Forced (Ted Dibiase)| WATTYS 2016

We aren't normal

Two days later, I decide to venture out of my bedroom. I am pouring myself Apple juice when my father comes in, and I can barely contain myself as I brush past him. He catches my arm "I know you must be furious with me, but Ted called this morning. He wants you to be ready by five, he is taking you out to dinner." I glare at my father "So you just do whatever they say?" He looks away, and I can't help but feel so ashamed of my father "I can't believe this. Vince McMahon sold his own daughter."

My mother comes into my room at three thirty to see me laying in bed watching pretty little liars. She fixes me with a hard stare "Young lady, I know that you may not like what is going on, but suck it up!" I am shocked to hear my mother speak to me like this "Excuse me?" She crosses her arms "Your father did what he had to do to save this family! You can't hold that against him." I glare at her "Dad sold me-" my mother hushes me "He did not sell you, so stop saying that! He made a deal and you just happened to pay the price." I gasp "You can't be serious?" She nods "We are McMahon women, and we don't go through life pitying ourselves, so get up!" I finally stand, and my mother helps me get ready. I am dreading seeing Teddy, my friend, my fiancée.

When Ted knocks on the door, dad opens it. I can hear them talking from upstairs as I make my way down. Ted is standing at the bottom of the stairs wearing a suit "There she is." He kisses my cheek "You look beautiful." I barely crack a smile "Thanks." Ted leads me out to his car, and once we start driving the awkwardness sets in "So Elizabeth, I thought that we should go out on a proper date with everything going on..." I stop him "First of all, this is not a date. I do not want to be here, and definitely not with you." Teddy rolls his eyes "I'm trying to be civil, and besides we are friends." I shake my head "Maybe we were, but that was before I knew I was just a pawn in one of your fathers games." Teddy sighs as we pull into the restaurant parking. He tosses his keys to the valet, and slips his hand into mine. I try to pull my hand away, but he holds on tightly. We are seated, and given menus "What are you going to get?" I scoff "Sick." Teddy rolls his eyes "This is going to be a lovely evening."

At the end of the meal, Ted leans across the table and rests something in the palm of my hand. I look down, and find a breathtaking diamond ring in my hand. When I look back up at Teddy I see a flash of what looks like hurt in his eyes, but it's gone as quickly as it came. He sighs "I was going to propose to you properly, but I'm sure you would have just spit more of your misery in my face." I avoid his stony gaze, and in that moment I realize something. Teddy is in the same situation as me. He hasn't had a choice in this, and my heart warms a little "Well, I'll let you put it on my finger at least." Teddy cracks a small smile "I can do that." He takes the ring, and slides it into my left hand. I can't help but smile as I stare at it "The ring is beautiful." He nods "Your sister helped me pick it out." Then in a flash, my smile disappears "Was I the only one that didn't know about this?" Ted frowns "We knew you would do everything you could to stop it, and w-" I stop him "We? As in you and your dad?" He nods "Yeah." I scoff "Wow, that is unbelievable. You pretended to be my friend all these years knowing that one day we would get married." I stand and walk out of the restaurant. Teddy soon catches up to me as I walk down the sidewalk. He turns me around to face him "Elizabeth, do you really think this was avoidable? You couldn't have just married any guy off the street. Your parents would have wanted you to marry someone like me! No matter what, you wouldn't have had much of a choice." I feel tears well up in my eyes "At least I would have had more of a choice then I do now!" Ted grips my upper arms tightly "Do you seriously think this is what I want? My dad made this deal when I was six! I have about as much choice as you!" He lowers his voice "We may have everything we ever wanted, but with the lives we live comes sacrifice. We don't have the freedom normal people have. We aren't normal." I feel tears fall down my cheeks "Teddy..." He holds me "I'm sorry." I shake my head "It's not your fault. My dad should have been stronger! He should have fought for me." Ted ushers me into his car, and drives me home. As he drives I notice my ring "This ring really is beautiful." Ted smiles "I'm glad you like it. Your sister said you're into vintage." In that moment, I try desperately to find a shred of happiness or joy. I was going to be a beautiful bride married to a loving husband, and I will be given everything I ever wanted out of life. Is all of that worth my freedom though? I don't hate Ted, I hate the idea of being lied to my entire life, the idea of being a pawn in a business arrangement, the idea of a price tag literally being put on me....by my own father.