Epilogue
The introduction to the MTV news brief began and then the reporter started talking.
"We have some very exclusive news to bring you today. We here at MTV were the only station that even receive this video that we are about to show you. But first let me remind you of an even that occurred almost a year ago."
A montage of news broadcasts, from MTV and other stations, about Bam's shocking "death", as well as clips of Bam's TV and movie career, was shown. The reporter continued speaking after the montage was finished.
"Today we at MTV were given this video and were instructed to play it for our audience before any other stairs would be able to get a hold of the tape. And now I bring you this exclusive video which is about to be seen by the public for the first time."
Right away the video began. It was of Bam. Sitting in the living room of Phil and April's house. He sat there by himself on the couch, with his freshly cut hair, his own clothes and a very serious and sincere expression.
"I just have to, first of all, apologize to everyone. I am deeply sorry for the pain that I had caused in every one of my fans, family and closest friends. For the past… well almost year, I had been living in hiding, after I had faked my own death. For a long time the only ones who knew about this have been my parents, Phil and April, and I had been staying with them in secret at their house. For the past month I was living as a completely different person; Aaron Lewis. As Aaron I made new friends and I even found a new family. I even had a job here in West Chester working at Fairman's Skate Shop. Although there have been people who questioned me after thinking that I resembled… well myself, I was able to fool everyone as to who I was for about a month. I realize now the person I fooled the most was myself. To those of you that I befriended I really hope that you're able to forgive me for lying to you and understand why I had to lie to you. To my closest friends and family members and to my fans, I am more than sorry for what I've done to you, and I wish the same forgiveness and understanding from all of you. Now I feel like I have to explain what drove me to do such a horrible and selfish thing. The past few years I had been under a great deal of stress and self loathing which caused me to decline further and further into a depression that I was desperately trying to hide from everyone. And finally some time last year this depression reached a real bad place. I had been trying to suppress all of this stress and self loathing and depression and to put on this illusion of being happy to the rest of the world, and it caused me to… snap…"
Bam paused with a sigh before he continued speaking.
"I had suffered a terrible meltdown and I had to try to escape everything in my life and in an act of desperation I hastily decided to fake my own death. During this time that I was hiding out at Phil and April's house, and then when I was going out as Aaron I had a lot of time to think everything through. And during that time I was able to see my life for what it really is, and I was able to be happy again. I was finally able to be myself again. My life is finally better, and now I'm moving into a whole new stage of my life. A stage that I had never expected and that and that I've always wanted for myself."
He couldn't help but to let tears slowly fall as he talked.
"Please… please I beg you all… please give me a chance to be accepted by all of you and please don't use this as a way to shun me. I've always been an asshole, I'm the first to admit that, and what I've done to everyone goes way above and beyond my asshole persona. I can't control what you think of me or how you're going to feel towards me now and the days to come, but I hope that you will all be able to figure me for the very selfish and hurtful act. I really feel horrible for what I've done and I'm sorry. I can't say I'm sorry enough in order to let you all know just how sorry I really am. I would say, if only I could turn back time and do things over, I wouldn't do what I have done… believe me, part of me wishes that I were able to go back and stop myself from doing it. But there's another part of me that is… grateful that I did this. If I hadn't of faked my own death then I wouldn't have met such wonderful people. And I wouldn't be able to have someone in my life who means the world to me, and I wouldn't me bale to have such an amazing relationship with someone I care about deeply. I love these new people in my life, my new friends, my old friends, my family and fans and all of you who are watching this tape. I know a lot of you right now are hating my guts, after finding out what I've done. But I hope that the saying "time heals all wounds" is true. I know this video isn't going to automatically buy me forgiveness or bring my old life and career back into place for me. I just had to bring the truth out and to provide my most sincere apology to everyone. I probably deserve the absolute worst treatment from everyone now and I'll accept it, just as long as it doesn't last and you will be able to see past what I've done. It was the worst mistake I've ever made in my life and I'm willing to pay for what I've done."
The tape ended with Bam looking at the camera, just as he did while he spoke, one last time. His eyes were full of tears and remorse and he reached up to wipe the falling tears away with his hand. The reporter went back to talking to the TV audience before ending the news broadcast. The news of Bam's video spread quicker than anyone could imagine. There were a lot of mixed views after the tape was seen by everyone around the world but one thing was for sure. Time, as Bam had put it, would in fact heal all wounds and Bam would be able to live his life with Sara and Star, and he was finally able to be happy once again.