Dishonorable Intentions
Prologue
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. I'm just here to torture them, apparently.
A/N: I'm not going to lie; this prologue is a rough read, despite its length (or lack thereof). I hope you guys like it anyway and wish to continue reading. Thanks for stopping by! Reviews are always appreciated. ;)
Bella Swan's stomach rumbled uncontrollably, protesting from its constant pangs of hunger. Rene would usually give her old leftovers or a stale piece of bread by sunset, but the sun was already below the horizon and Bella remained unfed. Her seven-year-old body was malnourished and her growth was stunted as a result. Bella's ribs were visible and her limbs were so thin she looked sickly. Her hair and skin were even beginning to protest. It was a more-than-dismal situation for such a young child.
Bella's miniscule room was more of a prison cell than anything else. The yellow walls, which were painted in anticipation for Bella's arrival into the world, did not contain a single picture or decoration. There were lighter patches of color where the furniture used to be; but that was from a time when life was still worth living, before Rene went insane with grief from becoming a widow.
With a tiny sigh, Bella glanced at the spot where her toy chest used to reside. She would do anything to be able to play with a toy again, but she really had her heart set on story books. She longed to read stories to escape reality, books like the ones her father read to her when he was still alive. Rene did not allow Bella to have books anymore because she thought they gave children pretentious ideals.
"There are no fucking fairy tale endings, kid," Rene had said. "Get used to it."
Bella curled up on the dirty mattress that served as her bed. It was the only object in the room besides the occasional cockroach or spider. Even though she loathed the filthy mattress, she was thankful she didn't have to sleep on the floor.
The sound of Rene's key unlocking the room door startled Bella to a standing position. She stood up straight and placed her hands on her sides in hopes that her mother would not yell at her for slouching, laying down, or for merely existing.
Rene barged through the unlocked door looking particularly unkempt and smelling of liquor. "'The fuck you standin' like that for?" she slurred.
"I don't know, mam," Bella explained, hoping she would not get slapped for pretending she really didn't know.
To Bella's relief, Rene just rolled her eyes. "You look fuckin' dumb as shit like that. Sit down or somethin', kid."
Bella immediately obeyed. She noticed her mother did not have the food tray that was usually brought up to her by nighttime, and Bella made the mistake of frowning.
"Isabella Maria Swan, you better wipe that motherfuckin' scowl off your shitty little fuckin' face before I do it for you!" Rene screamed as she pointed at Bella.
Bella tried her best to give a blank expression, but she was hungry and absolutely miserable. It was as if the distasteful expression was permanently etched on her face. The more she tried to force it away, the more it fought to stay there.
Without warning, Rene stumbled toward Bella and smacked her mouth forcefully. The sound reverberated throughout the empty room and sounded especially terrible in the silence of their diminutive house. As the sting of Rene's hand became apparent, Bella's lip trembled. She could taste the rusty flavor of her own blood.
"Sorry, mam," Bella said shakily. Her eyes welled up with tears that threatened to spill over at any second.
Even though Bella was famished, she didn't even bother asking her mother for food. It was already clear that Rene had spent the only money she made the night before on booze. Bella would be going to bed hungry and sore.
After what felt like an unpleasant eternity, Rene turned to leave Bella's room. Before she stepped out the door, she turned to her only child and whispered, "If only you would have died instead of Charlie."
With a scowl, Rene stepped out of Bella's room and locked the door behind her.