A/N: I do not own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does. I do however, own this plot.
CHAPTER TWO
Chapter One-5 Years Later
EPOV
I sat in my office at work just staring at the computer screen. For the past hour, I have looked at the same document over and over. Both Emmett and Jasper told me that I should have taken today off knowing what today was. I looked at the picture of Bella and I that we took at her 21st birthday party. We were happy then. It was the night that I proposed to her. Five years ago today, I was supposed to marry the love of my life, Isabella Swan. I had no idea what happened between the night befpre and when Emmett went to tell the girls that the priest was ready. He told me that she was excited and couldn't wait to get down the aisle, so what happened? We didn't even know that Bella never made it out of her dressing room until Carlisle pulled Jasper aside and gave him the note that she left. I remember that day like it was yesterday.
*Flashback 5 Years Ago*
It was August 13, 2005 and I was getting married. I was nervous and excited at the same time knowing that I was going to be with Bella for the rest of my life. Emmett and Jasper were joking around trying to ease my nerves and it was working. I was glad to have them share this moment with me. Mike Newton and Ben Cheney were also here as my groomsmen. We went to high school together and kept in touch over the years. We were standing just outside the doors of the church waiting for the girls to finish getting ready. My dad, Carlisle Cullen, the most sought after surgeon in New York City, was standing there with my mother, Esme Masen-Cullen, a famous interior designer with smiles on their faces. They were extremely happy for me and I was glad to have them as parents. They had three successful children and were very supportive, the way parents should be. My older brother, Emmett Cullen, the star quarterback for the New York Giants, was married to Rosalie Hale, a professional model and they had a son, Elijah Cullen, who is also my godson. My twin sister, Alice Cullen, a famous fashion designer of her own clothing line called Swan, a joke and dedication to my fiance', Bella, was dating my best friend, Jasper Whitlock, a guitarist with his band, New Moon, for the past three years now and I couldn't be happier for them. The girls walked down the circular stairs and I knew that it was only a matter of time before Bella was walking down the aisle towards me. It little bit of time before I was no longer a single man, but a married one.
Esme asked "Is Bella ready yet?" "She just needed a few more minutes. She's so excited." Angela replied.
I smiled. She was a bunch of nerves just like I was. Twenty minutes passed and Bella had not descended the stairs yet. I knew something was wrong. Jasper read the expression on my face.
"I'll go see if she's ready now. Don't worry, Edward. Everything will be fine." he said.
But he was wrong. Everything was not going to be fine. Everything was a disaster. The best day of my life had turned into my worst nightmare because Bella had left me on our wedding day and I couldn't understand why. Jasper came over to me with a somber look on his face and I knew she was gone.
"I'm sorry, Edward. Bella isn't in her room. She's not even upstairs. There was only this note. Her purse and phone are gone." he said as he handed me the note. I opened it and noticed Bella's handwriting. It read:
Dear Edward,
I am so sorry to have to do this to you, but there is no other choice.. If you want to be with Tanya and have kids with her, then I am giving you the opportunity and freedom to do so. I will not hold you back from your happiness. That is all I want for you, Edward. Please don't try to find me. I will be long gone by the time you read this letter. This is the hardest thing that I will ever have to do in my life, but it is for the best. We won't have a miserable marriage together knowing that you love and want to be with someone else and I won't submit myself to an unfaithful husband. The years that we did have I will never forget and I couldn't ever forget you even if I wanted to. I will always have a part of you with me, in my heart and in my memories. Goodbye, Edward.
With Love,
Isabella Swan
Tears slid down my face as I read the last sentence. Goodbye, Edward. Why would she tell me goodbye? What would make her think that I would want Tanya? I never did. Tanya is just a friend. I love her. My dad grabbed the note from my hand as I roughly pulled on my hair.
"She left him." he told everyone. "She's gone?" Rosalie asked in surprise. "Yeah. She left and I don't have the slightest clue where to start looking for her." Jasper replied. "I don't understand. She was so happy before we came down here. She was ready. She was excited. Why would she just leave?" Jessica asked.
By that time, I had tuned everyone out. I had lost the love of my life and the heartache was nothing compared to what I would feel for the rest of my life. My dad looked at me with pain in his eyes.
"Go, son. Go find her and bring her home. I'll explain to our guests."
*End of Flashback*
For years, I have searched the bottoms of the earth looking for Bella with no luck. There was no trace of her. Tanya was there by my side the entire time being the friend that I needed her to be. Over the years, she became more of a convenience than a companion as we began sleeping together a year ago. Something changed in me the day that Bella left and I have no emotion anymore. I am still hoping that Bella and I can make our way back to each other again. Little did I know, that hope was very near in the future.
