Chapter 14

When Tomoko reached the women's bathroom, she found the closest toilet and began to throw up. Her body was literally falling to pieces. Even the loud sound of someone outside pounding at the door, seemed surreal to her.

"Tomoko, are you in there?" John called out. "What's wrong?"

After several minutes of waiting for a response, John said to himself, "Fuck it", and opened the door. When he walked inside he saw Tomoko bent over the sink, water thrown on her face in an obvious attempt to wash away her tears. He went over to her immediately and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could.

"Tomoko, hon, talk to me. What's got you so upset?"

Tomoko buried her face into John's chest. Unable to speak as her sobs were sucking the air from her lungs.

"What's up with you and Shane? Please tell me Tomoko. I know something's going on there. Please let me help you." John pleaded. The only other time he'd seen her so upset was when he found her shortly after she'd been attacked.

Tomoko, tried desperately to gather herself. She looked up at John, face burning red from her tears. By the look on her face, John knew for sure that Shane scared the hell out of her. He could only guess that he was the one who attacked her, although Tomoko would never admit it.

While John stayed with Tomoko until he knew she was okay, Victoria opened the door, catching the two in an intense embrace. Anger washed over her face. You could almost see her turn green with envy. Before being noticed, she closed the door and left.

John placed his fingers underneath Tomoko's chin and raised her head so she was now facing him.

"Tomoko, tell me, has Shane hurt you in any way?"

Before Tomoko could answer, an assistant rushed into the bathroom, almost completely out of breath. Although she was startled to find John in the woman's bathroom, she didn't care, working in the WWE, she'd seen worse.

"Oh thank God." The assistant said as a look of relief washed over her face. "Both Vince and Stephanie are looking for both of you. You 're on in about 10 minutes."

"Okay. We'll be there in a sec." John said waving off the young woman.

He turned his attention back to Tomoko.

"Can you do this? I mean go out there tonight?" John asked.

She looked up at him finding comfort, concern and confidence all rolled up into one. The last thing she wanted to do was perform in front of thousands of people. Especially knowing that Shane would be backstage watching her every move. Knowing that he would be watching, probably more like lurking, made her feel dirty. One the other hand, she didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize her job. She needed the money, and she had actually grown to love what she was doing. Looking into John's eyes, she would not let him down. She would perform tonight, whatever it took, she would do this for him.

Tomoko tried hard to crack a smile. "I'll be out there in a few minutes John. I just need to clean my face up a bit. I'll be okay really."

John smiled back at her, knowing full well that Tomoko would not be okay if she refused to ask for his help, or anybody else's for that matter.

As he began to walk away, Tomoko called out to him.

"John, I know you don't believe me, but there is nothing going on with me and Shane. I'm just really stressed out and nervous right now. Please don't say anything to him." Although the words came out soft, the plea was actually a loud cry for help. "Please." She said one last time.

John nodded his head to her and was gone.

As John made his way toward the arena, he felt someone grab him rudely by the arm. When he turned around to see who it was, he saw Victoria, staring a hole right through him.

Victoria stood before him with her hands on her hips. John for his part was in no mood to deal with her and wanted to get to the arena as quickly as possible.

"Victoria, I don't have time for your attitude right now." He said looking at her directly, not wavering a bit.

"Well, John, you need to make time." She spat back.

John had enough. He would not stand there and listen to her ranting. Not this time. As he turned to walk away, she grabbed him again and spun him around with even more force. John did everything in his power not to shove her out of his way.

"I want to know what the hell is going on with you and that little Asia bitch?" Victoria asked trying hard to get under John's skin.

"First she's not a bitch, second she was fucking raped for Christ's sake, and third nothing." John responded, his voice raised and his anger growing by the second.

"I don't care if she was mugged, raped or beaten to near death, that bitch deserves everything she got."

John ccould hardly believe what he was hearing. The woman he actually thought he loved, has turned into one of the coldest, unfeeling people on earth.

"Leave now Victoria. I don't believe in hitting a woman, but you're just about on the verge of making me rethink that whole bullshit way of thinking." John clutching his fist as he spoke.

Victoria smiled at him as if to say "You wouldn't dare". Then, without warning she slaps him hard in the face.

As redness from Victoria's handprint emerges on the side of John's face, John smiles back at Victoria. He no longer sees her as a woman with whom he's shared some of the best times of his life with, but rather a pathetic little tramp.

"Hope you're happy Victoria, because that is the last time you'll ever touch me again. We're through."

John's words practically roll off his tongue as if they had been waiting to escape for quite some time.

With Victoria in virtually a state of shock, John turns to leave, forever.

Tomoko in the meantime, stares at herself briefly in the mirror. The reflection staring back at her telling the story of a woman who's been through it all. She curses herself for not being able to stand up to Shane and just say 'fuck you, you spoiled rich mother fucker." She curses herself for not being able to just tell John that Shane was the one who attacked her. She curses herself for not being the one that John hold's at night, protecting her from everything and everyone.

As one final tear races down her cheek, she wipes it away. Her make-up now redone. It's show time, and Tomoko is a pro at playing any part but herself.