A/N: My last story, Love Can Be Harsh, didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. So here, I'm starting a new one. It's VERY similar to LCBH, except the plot is slightly different. Bella is adopted, deaf in one ear, and her sister is Jessica who is mean to her. 'Nuff said. Anyways, sorry to those readers who came here from LCBH, I know I haven't updated in FOREVER. I know there's no excuse, but mine is I've been trying to come up with a chapter that fits. I've written a chapter, and then deleted it, and written one again, until I finally gave up and decided to write a new one. I need a beta for this story, so I'm begging al you betas out there to give me a hand. Thanks for your support! Here goes…

**~Prologue~**

My name is Isabella Swan, and I am 17 years old. I've never been loved in all the 17 years that I've been alive.

Well, make it 16.9999999 years. There was a time when I had been loved and adored, a time when I had parents who actually called me their daughter. There was a time when I had been thought of as a gift instead of a pest, a treasure instead of trash.

They had loved me despite the fact that I was deaf in one ear and was born premature. But all that was gone now. Now, I had nobody.

My parents had died in a car crash, bringing me home from the hospital. I was forced upon my aunt and uncle and cousin, since they were my only living relatives. From the moment I entered their door, I've never been loved.

Until I met Edward Masen.

I sipped my cappuccino and shot a glance at Jessica. The sun glinted off her blond hair. She was wearing a pretty white blouse, and a mini skirt so short you could almost see her underwear and a small Gucci bag hung off her forearm. She was sipping at her nonfat and sugar free coffee, even though she was so thin I swear a really strong gust of wind could blow her away (although the heap of jewelry she always has on her probably adds around 15 pounds or so) Her face was covered in makeup and she was ogling a couple of boys standing a few feet away from us. Typical Jessica.

She caught be staring at her and smirked. "You have coffee on your shirt."

I glanced down at my light pink t-shirt and blushed. Brown splotches were sprinkled across the fabric. I was complete opposite of my sister, Jessica. Actually, Jessica was my cousin, but since I had been adopted by her parents for about as long as I've been alive, I see her as my sister.

While Jess was a real-world Sleeping Beauty, I was more like Alvin the Chipmunk. I wasn't ugly, but I'm not pretty, either.

I tried to rub the coffee stains off the shirt, but of course it didn't work. I sighed. Another shirt ruined. I rolled my eyes as Jessica stood up to flirt with Pretty Boy.

I glanced out across the lake, its bank only a few feet away from the outdoor café. The blue water sparkled as it reflected light from the sun, and high arched bridge spanned across its width. Only one person was walking across it.

Bored, I trained my eyes on the person as he walked across the bridge. Suddenly he tripped over something, and fell into the water.

"Oh my god!" I screamed, looking around wildly. I was the only person who had seen the person fall. I held my breath and waited, looking anxiously over the water.

He never resurfaced.

Panic rising in my chest, I dove into the water. I swam towards the place where I had last seen him fall. Not seeing him anywhere, I took a deep breath, and dove under the water.

I tried my best to keep my eyes open. Squinting, I spotted a dark shape through the murky water. I reached out for I and my hand came in contact with a body. Struggling, I pulled it towards the surface. His breathing was ragged and he clung to my arm tightly. I swam towards the bank, my legs feeling like lead and my arms feeling like it was on fire. I could hardly hear anything; my good ear was filled with water. What seemed like eons later, I reached land, dragging the person along with me. He lay on his stomach on the grass, coughing and spluttering. I collapsed next to him, breathing fast and heavy.

"Sir?" I gasped. "Sir, are you okay?" He nodded, still coughing. I couldn't see his face- all I could see was that he had broad shoulders and he had messy copper hair. I got onto my feet and helped him up.

My heart started to pound as soon as I saw his face. He was an angel on earth, his messy hair soaked with water. He had a beautiful jaw, and his lips were plump and full.

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "What's your name?" I asked.

My heart beat impossibly faster as he lifted his head, his green eyes boring into mine. My breath caught as he flashed me a crooked grin.

"Edward. Edward Masen."

And from that moment, my life would never be the same again.

A/N: Sorry that there might be a couple of errors-I'm exhausted and have been writing for 3 hours straight, and it's nearly midnight. Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review so I didn't write a whole entire chapter in one day for nothing!