Stephanie stood in the doorway of her upscale Greenwich home and watched as his taillights faded away into the setting Connecticut sun. For the last seven years he had been her husband, but because of circumstances and situations she couldn't change she would be forced to call him her ex-husband. The marriage she had been so proud of was over.

In all actuality it had been over for a long time but she had been too busy being all that she was in the WWE and a full time mom to notice that he was no longer the man that she had walked down the aisle with. He had become so distant the last year or so. He had no patience with their daughter, and had lost all romantic interest in her. All the signs we there but she had been too blind to see it.

He had said that he had been Mr. Stephanie McMahon for long enough; that he was tired of always waiting around for her to come off the road, that she had only done this to herself. All of that may have been true but it didn't excuse the fact that he had broken the vows and promise that they had made in front of god and everyone by turning to another women. That was unforgivable and no matter how much she loved him she wouldn't wait in line, be second best or take second string to anyone. She had asked him to leave.

He says he loves her...what can you say to that
He's made up his mind and there ain't nothin' you can do
So you swallow hard...maybe you drive all night
Tryin' to figure out where the whole thing started goin' wrong
And in the silence something begins to unravel
You never knew him like you'll be knowing him now

The ringing phone brought her back to reality. She closed the door and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Steph, it's Paul, I just seen Alex blow past here like a bat out of hell. Is everything all right?"

Just hearing Paul's voice brought tears to her eyes. "Um yea…I dunno Paul. Everything I thought I knew turned out to be a lie so I just don't know anything anymore it seems." She dropped down into the large over stuffed sofa and hugged the pillow close to her chest.

"What'd he do now?" Paul asked gently.

"It's over. I asked him to leave and I'm filing for divorce in the morning."

"Sit tight I'm on my way over."

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

"I'll be there in five. Is Riley home?"

"No I asked my parents to keep her for the weekend so I could do this I didn't want her to witness her father leaving I don't know how I'm gonna tell her." Stephanie said her voice cracking.

"We'll talk when I get there."

"Okay." She placed the phone down on the receiver and just stared at the blank TV screen. Her and Paul had been best friends forever it seemed they had always done everything together. Had been by each other through failed relationships and hardships. She loved him tremendously but with him being who he was and she being who she was there were just too many complications to getting involved with each other. She was the boss's daughter and he was a wrestler it just wasn't allowed. Things would be bad for Paul if it didn't work out between them, and if it did work out it would cause animosity between the guys in the locker room. It was a no win situation. So they stayed friends. And were as tight as two friends could possibly be. She wasn't even as close to Alex as she was to Paul, Alex had known from day one that she would never choose between the two of them.

Riley's school picture caught her eye. Everyone said that she was Stephanie's "mini-me". She was smitten image of Steph in her younger days with the long dark hair and big blue eyes. Stephanie feared what she might think or how she would react to what was happening she knew what divorce was, she knew it was when Mommies and Daddies could no long live together but how would she explain the why? She had always shielded and protected her from the bad things in the world. But how would she protect her from the pain that a missing father would cause? And how would the custody pan out the last things she wanted to do was drag Riley through the courts but there was no way she would loose her. She'd be going back to school in about a month what would happen then? Sure right now Stephanie could take her on the road with her right now but she had to be in school.

It was thinking about Riley that did her in and caused the tears that she had held back to start. She sobbed so hard her whole body shook. Why had it come down to this? After all that she had done for him and years she had spent by his side when everyone had said that he was wrong for her. How could he do this to her? To their family? Would Riley ever be able to understand would she resent Stephanie for asking him to leave? Should she have just turned the other cheek and wait for him to find his way back to her?

She was crying so hard she didn't even know Paul had come in until he laid his keys on the table next to the door.

"Hey" she said whipping her eyes with her sleeve.

He sat down on the couch beside her. "What's going on?"

She looked down at the pillow she was holding "He has someone else on the side. He's been cheating on me for almost a year."

"Oh god Steph. How'd you find out? What he'd have to say?"

"Credit card bill, there was a charge for a hotel in LA the week that we were in Houston for Extreme Rules I thought someone had gotten a hold of the card so I called the hotel to check on it and they said that a Mr. and Mrs. Sutton had checked in and stayed the weekend I said that it was impossible that I was in Texas that week and checked into a different hotel so she emailed me a copy of the parking registration and it was Alex's hand writing and cell number. So I did some other checks on him and found all kinds of other charges for dinners and movies and jewelry and what not primarily on Sundays and Mondays when I was on the road. Then I asked Riley if she knew any if Daddy had any friends" she paused and looked up Paul who had taken hold of her hand "that didn't come around when Mommy was home and she said that he had a friend named Janice and that her and Alex spent a lot of time playing games in our room." The tears started to fall again. "He did this in front of our daughter."

Paul let go of her hand and stood to look out the sliding glass doors that over looked the back yard and pool. "That bastard. What did he do when you confronted him?" Paul asked still looking out the door he needed to focus on something else because seeing Stephanie cry like that made him want to hunt Alex down and rip his beating heart out.

"He didn't even try to deny it. He made excuses of coarse like he was a man and had needs and was always waiting on his wife to come home that in a way I had driven him into her arms. That if I had been less interested in conquering the wrestling world and being mother of the year and more interested in being a devoted wife things would have been different. That I am the one that had changed and not him, that it was just as much if not more my fault then his." Stephanie whipped her face with her sleeve again and took a calming deep breath. "And you know what he had the audacity to tell me that I have let myself go that if I had worked a little harder on my appearance, that if I had kept him captivated that he wouldn't have had to resort to this. I know that I'm not a size 2 but really am I that bad that my husband needed to go to someone else to feel like a man? I just don't get it."

Paul knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. Her blue eyes showed the pain that she felt and it all but shattered his heart. He wanted so badly to take the pain away. To do something anything to make her feel better. "Now you listen to me." He began. "Don't you believe for a second that any of this is your fault. He is the one that fucked up. You are beautiful in everyway imaginable. And he threw the best thing that ever could have happened to him away. He is nothing without you. He'll soon figure it out and when it doesn't work with the bimbo he will come crawling back with his tail between his legs like the dog that he is. The only question will be is; are you going to open the door?" He reached up and moved a strand of her hair from her face.

Stephanie shook her head. "I don't want him back, not ever. I couldn't be with a man whom I couldn't trust. I will always love him as Riley's father but other than that there is nothing left."

He moved back to the couch beside her and stretched his feet out on the coffee table. "I'm glad to hear that because now I am going to have to hunt him down and kill him. You know that I never liked the guy, didn't like the way that he treated you. He made it seem as if you were lucky to have him and it was the other way around. He was never good enough, too uptight, and too serious for you. You have always been happy go lucky and spontaneous. He suppressed and held you back. You and I have been inseparable for what ten years now, I know you better than anyone and I cannot remember a time when you were ever truly happy with him. Sure you put on a good show for the outsiders but I seen through it. I don't know why it took so long. Steph, he never deserved you or Riley."

"Yea, I know that I never loved him as much as I should have. I always thought that one day I would roll over in bed and he's be there and with one look I'd be a hundred percent head over heels in love with him. It never happened. I married him because I was pregnant with Riley. It was the right thing to do or seemed to be at the time. I know it wasn't perfect and I was never happy but damn it I was proud of what we had. No one would have looked at us and seem any of this." She paused looking out the window "All I'm concerned about is Riley and how she is going to deal with this and what I'm going to do when school starts in September. I never wanted to be a single mother; I didn't want my child to come from a broken home. I wanted my kids to grow up in a loving two parent home. I am fine with being alone for the rest of my life but Riley needs to have him in her life."

"Riley is a great kid with a level head on her shoulders she'll do just fine. As long as she has you she'll have everything that she could ever need. You're an amazing mother one of the best that I have ever seen. She's a lot like you; she'll understand she's mature way beyond her 7 years. You'll do just fine. Every thing else will work itself out when the time comes. And besides, it isn't like she isn't going to be surrounded by a bunch of guys who love her to pieces already."

She turned and put her legs over top his. "I hope your right because you're the first one I'm calling to baby-sit." She said with a smile.

"Sure I'll be there anytime day or night. I told you a long time ago that that I wasn't going anywhere and I meant It." He looked around what about all of the material stuff"

"That one's easy, it's all mine. The houses, the cars, the boat, the ATV the dogs it's all mine. I have been the only source of income for the last six years everything was bought and is registered in my name."

He patted her leg. "That's my girl, leave the jackass with nothing."

"You know something Paul, you have been the only constant thing in my life? My brother and I are so on again off again that I don't even feel as if I know him most of the time. But you, your always there weather it's me calling you in the middle of the night because Alex and I had a fight or staying with me when I had the miscarriage, even when my husband wasn't there you were. Other than dad you are the only man I have ever been able to count on."

"Yea." He said with a smile. "We've been to hell and back more than a time or two. But what can I say McMahon, I'm drawn to a damsel in distress."

Stephanie leaned into the couch and relaxed a little more. Paul was massaging he claves. She felt better just being there with him made a world of difference.

"It's Friday night don't you have plans" She asked changing the subject. She wanted to think and talk about something other than Alex.

"Nah, I was just gonna relax on the couch with a couple of beers and a ball game or something, maybe turn in early. This past week was exhausting and I just wanted to put my feet up and do nothing."

She half-heartedly attempted to move her legs; she didn't really want him to go. "Am I holding you from that relaxation?"

He was still massaging her calf. " I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. When is Riley due to be home?"

"Sunday afternoon sometime. Mom and Dad have her in the Hamptons they were going to sailing."

"Well then why don't we have a couple of drinks and watch a movie or something? Get your mind off all this bullshit?"

"Sounds great I think Alex left about a case and a half of Bud light behind. You gonna stay?"

"I don't want you to be alone."

Fallin' out of love and back into your life
Pullin' your heart out from under the knife
Closin' the door on all those dreams you used to know
Fallin' out of love and back on your feet
Turnin' away from that dead end street
Finding out that nothing feels as good as letting go