Post by matt on Jul 30, 2020 6:16:33 GMT -6
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July 3rd, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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The sound of the loud, reverberating church bells rings out in and around Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami, Florida. The gorgeous gothic architecture and enormous size is both beautiful and intimidating at the same time. For Mary Ford, a woman who has been a practicing Catholic all of her life and maintaining her weekly mass obligation, this is not intimidating or unusual in the least. This is just simply normal practice. But for her daughter, who stands next to her outside of this large building, this is quite intimidating. Her daughter is none other than “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock and she is on record as a member of the Church of England but has not attended any sort of service in quite a long time.
Has Braddock lost her faith? One could make that argument, especially considering her actions as of late do not exactly measure up to the morality that this church claims to espouse. But the truth is far more complicated. The British Bombshell simply has been too distracted to make time for anything else or anyone else in her life. Her recent struggle to obtain and then maintain absolute power within her company as well as the secret inner struggle with post traumatic stress syndrome, has kept Braddock far too busy to be concerned with anything else. Unfortunately the struggle for power has led her to become extremely paranoid, which only adds to the mental strain of the PTSD that she has been suffering from for years. After snapping on several occasions, even going so far as to hitting her own daughter after losing control, Glory has realized that she needs help. She can no longer ignore her mental health.
Her mother, Mary Ford, had suggested this; more accurately she suggested that she and Glory spend more time together. Glory needs to reconcile with Mary, who she blames for a majority of her mental issues. But Glory isn’t the only one who needs help. Mary has yet to move on from the death of Glenn Braddock, Glory’s father. Mary still regrets leaving him, even though most would argue that she was completely justified in doing so. Glenn was too focused and too obsessed with professional wrestling, and Mary used that as an excuse to walk away. Mary never truly got to say goodbye the way she wanted. Glory as a result was raised by her father, without a mother figure in her life. Glory resented her mother and that resentment allowed Aphrodite Noel to twist Glory’s mind, corrupting her, and creating the PTSD she has today.
Both mother and daughter need serious help. Now they stand here together willing to at least attempt to make a change; both are willing to attempt to make some positive move to improve their own mental health. Standing here before the Church building dressed in an ankle length black skirt, black patent leather pumps, and a silk white floral print blouse is Mary Ford, the mother. To Mary’s right wearing a simply knee length royal purple skirt, matching purple heels, and a purple women’s suit jacket over a white silk blouse is her daughter, “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock.
“I’m glad you’re doing this, Glory.” Mary whispers. Braddock nods her head slowly.
“Yeah, well let’s be honest; we both need this don’t we?”
“I agree. Admitting that you need help is the first step to a cure, as they say. And I think we both admit we need help. In my case, I never should have walked out so quickly on your father. I should have tried harder to make things work.”
“Yes but dad should have spent more time with you...with us…” Glory remarks, trying to comfort her mother. Mary shakes her head.
“No, I should have compromised. I should have realized that getting your father to rid himself of professional wrestling would never happen. I should have realized that wrestling was far too important to him to ever get him to walk away from him it. So I just gave up and left. As a result I missed out on watching you grow up.” Mary takes Glory’s hand and squeezes it tightly. “This is my chance to make it up to you. You are, after all, my last connection to Glenn.”
Tears are flowing down Mary’s cheeks, which causes Glory to chuckle ever so slightly. “What’s wrong, mum? Why are you crying?”
“I just look at you and you remind me so much of your father. Especially in the eyes. Those are the eyes of a warrior, just like your father. And you remind me of your father in the way you carry yourself. You’re strong, proud, and passionate. Just like your father.”
Braddock refuses to say a word, instead opting for silence. Glory doesn’t trust her emotions at this point, because at times she wonders if she is too passionate. She wonders if she is too proud. Her passion and pride led her to the belief that she was invulnerable, untouchable. That caused her to make the careless mistakes that ultimately led her to the open arms of Aphrodite Noel, the woman who had her manipulated into becoming Glory Noel, Aphrodite’s daughter. The world believes she has recovered from this but Glory knows that is just a fallacy. She knows that her mental state still isn’t fully healed. And that is what brings Glory here today, she is hoping that a bond with her biological mother, one of the figures who she blamed for all of this, will help bring about an end to her mental suffering and bring about a return to normalcy and maybe, if everything goes well, a return to being the Glory Braddock she used to be, and not this person she is today. Not this paranoid monster. Not this tyrant.
“Why don’t we go inside, yeah?” Glory suggests. Mary nods her head and immediately the two women turn towards the entrance. The two women ascend the large marble stairs that leads to the front doors; The British Bombshell pulls the doors open and allows her mother to enter first and Glory follows suit, stepping inside after her. Immediately they find themselves inside the narthex where they immediately see the vestibule, a large, standing font or pool used to perform the sacrament of Baptism. Smaller, wall-mounted holy water fonts are found near the interior church doors. Mary approaches the doors, touches the holy water with her fingers, and makes the sign of the cross. She motions for Glory to do the same but Glory hesitates.
“I’m not a Catholic.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’ just Holy Water. It’s for everyone.”
“If you say so…” Glory sighs as she walks forward and touches her finger to the water and, like her mother, makes the sign of the cross. Braddock and her mother then step into the sanctuary itself. The sanctuary is carpeted with red carpeting. Two columns of pews are on either side of the majestic church. Braddock looks down a long center aisle that leads up to the front of the church, the altar. The altar and the pews are separated by a rail where worshipers may kneel if they so choose. The altar itself is just behind the rail, as is a crucifix which is mounted on the wall. Finally a pulpit is to the left. The British Bombshell is in awe of the sight. She shouldn’t be, because she has seen majestic sights like this before when she was an active member of the Church of England. But it has been so long since she has been inside any church that now she feels as if she is an outsider. She feels intimidated by the grandiose atmosphere of this house of worship.
“Let’s go and find a seat.” Mary says to her daughter, interrupting Glory’s thoughts. Glory nods and follows her mother down the aisle to a pew near the front. Mary genuflects, kneeling to one knee and making the sign of the cross, before stepping back up and sliding into a pew. Glory doesn’t genuflect as her mother does. She feels it is inappropriate. Instead she offers a simple bow and steps into the pew, sitting next to her mother. Glory watches as her pulls out a kneeling bench and kneels down on it. Mary then takes out her rosary.
“What are you doing?” Glory asks, mainly out of sheer curiosity.
“They’re about to pray the Holy Rosary. Most churches pray it before mass begins.”
“Oh…” Glory says looking somewhat confused by all of this, still trying her best to take it in. Sure enough, almost as if on cue, a voice from a female on the other side of the sanctuary, calls out loudly…
“The Five Sorrowful Mysteries…in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”
Glory watches on, still unsure of what is going on. She has never practiced the rosary before. Even when she regularly attended church in the Church of England she was never as dedicated as her mother appears to be. But Mary seems to know exactly what she is doing…
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1 Hour Later
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The rosary, when prayed properly, can take up to thirty minutes. Altogether it includes, saying the Lord’s Prayer six times, fifty three Hail Mary’s, six Glory Be to the Father’s, six Fatima Prayers, and the Apostle’s Creed. It is a very long prayer and takes dedication to say it. Glory never did learn how to say it and she isn’t sure that she has the patience to learn it even if she wanted to. So she just sits there and listens quietly, observing as the others say the historical prayer. During the approximately thirty minute time it takes for the rosary to be said people begin to file in, slowly but surely filling up the pews.
The church is now fully packed as more and more people began to fill in the empty seats as the rosary was spoken. Service would begin shortly after the rosary was completed, almost as if it was perfect timing. From then the service seemed rather familiar to The British Bombshell. She was raised in a “high church” style atmosphere, and thus was used to the ritualistic style this service took. A few minutes into the service and Braddock was starting to have second thoughts about this visit to church with her aunt Mary. This is beginning to feel like the two of them are just “going through the motions” as they say. Braddock watches everyone around her, observing closely as they repeat the same words and phrases, almost as if it were nothing more than chanting. She begins to wonder if they really and truly mean the words that they utter or if this is all part of the exercise? But then just as she is being turned off by the entire experience that is when the priest begins to deliver the sermon…
...and that changes everything.
“Why is Divine Mercy so important? Because we are who we are. I mean, let’s face it, we are humans and no one is perfect even though some of us like to think we are. We constantly make mistakes, we constantly fall short, we constantly hurt ourselves and others, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally. That is why this building is not a hotel for saints, as some like to think it is. Instead this is a hospital for sinners because all of us, myself included, need mercy. And that mercy is just simply a fancy word for forgiveness. We need forgiveness and this is a place where you can come and get it. Though you aren’t limited to just a building like this. Forgiveness begins with each and every one of us in our own local communities forgiving one another. But there are many of you out there thinking, ‘Father Sebastian, you have no idea of what I have done. I am unforgivable.’”
Glory cannot help but nod her head upon hearing this. It speaks to her situation. She has blackmailed, bribed, and done damn near criminal acts all to obtain absolute control over her company and to ensure that no one would ever question her decisions. The worst of them all was when she had her own sister locked up in a mental institution on trumped up charges. The guilt is eating away at her very conscience but a large part of her says it was a necessary evil. Still, how could she do that to her own family? How can she be forgiven?
“Yes, we all want to be good people. We want to strive for perfection even though we know we will never be perfect. But if we want to change, if we want to become better people, we have to learn to forgive ourselves and part of that is the idea that everyone is forgivable. Trust me, no one here has done anything that cannot be forgiven.” Father Sebastian points to the back of the sanctuary. “I’ve heard it all back in the confession booth, there is nothing you can say that would shock me. There is nothing that you can honestly say is unforgivable. You can be forgiven, but first you must be willing to forgive yourself.”
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15 Minutes Later
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The remainder of the service went off without a problem as the ritual aspect of the service returned. The repetition returned followed by Holy Eucharist and one final song, all of which was just part of the script. But none of that mattered because Glory Braddock was impacted by Father Sebastian’s sermon on mercy and forgiveness. It was a moment of enlightenment for The British Bombshell, for she realized what it is that she needs is forgiveness. She feels guilty, not just for what she has done recently in a hostile takeover of her company’s board of directors, but also forgiveness of her own past failures. Maybe she even needs forgiveness for her failure against Aphrodite Noel? Forgiveness will put her mind at ease and hopefully end all of the mental issues she is suffering, including the post traumatic stress.
Braddock walks side by side with her mother out of the church. While the others in the crowd walk towards their homes or their vehicles, Braddock and Mary stop just outside of the church. There is a black iron bench in front of a statue of Jesus. The two women approach the bench and sit down. Mary has an ear to ear grin on her face as she looks on at her daughter.
“So, what did you think?”
“It was definitely different from what I’m used to.”
“Oh come on now, Gloria. You should be used to some of this by now. You used to be Church of England and their ritual isn’t that much different.”
“You’d be surprised. Besides, I haven’t been to church in years. You’d know that if you bothered to spend time with me…” Glory sighs as she realizes just a little too late what she said “...I’m sorry, mum. It slipped out.”
“It’s ok, Glory. You’re justified in saying that because I haven’t spent time with you and that’s why we are doing this, we are trying to bond, reconnect.”
“We can do this again sometime if you want.” Glory suggests.
“Really? You must have liked something about this then.”
“Father Sebastian’s sermon was great. It really hit home with me, you know? I mean, I don’t think it needs to be said at this point that I need help. That much is obvious. And he’s right, the first big step is admitting you need help and then getting forgiveness.”
“Glory, do not beat yourself up…” Mary begins to speak but is interrupted sharply by her daughter.
“You have no idea of the things I’ve done. What I did to my sister was just the tip of the iceberg. Do I feel guilty about what I did? Damn right I do. And it’s eating me up inside. It’s killing me, mind and body, it is killing me.”
Mary places a comforting hand on her daughter’s knee. “Guilt is a good sign. It means you recognize what you did was wrong. And just like Father said, no one is unforgivable.”
Glory listens intently to her mother. That is the line that stuck out most for The British Bombshell. No one is unforgivable. But Braddock also recognizes that what she has done was horrible. A part of her wonders if she can be forgiven. Still, this entire experience at least gave her some hope that she can be forgiven.
“Glory, look…” Mary points to the church. Walking out the doors is Father Sebastian. Mary gets his attention by waving her arms, flagging him down. Glory looks curiously at her mother.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to meet him.”
Braddock rolls her eyes as she allows her mother to continue getting his attention. Father Sebastian turns and makes his way to the bench where he finds Glory and Mary. Mother and daughter stand up and greet the rather young brown haired priest. Mary shakes hands with the priest.
“I’m Mary, Mary Ford. I am a member of Our Lady of Annunciation in Boston.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Ford, what brings you down here to Miami?”
“My daughter.” She motions to Glory. “She has two residences, one in England and one here in Miami but she spends the vast majority of her time here in Miami. I have neglected to spend time with her…”
“We both have been at fault, mother.” Glory points out.
“Right, well we both are at fault, but nevertheless we are hoping to fix things. So I may be spending more time here in Miami. So we’re visiting.”
“That’s nice but your daughter is Glory Braddock?”
Braddock arches her brow curiously. “You’ve heard of me?”
“Oh of course.” The priest says with a bright look on his face. “You are so multi-talented, with your involvement as a wrestler and as a businesswoman. Many people here in Miami have heard of you, Glory.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not…” Glory says with her voice trailing off. Her paranoia is kicking in now. She has used a great deal of underhanded tactics and near criminal activity to obtain power in the business world. As absurd as it may seem, the paranoid part of her wonders if this priest knows anything. The smile and the next words out of Father Sebastian’s mouth puts her concerns at ease.
“I’ve heard nothing but good about you, Glory. And I am glad that you and your mother visited us today. I hope you come back again.”
“I may very well do that, but first…” Glory reaches into her purse and finds a check book. She quickly writes on a check, tears it out, and hands it to Father Sebastian “...here, take this. Consider it a donation.”
“Wait a second…” his eyes grow wide “...one thousand dollars?”
“A gift.”
He shakes his head and tries to give the check back. “I can’t accept this.”
“Please, it’s just a gift. Please take it.”
The priest stares at Glory and then looks back at the check. He reluctantly accepts it, putting it in his pocket. “Thank you, Ms. Braddock. This is extremely generous of you.”
With that said, Father Sebastian turns and walks away. As soon as he is gone, Mary turns towards her daughter and speaks on with a shocked tone of voice. “One thousand dollars? Seriously, Glory?”
“Why not? Isn’t giving to the church a good thing?”
“It is but…”
“But what?”
“It’s just surprising. That’s all. So is this going to become a thing too? Going to church and donating a lot of money?”
“I don’t know yet. Being with you, being here, it’s just part of the solution. As great as this experience was...and it was a great experience, don’t get me wrong...I still feel as if something is missing.”
“What do you mean?” Mary asks curiously.
“I just…” Glory shakes her head as she sits back down on the bench. Mary sits down next to her and wraps a loving arm around her daughter’s shoulders.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. That’s it, I just don’t know who I am anymore. I have done awful things, mum, and you know it. Part of me recognizes that, and that’s why the guilt is there. But a part of me doesn’t regret it. Part of me truly believes that the awful things I did were for the greater good. That’s not the woman I once was. That leads me to the big question; do I blame this on Aphrodite Noel? Am I still the tyrannical daughter she created? Or is this just who I really and truly am? Was I just fooling everyone else, myself included, by pretending to be good?”
“Gloria Marie Braddock, I think you know what you need to do.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to. Can’t I just do this? Can’t I just be with you and go to church and get forgiveness and…”
“Forgiveness isn’t about making the guilt go away. If you think entering a confessional booth and giving large donations to a church will make you feel better then you’ve completely missed the point of what Father Sebastian was talking about. Forgiveness is just the first step. You also need to try and be a better person. For you that means going back to the psychiatrist and getting the help you need.”
“No…” Braddock shakes her head as tears roll down her cheek.
“You admit that you still suffer from post traumatic stress. If for nothing else you need to go back to a psychiatrist for that. I’m asking this as your mother, please consider it. Please.”
“Ok…” Braddock nods her head “...I’ll consider it.”
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July 10th, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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Sitting inside of the waiting room of a psychiatrist is not exactly how Glory Braddock planned to spend her Friday afternoon. Braddock is an active competitor inside the ring, competing on the Riot brand of Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. She is the new MWE Riot Champion and as the new champion she is now the target. She should be preparing for her future challengers. Instead she finds herself in the waiting room of Dr. Frederick Fitzgerald, a psychiatrist operating locally out of Miami.
Glory Braddock still questions her decision to come, even as she sits here studying the plain off-white, wallpaper in this rather drab waiting room. Partly this is to satisfy her mother, who kept telling her that she needed to try this one more time. Yet at the same time a part of her believes that she no longer needs this psychiatrist. Dr. Fitzgerald was just a means to an end. The Board of Directors at her company demanded that she prove herself as mentally competent and sane before they restored her to full power. Once Braddock obtained the power she sought she just quit attending the sessions and never told the Board of Directors that she quit. They took her at her word, surprisingly enough, and that should have been that. So why is she here, about to resume the psychiatric sessions? Is it just because she feels the need to appease her mother?
Unlikely. If she’s willing to lie to the Board of Directors then she can easily lie to her own mother and just tell her she’s seeing the psychiatrist and that would shut her up. So why is she here? As much as she may deny it publicly, Glory privately knows that she still has problems. Part of the problem is the lingering post traumatic stress she is suffering from after being brainwashed by Aphrodite Noel. Another part of her mental issue is the paranoia and guilt that is eating her alive. She doesn’t want to believe that this is who she is, she doesn’t want to believe that she is this tyrant, this monster who would bribe and blackmail individuals for power, this monster who would lock up her own sister for power. She needs all of these questions answered and she is willing to do whatever it takes to get those answers, even if those answers are not the ones she wants.
The black cushioned chair Glory finds herself sitting in is surprisingly comfortable. This waiting room is rather small and cannot fit many people, thus she is thankful that she is the only person here today. Dr. Fitzgerald gets few patients to begin with as it is a very small local practice. This is what was most appealing about him to Glory Braddock. The smaller the better. She wants to keep it a secret that she needs psychiatric help. If anyone knew the truth it would damage her reputation.
The floor of this waiting room is a navy blue carpet. Braddock is wearing tight denim jeans, black flats, and a purple blouse. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length. The British Bombshell is reading a magazine when her thoughts are interrupted…
“Ms. Braddock…” Glory looks up to see Dr. Frederick Fitzgerald standing in the doorway leading back to a hall. He motions for to her follow him. Glory smiles pleasantly as she stands up and follows him through the door and down a short hall and then almost immediately to the right into a room which serves as his office. It is a small office with a light brown desk a comfortable black swivel chair where Dr. Fitzgerald no doubt sits, and two gray chairs that look rather uncomfortable. There is also a red comfortable cushioned sofa. As predicted, Fitzgerald makes a beeline for the swivel chair at the desk and sits down.
“Have a seat.” He says. Glory opts for the comfort of the sofa instead of the chairs. She sits down and crosses her legs. The British Bombshell remembers that it has been years since her last session and she never told him she was quitting. She can only assume he is upset about that but how much so? She tries to get a read off of him but his facial expression is stoic. All she can do is wait until he speaks…
“I must admit that I was surprised when I received your message about wanting to schedule this session, Ms. Braddock. How long has it been now since our last session? A few years, I believe.”
“That sounds about right.” Glory answers flatly. Fitzgerald nods his head.
“May I ask what the problem seems to be?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
“Yes, I do. You left rather abruptly with absolutely no word or warning to me. So I just assumed you believed my services were no longer needed. I suppose your previous problems could have resurfaced or perhaps your previous problems were never fully gone?”
“Something like that.” Braddock sighs out of frustration.
“So now you are returning hoping I can still help you?”
“Look, Dr. Fitzgerald, are you going to help me or just lecture me? Because if you are just going to sit there and lecture me then I’m leaving.” Glory rolls her eyes. The British Bombshell isn’t the only one frustrated by all of this. Dr. Fitzgerald is beginning to get frustrated as well and his facial expression shows it.
“I can help you and I am willing to help you, but before we go any further you must promise me to see this through. I told you when we began these sessions that your issues would be fully cured only if you saw it through to the very end. You stopped without even bothering to talk to me about ending the sessions. If you had told me something I could have at least warned you that your problems would get worse.”
“I still would have left.” Braddock says with a smirk etched across her lovely lips. “I can be quite stubborn.”
“I know. My offer still stands, but with that one requirement; will you see it through to the end this time?”
Braddock sighs and, despite her reservations, nods her head and agrees to his terms. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll finish it this time.”
“And I mean it, Ms. Braddock; if we begin these sessions anew then you must continue to attend these sessions until I say otherwise. If you leave early again then I will not take you back.”
“Fine! Fine! Whatever!” Braddock exclaims as she grows frustrated with the tone the psychiatrist is taking with her. She is willing to take some abuse because she needs him right now but she won’t take too much.
“Then we may begin. And why don’t we begin with why you decided to stop so suddenly without even so much as a word of warning to me?”
“You really aren’t going to let that one go, are you?”
“Just answer the question, Ms. Braddock. I know you believed you were cured but there must be something more. And I need you to be honest with me, Ms. Braddock. Do not give me any fluff. Do not give me any lies.”
“You want honesty? I’ll give you honesty. The honest truth is that I never wanted to go to these stupid sessions in the first place. You know the story how Mothe...Aphrodite Noel had me brainwashed, twisted, corrupted...biologically I was a Braddock but in my mind I was her daughter. And my company, my Board of Directors, they did not trust my mental state as a result of this. They took power away from me until I could prove I was fit.”
“So you did this to appease them?” The psychiatrist asks. Glory nods her head.
“Yes. Back then I did it just to appease them. Time passed and I convinced enough of them that I was better, and I got power back. When that happened I no longer needed you or these sessions so I quit.”
“I never knew that this was all to appease members of your company. That explains why you left so suddenly. So if you have your company back and the Board of Directors are no longer a problem for you then why have you returned to me? Why begin the sessions again?”
The British Bombshell pauses for a long, tense moment as she meditates upon her answer. How honest does she want to be with Dr. Fitzgerald? “I thought power was all I needed. I thought power would keep me happy. But the PTSD...among other things...it’s putting a real strain on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I’ve been so distracted by this that my own wrestling career has suffered. I realize that I really do need help. I can’t just let this linger.”
Glory stares back at the psychiatrist, curious as to how he’ll respond to her passionate plea. Finally his stoic gaze turns into a warm smile. “I’m happy to hear you say that. The first step to recovery is admitting you do have a problem and that you do need help.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Braddock remarks, remembering her mom and the priest mentioning that last week.
“Well, I promised I would help you if you stuck it out and I will. We can try to pick up where we left off but since it has been so long your condition may have worsened. There is a chance we may have to try different strategies to improve your condition.”
“What kind of strategies?”
“I was thinking of hypnotherapy as one potential option we could use if needed.”
“Hypnotherapy? Bloody hell…” Glory scoffs. Dr. Fitzgerald shakes his head.
“Do not underestimate it. It is a real thing and it has been proven successful in certain circumstances. You may not even need it. You just need to be willing to work with me as I try to help you. That is all I ask.”
“Fine, I’m willing to do anything to get this problem fixed.” She sighs deeply. “Even if it means something as stupid as hypnotherapy.”
“Good, then let’s continue…”
July 3rd, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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The sound of the loud, reverberating church bells rings out in and around Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami, Florida. The gorgeous gothic architecture and enormous size is both beautiful and intimidating at the same time. For Mary Ford, a woman who has been a practicing Catholic all of her life and maintaining her weekly mass obligation, this is not intimidating or unusual in the least. This is just simply normal practice. But for her daughter, who stands next to her outside of this large building, this is quite intimidating. Her daughter is none other than “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock and she is on record as a member of the Church of England but has not attended any sort of service in quite a long time.
Has Braddock lost her faith? One could make that argument, especially considering her actions as of late do not exactly measure up to the morality that this church claims to espouse. But the truth is far more complicated. The British Bombshell simply has been too distracted to make time for anything else or anyone else in her life. Her recent struggle to obtain and then maintain absolute power within her company as well as the secret inner struggle with post traumatic stress syndrome, has kept Braddock far too busy to be concerned with anything else. Unfortunately the struggle for power has led her to become extremely paranoid, which only adds to the mental strain of the PTSD that she has been suffering from for years. After snapping on several occasions, even going so far as to hitting her own daughter after losing control, Glory has realized that she needs help. She can no longer ignore her mental health.
Her mother, Mary Ford, had suggested this; more accurately she suggested that she and Glory spend more time together. Glory needs to reconcile with Mary, who she blames for a majority of her mental issues. But Glory isn’t the only one who needs help. Mary has yet to move on from the death of Glenn Braddock, Glory’s father. Mary still regrets leaving him, even though most would argue that she was completely justified in doing so. Glenn was too focused and too obsessed with professional wrestling, and Mary used that as an excuse to walk away. Mary never truly got to say goodbye the way she wanted. Glory as a result was raised by her father, without a mother figure in her life. Glory resented her mother and that resentment allowed Aphrodite Noel to twist Glory’s mind, corrupting her, and creating the PTSD she has today.
Both mother and daughter need serious help. Now they stand here together willing to at least attempt to make a change; both are willing to attempt to make some positive move to improve their own mental health. Standing here before the Church building dressed in an ankle length black skirt, black patent leather pumps, and a silk white floral print blouse is Mary Ford, the mother. To Mary’s right wearing a simply knee length royal purple skirt, matching purple heels, and a purple women’s suit jacket over a white silk blouse is her daughter, “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock.
“I’m glad you’re doing this, Glory.” Mary whispers. Braddock nods her head slowly.
“Yeah, well let’s be honest; we both need this don’t we?”
“I agree. Admitting that you need help is the first step to a cure, as they say. And I think we both admit we need help. In my case, I never should have walked out so quickly on your father. I should have tried harder to make things work.”
“Yes but dad should have spent more time with you...with us…” Glory remarks, trying to comfort her mother. Mary shakes her head.
“No, I should have compromised. I should have realized that getting your father to rid himself of professional wrestling would never happen. I should have realized that wrestling was far too important to him to ever get him to walk away from him it. So I just gave up and left. As a result I missed out on watching you grow up.” Mary takes Glory’s hand and squeezes it tightly. “This is my chance to make it up to you. You are, after all, my last connection to Glenn.”
Tears are flowing down Mary’s cheeks, which causes Glory to chuckle ever so slightly. “What’s wrong, mum? Why are you crying?”
“I just look at you and you remind me so much of your father. Especially in the eyes. Those are the eyes of a warrior, just like your father. And you remind me of your father in the way you carry yourself. You’re strong, proud, and passionate. Just like your father.”
Braddock refuses to say a word, instead opting for silence. Glory doesn’t trust her emotions at this point, because at times she wonders if she is too passionate. She wonders if she is too proud. Her passion and pride led her to the belief that she was invulnerable, untouchable. That caused her to make the careless mistakes that ultimately led her to the open arms of Aphrodite Noel, the woman who had her manipulated into becoming Glory Noel, Aphrodite’s daughter. The world believes she has recovered from this but Glory knows that is just a fallacy. She knows that her mental state still isn’t fully healed. And that is what brings Glory here today, she is hoping that a bond with her biological mother, one of the figures who she blamed for all of this, will help bring about an end to her mental suffering and bring about a return to normalcy and maybe, if everything goes well, a return to being the Glory Braddock she used to be, and not this person she is today. Not this paranoid monster. Not this tyrant.
“Why don’t we go inside, yeah?” Glory suggests. Mary nods her head and immediately the two women turn towards the entrance. The two women ascend the large marble stairs that leads to the front doors; The British Bombshell pulls the doors open and allows her mother to enter first and Glory follows suit, stepping inside after her. Immediately they find themselves inside the narthex where they immediately see the vestibule, a large, standing font or pool used to perform the sacrament of Baptism. Smaller, wall-mounted holy water fonts are found near the interior church doors. Mary approaches the doors, touches the holy water with her fingers, and makes the sign of the cross. She motions for Glory to do the same but Glory hesitates.
“I’m not a Catholic.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’ just Holy Water. It’s for everyone.”
“If you say so…” Glory sighs as she walks forward and touches her finger to the water and, like her mother, makes the sign of the cross. Braddock and her mother then step into the sanctuary itself. The sanctuary is carpeted with red carpeting. Two columns of pews are on either side of the majestic church. Braddock looks down a long center aisle that leads up to the front of the church, the altar. The altar and the pews are separated by a rail where worshipers may kneel if they so choose. The altar itself is just behind the rail, as is a crucifix which is mounted on the wall. Finally a pulpit is to the left. The British Bombshell is in awe of the sight. She shouldn’t be, because she has seen majestic sights like this before when she was an active member of the Church of England. But it has been so long since she has been inside any church that now she feels as if she is an outsider. She feels intimidated by the grandiose atmosphere of this house of worship.
“Let’s go and find a seat.” Mary says to her daughter, interrupting Glory’s thoughts. Glory nods and follows her mother down the aisle to a pew near the front. Mary genuflects, kneeling to one knee and making the sign of the cross, before stepping back up and sliding into a pew. Glory doesn’t genuflect as her mother does. She feels it is inappropriate. Instead she offers a simple bow and steps into the pew, sitting next to her mother. Glory watches as her pulls out a kneeling bench and kneels down on it. Mary then takes out her rosary.
“What are you doing?” Glory asks, mainly out of sheer curiosity.
“They’re about to pray the Holy Rosary. Most churches pray it before mass begins.”
“Oh…” Glory says looking somewhat confused by all of this, still trying her best to take it in. Sure enough, almost as if on cue, a voice from a female on the other side of the sanctuary, calls out loudly…
“The Five Sorrowful Mysteries…in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”
Glory watches on, still unsure of what is going on. She has never practiced the rosary before. Even when she regularly attended church in the Church of England she was never as dedicated as her mother appears to be. But Mary seems to know exactly what she is doing…
==========
1 Hour Later
==========
The rosary, when prayed properly, can take up to thirty minutes. Altogether it includes, saying the Lord’s Prayer six times, fifty three Hail Mary’s, six Glory Be to the Father’s, six Fatima Prayers, and the Apostle’s Creed. It is a very long prayer and takes dedication to say it. Glory never did learn how to say it and she isn’t sure that she has the patience to learn it even if she wanted to. So she just sits there and listens quietly, observing as the others say the historical prayer. During the approximately thirty minute time it takes for the rosary to be said people begin to file in, slowly but surely filling up the pews.
The church is now fully packed as more and more people began to fill in the empty seats as the rosary was spoken. Service would begin shortly after the rosary was completed, almost as if it was perfect timing. From then the service seemed rather familiar to The British Bombshell. She was raised in a “high church” style atmosphere, and thus was used to the ritualistic style this service took. A few minutes into the service and Braddock was starting to have second thoughts about this visit to church with her aunt Mary. This is beginning to feel like the two of them are just “going through the motions” as they say. Braddock watches everyone around her, observing closely as they repeat the same words and phrases, almost as if it were nothing more than chanting. She begins to wonder if they really and truly mean the words that they utter or if this is all part of the exercise? But then just as she is being turned off by the entire experience that is when the priest begins to deliver the sermon…
...and that changes everything.
“Why is Divine Mercy so important? Because we are who we are. I mean, let’s face it, we are humans and no one is perfect even though some of us like to think we are. We constantly make mistakes, we constantly fall short, we constantly hurt ourselves and others, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally. That is why this building is not a hotel for saints, as some like to think it is. Instead this is a hospital for sinners because all of us, myself included, need mercy. And that mercy is just simply a fancy word for forgiveness. We need forgiveness and this is a place where you can come and get it. Though you aren’t limited to just a building like this. Forgiveness begins with each and every one of us in our own local communities forgiving one another. But there are many of you out there thinking, ‘Father Sebastian, you have no idea of what I have done. I am unforgivable.’”
Glory cannot help but nod her head upon hearing this. It speaks to her situation. She has blackmailed, bribed, and done damn near criminal acts all to obtain absolute control over her company and to ensure that no one would ever question her decisions. The worst of them all was when she had her own sister locked up in a mental institution on trumped up charges. The guilt is eating away at her very conscience but a large part of her says it was a necessary evil. Still, how could she do that to her own family? How can she be forgiven?
“Yes, we all want to be good people. We want to strive for perfection even though we know we will never be perfect. But if we want to change, if we want to become better people, we have to learn to forgive ourselves and part of that is the idea that everyone is forgivable. Trust me, no one here has done anything that cannot be forgiven.” Father Sebastian points to the back of the sanctuary. “I’ve heard it all back in the confession booth, there is nothing you can say that would shock me. There is nothing that you can honestly say is unforgivable. You can be forgiven, but first you must be willing to forgive yourself.”
==========
15 Minutes Later
==========
The remainder of the service went off without a problem as the ritual aspect of the service returned. The repetition returned followed by Holy Eucharist and one final song, all of which was just part of the script. But none of that mattered because Glory Braddock was impacted by Father Sebastian’s sermon on mercy and forgiveness. It was a moment of enlightenment for The British Bombshell, for she realized what it is that she needs is forgiveness. She feels guilty, not just for what she has done recently in a hostile takeover of her company’s board of directors, but also forgiveness of her own past failures. Maybe she even needs forgiveness for her failure against Aphrodite Noel? Forgiveness will put her mind at ease and hopefully end all of the mental issues she is suffering, including the post traumatic stress.
Braddock walks side by side with her mother out of the church. While the others in the crowd walk towards their homes or their vehicles, Braddock and Mary stop just outside of the church. There is a black iron bench in front of a statue of Jesus. The two women approach the bench and sit down. Mary has an ear to ear grin on her face as she looks on at her daughter.
“So, what did you think?”
“It was definitely different from what I’m used to.”
“Oh come on now, Gloria. You should be used to some of this by now. You used to be Church of England and their ritual isn’t that much different.”
“You’d be surprised. Besides, I haven’t been to church in years. You’d know that if you bothered to spend time with me…” Glory sighs as she realizes just a little too late what she said “...I’m sorry, mum. It slipped out.”
“It’s ok, Glory. You’re justified in saying that because I haven’t spent time with you and that’s why we are doing this, we are trying to bond, reconnect.”
“We can do this again sometime if you want.” Glory suggests.
“Really? You must have liked something about this then.”
“Father Sebastian’s sermon was great. It really hit home with me, you know? I mean, I don’t think it needs to be said at this point that I need help. That much is obvious. And he’s right, the first big step is admitting you need help and then getting forgiveness.”
“Glory, do not beat yourself up…” Mary begins to speak but is interrupted sharply by her daughter.
“You have no idea of the things I’ve done. What I did to my sister was just the tip of the iceberg. Do I feel guilty about what I did? Damn right I do. And it’s eating me up inside. It’s killing me, mind and body, it is killing me.”
Mary places a comforting hand on her daughter’s knee. “Guilt is a good sign. It means you recognize what you did was wrong. And just like Father said, no one is unforgivable.”
Glory listens intently to her mother. That is the line that stuck out most for The British Bombshell. No one is unforgivable. But Braddock also recognizes that what she has done was horrible. A part of her wonders if she can be forgiven. Still, this entire experience at least gave her some hope that she can be forgiven.
“Glory, look…” Mary points to the church. Walking out the doors is Father Sebastian. Mary gets his attention by waving her arms, flagging him down. Glory looks curiously at her mother.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to meet him.”
Braddock rolls her eyes as she allows her mother to continue getting his attention. Father Sebastian turns and makes his way to the bench where he finds Glory and Mary. Mother and daughter stand up and greet the rather young brown haired priest. Mary shakes hands with the priest.
“I’m Mary, Mary Ford. I am a member of Our Lady of Annunciation in Boston.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Ford, what brings you down here to Miami?”
“My daughter.” She motions to Glory. “She has two residences, one in England and one here in Miami but she spends the vast majority of her time here in Miami. I have neglected to spend time with her…”
“We both have been at fault, mother.” Glory points out.
“Right, well we both are at fault, but nevertheless we are hoping to fix things. So I may be spending more time here in Miami. So we’re visiting.”
“That’s nice but your daughter is Glory Braddock?”
Braddock arches her brow curiously. “You’ve heard of me?”
“Oh of course.” The priest says with a bright look on his face. “You are so multi-talented, with your involvement as a wrestler and as a businesswoman. Many people here in Miami have heard of you, Glory.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not…” Glory says with her voice trailing off. Her paranoia is kicking in now. She has used a great deal of underhanded tactics and near criminal activity to obtain power in the business world. As absurd as it may seem, the paranoid part of her wonders if this priest knows anything. The smile and the next words out of Father Sebastian’s mouth puts her concerns at ease.
“I’ve heard nothing but good about you, Glory. And I am glad that you and your mother visited us today. I hope you come back again.”
“I may very well do that, but first…” Glory reaches into her purse and finds a check book. She quickly writes on a check, tears it out, and hands it to Father Sebastian “...here, take this. Consider it a donation.”
“Wait a second…” his eyes grow wide “...one thousand dollars?”
“A gift.”
He shakes his head and tries to give the check back. “I can’t accept this.”
“Please, it’s just a gift. Please take it.”
The priest stares at Glory and then looks back at the check. He reluctantly accepts it, putting it in his pocket. “Thank you, Ms. Braddock. This is extremely generous of you.”
With that said, Father Sebastian turns and walks away. As soon as he is gone, Mary turns towards her daughter and speaks on with a shocked tone of voice. “One thousand dollars? Seriously, Glory?”
“Why not? Isn’t giving to the church a good thing?”
“It is but…”
“But what?”
“It’s just surprising. That’s all. So is this going to become a thing too? Going to church and donating a lot of money?”
“I don’t know yet. Being with you, being here, it’s just part of the solution. As great as this experience was...and it was a great experience, don’t get me wrong...I still feel as if something is missing.”
“What do you mean?” Mary asks curiously.
“I just…” Glory shakes her head as she sits back down on the bench. Mary sits down next to her and wraps a loving arm around her daughter’s shoulders.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. That’s it, I just don’t know who I am anymore. I have done awful things, mum, and you know it. Part of me recognizes that, and that’s why the guilt is there. But a part of me doesn’t regret it. Part of me truly believes that the awful things I did were for the greater good. That’s not the woman I once was. That leads me to the big question; do I blame this on Aphrodite Noel? Am I still the tyrannical daughter she created? Or is this just who I really and truly am? Was I just fooling everyone else, myself included, by pretending to be good?”
“Gloria Marie Braddock, I think you know what you need to do.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to. Can’t I just do this? Can’t I just be with you and go to church and get forgiveness and…”
“Forgiveness isn’t about making the guilt go away. If you think entering a confessional booth and giving large donations to a church will make you feel better then you’ve completely missed the point of what Father Sebastian was talking about. Forgiveness is just the first step. You also need to try and be a better person. For you that means going back to the psychiatrist and getting the help you need.”
“No…” Braddock shakes her head as tears roll down her cheek.
“You admit that you still suffer from post traumatic stress. If for nothing else you need to go back to a psychiatrist for that. I’m asking this as your mother, please consider it. Please.”
“Ok…” Braddock nods her head “...I’ll consider it.”
==========
July 10th, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
Sitting inside of the waiting room of a psychiatrist is not exactly how Glory Braddock planned to spend her Friday afternoon. Braddock is an active competitor inside the ring, competing on the Riot brand of Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. She is the new MWE Riot Champion and as the new champion she is now the target. She should be preparing for her future challengers. Instead she finds herself in the waiting room of Dr. Frederick Fitzgerald, a psychiatrist operating locally out of Miami.
Glory Braddock still questions her decision to come, even as she sits here studying the plain off-white, wallpaper in this rather drab waiting room. Partly this is to satisfy her mother, who kept telling her that she needed to try this one more time. Yet at the same time a part of her believes that she no longer needs this psychiatrist. Dr. Fitzgerald was just a means to an end. The Board of Directors at her company demanded that she prove herself as mentally competent and sane before they restored her to full power. Once Braddock obtained the power she sought she just quit attending the sessions and never told the Board of Directors that she quit. They took her at her word, surprisingly enough, and that should have been that. So why is she here, about to resume the psychiatric sessions? Is it just because she feels the need to appease her mother?
Unlikely. If she’s willing to lie to the Board of Directors then she can easily lie to her own mother and just tell her she’s seeing the psychiatrist and that would shut her up. So why is she here? As much as she may deny it publicly, Glory privately knows that she still has problems. Part of the problem is the lingering post traumatic stress she is suffering from after being brainwashed by Aphrodite Noel. Another part of her mental issue is the paranoia and guilt that is eating her alive. She doesn’t want to believe that this is who she is, she doesn’t want to believe that she is this tyrant, this monster who would bribe and blackmail individuals for power, this monster who would lock up her own sister for power. She needs all of these questions answered and she is willing to do whatever it takes to get those answers, even if those answers are not the ones she wants.
The black cushioned chair Glory finds herself sitting in is surprisingly comfortable. This waiting room is rather small and cannot fit many people, thus she is thankful that she is the only person here today. Dr. Fitzgerald gets few patients to begin with as it is a very small local practice. This is what was most appealing about him to Glory Braddock. The smaller the better. She wants to keep it a secret that she needs psychiatric help. If anyone knew the truth it would damage her reputation.
The floor of this waiting room is a navy blue carpet. Braddock is wearing tight denim jeans, black flats, and a purple blouse. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length. The British Bombshell is reading a magazine when her thoughts are interrupted…
“Ms. Braddock…” Glory looks up to see Dr. Frederick Fitzgerald standing in the doorway leading back to a hall. He motions for to her follow him. Glory smiles pleasantly as she stands up and follows him through the door and down a short hall and then almost immediately to the right into a room which serves as his office. It is a small office with a light brown desk a comfortable black swivel chair where Dr. Fitzgerald no doubt sits, and two gray chairs that look rather uncomfortable. There is also a red comfortable cushioned sofa. As predicted, Fitzgerald makes a beeline for the swivel chair at the desk and sits down.
“Have a seat.” He says. Glory opts for the comfort of the sofa instead of the chairs. She sits down and crosses her legs. The British Bombshell remembers that it has been years since her last session and she never told him she was quitting. She can only assume he is upset about that but how much so? She tries to get a read off of him but his facial expression is stoic. All she can do is wait until he speaks…
“I must admit that I was surprised when I received your message about wanting to schedule this session, Ms. Braddock. How long has it been now since our last session? A few years, I believe.”
“That sounds about right.” Glory answers flatly. Fitzgerald nods his head.
“May I ask what the problem seems to be?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
“Yes, I do. You left rather abruptly with absolutely no word or warning to me. So I just assumed you believed my services were no longer needed. I suppose your previous problems could have resurfaced or perhaps your previous problems were never fully gone?”
“Something like that.” Braddock sighs out of frustration.
“So now you are returning hoping I can still help you?”
“Look, Dr. Fitzgerald, are you going to help me or just lecture me? Because if you are just going to sit there and lecture me then I’m leaving.” Glory rolls her eyes. The British Bombshell isn’t the only one frustrated by all of this. Dr. Fitzgerald is beginning to get frustrated as well and his facial expression shows it.
“I can help you and I am willing to help you, but before we go any further you must promise me to see this through. I told you when we began these sessions that your issues would be fully cured only if you saw it through to the very end. You stopped without even bothering to talk to me about ending the sessions. If you had told me something I could have at least warned you that your problems would get worse.”
“I still would have left.” Braddock says with a smirk etched across her lovely lips. “I can be quite stubborn.”
“I know. My offer still stands, but with that one requirement; will you see it through to the end this time?”
Braddock sighs and, despite her reservations, nods her head and agrees to his terms. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll finish it this time.”
“And I mean it, Ms. Braddock; if we begin these sessions anew then you must continue to attend these sessions until I say otherwise. If you leave early again then I will not take you back.”
“Fine! Fine! Whatever!” Braddock exclaims as she grows frustrated with the tone the psychiatrist is taking with her. She is willing to take some abuse because she needs him right now but she won’t take too much.
“Then we may begin. And why don’t we begin with why you decided to stop so suddenly without even so much as a word of warning to me?”
“You really aren’t going to let that one go, are you?”
“Just answer the question, Ms. Braddock. I know you believed you were cured but there must be something more. And I need you to be honest with me, Ms. Braddock. Do not give me any fluff. Do not give me any lies.”
“You want honesty? I’ll give you honesty. The honest truth is that I never wanted to go to these stupid sessions in the first place. You know the story how Mothe...Aphrodite Noel had me brainwashed, twisted, corrupted...biologically I was a Braddock but in my mind I was her daughter. And my company, my Board of Directors, they did not trust my mental state as a result of this. They took power away from me until I could prove I was fit.”
“So you did this to appease them?” The psychiatrist asks. Glory nods her head.
“Yes. Back then I did it just to appease them. Time passed and I convinced enough of them that I was better, and I got power back. When that happened I no longer needed you or these sessions so I quit.”
“I never knew that this was all to appease members of your company. That explains why you left so suddenly. So if you have your company back and the Board of Directors are no longer a problem for you then why have you returned to me? Why begin the sessions again?”
The British Bombshell pauses for a long, tense moment as she meditates upon her answer. How honest does she want to be with Dr. Fitzgerald? “I thought power was all I needed. I thought power would keep me happy. But the PTSD...among other things...it’s putting a real strain on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I’ve been so distracted by this that my own wrestling career has suffered. I realize that I really do need help. I can’t just let this linger.”
Glory stares back at the psychiatrist, curious as to how he’ll respond to her passionate plea. Finally his stoic gaze turns into a warm smile. “I’m happy to hear you say that. The first step to recovery is admitting you do have a problem and that you do need help.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Braddock remarks, remembering her mom and the priest mentioning that last week.
“Well, I promised I would help you if you stuck it out and I will. We can try to pick up where we left off but since it has been so long your condition may have worsened. There is a chance we may have to try different strategies to improve your condition.”
“What kind of strategies?”
“I was thinking of hypnotherapy as one potential option we could use if needed.”
“Hypnotherapy? Bloody hell…” Glory scoffs. Dr. Fitzgerald shakes his head.
“Do not underestimate it. It is a real thing and it has been proven successful in certain circumstances. You may not even need it. You just need to be willing to work with me as I try to help you. That is all I ask.”
“Fine, I’m willing to do anything to get this problem fixed.” She sighs deeply. “Even if it means something as stupid as hypnotherapy.”
“Good, then let’s continue…”