Obsession (Part 1)

Action Women's Wrestling, a promotion that has been in existence for 23 years, has seen many stars enter and shine in the time they've existed. One such star, who has been competing in AWW for six years, is Valerie Price, and she's been serving as one of AWW's most popular stars. Recently, Valerie has had quite a few interesting feuds in her time in AWW, but this one seems to take the cake. In the last three months, Valerie has been pursued by the Countess, a villainess in a black bodysuit and a full mask, who appears to know Valerie very well.

"Valerie Price, when this is over, you will finally see me, after all this time!"

That was the Countess' threat and vow heading to their big match, which was quite heated. Valerie and the Countess traded hard hitting blows for a good bit, and they fought not only inside the ring, but outside of it as well. All the while, Valerie was on the receiving end of statements from the Countess that were quite peculiar to her, with one of them being:

"You can't escape this, Valerie! We are bound together!"

The Countess uttered that statement after delivering a modified "Electric Chair" move which she referred to as "Royal Pain." However, as the Countess looked to go for it again, Valerie used the inside cradle to deliver a shock three-count to the Countess, and in the process, Valerie ended up removing the Countess' black mask. When the face of her foe was unveiled, Valerie was stunned to see who it was.

"Penelope?!"

Standing outside the ring, not realizing that she was unmasked until Valerie shouted her name, was Penelope Warner, a CEO who also served as Valerie's boss at Penelope's side job at her design company. Penelope ran off in embarrassment over being exposed, but Valerie had many questions.

Valerie showed up at work a day later, and had almost forgotten about the last moments of her match, when all of a sudden:

"Valerie? In my office, please."

The voice of Penelope Warner called for Valerie, and it was a relief, as Valerie wanted to know what possessed her boss to actually enter the world of wrestling and feud with her. In Valerie's mind, Penelope was intimidating enough without an ominous costume and the squared circle.

"Penelope," Valerie said as she entered her boss' office. "I have a lot of questions."

"I'll save you the trouble," interrupted Penelope. "The truth is... well... I love you, Valerie." Valerie didn't know how to respond to her boss, who is known for her strong and intimidating demeanor, making such a statement.

"Well... thank you, Penelope," said Valerie. "I'm glad that you're a fan..."

"Oh no, you don't understand," Penelope said as she stood up and walked towards Valerie, giving a bit of a smirk of on her face. "What I mean is that I'm in love with you."

"Excuse me?" asked Valerie.

"I've been hiding it for so long, Valerie," said Penelope, "and I can't do it anymore. I know about your wrestling gigs; I had been watching your matches, and I figured, I may as well get in to show my affections for you. Being the Countess gave me that opportunity to get close to you on another level." Valerie didn't know what to think. Her boss had just told her that she actually got into wrestling and took on an alter-ego just because she was in love with Valerie. For Valerie, it was a lot to process.

"Penelope," Valerie said as Penelope gleamed, "I need time to think about all of this. I hope you understand."

"Sure!" Penelope said, "take all the time you need."

A week passed, and Valerie was in the ring for AWW once again. This time, she had competed against a very game competitor known as Minerva, and it was a 20 minute battle Valerie ended up winning. Valerie basked in her victory as she changed out of her gear, but once she reached the parking lot, she ended up being encountered by Penelope.

"Hey, Valerie," said Penelope. "That was a great match you had tonight."

"Thanks, Penelope," said Valerie. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to watch you in action," Penelope said in a playful manner as she walked closer to Valerie. "So... did you think about what we talked about last week?"

"Penelope, now is not the time," Valerie said sternly.

"Then when is it?" asked Penelope. "I've carried this for so long, and it took a lot for me to tell you! And now you're making me wait?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Penelope," said a frustrated Valerie. "I mean, you feud with me for months and then tell me you love me, and then you just come on strong like this? I have a right to feel pressured right now." Penelope didn't respond, because her expression was nothing more than just a blank stare, almost like she wasn't feeling a thing.

"Look," said Valerie. "I'm sorry, Penelope. I really am, but I really need some space. I'll see you at work." Valerie got in her car and drove off, leaving Penelope to process everything that was said. As she watched Valerie drive away, Penelope's expression changed, and what was displayed was something different... something ominous.

"Oh, trust me, Valerie," said Penelope, "you'll definitely see me."

Back at the workplace, Valerie was focused on her task at hand. She still replayed her last conversation with Penelope in her head, but she tried her best not to dwell on it anymore. During the lunch break, Valerie saw her two close friends and co-workers, Hannah and Nora, and they were quite somber.

"What happened?" asked Valerie.

"You don't know?" asked Hannah. "Nora and I got fired!"

"What?!" asked Valerie, whose shock was worn all over her face. "How could this happen?!"

"We were told to ask you," said Nora.

"I'm sorry?" asked Valerie.

"That's what we were told," replied Hannah. "We were told, 'Ask your little friend Valerie'." Upon hearing this, Valerie knew that Penelope had to have fired Hannah and Nora, and she knew why. She didn't want to admit it to herself, she didn't want to think that Penelope would resort to something so petty, but the fact that she was spending her lunch break making a beeline to Penelope's office told her all she needed to know.

"Penelope, what the hell?!" an angry Valerie exclaimed as she entered her boss' office.

"Hello, Valerie!" Penelope said in a sweet manner. "To what do I owe this pleasure of your visit?"

"Cut the crap, Penelope," said Valerie. "What were you thinking firing Hannah and Nora."

"They were fired?" Penelope asked in a very coy manner, which further angered Valerie.

"You're the one who fired them!" exclaimed Valerie, while Penelope stood up from her seat. "And I want answers now!"

"Oh, so now you have time for me, hmmm?" Penelope said as she walked towards Valerie. "I'm sorry, Valerie, you'll just have to wait. But maybe, just maybe, the problem was the company they were keeping." Valerie stood silent but still angered over what was happening, while Penelope stood over her employee, smirking in devious fashion.

"Oh, and Valerie," said Penelope. "You won't have to wait too long. Be at my place, tonight. I have a proposition for you, and trust me, you will want to accept it."

Valerie left Penelope's office holding a lot of anger and frustration over what happened. Her two best friends were fired for no reason other than a grudge carried out by their boss, and she now had to meet Penelope at her home. Valerie felt like she had no choice but to acquiesce, as she suddenly feared that Penelope's wrath would continue of she didn't. Sure enough, after the work day was over, Valerie went right to Penelope's lavish estate; she knew where it was, because Penelope had hosted business events in the past. However, this was not business. This was damn sure personal.

The door was open, though Valerie wasn't surprised; she knew that Penelope would be expecting her. What Valerie didn't expect to see came next, as once she entered, she saw Penelope make her appearance. However, this was not Penelope Warner, the CEO. This was Penelope Warner, the Countess, the wrestling villainess that Valerie had been dealing with for months. The mask was off, but Penelope had the black bodysuit, gloves, and killer high heel boots, looking even more evil than she had become in that very moment that she fired Valerie's best friends.

"Greetings, Valerie," Penelope said.

"Cut to the chase," said Valerie. "What do you want?"

"Oooh, want to get right to it?" said Penelope. "Here's my proposal: You and me back in that ring, one more time, but this time, with some stipulations."

"Name them," said Valerie.

"Here goes," said Penelope. "If you win, then you have my word, Hannah and Nora will not only be hired, but they will receive raises. And you'll receive a nice promotion. However..." Valerie couldn't help but notice the sinister smile forming on her boss' face, but even so, she stood strong.

"When I win," Penelope said, "your little friends stay fired, and as for you, you will become my wife...and my servant, both in my world and yours."

"You can't be serious," said Valerie.

"I don't play games, Valerie," Penelope said with a snarl. "I am Penelope Warner, the CEO, the Countess. If there is anything or anyone I want, I go after it, and as you know, dear Valerie, I always get what I want, and who I want." Penelope later took out a contract that had all of the terms of their match, stipulations and all.

"So, do we have a deal?"

"I accept," Valerie said as she signed the contract and walked out, leaving Penelope to cackle maniacally once the deal was done. The gravity of what had just went down was hitting her. In Valerie's mind, she didn't sign a contract for a match. In Valerie's mind, she had made a deal with the Devil. It wasn't just Valerie's friends' livelihoods on the line, it was her own livelihood and her own soul put at risk, all because of her boss' insane obsession. As Valerie entered her car, she knew she had just signed up for the biggest match of her career, and she had to train like never before. Because if Valerie slipped up once, she would be at the mercy of the evil and vengeful Countess.

Check out Part 2 below!