Chapter 1: Prologue: My Wedding Day
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in my story. They belong to the great Stephenie Meyer. Neither do I own the poetry written in this chapter. I also don't own any song or lyrics that are sung, played, or quoted in this chapter. Anita Baker's lyrics from "Fairy Tales," were quoted in this chapter. No copyright infringements are intended.
This story is narrated in the third person. It's a beautiful story about sacrifices of love, sickness, trust, and so much more. There are very emotional parts that at one time or another will relate to you and your life that may bring you to either tears or laughter.
I recently dealt with some of the same things that Bella has to deal with, with her father, and I got really emotional during some of the scenes.
The morning came way too soon. Alice showed up at Bella's door bright and early, eager to primp her for her wedding later that afternoon.
Bella's obvious revulsion for what she was about to do was evident on her face. She wondered how in the world she had come to this point. Why was she marrying the one man in the world that she loathed more than any other?
His family had noticed her nonchalance about all of the details of the wedding, and they all wondered what her real story was, but there was no way of them knowing. When she came around his family, on the exterior she was happy, smart, polite, and seemed very much in love. She was everything they'd expected for Edward. To date, Bella had only visited with the family a few times, and she had played her part perfectly. They adored her, but recently, there had been something behind her eyes that they questioned. They couldn't put their finger on it, but they let it be. He was really happy and wanted to marry her; they figured that whatever it was, he would figure it out himself.
So, the question stood: why, on seemingly the happiest day of any girl's life, would Bella have no interest whatsoever in its success? She let Alice pick virtually everything—the colors, her dress, the guest list. Bella had only said that they loved each other dearly, and she was happy as long as they were together. That's all that mattered, anyway. She told them that the wedding was really for show, for the family. Plus, she was taking care of Charlie full time, and it took up all of her free time.
Alice and Rose made up her face and hair beautifully. When they finished with her, she resembled a fairytale princess. Not a hair was out of place. Nothing was left unattended. Her dress was custom designed by Alice, so it was absolute perfection. Bella definitely had beauty to be admired.
In Bella's mind, she screamed with unrelenting hostility, and she longed for an escape. She needed a way out, but unfortunately, none existed. She hated herself for not making a better life, but she knew that the situation was hopeless, and she had to do this for her father. She loved Charlie with all her heart, and hated seeing him in pain for even a moment, which was ultimately how she had ended up in this situation.
Her love for her father pushed her choices into the unfathomable. She willingly gave herself, ultimately for sale to the highest bidder, in exchange for Charlie's medical expenses. Well, technically, it wasn't to the highest bidder, but to someone that was willing to pay for Charlie's needs in exchange for her life, her love, and her body. He claimed to love her. She always knew he had, but his past actions had driven her away, forever scarring her heart toward him. So, technically she wasn't really selling herself, but that was how she felt. He won. He got what he had always wanted, her, and Charlie got what he needed. She had actually sought him out, knowing he'd agree. She knew he'd do anything for her.
Her original repulsion for him increased with the reality of the situation of the day. When she had seen him some weeks prior, he'd seemed detached. She hoped that he would back out at the last minute, but seeing his face the night before, she knew it was a done deal.
At the rehearsal dinner, he had looked so happy. He was grinning from ear to ear, and he kept her close. He'd rub her back and kiss her forehead for no reason, or he'd smile at her. It wasn't just a smile though – he was happy. It showed in every move he made, every word he spoke, every look he gave her.
She wouldn't let him back out anyway, even if he wasn't happy. She had a debt to pay, and she fully intended to do just that. She wouldn't allow her personal feelings to dictate Charlie's well being. He had needs, and she had found a way to make sure he was well taken care of.
She felt like she was trapped in a very small box that someone had locked. Her future was no longer hers. She didn't have the same choices that most blushing brides had. There would be no courting, no falling in love. There would be no choosing her mate, choosing the one she wanted to spend the next ten years of her life with. No bubbling over with happiness from planning the most beautiful wedding the town of Forks had ever seen.
While she was waiting for things to settle down outside, she paid attention to a song that was on the MP3 player that Alice had left with her. She didn't know how long it had been playing, but as she listened to the words, her emotions went through a range of highs and lows. The woman on the player was singing about Bella's life, and she didn't even know her. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and soon felt warm trails pushing their way down her face. She wondered who the woman was, wondering if she had been through a similar situation. Bella's whole world began tilting on its axis. Her heart rate sped up, she had difficulty breathing, she felt dizzy, and her whole body was shaking. All she wanted to do was get up and cut that dreadful song off, but her body had a mind of its own. In the middle of her panic attack, the song played. Somehow, she only heard bits and pieces, but it was just enough to egg on the fear she held for her future.
My mind would fill with visions, of perfect paradise She spoke about happy endings, of stories not like this She said he'd come to save me, swim through the stormy seas No royal kiss could save me, no magic spell to spin My story ends, as stories do
She told me everything, she said he'd be so nice
He'd ride up on his horse and, take me away one night
I'd be so happy with him, we'd ride clean out of sight
I'd understand the story, it would be good for me
My fantasy is over, my life must now begin
Reality steps into view
No longer living life in paradise - no fairy tales
After the song went off, Bella quickly concentrated on calming down. It took a little longer than she wished, but she finally composed herself. She was happy that no one had walked in on her freaking out. She would never have been able to explain that one away. They would've known immediately that something was horribly wrong and would've started asking questions.
She rushed into the bathroom, replaced the makeup that she had wiped off, turned off the MP3 player, and returned to her seat. Her mind was still a jumbled mess, but she figured that as long as it was jumbled inside and not showing it on the outside, she could do this. She could begin repaying her debt.
Well...I know that you've got to have a thousand questions. Who is he? Why would he have her do that? Does he love her? Is there a happy ending?
Please let me know your questions and your thoughts about my introduction.
Reviewing is better than having Him slaying the dragons, and defeating the evil prince.