The Abuse - Part I

Brandon slowly stood up. He was standing in the makeshift doctors office at the Thompson-Boling arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The doctors there had just stitched up a large cut on Brandon's head that he had suffered at the hands of Corey Casey. He had extremely cutable skin above his forehead from his UFC days, where getting a cut there was commonplace. He looked over at Ashley Matthews, who was holding his hand. She smiled when he looked at her.

Brandon: "Ready to go?"

Ashley: "As ready as I'll ever be. Are you?"

Brandon: "Of course. It's just a little cut, what's the worst it could do?"

Ashley: "Cost you the IWF Championship?"

Brandon looked at her

Ashley: "Too soon?"

Brandon: "Nah, I'm just messin with you. It's fine, I don't really care"

Ashley: "Really? I thought you'd be upset?"

Brandon: "I am sorta. But we put on a good show. I'd rather put on a great show and lose than win a shitty match."

Ashley: "Yeah. That's somewhere where you and Nick differ completely. I like your views better"

Brandon: "All Nick cared about was winning, and making himself better. He's a good guy, but he's an egotistical maniac"

Ashley: "That's putting it politely too. He's an asshole is what he is"

Brandon: "Yeah. I wonder if he's heard that we're dating"

Ashley: "He's going to be pissed the fuck off"

Brandon: "Now you're putting it politely"

Ashley: "Yeah. Well what's he going to do? He can't control my life. He tried to, even after we broke up"

Brandon: "Yeah. I think he finally moved on. Although, with Nick, you never really know"

Ashley: "Agreed"

Brandon grabbed Ashley's hand and walked down the hallway. As they turned the corner, Brandon immediately saw Chuck Matthews, walking down the hall, hand in hand, with Anna Stone. Brandon immediately stopped, as Anna and Chuck did too.

Chuck: "Another one Ashley? You sure go through these guys fast"

With that, Chuck laughed and walked right past the two of them, pulling Anna along with him. God, what a bitch. She had seen Brandon's face, and immediately looked the other way, pretending like he wasn't there. She couldn't even look him in the eye. She obviously knew that he had been cheating on her throughout their marriage. He sort of understood her anger, but still, if she didn't love him, why should he love her anymore? He loved Ashley, and that was all that mattered

Brandon: "God I hate your dad"

Ashley: "Don't let him get to you. He does this all the time. He's just an ass"

Brandon: "How can you stand him?"

Ashley: "He grows on you"

Brandon: "Really?"

Ashley: "No, but he saved me from a pretty awful life, so I'm forever thankful to him"

Brandon: "I've never really talked to you about your old life"

Ashley: "It's because I don't like talking about it"

Brandon: "Come on Ashley. I've told you all about my life"

Ashley: "That's different"

Brandon: "Is it?"

Ashley: "Well. I guess not. It's just hard for me"

Brandon: "Come on Ashley, we need to be totally comfortable with each other. We're dating now, for real this time! I trust you. You've got to trust me"

Ashley looked at him for a moment. Brandon smiled and gave her a big hug. When he released it, she smiled back at him weakly.

Ashley: "Okay. We can talk about it when we get back to the hotel"

Brandon: "Okay."

Brandon squeezed Ashley's hand tightly, and she squeezed back. He knew this would be hard for her. But he did need to hear it, especially if they wanted to take this relationship any further. And Brandon did. But he wanted to wait a little bit before he did anything. He wanted to make sure that Ashley felt the same way about him as he did for her. Although he was pretty sure that she did.

As Brandon walked outside to the parking lot, he saw something that caught his eye. It was Chuck's car, and it was parked right beside his. He didn't remember it being there when he arrived. Chuck must have come after him and parked it beside him.

Ashley: "I have to go to the bathroom"

Brandon: "Of course you had to wait until we were in the parking lot to say that"

Ashley: "Well I have to go. I'm sorry"

Brandon: "It's okay. I'll wait babe"

Ashley: "K thanks"

Ashley ran off back towards the arena. Brandon leaned up against his car. He looked in Chuck's car. An old soda can. He shifted his focus a bit, something else was in the car that attracted him. There was a small tape recorder sitting in a small compartment at the front of Chuck's car. Brandon moved towards the car door. What did Chuck have a tape recorder for? If he was taping him and Anna together, Brandon was going to fucking kill him. He looked around the parking lot. No one was there. There were no cameras. Brandon slowly pulled on the car door handle. It was unlocked. Stupid Chuck, leaving his car door unlocked. Brandon quickly grabbed the recorder and slammed Chuck's door shut. He sat down in his car, and looked at the recorder. He was starting to doubt his theory. Why would Chuck tape him and Anna? Why wouldn't he just use a video camera. Whatever. Brandon had the recorder, might as well see what was on it. He pressed play and listened.

Chuck: "I’ve met Ted Borden. The name should sound familiar. It’s Ashley’s father. Her biological father. I spoke with Father Paul today. He tells me I should tell Ashley about her dad. I know I should…I know it’s the right thing to do…but something in my head refuses to let me say anything.

Am I a bad father? I’m not married. I don’t plan to be. Hell, I haven’t had a steady girlfriend since Aubrey, and even that was based more on sex than anything else. There seems to be no end in sight. I feel like I’m in a rut…in my personal life, at least. Maybe Jess is right. Maybe this Peter Pan complex of mine is detrimental to my long-term happiness. It’s hard to describe. I think…..I’m in that position, where I feel like I should start to slow down. Everyone I know is getting married, or already is married, or has kids of their own. Then there’s Chuck, the guy who’s still sleeping with any woman he meets. Who has no intention of ever settling down. Fuck, my daughter was married and divorced before I managed to keep a girlfriend for eight months. Is that sad? Is that wrong?

I’m not sure if there’s any way out of this. I think….I might actually be crazy. I think I need help….but I know I’ll never get it. I’ll never seek it out.

And since nobody will ever find these tapes…nobody will bother to help me.

I cannot be saved. And yet….I’m just fine with that."

Brandon shook his head a bit. This was a bit weird. He wondered how old this was. He didn't mention anything about Anna. He guessed they hadn't been dating long, since Brandon and Anna were still married just a few weeks ago. But even still. And the whole thing about Ashley. She had parents, but he had never told her about them? That was just wrong. If Brandon needed a reason to steer Ashley away from her dad, this was it. Of course, he wasn't going out of his way to try to do that. It just so happened to work out like that.

Brandon saw Ashley walking towards him in the car. He started it up and quickly shoved the recorder into his pocket as Ashley opened the car door. As she sat down, Brandon drove out of the parking lot and back to the hotel. They didn't really talk much on the way home. Brandon figured that Ashley was just a bit upset about him bringing up her old family. When they arrived at their hotel room, Brandon sat down beside Ashley on the couch.

Ashley: "Okay. Where to start?"

Brandon: "Well. Before you became Ashley Matthews. Who were you?"

Ashley: "Well, it goes pretty far back. I was Ashley Borden. Born to Ted and Amy Borden, who died when I was six years old. I lived with the Jameson family."

Brandon knew that wasn't all entirely true, but he wasn't going to interrupt her now. He listened intently to Ashley's story.


Bill: "God dammit Elise, I didn't want fucking meatloaf for dinner!"

Elise: "Well I'm sorry Bill, but that's all you get. It's all we fucking had okay?"

Bill: "I slave away for eight goddamn hours a day making a living and this is all I get?! A shitty meatloaf?!"

I watch from the other room as Bill picks up the meatloaf, and throws it across the room. It hits the wall and shatters into a million pieces.

Elise: "Fuck off Bill, I work too! You don't think my life is hard either?!"

Bill: "Your work is nothing compared to mine. I just want one fucking good dinner. Is that too much to ask?"

Elise: "Maybe you should tell that to that whore of a daughter you adopted. Make her cook it all for you"

Bill: "Don't you dare blame that scum of a girl on me. She was our idea. Not just mine"

I watch him flip more stuff, and make an even bigger mess. I waited for him to call me to come clean it.

Bill: "Ashley!"

I slowly walk into the kitchen, and look at Bill.

Bill: "What the fuck do you think you're doing, you little slut! This kitchen is a mess, why the fuck aren't you cleaning it?!"

Ashley: "I-I'm s-sorry"

I watch him bring his hand back, and smack me hard in the face, sending me spinning to the ground.

Bill: "When this kitchen gets messy, you clean it! Got it?!"

I try to hold back my tears as I look up at him.

Ashley: "Y-yes"

I watch as Bill grabs a wooden dough roller. I brace for the impact. He hits me over and over. Each time it hurts a little more. Each scream is a little louder.

Bill: "Yes what?! Yes what, you ungrateful little shit?!"

Ashley: "Y-y-yes s-sir"

He stops hitting me, and then shoves me hard to the ground. My arm is on fire.

Bill: "You stop crying this instant, and start to clean up that goddamned mess, you hear me?"

Ashley: "Yes s-s-sir."

Bill: "Good. If it's not clean when I get back, you're gonna be in deep trouble"

I wipe a tear from my eye as they leave the room. I begin to clean the kitchen.


Ashley: "That was basically what every moment of my life was like when I was living with the Jameson's"

Brandon: "Oh my god Ashley, I'm so so sorry. I had no idea"

Brandon grabbed her and held her tight, as tears began to flow down her face. She sniffled and sat back up, kissing him.

Ashley: "It's okay. I needed to tell someone this. Thanks for being here Brandon. Not just for this, but being here with me for everything. I love you, you know that"

Brandon: "Of course I do. I love you too"

Ashley: "Thanks. This is hard"

Brandon: "I know it is. You can stop whenever you want"

Ashley: "No. I have to keep going"

Brandon: "Okay. Well then, when did you meet Chuck?"

Ashley: "Oh. I remember that day clear as can be."