My name is Isabella Marie Swan, and because of misfortune this is now my life. I moved to the dreary town of Forks, Washington to live with my dad, Charlie. He works for a firm in California and is only home a few times a year. At first, life in Forks was great; I made a couple of close friends, Alice and Rose, and we did just about everything together.

But it was sophomore year when all of my problems began. I knew Alice and her sister Rose didn't have the greatest family situation, and I could feel the hesitation and sadness in their eyes when I would ask, so I avoided those questions at all cost.

FLASH-BACK

"Hey Bella", Alice greeted one morning.

"Morning Alice, Rose called last night and said your brother wanted to me" Her face dropped as I said this.

"Um, oh, well I hadn't realized he was home yet. Well if that's what she said, uh 5:00?"

"That's good, Charlie left again last night, so I clear for a few weeks."

"Oh, ok." She said the words as if hearing for first time that someone had just died. Before I had turned to leave, I noticed Alice had a single tear running down her face.

Then had finally said, "I'm so sorry, Bella, I truly am. I didn't think they would……" She was speaking quickly and quietly, barely speaking the words themselves. "I mean, I didn't think they would find out, or Rose tell them. How could she do that?"

I left worrying about that conversation that had just taken place. What was she apologizing for? I would love to meet the older who was kind enough to take his younger sisters in after the death of their parents. What could possibly be so horrible?

I was soon to find out.

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That night was the night which the ole small, quiet, reserved Bella Swan was brought to a disruptive halt. James, Alice's and Rose's half brother, was apart of a gang in LaPush; he claimed me from the moment he saw me. I was forced to accompany him many times a week at an illegal strip club where I was shoved off as his girlfriend and was continually beaten and raped by James, as well as, the other members of his gang. I was obliged to live the type of lifestyle that no one would feel comfortable living.

Through the experience things had only gotten worse. Alice and Rose had been a huge comfort when this fiasco had first begun. Both girls had stayed and cried with me when he or his boys had done anything. But over the passage of time, I had slowly become an entirely different person, one who was scared, alone, vulnerable, but hard.

After being tied and beaten the first night, I had a strong hatred for Rose. I hated her for telling James about me and for allowing him to do as he wished to me like I was nothing more than a child's toy. But through the week, I began to understand; she told him for her own survival, for the one night away from pain. Rose showed me a new outlook on life.