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Matt scowled as he returned to his locker room. His hands clenched into fists as he thought about what he'd just witnessed.
It made him sick... The happy family. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair! *He* should be the one there with Amy and Amanda. What the hell had Adam Copeland cared about the redhead? For six years, the blond man had never so much as tried to contact Amy - that much, he knew.
Fuck him... Matt frowned as he thought about his ex-girlfriend. The truth was, he couldn't care less about Amy now. She was a miserable, sneaky, cheating bitch. She deserved every single thing he'd said about her on his website. And so did that no good bastard Adam. He smirked sardonically then as he thought about the tall blond man. That guy was supposed to have been his friend... Well, with friends like that, he knew he didn't need any enemies.
As he sat there in the locker room, taping up in hands in preparation for his match, a surge of hatred hit him even harder. Now, he might lose his job because Adam had instigated that fight the other week. The son of a bitch.
Matt was finished with getting ready and fully dressed for his upcoming match when a knock sounded at the door. Assuming it was just his brother Jeff, he called to the person to come in.
It was Fit Finlay - former WCW wrestler turned trainer for the WWE's female talent.
"Shane McMahon requests your presence in his office," the Irishman announced, hooking a thumb over his shoulder.
"Wha-" The darker Hardy clammed himself up, forgoing completing the word, his lips pursing tightly. This was just great... Finally, after a week of waiting, the time had come. Shane must have finally spoken with his father, and Vince had no doubt come to a conclusion.
As Matt rose to leave the room, he pushed aside all of the anger and anxiety he'd been feeling. What did he really have to be worried about? After all, Copeland had started that fight...
*
"Thank you both for meeting me so promptly," Shane McMahon said. As he had during the last meeting with Matt and Adam, he'd opted to stand rather than sit. However, with both men seated before his desk - their chairs decently distanced in the small space, he decided maybe it was best to sit down.
The young man kept an eye on the two wrestlers as he made his way around the desk to take a seat in his chair. Then, folding his hands on the top of his desk, he proceeded.
"As you both know, I met with Vince about your situation. He and I had a long discussion, and we came to a conclusion as to what should happen... As to whose future will be impacted, if you will."
Adam swallowed hard, his face and body language, however, showing none of the discomfort he was feeling. He sat calmly, unblinking, his hands folded, long legs spread and sprawled before him. Matt, on the other hand, seemed overly smug but hostile at the same time, his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive, protective manner.
"I don't expect," Shane continued, "that once this is taken care of here, there will be a problem with either one of you any further." Meaningfully, he looked toward Adam. For some reason, that caused the tall blond man's stomach to feel knotted. Was the man basically saying that *he* was the problematic one, the troublemaker? He damn sure *hoped* not. All he'd done was react and respond when he'd been provoked!
"This truly is an unfortunate situation," Shane went on, "and Vince didn't want things to have to come to this. But we're left with no other choice."
Matt could barely refrain from rolling his eyes at the procrastination.
'Just get this fucking over with already!' he thought. 'Tell that fucking Copeland he's history and end it already!' He dared not to speak a word of this aloud. And Shane continued speaking, prolonging the agony, so to speak, for a few minutes longer.
Finally, something changed. Shane turned his attention solely toward the Canadian.
"Adam, you are excused..."
Matt smirked with triumph as the blond man suddenly felt very ill.
"... Go get ready for your match for tonight. Matt and I need to discuss the terms of his release."
The darker man stared, incredulous. Meanwhile, Adam felt as though a momentous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Without a word - as, at the moment, he found himself incapable of speech - he nodded and rose to leave the office.
The tall blond man nearly ran back to his locker room. Amy was waiting there, and if he knew her, he knew she was by now pacing the floor.
Quickly, he let himself in, a look of excitement coming into his eyes.
"It's over, baby," he said.
The redhead rushed to him, her hazel eyes growing bright.
"What? What do you mean?"
"I'm safe," he told her. His arms wound around her thickening waist. "He's out, I'm staying."
"Thank God!" She burrowed against him, shedding tears of joy and relief.