Post by matt on Oct 7, 2020 12:46:57 GMT -6
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September 19th, 2020
London, England
Off Camera
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The Braddock Wrestling School, located just off the outskirts of London, England, has been the training ground for almost all of Glory Braddock’s biggest, most noteworthy matches of her professional wrestling career. The preparation for all fourteen of her previous world championship victories came at this facility. It doesn’t look as big and luxurious as one might think, considering its founder, the grizzled and oftentimes angry Glenn Braddock, is a legend in England and all throughout Europe, but Glenn was never one to care about the glitz and the glamor nor for the spotlight. He never gave a damn if people loved and adored him and gave him all the attention that so many other wrestlers nowadays seem to crave. His only love was wrestling. There was no need for things to look glamorous and sparkly, nice and pretty, Glenn always kept it simple. Not only was it practical but it sent a message to his students, a message telling that wrestling itself was simple; as simple as winning. You go to the ring, you do what you must in order to defeat your opponent, and then you leave. Pure, simple, and very brutal; but that was his only love, his only passion. Oftentimes to the detriment of his children.
Glenn Braddock fathered two children in his lifetime; Gloria Marie Braddock and Julia Alexis Braddock. Glenn Braddock, for all of his great achievements as a wrestler, could potentially be faulted as a father and family man. His training and active competition kept him away from his wife and two daughters. Glenn never truly spent a great deal of time bonding with either of his daughters when they were growing up. Even when his wrestling career was taken away fro him due to an injury he suffered in the ring, he still didn’t bond with his children like most father’s would. He bonded in the way only way he knew how; through wrestling. Glenn would take Glory and teach her everything he knew about the sport he was so passionate about. All of the knowledge, love, and passion he had for wrestling was passed onto her. The woman who would later become known as The British Bombshell would take all of that and translate it into fourteen world championships.
The Braddock Wrestling School is where the reigning MWE Riot Champion would always go to seek out guidance, primarily from her father. When in doubt or faced with a challenge, she would seek his advice and tutelage. Unfortunately he is gone now. Glenn Braddock has been long gone from this world but his memory lives on in his legacy, The Braddock Wrestling School and that is where Glory hopes to find some answers. The beautiful blonde is standing in front of a somewhat run down looking gym. There is a sign in front that reads “Braddock Wrestling School” that is probably the cleanest part of this gym. She is wearing a sheath column scoop neck short mini dress with purple sparkly sequins. Her feet are encased in black open toe high heel pumps. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.
Braddock takes out a key to unlock the door. It takes some time to undo the locks but she does manage to unlock it in short order before she pushes it open. The British Bombshell steps inside the gym and is immediately met with a strong but familiar odor. This dirty, sweaty, smelly excuse of a gym is her professional wrestling home. This is the place where she learned the craft and honed her skills. The familiar sights, sounds, and odors pervade the air the moment The British Bombshell opens the door to enter the main training area. A smile creeps across her face as she takes it all in. This is home. She stands just inside the doorway that marks the entrance to this school, her domain, her empire if you will. The school is empty right now, as it is after hours. Glory Braddock is one of only five people who have a key to this building. She came here after hours to seek out answers as to where she went wrong and how she can correct her course.
She scans the area and notices the workout equipment scattered all over the floor, heavy bags hanging here and there, but most noticeable and most prominent is the wrestling ring set up in the center of the main room. It was always to be the centerpiece per the vision of her father Glenn Braddock. Glory has made certain to honor that request. But what is unusual bout this sight this evening is the fact that she sees her father, Glen Braddock, standing in the center of this ring.
Of course she knows this is not really her father. Her father is dead. This is just her imagination running wild. Still, Glory is upset and she will take this out on anything or anyone, even if it is an imaginary ghost.
“Where the hell were you?!” Glory shouts angrily as she storms up towards the ring, towards her “father.” She steps up the ring steps and onto the ring apron before entering the ring. She steps up to her “father” and shouts all the louder. “Where the hell were you?!”
“Where I’ve always been.” He answers in a matter of fact tone.
“Yeah, right,” Glory answers with sarcasm now dripping from her voice “the same place you always were in my life; nowhere to be found. And you promised on your deathbed you would always be there in my heart but where were you? Where the hell were you?!”
“I get the feeling the feeling there’s something you wanna say.” The apparition growls softly under his breath.
“You damn right there is! This right here, this gym...my fourteen world championships...I credit that to you.”
“I told you I never helped you. You earned all that on your own.”
“But you trained me. You taught me. You gave me the tools necessary to achieve success and I did. But see that’s the thing, all you wanted from me was an heir to your wrestling legacy. You wanted me to be another Britain’s Best and yeah, I became Britain’s Best. But being Britain’s Best wasn’t good enough for you was it? No, you wanted more. You wanted to be an Olympic Gold Medalist. So you trained harder, pushed yourself harder, and that ended your career. And just like you, being Britain’s Best wasn’t good enough. I pushed myself harder, I trained harder, but unlike you I did not screw it up. I became a fourteen time world champion. I became the best in the world.”
“Is that what you want to do? Does rubbing it in my face make you feel better?”
“I just wanted you to know that I surpassed you but I also wanted you to know that I blame you for everything else that went wrong in my life!” Tears are now flowing freely down the cheeks of The British Bombshell. “Because of your fame and prominence, because of your influence, you managed to gain custody of me and Julia. You never wanted us as daughters, you wanted us to be your second generation wrestlers and that is the only thing you raised us to be. That’s the only knowledge you gave us.”
“I gave you a roof over your head, three meals a day, and I gave a damn good life.”
“And you made us both mentally vulnerable! Because of you we were both brainwashed by Aphrodite Noel! Did it sit well with you when we changed our names from Braddock to Noel to suit our new “mother”? You left us screwed up and vulnerable to her mental assault. Julia ended up spending time in a psychiatric hospital. I almost ended up there too but I did lose my company briefly. But thanks to Aphrodite, not you thanks to HER, I learned the tricks necessary to regain my company. I had to become a ruthless, cutthroat, monster.”
She chuckles lightly. “And that’s who I am now isn’t it? I am no longer your daughter, I have become a monster who is bordering on insanity!”
“Glory?” That’s a new voice that echoes in the gym. Startled ever so slightly, Braddock turns around and finds her good friend, Matthew Taylor, standing there in the doorway. He is a trainer at the school and is one of the other five to have a key to this building. A confused look is on his face for obvious reasons. It isn’t every day you walk in on your best friend talking to herself. “Who are you talking to?”
Braddock turns around where her father was standing but he is gone. Glory is confused but only briefly as she realizes that it was just her imagination. She sighs as she turns back to face Matthew who is already making his way towards the ring. “I was just talking to myself.”
“I wouldn’t do that too often, people might start to think you’re crazy.” He says with a wry grin. Glory just sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
“I’m already there, mate.”
Matthew avoids the steps, choosing instead to use his agility to leap up from the floor to the ring apron. He then steps through the ropes and into the ring. Taylor approaches Braddock and looks her dead in the eyes with a look of concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything.”
“Now what do you mean by that?”
“Exactly that. Everything is going wrong in my life right now, Matt. I have been trying for years to win my fifteenth world title and I cannot quite get there. Myself and my company are now under the microscope of the United States federal government due to the string of assassination attempts on my life and on the lives of Jennifer Alan and her family. I feel like everything is coming apart at the seams.”
“And you blame your dad for that, I take it?”
Glory furrows her brow curiously. “How do you figure that?”
“Well I was standing back there listening to you shouting at thin air for quite awhile.”
“Oh…” Glory blushes as she realizes that Matthew must have heard a bit of what she had to say. She considers her next line of thought but before she can get it out Matthew wraps an arm around her shoulder.
“Look Glory, you know me and your dad never exactly saw eye to eye. Right?”
“He wanted to rip your bloody head off, mate.” Glory says with a knowing grin.
“Right, because I didn’t adhere to his strict philosophy. I never got into this business for championships, competition, or that bullshit. I got into this for the thrill. I got into this because it was dangerous and I am a daredevil. I also got into this because I enjoy entertaining people.”
“And that’s why you never amounted to anything in this sport.” Glory says harshly. “No offense.”
“None taken, because the only reward I ever needed was the roar of the crowd. That’s why I left your dad’s school to seek out someone who held the same philosophy I held and would train me as such. Now that doesn’t mean I think your dad was wrong. Your dad sure as hell thought I was wrong but that’s not the case. Everyone has their own points of view, everyone has an opinion, but opinions are just that...they’re subjective.”
Glory chuckles, finally feeling light hearted after a long time of depression. “Look at you. I didn’t realize you had a philosophical bone in your body.”
“I can pull it out of my ass if necessary. And I do think it is necessary right now because I need to tell you that your dad meant well. Your dad loved you and he did the very best he could. Did he have his faults? Absolutely. But we all have our faults. Your dad’s fault was primarily his obsession over perfection. He was obsessed with being the best.”
“Much like me now.” Glory says quietly.
“Exactly. But you know what? Your father never was upset that you did what he never could. He was proud that you took his legacy and took it to the next level. He had that hope and desire for both you and Julia. You want to know why you were able to achieve that level of greatness whereas your father could not?”
Glory shrugs her shoulders. “Enlighten me, philosopher Taylor.”
“You never lost sight of the love and the passion for the sport. Glenn lost sight of that, he became passionate about being the best and no longer passionate about wrestling, no longer in love with the sport but in love with championships. That’s what drove his obsession and that is what is driving your obsession right now.”
Glory pulls away from Matthew. She shakes her head. “I’m not obsessed.”
“Yes, you are. You have been obsessed with power within your company, so much so that your own company may be in trouble with the FBI. You’ve become obsessed with winning championships and that has led you to becoming careless and getting caught.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” Glory Braddock is still in denial.
“You want proof? Just look at you now compared to how you used to be in your first five years as a professional. You dress to impress everywhere you go because you think image is everything, including power. Hell, it’s gotten so bad that you’re dressed to impress here! But who are you impressing? A ghost? No one is here, Glory!”
“I know…” her voice trails off.
“You used to be a tomboy and when anyone said anything you didn’t care. You never cared. You were just being you. You were just having fun. And speaking of fun, remember Glory’s Prankster Service?”
Despite the emotions Glory once again cracks a smile at the mention of this long gone but apparently not forgotten moment in her life. “Yeah, I remember it.”
“You were the best prankster I ever knew. It didn’t matter who it was or how smart they were, you were able to get them. The first promotion you worked for, GDW, you charged fellow employees to perform pranks on their enemies. I helped you with that. It was some of our best times. And then there were the karaoke nights…”
“Oh bloody hell, not that…”
“Yes, that.” Matthew says with a smirk. “Every night after the show, win or lose, we’d try to find someplace that did karaoke. If we found a place we’d join in on the fun. You were a terrific singer, Glory. You even brought that side of you to the ring, occasionally mocking your opponents in song. Where is that Glory?”
Braddock vehemently shakes her head. “She’s gone, Matt! She is long gone! She has been gone ever since...since…”
“Since when? Since Aphrodite got into your head? She only got to you because she knew what buttons to push. She knew what secretly set you off and what would impact you the most mentally and emotionally. She did it so much that you lost a sense of who you are. And to this day I think you are not sure of who you are.”
“I know who I am.” Braddock says, nodding her head. “I’m a monster.”
“Yes, I heard you say that earlier. You are a monster...but that’s who you are right now. But that’s not who you have to be. You can choose to be someone else. You can be that Glory Braddock we all know and love again. You just have to find her.”
“That’s the thing, Matt, I’m not sure if I can find her again.” Glory replies, sighing deeply and sadly.
“Seriously? Glory, you won fourteen world championships, built this huge corporate empire, and you have kept this wrestling school of your father’s alive.”
“The monster did that.” Glory insists. Matthew shakes his head.
“Not all of it. Glory, YOU played a part of that. You just need to find that old Glory Braddock spirit. And I believe you can do it.”
“You do?”
“Look at me, Glory.” Glory turns and looks at her best friend. “I was always your biggest fan. I always will be your biggest fan. And can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.”
“Glory, I love you. I’ve never told anyone this, I’ve never told anyone this, but I always had a crush on you when we were growing up together. I was there at your wedding with Randall and I admit I was heartbroken. I shouldn’t have been happy that you two split but a part of me was only because I was thinking that I had hope for another shot, but then I was heartbroken again that you found Kurt.”
“Matthew, I…” Glory is genuinely stunned at what she just heard her friend admit. But he nevertheless presses on.
“Hush. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way and I don’t want you to think I’ll ever interfere. I just wanted you to know that I do truly care for you. And if you ever questioned whether or not someone believed in you? Then stop. Stop questioning because damn it, Glory, I believe in you.”
There is a long pause as these two long time friends lock eyes. Glory is honestly not sure what to think. She had always thought of Matthew as her best friend, maybe even closer than Sophie O’Brian. In many ways Matthew was always the anchor that brought her back down to reality. Matthew and Glory were as close as close could be but they never took that next step in their relationship. Then slowly they started drifting apart. Slowly they started going their separate ways. Perhaps the reasons for Glory’s sudden change lies within Matthew himself? Without Matthew there to keep her grounded, Glory grew out of control. Still, as good a friend as Matthew is and as much as she wants him back in her life, Glory isn’t sure she wants what Matthew wants. She considers her next words carefully but before she can react Matthew leans in and kisses her on the lips.
“Matthew I…”
“Sorry, Glory. I just…”
“No, I can’t.” Glory shakes her head and turns and immediately walks towards her office. Matthew follows after her.
“Glory, wait! Let me explain!”
Glory doesn’t stop. She walks towards her office and swings the door open she steps inside. Braddock approaches her desk and sits in the comfortable black leather swivel chair. Matthew steps in the doorway and looks longingly at his good friend. “Glory, may I please come in?”
“I don’t know, Matt…”
“We need to talk. I didn’t mean to do that back there. I just care about you, that’s all, and I’m really worried about you.”
“Yeah, but why are you worried about me? The Board of Directors are worried about me because they don’t think I’m mentally capable of doing my job and making them money. The students at this school are worried about me only because they want to use my school and my influence to help their careers. And you? You…”
“I love you, Glory.” Matthew states pointedly. “I love you and I am sick of watching you destroy yourself. This obsession with being the best at wrestling and dominating the corporate world is tearing you apart. It has already caused your wrestling career to suffer and it could threaten your own company as well. And if you haven’t figured it out, this will affect more than just you. Remember you were the one who had this school merged with your company to make things easier and more streamlined to manage. But now because of this, your Board of Directors does have some say over this school. The same Board of Directors who removed you once from power because of doubt over your mental capacity can do so again.”
“No,” Glory shakes her head in denial “I have more votes on the Board. I have support. I…”
“This isn’t bloody politics!” Matthew shouts loudly. “This is business! And this is why I hate business and tried to abandon my own family’s business! You’ve done a good job at gaining influence over the Board but the more these shootings happen, the more strange actions you take, the more bizarre you act, the more likely you will lose that support and you may lose your company and if that happens they may take this school as well. Do you want that to happen? This is your father’s legacy and you could lose it.”
“What do you care?” Glory stands up and gets in Matthew’s face. “You and my father despised each other!”
“Yeah! But I love you and I would do anything for you, Glory! That’s why I was willing to come back to this school and help you with it, that’s why I wanted to help with your father’s legacy, because I knew how important it was to you.” Matthew takes Glory’s hands. “You may not remember it, because you haven’t been this person in a long time, but there was a time when you adored your father, when you idolized him...or at least his good aspects. And you wanted everyone to remember him. I was willing to help you with that. I still am. And there are kids who come to this school each and every day to bust their asses to follow after the Braddock example that YOU defined. But this school, along with everything else you’ve built, is in jeopardy because of decisions you’ve made.”
Glow bows her head in shame. “There’s no going back though…”
“Everything is fixable. You know who taught me that?” He points a finger at Glory. “Your father. The same Glenn Braddock who also took Sophie and Mark O’Brian in off the streets when they were homeless. Was he a monster? Sometimes. But he had his great moments too. And you may be a monster now but you don’t have to be. You can fix all of this. I know you can.”
The British Bombshell pauses for a moment to consider her friend’s words. After some time to think she nods her head. “Ok fine, so maybe I can fix all of this? Maybe it isn’t too late? But there’s still one other problem, Matt.” She points to him and then at herself. “What about this?”
“You and I?”
“Right. You say everything is fixable but there is no changing what happened tonight. What you said and did has forever changed our relationship. I need you in my life again, Matt. Our relationship used to be like this dynamic duo of clowns and jokesters. We did anything we wanted, whenever we wanted, to whomever wanted. And we just had fun. I’d like to have that again…”
“And we can have that again. You just have to be the old Glory I remember. The Glory I grew up. The Glory you were before you were corrupted and twisted.”
Braddock nods her head. “I know, but this Glory standing before you today isn’t sure that’s what she wants.”
Matthew Taylor furrows his brow. “What do you mean?”
“You said you would do anything to help me. But answer this question, Matt; what would you do have me?”
It is then at this point that the lightbulb goes off in Matthew’s head. Glory is at a crossroads. She is at a point where she realizes that she has to make a decision about what to do, how to course correct and salvage everything. Matthew Taylor is convinced that only the old Glory Braddock can salvage everything. But the old Glory Braddock would only be friends with Matthew. But this current version of Glory is a monster willing to betray anyone, even her own friends and loved ones, to maintain power. This version of Glory Braddock would definitely betray her marriage to Kurt Logan. And Matthew Taylor? Well he would do anything to help Glory but he would also do anything to have Glory as his own.
As Matthew watches, Glory steps out of her heels and sets them aside. She then slowly undoes her dress and steps out of it, tossing it to the side. Glory is now standing there in nothing but a black lace bra and matching black lace panties. She approaches Matthew and removes his shirt.
“Just a taste to help you decide.”
“Decide?”
“I have a decision to make, so do you.”
Matthew realizes that while Glory may know she needs to change her ways that she isn’t quite ready to change her ways yet. To put it another way, this is the monster’s last ditch effort to maintain control over Glory. Matthew knows by rejecting her tempting offer would be the best way to help Glory but, then again, this is one thing Matthew has always wanted. This is the one thing he has wanted all his life.
“Just one time.”
“Just once.”
“No one has to know.”
“Not a soul.”
September 19th, 2020
London, England
Off Camera
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The Braddock Wrestling School, located just off the outskirts of London, England, has been the training ground for almost all of Glory Braddock’s biggest, most noteworthy matches of her professional wrestling career. The preparation for all fourteen of her previous world championship victories came at this facility. It doesn’t look as big and luxurious as one might think, considering its founder, the grizzled and oftentimes angry Glenn Braddock, is a legend in England and all throughout Europe, but Glenn was never one to care about the glitz and the glamor nor for the spotlight. He never gave a damn if people loved and adored him and gave him all the attention that so many other wrestlers nowadays seem to crave. His only love was wrestling. There was no need for things to look glamorous and sparkly, nice and pretty, Glenn always kept it simple. Not only was it practical but it sent a message to his students, a message telling that wrestling itself was simple; as simple as winning. You go to the ring, you do what you must in order to defeat your opponent, and then you leave. Pure, simple, and very brutal; but that was his only love, his only passion. Oftentimes to the detriment of his children.
Glenn Braddock fathered two children in his lifetime; Gloria Marie Braddock and Julia Alexis Braddock. Glenn Braddock, for all of his great achievements as a wrestler, could potentially be faulted as a father and family man. His training and active competition kept him away from his wife and two daughters. Glenn never truly spent a great deal of time bonding with either of his daughters when they were growing up. Even when his wrestling career was taken away fro him due to an injury he suffered in the ring, he still didn’t bond with his children like most father’s would. He bonded in the way only way he knew how; through wrestling. Glenn would take Glory and teach her everything he knew about the sport he was so passionate about. All of the knowledge, love, and passion he had for wrestling was passed onto her. The woman who would later become known as The British Bombshell would take all of that and translate it into fourteen world championships.
The Braddock Wrestling School is where the reigning MWE Riot Champion would always go to seek out guidance, primarily from her father. When in doubt or faced with a challenge, she would seek his advice and tutelage. Unfortunately he is gone now. Glenn Braddock has been long gone from this world but his memory lives on in his legacy, The Braddock Wrestling School and that is where Glory hopes to find some answers. The beautiful blonde is standing in front of a somewhat run down looking gym. There is a sign in front that reads “Braddock Wrestling School” that is probably the cleanest part of this gym. She is wearing a sheath column scoop neck short mini dress with purple sparkly sequins. Her feet are encased in black open toe high heel pumps. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.
Braddock takes out a key to unlock the door. It takes some time to undo the locks but she does manage to unlock it in short order before she pushes it open. The British Bombshell steps inside the gym and is immediately met with a strong but familiar odor. This dirty, sweaty, smelly excuse of a gym is her professional wrestling home. This is the place where she learned the craft and honed her skills. The familiar sights, sounds, and odors pervade the air the moment The British Bombshell opens the door to enter the main training area. A smile creeps across her face as she takes it all in. This is home. She stands just inside the doorway that marks the entrance to this school, her domain, her empire if you will. The school is empty right now, as it is after hours. Glory Braddock is one of only five people who have a key to this building. She came here after hours to seek out answers as to where she went wrong and how she can correct her course.
She scans the area and notices the workout equipment scattered all over the floor, heavy bags hanging here and there, but most noticeable and most prominent is the wrestling ring set up in the center of the main room. It was always to be the centerpiece per the vision of her father Glenn Braddock. Glory has made certain to honor that request. But what is unusual bout this sight this evening is the fact that she sees her father, Glen Braddock, standing in the center of this ring.
Of course she knows this is not really her father. Her father is dead. This is just her imagination running wild. Still, Glory is upset and she will take this out on anything or anyone, even if it is an imaginary ghost.
“Where the hell were you?!” Glory shouts angrily as she storms up towards the ring, towards her “father.” She steps up the ring steps and onto the ring apron before entering the ring. She steps up to her “father” and shouts all the louder. “Where the hell were you?!”
“Where I’ve always been.” He answers in a matter of fact tone.
“Yeah, right,” Glory answers with sarcasm now dripping from her voice “the same place you always were in my life; nowhere to be found. And you promised on your deathbed you would always be there in my heart but where were you? Where the hell were you?!”
“I get the feeling the feeling there’s something you wanna say.” The apparition growls softly under his breath.
“You damn right there is! This right here, this gym...my fourteen world championships...I credit that to you.”
“I told you I never helped you. You earned all that on your own.”
“But you trained me. You taught me. You gave me the tools necessary to achieve success and I did. But see that’s the thing, all you wanted from me was an heir to your wrestling legacy. You wanted me to be another Britain’s Best and yeah, I became Britain’s Best. But being Britain’s Best wasn’t good enough for you was it? No, you wanted more. You wanted to be an Olympic Gold Medalist. So you trained harder, pushed yourself harder, and that ended your career. And just like you, being Britain’s Best wasn’t good enough. I pushed myself harder, I trained harder, but unlike you I did not screw it up. I became a fourteen time world champion. I became the best in the world.”
“Is that what you want to do? Does rubbing it in my face make you feel better?”
“I just wanted you to know that I surpassed you but I also wanted you to know that I blame you for everything else that went wrong in my life!” Tears are now flowing freely down the cheeks of The British Bombshell. “Because of your fame and prominence, because of your influence, you managed to gain custody of me and Julia. You never wanted us as daughters, you wanted us to be your second generation wrestlers and that is the only thing you raised us to be. That’s the only knowledge you gave us.”
“I gave you a roof over your head, three meals a day, and I gave a damn good life.”
“And you made us both mentally vulnerable! Because of you we were both brainwashed by Aphrodite Noel! Did it sit well with you when we changed our names from Braddock to Noel to suit our new “mother”? You left us screwed up and vulnerable to her mental assault. Julia ended up spending time in a psychiatric hospital. I almost ended up there too but I did lose my company briefly. But thanks to Aphrodite, not you thanks to HER, I learned the tricks necessary to regain my company. I had to become a ruthless, cutthroat, monster.”
She chuckles lightly. “And that’s who I am now isn’t it? I am no longer your daughter, I have become a monster who is bordering on insanity!”
“Glory?” That’s a new voice that echoes in the gym. Startled ever so slightly, Braddock turns around and finds her good friend, Matthew Taylor, standing there in the doorway. He is a trainer at the school and is one of the other five to have a key to this building. A confused look is on his face for obvious reasons. It isn’t every day you walk in on your best friend talking to herself. “Who are you talking to?”
Braddock turns around where her father was standing but he is gone. Glory is confused but only briefly as she realizes that it was just her imagination. She sighs as she turns back to face Matthew who is already making his way towards the ring. “I was just talking to myself.”
“I wouldn’t do that too often, people might start to think you’re crazy.” He says with a wry grin. Glory just sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
“I’m already there, mate.”
Matthew avoids the steps, choosing instead to use his agility to leap up from the floor to the ring apron. He then steps through the ropes and into the ring. Taylor approaches Braddock and looks her dead in the eyes with a look of concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything.”
“Now what do you mean by that?”
“Exactly that. Everything is going wrong in my life right now, Matt. I have been trying for years to win my fifteenth world title and I cannot quite get there. Myself and my company are now under the microscope of the United States federal government due to the string of assassination attempts on my life and on the lives of Jennifer Alan and her family. I feel like everything is coming apart at the seams.”
“And you blame your dad for that, I take it?”
Glory furrows her brow curiously. “How do you figure that?”
“Well I was standing back there listening to you shouting at thin air for quite awhile.”
“Oh…” Glory blushes as she realizes that Matthew must have heard a bit of what she had to say. She considers her next line of thought but before she can get it out Matthew wraps an arm around her shoulder.
“Look Glory, you know me and your dad never exactly saw eye to eye. Right?”
“He wanted to rip your bloody head off, mate.” Glory says with a knowing grin.
“Right, because I didn’t adhere to his strict philosophy. I never got into this business for championships, competition, or that bullshit. I got into this for the thrill. I got into this because it was dangerous and I am a daredevil. I also got into this because I enjoy entertaining people.”
“And that’s why you never amounted to anything in this sport.” Glory says harshly. “No offense.”
“None taken, because the only reward I ever needed was the roar of the crowd. That’s why I left your dad’s school to seek out someone who held the same philosophy I held and would train me as such. Now that doesn’t mean I think your dad was wrong. Your dad sure as hell thought I was wrong but that’s not the case. Everyone has their own points of view, everyone has an opinion, but opinions are just that...they’re subjective.”
Glory chuckles, finally feeling light hearted after a long time of depression. “Look at you. I didn’t realize you had a philosophical bone in your body.”
“I can pull it out of my ass if necessary. And I do think it is necessary right now because I need to tell you that your dad meant well. Your dad loved you and he did the very best he could. Did he have his faults? Absolutely. But we all have our faults. Your dad’s fault was primarily his obsession over perfection. He was obsessed with being the best.”
“Much like me now.” Glory says quietly.
“Exactly. But you know what? Your father never was upset that you did what he never could. He was proud that you took his legacy and took it to the next level. He had that hope and desire for both you and Julia. You want to know why you were able to achieve that level of greatness whereas your father could not?”
Glory shrugs her shoulders. “Enlighten me, philosopher Taylor.”
“You never lost sight of the love and the passion for the sport. Glenn lost sight of that, he became passionate about being the best and no longer passionate about wrestling, no longer in love with the sport but in love with championships. That’s what drove his obsession and that is what is driving your obsession right now.”
Glory pulls away from Matthew. She shakes her head. “I’m not obsessed.”
“Yes, you are. You have been obsessed with power within your company, so much so that your own company may be in trouble with the FBI. You’ve become obsessed with winning championships and that has led you to becoming careless and getting caught.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” Glory Braddock is still in denial.
“You want proof? Just look at you now compared to how you used to be in your first five years as a professional. You dress to impress everywhere you go because you think image is everything, including power. Hell, it’s gotten so bad that you’re dressed to impress here! But who are you impressing? A ghost? No one is here, Glory!”
“I know…” her voice trails off.
“You used to be a tomboy and when anyone said anything you didn’t care. You never cared. You were just being you. You were just having fun. And speaking of fun, remember Glory’s Prankster Service?”
Despite the emotions Glory once again cracks a smile at the mention of this long gone but apparently not forgotten moment in her life. “Yeah, I remember it.”
“You were the best prankster I ever knew. It didn’t matter who it was or how smart they were, you were able to get them. The first promotion you worked for, GDW, you charged fellow employees to perform pranks on their enemies. I helped you with that. It was some of our best times. And then there were the karaoke nights…”
“Oh bloody hell, not that…”
“Yes, that.” Matthew says with a smirk. “Every night after the show, win or lose, we’d try to find someplace that did karaoke. If we found a place we’d join in on the fun. You were a terrific singer, Glory. You even brought that side of you to the ring, occasionally mocking your opponents in song. Where is that Glory?”
Braddock vehemently shakes her head. “She’s gone, Matt! She is long gone! She has been gone ever since...since…”
“Since when? Since Aphrodite got into your head? She only got to you because she knew what buttons to push. She knew what secretly set you off and what would impact you the most mentally and emotionally. She did it so much that you lost a sense of who you are. And to this day I think you are not sure of who you are.”
“I know who I am.” Braddock says, nodding her head. “I’m a monster.”
“Yes, I heard you say that earlier. You are a monster...but that’s who you are right now. But that’s not who you have to be. You can choose to be someone else. You can be that Glory Braddock we all know and love again. You just have to find her.”
“That’s the thing, Matt, I’m not sure if I can find her again.” Glory replies, sighing deeply and sadly.
“Seriously? Glory, you won fourteen world championships, built this huge corporate empire, and you have kept this wrestling school of your father’s alive.”
“The monster did that.” Glory insists. Matthew shakes his head.
“Not all of it. Glory, YOU played a part of that. You just need to find that old Glory Braddock spirit. And I believe you can do it.”
“You do?”
“Look at me, Glory.” Glory turns and looks at her best friend. “I was always your biggest fan. I always will be your biggest fan. And can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.”
“Glory, I love you. I’ve never told anyone this, I’ve never told anyone this, but I always had a crush on you when we were growing up together. I was there at your wedding with Randall and I admit I was heartbroken. I shouldn’t have been happy that you two split but a part of me was only because I was thinking that I had hope for another shot, but then I was heartbroken again that you found Kurt.”
“Matthew, I…” Glory is genuinely stunned at what she just heard her friend admit. But he nevertheless presses on.
“Hush. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way and I don’t want you to think I’ll ever interfere. I just wanted you to know that I do truly care for you. And if you ever questioned whether or not someone believed in you? Then stop. Stop questioning because damn it, Glory, I believe in you.”
There is a long pause as these two long time friends lock eyes. Glory is honestly not sure what to think. She had always thought of Matthew as her best friend, maybe even closer than Sophie O’Brian. In many ways Matthew was always the anchor that brought her back down to reality. Matthew and Glory were as close as close could be but they never took that next step in their relationship. Then slowly they started drifting apart. Slowly they started going their separate ways. Perhaps the reasons for Glory’s sudden change lies within Matthew himself? Without Matthew there to keep her grounded, Glory grew out of control. Still, as good a friend as Matthew is and as much as she wants him back in her life, Glory isn’t sure she wants what Matthew wants. She considers her next words carefully but before she can react Matthew leans in and kisses her on the lips.
“Matthew I…”
“Sorry, Glory. I just…”
“No, I can’t.” Glory shakes her head and turns and immediately walks towards her office. Matthew follows after her.
“Glory, wait! Let me explain!”
Glory doesn’t stop. She walks towards her office and swings the door open she steps inside. Braddock approaches her desk and sits in the comfortable black leather swivel chair. Matthew steps in the doorway and looks longingly at his good friend. “Glory, may I please come in?”
“I don’t know, Matt…”
“We need to talk. I didn’t mean to do that back there. I just care about you, that’s all, and I’m really worried about you.”
“Yeah, but why are you worried about me? The Board of Directors are worried about me because they don’t think I’m mentally capable of doing my job and making them money. The students at this school are worried about me only because they want to use my school and my influence to help their careers. And you? You…”
“I love you, Glory.” Matthew states pointedly. “I love you and I am sick of watching you destroy yourself. This obsession with being the best at wrestling and dominating the corporate world is tearing you apart. It has already caused your wrestling career to suffer and it could threaten your own company as well. And if you haven’t figured it out, this will affect more than just you. Remember you were the one who had this school merged with your company to make things easier and more streamlined to manage. But now because of this, your Board of Directors does have some say over this school. The same Board of Directors who removed you once from power because of doubt over your mental capacity can do so again.”
“No,” Glory shakes her head in denial “I have more votes on the Board. I have support. I…”
“This isn’t bloody politics!” Matthew shouts loudly. “This is business! And this is why I hate business and tried to abandon my own family’s business! You’ve done a good job at gaining influence over the Board but the more these shootings happen, the more strange actions you take, the more bizarre you act, the more likely you will lose that support and you may lose your company and if that happens they may take this school as well. Do you want that to happen? This is your father’s legacy and you could lose it.”
“What do you care?” Glory stands up and gets in Matthew’s face. “You and my father despised each other!”
“Yeah! But I love you and I would do anything for you, Glory! That’s why I was willing to come back to this school and help you with it, that’s why I wanted to help with your father’s legacy, because I knew how important it was to you.” Matthew takes Glory’s hands. “You may not remember it, because you haven’t been this person in a long time, but there was a time when you adored your father, when you idolized him...or at least his good aspects. And you wanted everyone to remember him. I was willing to help you with that. I still am. And there are kids who come to this school each and every day to bust their asses to follow after the Braddock example that YOU defined. But this school, along with everything else you’ve built, is in jeopardy because of decisions you’ve made.”
Glow bows her head in shame. “There’s no going back though…”
“Everything is fixable. You know who taught me that?” He points a finger at Glory. “Your father. The same Glenn Braddock who also took Sophie and Mark O’Brian in off the streets when they were homeless. Was he a monster? Sometimes. But he had his great moments too. And you may be a monster now but you don’t have to be. You can fix all of this. I know you can.”
The British Bombshell pauses for a moment to consider her friend’s words. After some time to think she nods her head. “Ok fine, so maybe I can fix all of this? Maybe it isn’t too late? But there’s still one other problem, Matt.” She points to him and then at herself. “What about this?”
“You and I?”
“Right. You say everything is fixable but there is no changing what happened tonight. What you said and did has forever changed our relationship. I need you in my life again, Matt. Our relationship used to be like this dynamic duo of clowns and jokesters. We did anything we wanted, whenever we wanted, to whomever wanted. And we just had fun. I’d like to have that again…”
“And we can have that again. You just have to be the old Glory I remember. The Glory I grew up. The Glory you were before you were corrupted and twisted.”
Braddock nods her head. “I know, but this Glory standing before you today isn’t sure that’s what she wants.”
Matthew Taylor furrows his brow. “What do you mean?”
“You said you would do anything to help me. But answer this question, Matt; what would you do have me?”
It is then at this point that the lightbulb goes off in Matthew’s head. Glory is at a crossroads. She is at a point where she realizes that she has to make a decision about what to do, how to course correct and salvage everything. Matthew Taylor is convinced that only the old Glory Braddock can salvage everything. But the old Glory Braddock would only be friends with Matthew. But this current version of Glory is a monster willing to betray anyone, even her own friends and loved ones, to maintain power. This version of Glory Braddock would definitely betray her marriage to Kurt Logan. And Matthew Taylor? Well he would do anything to help Glory but he would also do anything to have Glory as his own.
As Matthew watches, Glory steps out of her heels and sets them aside. She then slowly undoes her dress and steps out of it, tossing it to the side. Glory is now standing there in nothing but a black lace bra and matching black lace panties. She approaches Matthew and removes his shirt.
“Just a taste to help you decide.”
“Decide?”
“I have a decision to make, so do you.”
Matthew realizes that while Glory may know she needs to change her ways that she isn’t quite ready to change her ways yet. To put it another way, this is the monster’s last ditch effort to maintain control over Glory. Matthew knows by rejecting her tempting offer would be the best way to help Glory but, then again, this is one thing Matthew has always wanted. This is the one thing he has wanted all his life.
“Just one time.”
“Just once.”
“No one has to know.”
“Not a soul.”