Southern Belle
Chapter One
Hello, lovely readers! I had a dream about a fanfiction like this last night and I just had to start writing it immediately. If you follow me, you know that I am also writing another story right now. That one will be done soon, though, so I hope you like the change of pace that this story has to offer. Thanks for reading! Of course, I own nothing.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?! You knew of his engagement and you slept with him anyway! I didn't know that I raised a whore for a daughter. The whole community will look down upon this family and it is your fault, Isabella!"
I looked down at the ground and shuffled my feet uncomfortably. There was no point in trying to explain what had happened to my mother. She wouldn't care about the little details, she only cared about the bigger picture.
"You are a disgrace. I don't want to see you ever again, little missy. Do you hear me?! You're going to get the hell off of my property!"
She raised a hand but a stronger one wrapped around her wrist and stopped her.
"Renee, I believe you're being a bit overdramatic here. We don't know what really happened behind closed doors. For all we know, Tanya could be making wild accusations. We both know that she's never been a fan of our daughter," my father interrupted.
Renee ripped her arm away and turned to glare at me again.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Charles. What I know is that our daughter spread her filthy little legs for a man who is not even her betrothed! She had sex with Edward Cullen, who if you remember, is engaged to Tanya Denali. Two of the most powerful families in this town and she just had to screw up everything because she couldn't control herself. What do you have to say you pathetic whore?" my mother spit.
"I don't have to explain myself to you, mother. You wouldn't believe me, so what's the point? Is there anything else you have to say or shall I go inside and finish my chores?" I bit back with the same amount of venom.
"You will not be staying in this house anymore, Isabella! I will not have such a filthy wench living under the same roof as me. Pack your things and go, you are no longer welcome."
"Ah, Renee, you're getting ahead of yourself. If you remember correctly, I am the one in charge of this household. You, as my wife, obey what I say and will do as I say. I know you understand this since you married me in the first place. Our daughter is to stay with us until the day of her wedding. Now, you'd be best to close that filthy mouth of yours. It is quite unbecoming on a woman such as yourself," my father interjected.
My mother sputtered, trying to think of something to say but she came up blank. Huffing, she hiked up her skirt and walked back to the house without another word. I turned to my father and hugged him gratefully. He rubbed my back soothingly and I had to fight myself to not cry.
"Thank you, father. I don't know what I would do if she had kicked me out. I have nowhere else to go," I sobbed when I could no longer control myself.
"Shh, it's okay Bella darling. You know I would never allow your mother to do such a horrible thing. Now, go inside and finish your chores before she finds something else to yell at you for. And for the sake of you and the reputation of this family, I sincerely hope that Tanya is yelling wolf."
I nodded and watched as he made his way out to the barn. I took a deep breath and walked back into the house, glad that my mother was nowhere in sight. I picked up the mop I had dropped when she came inside, yelling about the accusations that Tanya had made.
It didn't take long for me to finish my chores and make my way back out to the barn.
"Daddy! I'm done with cleaning. If you don't need any help out here, is it okay if I go see Rosalie? She invited me over for tea this morning."
He rubbed his mustache with a twinkle in his eye.
"I can handle this, Bella. Go have fun with your friends but be home before night falls. We are expecting a couple guests for dinner."
"Thank you, daddy!" I yelled before running over and hugging him.
Chuckling, he patted my back and shooed me out of the barn. I walked the short distance to Rosalie's house where she was waiting for me on the porch with the tea ready. I took my usual seat and took a sip, glad for the distraction after everything that had happened today.
"So, I heard that you slept with the infamous Edward Cullen. Is it true?" She asked after a couple of minutes.
I dropped a cube of sugar in my drink and swirled it a few times before answering.
"Would you really want to know if I did?" I finally asked. She slammed her cup down on the table and cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look at her.
"Of course I would, you lush! You're my best friend and I want to know everything that goes on in your life. Lord knows my life is hectic enough so it's refreshing to hear about someone else's shitty life."
I chuckled and took a few more drinks before responding.
"Yes, I did sleep with him. It was fantastic, Rose. He really knew what he was doing and…he made me feel special. I knew it wasn't just another lay for him."
She slapped my arm and laughed, attempting to regain composure when we saw her fiancée walking up the walk to the porch.
"Ah, Isabella. Long time no see, it's a pleasure," Royce said before taking my hand and placing a kiss.
"I could say the same, Royce. How long until the wedding?" I asked.
Rosalie sighed but hid it with a cough. She wasn't as successful in hiding her grimace.
"One month on the day. It's going to be a glorious wedding, I cannot wait to make you mine, Rosalie. The name Rosalie King has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
I tried to hide my disdain, "Yes, it does have a nice ring to it. I think I just heard Rosalie's father calling for you, Royce."
He thanked me before running inside to see what Rose's dad needed. I looked over to my best friend and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.
"Why are you marrying him, Rose? We both know he hasn't been faithful ever since you two got together."
She looked at me with her eyes full of sorrow and I couldn't not feel bad for her.
"It would be quite beneficial to my family, Bella. His family comes from royalty. It could do wonderful things for my father and his political career," she explained.
I squeezed her hand again and we enjoyed the rest of our time together in silence. When the sun started to go down, I stood up and wiped the dust off of my skirt.
"I must run home. Father said that we were having guests for dinner, so this ought to be interesting. Have a wonderful evening, Rose. If you need anything, you know where to find me."
She stood up and hugged me, placing a kiss on my cheek and telling me to leave before I got in trouble.
I made my way back home a few minutes early and helped my mother set the table.
"No matter how tonight goes, you will not mention the current…situation you have put this family into. When everything falls apart, you will have no one to blame but yourself," my mother stated before the doorbell rang.
I nodded and made my way to the front door, welcoming Billy and Jacob inside. After the men made their introductions I sat in my seat and ate quietly while the men talked. Once we finished dinner and my mom served dessert, Billy cleared his throat.
"I thank you for this wonderful dinner, Renee. It's been a long time since we've had a meal this delicious since Jacob's mother passed away. I hope your daughter can cook as well?" he said but framed it to sound like a question.
My mother beamed and rubbed my hand, putting on a show for the guests.
"Of course she can, Billy. I taught her everything she knows about being the proper housewife," my mother responded.
I shuddered at the thought of becoming a housewife. However, Billy looked pleased with my mother's response.
"That's what I like to hear. Isabella, I talked to your father a couple of days ago about a serious manner. We would like for you and Jacob to be wed as husband and wife. You would make a great pair, we believe."
I gasped and looked at Jacob, panicked. He only grinned and I knew there was no way I could talk my way out of this.
"It's settled! We shall start planning the wedding immediately, set for two months from now. You will be a wonderful addition to the family, Bella," Billy said with a wide grin on his face.
My mother kicked me under the table and I somehow managed to beam like she did earlier. They cheered while drinking some alcohol that smelled rotten to me. I pretended to take sips but I knew it wouldn't settle well in my stomach. How could I be excited about my engagement when my heart belonged to another?