instantly relax. "The defendant was obviously trying to protect herself and her unborn child from any harm. The death of David Flair was an unfortunate accident."
The judge dismissed the court and Stephanie turned to face her friends. They each hugged her and let her know how glad she had been found not guilty.
Trish Stratus stepped timidly forward. "I hope you can forgive me for not telling you about David before you married him. You should've known."
"It's okay," Stephanie said. "You came through when I needed you."
"I'm glad I could help," Trish said. Shane wrapped a protective arm around Trish's waist.
Stephanie's eyes met with Rocky's and they both smiled. She was finally free. There would be rumors of a conspiracy, probably for a long time. But she was free from guilt.
The WWE would be solidly in the hands of the McMahon family again, where it belonged from the start. Part of Stephanie felt it was only right that she had brought the shares back, because it was she and Shane who had sold them in the first place.
Stephanie could announce after her child's birth, which everyone thought was due in two months, that it was actually Kurt's. The rumors would flare up again, but they would eventually die because in the long run, David Flair was pretty much universally hated. Only his family and Stacy seemed to harbor any fond feelings for him.
And Stephanie could start to lead a normal life. A life in which she would be a mother. A life in which she was in constant contact with her family. A life in which she wasn't afraid of love.
"Let me take you home," Rocky said, putting a guiding hand in the small of her back.
"That sounds like heaven," Stephanie said.
"She killed her husband."
"Not really David's baby."
"Sleeping with The Rock."
"Conniving bitch."
Stephanie held her head up as she watched the judge come into the courtroom. She wished she could just ignore the whispers behind her. The whispers she had heard for the past month.
Stephanie jumped upon feeling a hand on her shoulder. She turned around at the comforting squeeze. She smiled gratefully at her brother, The Rock, and Chris Jericho. They all believed her, all believed in her innocence.
But many people found David's death a little too bit coincidental. He had just changed his will on the day of his death. There had been no paternity test to ascertain whether the recipient of most of David's assets was actually his son. And David had no history of abusing women that anyone could dig up.
She looked at the other people sitting behind her for a brief moment. Most of the people seemed to support her, believe that she had killed David in self-defense. But there was Stacy Kiebler who had testified that David abhorred men who beat women. There was David's mother who said David loved the baby Stephanie was carrying.
And then there was Hunter, who still carried some grudge against her for faking a pregnancy. He had regaled the judge with tales of many things she had done while married to him. Stephanie had wanted to cry while he was on the stand, yell at the injustice. She hadn't been that woman in years. She had changed so drastically upon leaving the WWF.
But Stephanie saw the irony too. She had been planning to kill David. She wasn't certain she ever could have done it, but she had planned for it. And he offered her the perfect opportunity to do so without actually breaking a law.
She had refused to let either Shane or Rocky testify as character witnesses. She didn't want to take the chance that they would perjure themselves, knowing they would never admit to anyone that Stephanie had planned on killing David. Since Jericho was unaware of the plot, she had let him take the stand. That had been the previous day.
Stephanie's lawyer said he had one last surprise witness. Then the defense would rest.
"The defense wishes to call Trish Stratus to the witness stand," her lawyer said. He had worked for the McMahon family for years. Larry Owens was one of Vince's closest friends and he had offered his services to Stephanie outright upon hearing that she was going to be tried for second degree murder.
Stephanie, Shane, Rocky, and Jericho all turned quickly to see Trish walk into the courtroom, looking very somber. "Trish," Shane whispered, obviously very surprised at his girlfriend's appearance.
Trish was sworn in and assumed her seat at the witness stand. "Please state your full name and address for the court."
"Patricia Stratus from Toronto, Canada," Trish said. She was looking at Shane intensely. There seemed to be some plea in her eyes, for him to understand what she was going to say.
"Miss Stratus," Larry started, going to stand in front of the witness. "What is your relation to the defendant?"
"We're acquaintances," Trish said. "Lately we've been friends, but that hasn't always been the case. I am also dating her brother, Shane McMahon."
"And your relationship to the deceased?" Larry asked.
"Ex-girlfriend," Trish said.
"When did you date David Flair?" Larry asked.
"I started dating David in January of 2003 and we broke up in April of 2003," Trish replied.
"And how many of your friends knew about this relationship?" Larry asked.
"Only one," Trish said. "Chris Jericho."
"Why no one else?" Larry asked.
"David wanted to keep it a secret," Trish replied. "He was dating Stacy Kiebler at the time and we were just having a fling."
"A fling that lasted four months?" Larry asked.
"Yes," Trish said.
"And why did the relationship end?" Larry asked.
Trish looked again toward Shane. She closed her eyes and said, "Because David beat me."
"One time or several times?" Larry asked.
"One time," Trish said. "I refused to stay with a man who could hit me."
"And why did he hit you?" Larry asked.
"Because he thought I was seeing someone else," Trish said.
"Who did he think you were seeing?" Larry asked.
"The Rock," Trish answered.
"The same person who the defendant was allegedly having an affair with?" Larry asked.
"The one and the same," Trish replied.
"Were you?" Larry asked.
"No," Trish answered. "Rocky and I had tried to hold together a relationship a little over a year earlier, but it didn't work out. We remained close friends."
"And how would you respond to statements that the deceased hated men who abused women?" Larry asked.
"He must have hated himself," Trish said.
"No further questions," Larry said.
The judge looked at the assistant DA who shook his head.
"The defense rests your honor," Larry said.
*
Stephanie watched the judge walk slowly back into the courtroom the next day. It was the woman who could decide her fate. The woman who could separate her from her unborn child for a long period of time.
"It is the decision of this court that Stephanie McMahon-Flair is not guilty of the charge of second-degree murder," the judge said. Stephanie felt her body almost instantly relax. "The defendant was obviously trying to protect herself and her unborn child from any harm. The death of David Flair was an unfortunate accident."
The judge dismissed the court and Stephanie turned to face her friends. They each hugged her and let her know how glad she had been found not guilty.
Trish Stratus stepped timidly forward. "I hope you can forgive me for not telling you about David before you married him. You should've known."
"It's okay," Stephanie said. "You came through when I needed you."
"I'm glad I could help," Trish said. Shane wrapped a protective arm around Trish's waist.
Stephanie's eyes met with Rocky's and they both smiled. She was finally free. There would be rumors of a conspiracy, probably for a long time. But she was free from guilt.
The WWE would be solidly in the hands of the McMahon family again, where it belonged from the start. Part of Stephanie felt it was only right that she had brought the shares back, because it was she and Shane who had sold them in the first place.
Stephanie could announce after her child's birth, which everyone thought was due in two months, that it was actually Kurt's. The rumors would flare up again, but they would eventually die because in the long run, David Flair was pretty much universally hated. Only his family and Stacy seemed to harbor any fond feelings for him.
And Stephanie could start to lead a normal life. A life in which she would be a mother. A life in which she was in constant contact with her family. A life in which she wasn't afraid of love.
"Let me take you home," Rocky said, putting a guiding hand in the small of her back.
"That sounds like heaven," Stephanie said.