Aaron Blackbourne vs. Bree Lancaster

[Ruppy]

OOC: First of two (you heard that right), and this one is CD only. Some of this was material I was planning to potentially use for Breakdown had things not happened the way they did for me this week, but I feel happy re-purposing it and trying something a little different to kind of weave together a few things to kind of build what I want to do with Aaron in the next part. Definitely feels weird trying to do two as opposed to my normal one and done, but I thought my plan worked a lot better this way. I'm also glad I got this one up in time to open up the option of being able to enact this plan the way I want to.
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There were many twists and turns that life could take, and no matter how prepared you think you are, nobody will ever know for sure what’s waiting just around the corner.

Aaron could certainly attest to that after the past few weeks as his rollercoaster ride seemed to continue. Considering Datura won the four-way at Cold Blooded by pinning Shilo after the legend decided to simply lay down all match to continue his games while knowing full well Aaron would never simply take a free win that way, one would think he was destined for a downward spiral after Shilo openly taunted him about it the following Breakdown and decided that Datura had proven ‘more worthy’ to face him one-on-one first. It wasn’t hard to see why, as Shilo seemed set in this plan and Aaron would need to rely on the draw of Fatal Fortunes to get his hands on the jester earlier than he was hoping. As far as Shilo was concerned, this was the perfect way to keep exploiting the rent he believed he had inside the mind of the creative soul.

Fatal Fortunes would indeed turn everything on its head, but certainly not in the way anyone, even Shilo, could have predicted.

On the first night, Aaron found himself drawn not to settle that score, but to instead battle Gavin Taylor and his close friend Alistaire Allocco with the winner earning a World Title shot at Taking Hold of the Flame. All three men put forth a hell of a fight, but when all was set and done Aaron had pinned Gavin’s shoulders to the mat and earned another chance to reach the very top of the proverbial mountain in SCW. He knew Alistaire took the loss hard even if he did his best not to show it, and Aaron would certainly apologize about it plenty of times as he knew how badly Ali wanted to be World Champion once again, but they could both certainly agree that despite the talent he did possess, the last thing either of them wanted to see was Gavin gloating to no end about ‘going to the top where he belonged’ or something along those lines. He’d also taken notice of Shilo ‘watching’ his match but paid it no mind.

If he could put Shilo out of his head long enough to push James Evans beyond his limits with SCW’s biggest prize at stake, then he could do so again regardless of who stood across the ring from him, right?

That thought had certainly run through Aaron’s head as he and Ali watched backstage on the second night of Fatal Fortunes, knowing Bree would have to defend that title and cement who he’d be meeting in a few weeks over it. When all was set and done, he could only nod at the end result and walk away, not surprised at all by the end result. Bree had managed to hold on to the title against Matt Hodges on what was essentially a technicality, and while he knew Matt would certainly feel entitled to another chance and Ali definitely had a lot to consider as he pursued an eventual clash with the man who proclaimed himself ‘World Class,’ Aaron’s encounter with Bree afterward certainly made it clear how invincible she thought she was. Having a match with someone she’s beaten several times before on the horizon as a World Title defense and managing to hang on to the belt by the skin of her teeth, even if she would never see it that way? Bree might as well have believed she was the queen of the world and everyone simply had to bow down and respect her demands just because she was not only World Champion but U.S. Champion as well.

Aaron, however, wasn’t going down without a fight. Not now. Not ever.

Once the show had wrapped up for the night, Aaron had returned to his hotel room, where he found himself alone. Liane was booked for a late-night stand-up gig at a big comedy club here in Albuquerque, and as much as he really wanted to attend to support his future wife, he figured SCW would want him present on the unlikely chance he was somehow drawn for a second match as well as to know who he’d be challenging at Taking Hold of the Flame. Plus, he wanted to be able to support Owen as he hadn’t been drawn to compete yet and be on standby just in case anything happened that warranted him being there to watch his friends’ backs. Liane had been more than understanding and said she’d let him know when her set was done. No messages on his phone and her not beating him back here meant she either hadn’t performed yet or had been asked to do a bit of an encore. Either way, he figured he had a bit of time to kill, so he made sure his phone was set so that either the alarm or word from Liane would awaken him as he laid down for a bit and closed his eyes, deciding a small nap would be beneficial right about now.

Perhaps it would be odd if the first thing Aaron sees within his dream is a whiteboard just floating in an endless void, but this wasn’t too far out of the norm for him. Often times when he had a dream like this, he considered it a blank canvas that would slowly open up into whatever dream he desired, and he knew exactly where to start this time around as he produced a marker out of thin air and began to make some sketches, talking to himself as he tended to do while he was busy creating. After all, there was far more on his mind than just SCW matters that would need to be resolved at some point.

“Let’s see… Liane said her dad wants to be a chef, and her mom’s looking to be a writer. I can certainly lend her mom a hand in getting some ideas off the ground and maybe even finding a publisher. Her dad’s apparently got all the schooling he’d need to work as a chef…”

As he finished up his sketches on the whiteboard, the void slowly began to give way to life as a small little kitchen one would find in any home began to form. Seated at the table was an artistic representation of Liane’s mom, based on descriptions she’d given him as he had yet to meet the woman himself, typing away on a laptop and looking fully immersed in whatever she was writing out. Not too far away was Liane’s father, happily cooking something and humming to himself as he focused on whatever culinary masterpiece was taking shape. It was a scene that made Aaron smile as he tapped the marker against his chin, pondering how to take this simple home scene and expand it to a point where he had a strategy in mind for trying to not only put himself on good terms with these two whenever he was finally able to properly meet them to discuss his and Liane’s engagement, but also to show them that they could achieve their own dreams just as easily as all of their children either had or were currently working towards if they just gave it a shot. He knew how strong the fear of failure could be in deterring anyone from simply taking a chance, but getting these two past that stage would be his best chance of proving what kind of addition he could be to their family to ensure there would be no potential roadblocks when their wedding day was finally here.

“Oh come on, you really can’t believe it’s going to be that simple, do you?”

“How can you help anyone else succeed when you can’t succeed yourself?”

Aaron whipped around from the board, finding that both of his dream Forte parents were suddenly glaring at him, seemingly questioning what he wanted out of this scenario he was trying to build. He opened his mouth to try and respond, even if he wasn’t fully sure how he was going to, but the oven door suddenly swung open and a stream of fire began erupting from it, quickly engulfing everything around him. Aaron held up his arms as the inferno surrounded him, the heat driving into his skin as though he were being hit by a car before it disappeared as quickly as it came. When Aaron opened his eyes and lowered his guard, there was no sign of the scenario he’d just tried drawing to life, only the void where he had started, including the whiteboard which was blank once again. He could only mouth the words ‘what the hell’ to himself before returning to the whiteboard to maybe try something else.

“Do you honestly believe you’ll ever amount to anything in THIS world?”

Aaron’s hand stopped as the marker dropped to the floor, eyes widening again as a new voice addressed him. This one came from the board itself as a face was inexplicably being drawn upon it, though not by his hand. The face easily resembled his own and the voice that accompanied it was almost like if he spoke to others with an attitude you’d never see him actually display in front of anybody for any reason. He slowly backed away, knowing that if this was a dream that was spiraling out of his control then he’d be safer with some distance in case anything happened.

“Let’s face it: in your mind, you can be king. That’s true of anybody. But what have you accomplished out in the real world? Doing some commission work that makes you a little bit of money and that’s about it?”

“Who are you and what’s your game?”

“What about wrestling? You’ve been successful there… though it always seems to come at the expense of those you care about. Against someone who’s PROVEN they can constantly succeed, you just keep hitting that glass ceiling, don’t you?”

Aaron whipped around at the new voice, which almost sounded like several speaking in unison. Standing behind him beneath a spotlight that had flickered on from out of nowhere was a woman that most anybody would probably deem the most perfect woman they’d ever laid eyes on, dressed very fashionably. And yet, something seemed familiar, and the harder Aaron looked the more it came together as he picked apart the voice and facial features: this woman almost looked like the end result of taking the best physical features of all the women in the Beauty Factory and combining them into one picture-perfect model, a thought that made his skin crawl as the amalgamate strutted towards him as though she was moving along a catwalk. His arms immediately went up in self-defense, but they involuntarily lowered at the sound of her voice again.

“Oh please, like you could ever actually be of any threat to me. We all know the story by now: you try and try as hard as you can, but your best is just never good enough to ever get you to where you want to be. You hope to change the world but know it’s a dream that’s well beyond your abilities.”

“You’re one to talk-”

“Ha! Talk! That’s all you are Aaron, and that’s why for all your ‘creativity’ you have to resort to ripping off those more successful than you to even be half as good as them!”

Aaron growled as he looked back to where the whiteboard is, and while the drawn face is still there and just shaking his head in disappointment at him, a new figure is now leaning against the side of the board. This figure almost looks like a complete silhouette except for the trenchcoat its wearing and a mask that’s become an all too familiar visage to the artist. While the voice may not sound the same, it’s close enough to get the point across. The masked figure takes a step forward and makes an exaggerated show of moving its arm so its hand is cupped against its ear, and for a moment Aaron recalls the line Bree told him earlier that night about letting Shilo in his head, which causes the silhouette wearing his mask to bust out into laughter at the sight of Aaron rapidly shaking his head while growling in anger.

“What’s the matter, Aaron? Realizing that warning is going to fall on deaf ears? It’s hard to ignore someone who’s spent so long playing games with you, isn’t it? I mean, she’s in the exact same boat, but at least she isn’t trying to justify being something she’s not. How does it feel to claim to be creative when all you do is simply follow in the footsteps of someone who’s already done it so much better?”

Aaron starts to back away as the figure in the Shilo mask and the Beauty Factory amalgamate slowly approach him side-by-side, the whiteboard with the sketch of his face following along as all three appear quite smug. Aaron carefully raises his hands in preparation for a fight, but the sweat rolling down his body is an unfortunate giveaway as to how much this is starting to get to him. Every time he’s tried to respond to their claims, he’s been cut off, just like his attempts to use sound logic to counter anything that’s been thrown at him in verbal sparring matches against opponents who practically resided only within their own little world and nowhere else has tended to fall short because it never truly gets through to them. Taking a deep breath, Aaron slowly stopped backing up and began to piece together some kind of response in the face of all of this, not caring if they were still advancing because he wasn’t going to back down.

“You know they aren’t going to listen, Aaron. You don’t have the power you think you do, and when push comes to shove you’ll always find yourself losing something.”

Just when Aaron’s mouth had opened to try and respond once more, it immediately snapped shut as another new voice entered the conversation, this one sending a chill down his spine as it was all too familiar. He spun around and immediately found himself face to face with the last person he ever wanted to see again, someone he thought he was done seeing just because they were long gone. And yet, there Dylan stood, his throat torn open and blood pouring down the front of his body like a waterfall, but this didn’t stop him from speaking as though the wound wasn’t there. Aaron quickly stepped back, only to find himself being grabbed by the arms as the Beauty Factory amalgamate and mask-wearing silhouette restrained him and shoved him back against the whiteboard, where to his horror he could suddenly feel himself sinking into it as though it were quicksand. He tried to fight, but his struggle got him nowhere as his body almost seemed to completely shut down in the face of the nightmare he thought he’d finally managed to get over. The bleeding corpse walked over to him like he was casually approaching an old friend, leaning close to make sure Aaron couldn’t simply try to ignore his presence even as he was forced further and further into the board that was slowly consuming him.

“What you call ‘creativity’ most others would call ‘destruction.’ I mean, how many times have you destroyed your friends’ hopes and dreams all just to satisfy your own ego? How many times have you sought to reach the top of the mountain even if it meant throwing someone far more deserving to be there all the way down to the bottom? You’ve taken the lives of others all just to be able to stand in front of a crowd and act as though nothing happened. You want to show everyone ‘exactly’ who you are? Funny, because that’s a picture I don’t think you truly want anyone to see. You always fail to get to where you want to be, you walk a path you claim you don’t want to follow but continue to do so anyway, and every single time you try to stick to your guns, you always have an excuse. You failed to win at Rise to Greatness because I damaged your ribs, even though you took my life in exchange. You failed to become World Champion the first time because you were too busy worrying about someone else, even though you claim you were fully focused. You keep trying to force your way through a barrier you aren’t meant to go through just because everyone else you hold dear is waiting for you on the other side… but let’s be honest for a moment. Owen and Alistaire as former World Champions, Kelcey as a veritable legend, Peyton as a current champion and eventual World Champion in her own right, even Liane and her comedy career taking off like a rocket… how long do you truly think they’re going to wait for you? How long until it becomes clear that you will never be where they are, and you can only watch as they finally give up and leave you behind while you slowly come to understand that you simply aren’t meant to be what you thought you could be.”

Aaron wanted to respond, he tried to open his mouth to say something, anything, but his lips refused to move. Before he knew it, he was listening to Dylan continue on with no way to stop it as the whiteboard consumed him, leaving his face as the drawing that existed upon its surface now. He couldn’t move, he could only watch as he was force-fed the reasons why he would never be able to do what he wanted to do… and bear witness to the trio before him that represented every repressed thought in his mind that he’d tried to block out so he could keep pushing forward gang up on him and leave him incapable of fighting back as they slowly revealed various weapons that only existed for the purpose of destruction. He was powerless as they all swung in unison, darkness briefly consuming his vision as he felt everything he was trying to work so hard to fight against fade away, leaving him feeling broken and helpless once again.

It was at that moment that Aaron suddenly sat up, almost like a jolt of electricity had surged through his body. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was heavy and rapid, and all it did was remind him of the brick wall he stood at once again and everything that was hellbent on making sure he never climbed over it. It was easy for him to try and put it all out of his mind, but that never truly made it go away and only made the struggle more difficult once the doubts began to set in. It was easy to say that he could do it this time, and he still had a few weeks to prepare to prove it, but when all was set and done… was this really his time? Was his time ever truly meant to come?

Aaron slowly shook off the fog as he turned his head towards where his phone sat on the nightstand, his body feeling heavier than a boulder as he sluggishly reached over to retrieve it. He needed another minute or two in order to get through the haze and focus at least for the time being, but once he did he saw the text from Liane about being done with her set and ready to be picked up that he’d received a few minutes ago, having somehow napped through both the alert and the alarm he’d set. His fingers moved sluggishly in typing out his response that he was on his way, and his body fought against him as he tried to move to the minifridge to grab a bottle of water to guzzle down in hopes that it would somehow snap him out of this funk completely. While it at least seemed to wash away whatever feeling was trying to physically weigh him down, the thoughts persisted even as he made his way out to the parking lot to his rental car so he could go pick up his fiancée. As he began to drive, he managed to settle on one thought that seemed to bring him momentary relief.

I can talk with Liane about this… between hearing about how her performance went and whatever she has to say about this, I know she’ll be able to help get my mind back on track. She’s the light of my life for a reason, after all…

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Another sold-out crowd roaring with laughter… that was always music to Liane’s ears.

As much as she could still feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins from being on stage, however, she knew she had to be patient.

Her headlining set had just ended and she found herself standing out in front of the club, waiting to see Aaron pull up to the curb in their rental car so they could go back to their room and enjoy each other’s comfort. As eager as she was to share some of the jokes she’d used tonight to get him laughing and talking about how good it felt to bring smiles to so many faces even after sitting through the large number of comedians lined up for tonight, she was also looking forward to hearing all about how the second night of Fatal Fortunes went in SCW and finding out who her husband-to-be would have to battle to try and make good on his second chance at the crown jewel of the company. There was a small part of her that was hoping Bree retained only so Aaron could prove that had he not had an injury and the mental baggage of nearly being killed just two days prior, their Rise to Greatness encounter last year could have ended very differently, but there was just as much hope that it would be someone else he’d be challenging just so Bree could be knocked down a few pegs.

“I probably should feel bad thinking the idea of her ‘Bree-ing’ red would be hilarious, but that woman really needs a lesson in humility one of these days.”

Liane couldn’t resist a small chuckle as she leaned against the wall next to the club’s front door, slightly regretting the attire she’d chosen for her performance. It worked perfectly with her material and definitely made sense inside a building running as much air conditioning as this club, but out in the New Mexico heat not even being night time could stop her from feeling like she’d walked right out into an open flame. At least once she was with Aaron again they could relax and just enjoy one another’s company and looking forward to what lay ahead for them, both in the immediate future as well as what still awaited down the road. She knew there were still some obstacles to overcome, but there was nothing they couldn’t conquer together.

“Excuse me, do you have a few minutes?”

Liane was snapped out of her happy thoughts as she turned to look at a woman who had approached her, mentally facepalming a bit for not noticing sooner because she’d been so wrapped up in her own little world. While the business suit she wore certainly fit well with any number of people who’d just been inside for tonight’s show who might’ve just gotten off work or simply wanted to dress up for the occasion, the little booklet she was holding certainly struck Liane as peculiar. She tried to pass it off as a fan possibly looking for an autograph, but there was an odd feeling she couldn’t shake even as she engaged the woman in conversation.

“Sure, I’ve got a few minutes to kill while I wait for someone to pick me up. Were you looking for an autograph?”

“Oh, I’m afraid I’m not. Sorry if I gave that impression. My name’s Nancy, and I’m actually apprenticing with the office where Dr. Marsh-Asher practices to get some real-world experience for when I finally earn my degree. He kind of sent me out here to kind of interview you a bit to see how you were doing.”

Liane raised an eyebrow at this, having not heard anything about Dr. Marsh-Asher having someone apprenticing under him. Then again, she’d only met the man herself not that long ago, and from what Aaron had detailed to her from their few interactions up to that point it seemed like he was the kind of guy who preferred to play some things close to the chest unless he needed to draw upon them to help someone, so the idea of him not mentioning an apprentice seemed like something that wasn’t worth bringing up at the time. Something about this woman seemed a bit familiar though, but she couldn’t quite place it and just chalked it up to maybe being a face in the crowd she thought she’d picked out during one of her performances at some point.

“Um… sure, I guess that’d be alright. I know he said he was willing to help me like he’s been helping my fiancé, but… doesn’t this seem a bit informal?”

“I guess, but he did say he kind of gave an impromptu session with the two of you in a diner recently, so he does have some unorthodox practices that apparently work.

The woman had Liane there, and the comedian could only chuckle at this. Still, during that time he had made sure that the chances of anyone listening in were as low as possible, and while things were pretty quiet now with the club closed up for the night and all its patrons on their way home, there was still the chance someone could walk by and listen in. This woman didn’t seem too concerned about that, though, but she was certainly trying to make Liane feel comfortable talking with her.

“He mentioned something about there being ‘another Liane’ when he spoke with you the last time, one that’s the opposite of who you try to be. Any chance you know what triggers her?”

And almost immediately that feeling of comfort went down the drain, and Liane made it clear with the look on her face as she was taken aback by the very first question this woman decided to ask her.

“That seems a little… aggressive, don’t you think? No trying to ease me into things?”

“Sorry, I’m just trying to get an understanding of what makes this ‘other Liane’ tick and why she would seem so volatile. I mean, between what seems like a successful comedy career and you having a man in your life that cares for you and is such a big star himself, I wouldn’t think there’d be much to really justify her existence. He did mention something about family issues though…”

The woman continued on, throwing around possible things relating to her family that would warrant the birth of a split personality, but Liane had started tuning her out at this point. Her mood was souring fast and all she could think about now was how much this woman, Dr. Marsh-Asher’s apprentice or not, was overstepping her bounds with such an aggressive and upfront approach. She wanted to just walk away, but if Aaron pulled up and saw she wasn’t here he might assume the worst, and she definitely didn’t want to worry him. Plus, there was no guarantee this woman would get the hint and leave her be. Gritting her teeth to try and stifle the growl that threatened to escape her throat, Liane eventually cut off the excessive rambling, hoping that if she gave this woman something it would be enough to either satisfy her or get her to stop being so pushy about whatever she was after.

“Look, I get that you’re trying to get some answers, but I would think that Dr. Marsh-Asher or any of his associates would be teaching you better on how to do something like this. I’m sure he mentioned something about me growing up in a family where my parents weren’t the most supportive of my interests, and my siblings tended to get annoyed by me trying to use them as an impromptu audience sometimes. I thought I wasn’t getting a fair shot like they were, and eventually, I just started hearing a voice that told me I should make them pay. Sometimes that voice becomes something more and lashes out, but that’s what I’m now getting help for from the man who’s mentoring you.”

Liane took a few deep breaths after that outburst, trying to maintain her composure and hoping she’d gotten enough of a message across that Nancy’s tactics needed some work if she was going to be doing the same thing as Dr. Marsh-Asher and many others. Nancy jotted some things down in her little booklet with the occasional nod, this being what she focused on for a few minutes as an awkward silence settled in around them. Liane looked around and saw no sign of Aaron’s car yet, and a quick check of her phone confirmed he’d gotten her text and was on his way. She could almost hear the voice of her other self screaming inside her head about wanting to give this assistant “something to write about” but Liane held firm, clinging to the hope that Aaron would be pulling up any second now and she could just go back to enjoying the rest of her night like she wanted to. Dr. Marsh-Asher would certainly be getting a call about this in the morning so he knew this woman needed to be set straight on her methods.

“The aggressive way you decided to answer tells me that maybe this ‘other self’ is easier to trigger than you’re letting on, which is certainly dangerous. If you’re not worrying about your family anymore, then why would this be the case? Are you simply trying to put on a happy face in hopes that you won’t ruin what you have going for you if people found out what you’re hiding? I know they say it’s not good to keep things bottled up, but… what happens if you lose control and start some kind of domestic incident with your lover? SCW’s shows already document you violently lashing out when the idea that Aaron might be unfaithful or that you might not be as ‘attractive’ as some of the women he competes alongside. What if that happens if someone comes along and heckles your comedy routine? It’s easy for most people to brush it off, but I’d be afraid of you suddenly snapping and trying to attack a fan who simply had an opinion you didn’t like about your material. Do you really feel comfortable being such a public face knowing full well of the danger that lurks behind that smile that hasn’t been resolved yet?”

Liane’s jaw nearly hit the floor at what this woman was implying, and to say her blood was boiling now was an understatement. She had been trying to keep a level head even throughout everything, but this woman clearly didn’t want to do anything more than seemingly provoke the monster within, almost like she was hoping to draw it out just so she could get its take on things or something along those lines. She wanted to deny Nancy the satisfaction, but before she knew it she found herself acting on impulse, realizing too late that her more psychotic personality had heard enough and stepped in to resolve the situation her way. In the blink of an eye, she saw herself lunging at the woman… and then she was seemingly snapping out of it as pain began surging through her arm like a tidal wave.

“Liane? What happened!?”

That voice… the voice of her artistic angel managed to penetrate her blind rage, and as she slowly came back to her senses she looked down and realized exactly what had happened: she’d tried to throw a punch at the woman who’d been antagonizing her and missed, and it was at that moment when Aaron had pulled up to take her back to the hotel, which caused her arm to go straight through the passenger-side window. Her hand and wrist were bleeding profusely and the pain was like nothing she’d ever felt before, and Aaron was immediately holding her close, slowly trying to comfort her and maneuver her into the car so they could go to the hospital to tend to her injury. She could barely hear what he was saying as her head still felt foggy from her momentary loss of control, but she could make out his repeated attempts to ask what had happened.

“The… the woman… Dr. Marsh-Asher’s assistant… she was trying to push me, almost like she wanted to meet ‘psycho Liane’ for some reason…”

Aaron remembered seeing Liane talking with a woman before she’d sidestepped his love’s attempt to attack her, and he recalled seeing out of the corner of his eye that the mere sight of his arrival more than anything else seemed to get her to take off into the small alleyway beside the club. After he got Liane situated in the car, he quickly jogged over to the entrance to the alley but saw no sign of her, which was odd as this alley hit a dead end and he could’ve easily spotted her without needing to actually give chase. He spat out a frustrated sigh and quickly returned to the car so he could drive Liane to the hospital, knowing her wounds had to take priority over getting to the bottom of this mystery regarding who this woman claimed to be and why she felt the need to antagonize Liane the way she did. He was definitely going to have to make a phone call, trying to restrain his usual hatred of therapists until he could get a good explanation as to what was going on. All he knew was that the love of his life was hurting, both physically and mentally, and that not only caused him a great deal of pain to see, but also didn’t help the self-deprecating thoughts he’d found himself battling tonight regarding his own self-worth.

As the car pulled away, Nancy slowly peeked her head out around the corner to make sure the coast was clear before heading off in the other direction, silently cursing to herself about ducking behind the dumpster because of how much it reeked. But she’d gotten a good deal of what she wanted out of tonight, and as far as she was concerned her interests were all that mattered right now. She was a woman who would get what she wanted by any means necessary, even if it meant taking an approach that was very much against this profession so long as she got the same recognition as everyone else that she believed was long owed to her.