Ultimate Betrayal

“Good luck, baby,” I run my hands through Seth’s dark hair. Any moment now, his music’s going to start, and his biggest match ever will start - a fatal fourway for the Universal Championship. I don’t know if I’m more nervous, or he is. Seth hasn’t carried any gold in awhile. He’s been close, fingertips on the belt, but has yet to capture it.

More than anything, I want him to win. He’s going to go down in history as the second Universal Champion, and we’ll once again be running the company.

He chuckles and kisses my cheek, “It’s alright, Rae. The odds are in my favor. I’ve worked harder than anyone to get here, and I have you and Stephanie at ringside. I’ve beaten everyone in the match at least once. I got this, babe.”

“I know. You’re the best by a long shot.” I kiss him right as his music starts. I adjust my Women’s Championship around my waist and grab ahold of Seth’s hand. We walk out together, confidently, hand in hand, like we do every Monday.

Seth and I have been WWE’s power couple since 2014, when we both aligned with The Authority. Since then, we’ve been untouchable, for the most part. Seth suffered an injury last year, leaving him out of action for a few months. But he’s come back, stronger than ever, ready to be champion again.

I’ve been the Women’s Champion for three months already, and there isn’t an end in sight. When Seth recaptures his title, we’re going to solidify our spot on top of the back, once again becoming an unstoppable force.

It’s not going to be easy for Seth to win tonight. He’s going up against Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, and Big Cass in an elimination fatal fourway match.

Roman Reigns is tough. Seth knows him better than anybody, inside and out of the ring. The former teammates are now opponents, and Seth has to change up his game. Roman knows how Seth thinks, and what moves he usually uses, especially in dire situations. Seth has to change his game plan when facing Roman - he’d be too predictable for Roman if he didn’t step out of the box.

Kevin Owens is also a bit of a threat. There’s a reason fans chant ‘Fight Owens, Fight’ every night. He wins most of the matches he’s in, and has beat some of the biggest names in WWE today. Kevin can’t be ignored tonight. He’s almost as dangerous as Roman.

Big Cass is relatively new, but I can’t overlook him. He has an obvious size advantage over each of his opponents. Seth hasn’t wrestled a man of his size before, which may be difficult for him. He’s going to have to adjust his tactics to get a handle on Cass.

Seth is the favorite tonight. There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind he’s going to win. He’s confident, his mindset is right, and he’s in the best shape of his life. My baby’s going to kill it out there.

We make our usual entrance, which entails Seth’s confident walk and my arm around his. The other men are already in the ring, so I don’t get inside with him. Instead, I kiss his cheek and let go of his arm right before he enters. I take a seat in the open chair beside Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley, who decided it would be best if they were ringside for this historic match tonight.

“This is going to be one hell of a match,” Stephanie tells me as I sit down. She’s right. With the match underway, nothing is off the table. The fatal fourway means there’s no disqualifications, so anything could happen. I’d probably interfere to help Seth win if Mick wasn’t sitting next to me. Mick is very noble, and often frowns upon our ‘anything it takes to win’ attitude. I might face consequences if I influence the match in any way.

Cass is the first to be eliminated. It isn’t much of a surprise. While he’s strong, he’s the least experienced of the four men. After the first elimination, the others come slower. More minutes pass, and it’s still anybody’s match. Seth, Roman, and Kevin are worn out, but they aren’t ready to give up yet.

I can feel myself grow more apprehensive. Seth gets knocked out, and is laying on the ground a few feet away from me. Mick warned me about leaving my seat, so I try to offer words of encouragement from afar. It isn’t much, but it’s all I can do. I sit on the edge of the chair, as close to Seth as I can be. I reach out, but I can’t touch him.

Roman pushes his hair back, his eyes focused as he walks over and grabs Seth. A pit forms in my stomach while I wait for Roman’s next punch. He looks directly at me with a grin on his face. I brace myself for Roman’s next move, knowing it won’t be food.

What I didn’t expect, is Triple H butting in. He hasn’t been around for months, due to his time in NXT. Seeing Hunter eases my tension. We’ve been part of The Authority for so long, there’s no doubt in my mind he’s aiding Seth tonight. After all, we’re a team. I can’t do anything, so Hunter’s helping me out.

Hunter pedigree’s Roman outside of the ring. Quickly, he rolls Roman back in. Hunter then helps Seth stand. He offers him some words of encouragement before assisting him back into the ring. Hunter looks back at me with a wide smile as Seth pins Roman. I nod back, in a way that says thanks.

Seth’s adrenaline kicks in now. He walks towards Owens. Hunter comes in closer, and it’s obvious Seth and him are about to double team Owens. Seth’s victory is virtually guaranteed.

Until, it’s not.

Hunter kicks Seth and puts him in position for a pedigree. Automatically, I stand. I walk towards the ring, my hands on the bottom rope. There’s nothing I can do, but I can’t just sit and watch. I know Mick told me not to do anything, but now I’m not worried about potential punishments. I’m worried about Seth’s future.

Hunter looks me in the eyes as he lands the pedigree and pushes Owens on top of Seth. He stands in the way, making it impossible for me to break the pin. Owens gets the three count. Immediately, he stands to celebrate. He looks like he’s in shock, too, but in the best way.

I don’t know what happened or how it happened, but I’m in disbelief. I rush inside the ring now, over to Seth. I scoop him in my arms and gently touch the side of his face. My eyes don’t leave Hunter, even as he leaves to the back. We’re followed him blindly for the past two years, and this is the thanks we’ve received. This is the ultimate betrayal.