November 9, 2006
The day that Joe found out a significant time in his life was based on lies was a hard one. It wasn't just because of what he was told, but because he was just an hour or so removed from having major spinal fusion surgery. It was a day that saved his wrestling career and his ability to walk, but it wasn't one he liked to remember.
When he woke up, he felt like someone had sewn weights to each eyelid. It was a long, arduous task to lift them open, as the anesthetic hadn't completely worn off yet. If he had the ability of coherent thought, he might wonder how a coma patient might feel when they wake up. Instead, he tried to piece together where he was and what happened to him as he used what strength he had to force his eyes open.
He didn't really remember much of his dreams, nor could he remember falling asleep. This frustrated him, as he never liked being out of control. He had a vague recollection of paying attention to his own body after the anesthetic was given, in the hopes of at least tracking when he might go to sleep. Then he found himself waking up and feeling like he missed something. He had to give the doctors credit. When they want to knock someone out, they'll get it done.
In addition to the fog taking residence in his mind and the unusually heavy flaps of skin threatening to cover his eyes, he also felt incredibly thirsty. His mouth was unnaturally dry and his throat was sore. Although at this point he couldn't tell if it was the breathing tube they had in while he was out or if somehow the neck pain was already creeping up on him.
That was another thing that bothered him. He was sure, almost positive, he would be on some sort of pain medication so he didn't wake up in agony. There was a low, ebbing throb at the base of his neck, but he was astounded to learn that the rest of his body was fairly sore. He felt as though he took a beating while his neck was being cut open. Perhaps they invited some of his enemies into the operating room and let them have their shots.
Joe groaned audibly and he saw a nurse walk up and give him a small foam cup with ice chips in it. He could not move his neck due to the collar, so she placed the cup near the palm of his hand. He feebly moved his fingers, barely able to grasp the rim of the cup with the tips. He knew there should be no weakness in his body due to the surgery, but he also knew he was still drugged and not fully out of it yet. He had no strength in him right now and no energy to force it.
The cup finally gave with the little effort he was using and rewarded him with its contents. Ice fragments fell into his hand, giving him tiny chilled pinpricks in the center of his hand. However, he found he could not lift the arm as well as he wanted, whether through general soreness, exhaustion or possible weakness after major surgery. He mumbled out a faint groan and let his hand relax, causing the tiny ice pieces to fall right into the cup.
He noticed the nurse getting up and decided to close his eyes again. He felt the Styrofoam container press against his lips and a few pieces slid onto his tongue. He wondered if they were the same pieces from moments ago, then he drifted off to sleep.
When his eyes fluttered open again, he found himself trying to adjust to the dimly-lit room. He saw no light when he looked at the windows to his side, so he assumed it was night. He was informed prior to this ordeal that he would have to stay for a couple of days, depending on how he did. Right now that seemed like a great idea.
He glanced over and saw the nurse again, sitting in a chair watching him. Had she been there all night? Surely she had other patients to deal with. He guessed he was simply overreacting and she had just arrived. They were supposed to keep an eye on people like him, after all.
"What time is it?"
There was a moment of silence, as if he startled her by talking to her. He still couldn't make out her facial features yet, as his eyes were still getting used to being open and awake.
"It's a little past six. You were out for a while."
The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. He thought perhaps she was the same nurse who checked him in. That sounded right, so he simply moved his eyes back to the ceiling.
"Could I get a few more of those ice chips, please?"
He felt as if he could use another twelve hours of sleep, but he wanted to stay up and ask the nurse some questions, or at least speak with a doctor. He had a feeling that would wait until the morning, the official start on his journey to recovery. He was basically forced into this surgery and he was going to do everything he could to get back in the ring, no matter how long it took.
The cup hit his lips again and he accepted a few more splinters of ice. As he swirled them around in his mouth to speed up the melting process, he glanced over to get a look at his nurse.
What he saw nearly made him choke.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Standing before him was his vindictive ex-wife. He hadn't seen her in a year and they divorced two years before that. It was a nasty, drawn-out process that he didn't really want to revisit hours after the biggest surgery in his life.
"Joe, listen, I can explain."
The words fell on deaf ears, as he felt a familiar rage boiling inside of him. Her words melted away inside his head as the ice fragments dissolved against his tongue.
There was a time when Joe thought he had found true love. He was only 27, so he considered himself above the age where he was too young to know these things. It was just before his first fed, BTW, closed, and he met an aspiring backstage interviewer named Mandy. She was blonde and seemed to have a permanent smile on her face, both things he liked. The two hit it off quickly and after BTW closed, he married her. It was a quick romance that led to an overpriced marriage. But he thought they were in love, so he let practical concerns wash away.
The truth is, there really wasn't any love. That began to show itself rather quickly. Mandy showed no real admiration for the sport of wrestling and hated the fact that he was gone all the time putting time and money into ICW. There were a lot of claims of it being their money even though he was the one running a company and wrestling at the same time. That was his first sign.
At the time she announced her pregnancy, they had been fighting more than usual. He wasn't thinking divorce yet, but the first syllable was definitely on the tip of his tongue. Perhaps she knew and decided to tell him as soon as she found out. He immediately fell in love again, because there were parts of their relationship he still liked. More than anything, he wanted to be a father. So they stayed together a couple more months.
Naturally, things went downhill when she told him the baby wasn't his and she had been cheating on him. He suspected something was off because she tried to take on so much of the pregnancy herself. He accepted it, because he had his own concerns with ICW. When he learned the truth, he kicked her out immediately and never looked back. Even later, when she tried and tried to get him to accept her, he stubbornly refused. He hadn't even met the kid, who she said at the time was with the father.
Now here she was, pretending to be a nurse and visiting him when he could do nothing more than glare. His call button was nowhere to be found and he guessed that was by design.
"Where'd you put it?"
"Where I'd put what?"
He could feel himself tensing up, his fury like an old friend coming out to greet him. The soreness in his neck exploded with waves of pain and he quickly shut his eyes to force himself to relax. It certainly wasn't for her sake, but he didn't want to undo all of this effort by getting too angry.
"You know damn well 'what'. The call button."
"Oh that. Yeah, I made it fall behind the bed. I wanted to talk to you."
He came to the matter-of-fact realization that she had been watching him for hours. There was a good chance she told the real nurse that she was his wife. As far as he knew, she still had her wedding band. He thought a lot of things about Mandy over the years, none of it positive, but he never considered her mentally unstable. There was a very real possibility that she could try to kill him in his weakened state, but he didn't think she had it in her.
At least, he hoped she didn't have it in her.
"I don't want to talk to you. I would think changing my number would make that clear."
"I don't really care what you want. I never have."
She set the cup down on the nightstand and reached into a small purse she had been holding. The thought of it being a knife flashed in Joe's head, and he tensed up again, prepared to use whatever strength he may have to fight her off. In his condition, a child could probably take him out. Stranger things had happened, and usually in his life.
Instead, she pulled out her hand with her slender fingers wrapped around a folded piece of paper. She opened it and shoved it in his face. He was fully awake now, clearly able to see a default decision in their divorce proceedings. She never bothered to show up so the judge granted it when Joe's lawyer told him exactly why it should happen. Maybe she thought her absence would delay or prevent the process. He didn't care at the time because he was free.
Now he appeared to be a prisoner of his own making.
"I went back to my old place and saw this in a mailbox. You had to go through a lot of hurdles to get this finalized, didn't you?"
"Well honey, what can I say, you're worth it."
She gave a false smile then slowly applied pressure to his collar, pressing it into his swollen, wounded neck. It was just enough to bring on flashes of pain, but not enough to make him cry out. Almost as if she somehow knew his tolerance level. He grimaced and grunted before she finally let go.
"I am worth it. I'm worth a hell of a lot more, too. I joined that stupid redneck promotion to find my break and I found you. A dumb, worthless jock who cared more about sports than he did me. I fell out of love with you so quick that I don't think I was ever in it to begin with."
"That's why they invented divorces, Mandy."
Another quip. She reached for the collar again but held off, perhaps because she had more to get off her chest. Joe breathed an internal sigh of relief, as he couldn't imagine what, if any, damage was being done to his neck with any kind of pressure.
"By that time I was already in it. I didn't want to look like an idiot and let's face it, Joe, at the time you had a lot of money. I wouldn't have to work again as the wife of famous professional wrestler Joe Cool. Being your trophy wife would have worked for me, even if I did have to get my fucking from people on the side."
When he looked back on this conversation later, he would remark how similar it felt to a telenovela he saw on a tour of Mexico once. His life was just one interesting turn after another, even if those turns tended to take him way off course.
"Is there a point to this history? I guessed all of this when we split up."
"Trust me, Joe, I'm getting to it. My point is that when you did this..."
She waved the paper in front of his face, as if to prove that point.
"...you left me with nothing. I had to go find a job and find my own place in order to get back on my feet. I don't know if you know anything about the job market in 2003 New Jersey, but it wasn't great. Do you have any idea how hard that was for someone with no experience or prospects?"
Mandy came from money, but she had a strained relationship with her parents. Joe never knew why at the time, but he later realized it was probably due to the personality she was exhibiting right now. If she acted like this in front of her parents, it would be hard for anyone to accept them for who they are.
Still, Joe did realize that perhaps he acted too harshly after their break-up. He was hurt and she was vindictive, but he could have at least given her a chance to get on her feet. What he said next was a surprise to him, given all that she had done to hurt him and the fact she had basically stalked him to find his recovery room.
"Mandy, I didn't realize. I was just...so hurt by what happened I didn't think. I'm sorry."
There was a vacuum of silence that enveloped the room, as all the anger had momentarily been sucked out of it. They were now just two injured parties, neither sure of how to continue this very awkward conversation. He thought that perhaps that simple apology could be enough. Surely she would see that everyone suffered when relationships ended as badly as theirs. At the time, he thought she deserved whatever she got. Now, he realized he was wrong.
"Look, I was so angry that..."
"Save it."
She had interrupted him with a firm, venomous pair of words. Clearly, she wasn't expecting an apology and didn't care if she got one. She was here for something else.
"You're actually apologizing to me? I can't believe I faked a pregnancy to keep you around. You're pathetic."
"You...what?"
"Faked. A. Pregnancy. Just to keep you and your money around. Does that make sense to you?"
Any remorse he may have felt was gone, replaced by a new feeling of shock and disgust. Every time he thought he knew this woman, he exposed a new layer that left him paralyzed by confusion. He tried to make sense of what she just said, but it was a Herculean task. Why would anyone fake a pregnancy to keep a loveless relationship going? What did she think would happen when it became obvious she was faking?
He asked her the same and her response brought on a new layer of revulsion.
"Faked a miscarriage, obviously."
Surgery or not, potential death or not, Joe felt like he couldn't bite his tongue anymore.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"There's nothing wrong with me. I just know what I want out of life. And in spite of my best efforts, you stopped me from getting it. So that's why I'm here. I wanted to see you at your lowest point and I wanted to tell you that everything you thought you had was a lie."
The insanity of just how one person could be so deceitful and malicious to another human being was still having an obvious effect on him. He wasn't even sure if he felt rage right now. Perhaps the shock was making him numb to all other emotion. In the wrestling business, he met people that outright wanted to cripple him, but at least they were upfront about it. The level of treachery from this one woman, who all he wanted to do was love, was outright mind-boggling.
The silence was back, as she apparently said her piece. Perhaps she had been rehearsing this speech over and over, looking for the right opportunity to tell him. Maybe she was just scared he'd try to physically hurt her and waited until he was weak. He never considered harming her, not even in the moments when he was outraged, but clearly she didn't know him as well as he thought she did. Nor did she seem to care to.
"I take back my apology, Mandy. You did deserve that."
He couldn't tell if it was from the pain he was currently in or the surge of negative emotions brewing within him, but he felt the familiar sting of wetness inside of his eyes. He had no inclination to cry, but they were definitely there.
"You probably deserved more."
"That's just it Joe. I did deserve more. More than you ever gave me. You not only kicked me out, but you ruined my reputation by telling all your little wrestler friends what I did. I couldn't buy a friend for a while there. You ruined my life."
"No Mandy, you ruined your life. All you had to do was be a normal person, but you chose to be a crazy bitch."
The words were crude but definitely fit the situation. He braced for impact as he saw her hand coming down to strike his head. However, she stopped short. He glared at her as a slight smirk began to curl up on her lips.
"Don't you ever call me that again. You fucked things up for me Joe, but I'm finally back on my feet. I've got a new guy and he's even more naive than you were. I don't know when, I don't know how, but we're going to get you. I'm going to convince him that you are fucking scum and he's going to be so angry he'll undo all the work those doctors just did. You'll be in a wheelchair by the time we're done."
He realized he was not in the position to joke, but he couldn't help his reaction. He laughed. Not just a mere chuckle, but a guttural roar of laughter. Her entire speech made her sound like a supervillain. The entire conversation seemed preposterous to him. He began to wonder if this wasn't just a bad dream brought on by a reaction to the anesthesia.
He had another thought, that for all of the times she spoke out against wrestling, she basically just cut a wrestling-style promo on him. This made him laugh harder.
She reared her hand back, with every intention to hit him so hard his neck would break. Before she had the chance to see if she could, Joe's real nurse entered the room upon hearing the wild laughter. She caught Mandy with her hand up and tried to say something, but Mandy simply lowered it and left, unable to explain herself or her actions. Joe's laughs followed her toward the exit.
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January 9, 2017
She saw her pawn a few paces ahead of her, gripping a steel pipe tightly. Jeremy was easier to manipulate, although it took a long time to make her see things her way. Joe's mental illness, which she had no idea of, made things easy when he brutalized him. That was when he realized she was right. That was when he came on board.
All they had to do now was wait, which became harder and harder for him every time they were in the same location as JC.
But she had been waiting a hell of a lot longer than he had. She sent him a text to let him know it was not time yet. She had been planning this for some time.
He had taken everything from her simply by denying what was rightfully hers.
She deserved everything. People like Joe deserved nothing.
So she was going to return the favor. Soon Joe would be cast out. He would have no friends, no family, no wife and no career. He would know how she, how they felt.
She didn't care if people thought her motivations were off. She didn't care if Jeremy found out she was using him, as long as he managed to get the job done beforehand.
All that mattered was hurting her ex-husband and hurting him bad.
She deserved that.
She deserved more.
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I know that perhaps more than anyone would realize. I think that's why I have a special lack of fondness for Megan Harris. You see, she doesn't even lie for good reasons. She's not lying to protect a person or something of value. It's just for her own personal gain. She's doing it for the most selfish reasons while pretending she actually cares about the family she's doing it for. She will ruin the reputation of a future opponent simply because she wants a title belt for her team.
Megan, I find that pathetic. I find you pathetic.
I also find it funny, because it shows that you have zero faith in your own family to get the job done. I've had issues with my brother over the years but I've never once doubted his ability in the ring. I would never insult him by helping him win a match. That's what you're doing every single time you interfere on their behalf without their knowledge. You're insulting their ability and you're insulting their intelligence.
Not to be outdone, Brian and Kyle Harris are enabling you with their naivety. They take you at your word, instead of simply reviewing tape or doing their research to see what things aren't what you say they are. They don't see the evidence and you get to keep screwing them out of the opportunity to really prove themselves. The funniest part of the situation is that you think they'll be grateful when they learn how you've been holding them back with your cheating.
Trent may be an asshole, but he's still a good man. He's definitely better than Megan or her hapless, lapdog brothers. Trent sacrificed his mind, body and spirit to save me from myself, when I gave him every reason to do the opposite.
So to steal an unoriginal quote from Brian, fuck you Megan Harris. Fuck Razor's Edge. Fuck anyone who believes your bullshit.
You've hurt his reputation and you've insulted his pride. Worse than that, your stupid games could get him injured because he's not thinking straight. That man has kids, and you've manipulated him into a potentially injurious situation. All for a slight advantage against a team you couldn't beat in a straight fight. For that, you put my best friend's career in jeopardy. I take that shit personally.
Get ready Razor's Edge, because Trent Steel isn't who you have to worry about. You have to deal with the sane and rational JC, who's pissed off and ready to show you exactly what the consequences of lies are. You're not getting these tag team titles. By the time I'm done with you, you're going to wish you weren't even in contention for them.
Let me show you what a Rogue really is.
