A/N: Here is the next chapter!

Thanks to everybody reading, reviewing and putting the story on alert!

Big, big thanks go out to my lovely betas Jennrosee and BelleDuJour for putting so much work into cleaning up my chapters!

On with the show...

(Edit 04/27/2013)


Bella

"How dare you?!" Carlisle seethed at me.

"How dare you come into my home all high and mighty and threaten me? By the way, nice stories you made up there in the end. But now let me tell you this, Carlisle; there isn't anything in this world I wouldn't do to protect my family and especially my daughter! If you really plan to stoop so low and take a little girl away from her mother by telling filthy lies, then be warned 'cuz I may have some true stories to tell about you!

"Oh please, you don't have shit to tell about us!". Alice huffed.

"You sure about that? Just because I don't go strutting around all high and lay other people's shit bare like you or any other spiteful bitch that can't mind her own business, doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two!" I leaned against the counter behind me.

"Well then please, precious Isabella, why don't you enlighten us?" She placed her hands on her hips, showing off her manicured fingernails and looked expectantly at me.

I pointed at Emmett."Arrested two times for driving under the influence of alcohol when he was eighteen, one crash included. Nobody was injured but the Mercedes was never the same again." I was surprised by how calm and neutral I manged to sound all of a sudden, especially seeing as I was jittering on the inside.

Emmett's head dropped slightly, but I brought my attention to Carlisle. "You know, I always wondered how you were able to talk down to me all the time about my 'white trash, working class' background and accuse me of being a gold-digger when you married one yourself! What do you have to say about that, Mrs. Cullen, nee Masen. Or shall I say Platt?"

Several eyes widened as my last statement echoed around the room.

"You, Mrs. Cullen, are a fucking hypocrite!" I took another sip of my water, wishing fo it to be whiskey or vodka - something strong - instead, but then continued with my eyes glued on Esme. "Isn't it kind of funny how someone who was born in a shitty part of Detroit, who was raised along with her younger sister by only her mother, since her father went for the hills to do God-knows-what when she was only eight years old, can years later horribly treat a young girl with a similar background? One would think that someone whose in-laws had given her a hard time about her origin and 'inadequate social status' would show a bit of compassion for that young girl instead of treating her the same way!"

My cool was gone again then; bitterness was coming off of me in waves, and I cursed myself out mentally for showing vulnerability in front of them, yet again, but I continued nevertheless. "But not you, Esme. No, you used every chance you got to show me how inadequate I was and how much better your precious and impeccable son could do! What a joke!"

I took a deep breath and then looked at Alice, " What about you, hmm? Stabbed any car tires or spread filthy rumors recently? Have you enjoyed any nose candy lately or starred in any home videos? I let the words hang between us barely long enough to sink in. "Video must be some kind of family thing, hmm?" I trailed of at the end, putting on a bit of a show, elongating the grand finale as well as the chance to revel in the perverse satisfaction that my sharp retorts brought me."

I noticed that while I held my little speech of revelations, the eyes of the others widened a bit more with every word I had said. Obviously, they were either shocked by the fact that I knew about their little secrets, or rendered speechless since they probably didn't know about some things themselves. Or both...

But ever since I mentioned the videos, their heads repeatedly turned from me to Alice and back in confusion. The only one that appeared somewhat composed was Carlisle, but he looked slightly confused about my last jibe, too.

"Tell me, Alice – would you prefer that I tell the story about how you got your Porsche or do you want to do that yourself? Please tell me you actually got the damn car – it would be quite tragic if you didn't. I mean, what's the point of blackmailing if you can't get anything out of it, right?" My voice was laced with sarcasm as I stared her down.

And for the first time ever, Alice appeared to be slightly insecure and at a loss for words. "You..knew?" was the only thing she could get out.

"What do you think?" Somewhere in the back of my mind, a tiny voice was telling me that the artificial armor of strength and indifference was starting to crack, but I just couldn't back down or retreat now. I had to hold on for a little while longer. "So, what's it gonna be?"

"Alice, what in God's name is she talking about?" Esme asked.

When Alice remained silent, I answered for her. " I don't know all the details, but it seems that your golden boy of a son decided to have a little bit of fun with Tanya and Irina Denali the night of their infamous party...and they taped it."

I tried my best to ignore the stinging ache in my heart and guts as much as I tried not to relieve the memory. "It seems that somehow, Alice found out and confronted Edward about it. Or better to say, she basically blackmailed him into buying the fucking car of her dreams and in return, she would make sure that no one would ever got to know about it – least of all me."

It apparently took the Cullens a few moments to digest what I just revealed to them. The silence didn't last long, though. I turned around, refilled my glass with water and tuned the chastisement or whatever it was she received from her aunt and uncle as best as I could until they quieted down some again.

"You know, Esme," I started as I turned back around to face the home intruders, " you were right – Tanya and-slash-or Irina are a way better catch than I could have ever been. You must be so proud! After all the times you tried to persuade him to make one of them his girlfriend, to hear that he eventually gave in and listened... Must be a dream come true."

My voice was breaking at the end and I had to swallow down the lump in my throat twice.

"How much?"

My attempt at composing myself was interrupted by Carlisle's words. "Pardon, what?" Surely he couldn't have asked what I thought he did, could he.

It only took him a few seconds to answer my silent question. "How much money do you demand to keep quiet about everything you kn-"

I yelled at the top of my lungs. "For fuck's sake - if I hear the words 'money' and 'pay' from you ever again, I'm gonna strangle you! Don't you fucking get it? I don't want your stupid money. Never did. I hate it as much as I hate you and your family of fuck-ups! It's tainted – just like you all." I gasped for a breath before I continued to get things off my chest I had never dared to spit into their faces before. "Maybe you can buy other people, but you sure as hell can't buy me! And now get the fuck out of my home, and don't you dare to ever come back. You are not welcome here. LEAVE!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" a velvety and painfully familiar voice asked in bewilderment.

My heart stopped beating and all air left my lungs as I realized he was actually here in my apartment.

Please, no... Why can't I seem to get a break?

I couldn't help but look at him. It was hard to believe how much he had changed physically and yet seemed to look exactly like he did back then.

When he was still my Edward. When I was captured by his spell with just one look.

He was looking at me, too. His eyes...God, his eyes! They were just like the once I lovingly looked into every day for the past five years, and yet they were completely different.

But then I felt the tugging in my gut again; the awful sensation I felt every time memories came crawling back to the surface. And just like that, his spell upon me was broken. I had to look away so that the anger could return.

As I stood there, in a space too small for so many people, people I hadn't had to see for so many years, I felt like I was going to explode. My breathing was heavy, the adrenalin was pumping almost violently through my veins. My heart was beating way too fast and I could feel myself starting to sweat slightly from the exertion of holding myself back.

My hands were balled into fists, my teeth grinding against each other almost painfully. With every second that passed it got harder and harder to not lash out. Again.

I knew that hate was a strong word, and I was not a person to use such a word lightly, but I could safely say that I hated every damn person in the room. Well, with the exception of the two I just met—though the company they kept was enough to at least instantly dislike them—and myself. I was disappointed in myself for once being a naïve girl that believed in fairy tales, but I did not hate myself.

But out of all the hated faces in that room, one in particular stands out. I tried my best to avoid looking at him again, but my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own. Taking a glance at the group of self-invited visitors, I found most of them looking from him to me and back again, awaiting our reaction. On their own accord, my eyes settled back on the one person that almost destroyed me.

My traitorous eyes hould have known better.

My body´s inner riot increased tenfold, making the pain and anger practically unbearable. Tears are forming in my eyes, and I definitely hated myself for that – for showing weakness in front of the bloodhounds. But this time, unlike all the other times before when I cried from hurt, disappointment, betrayal or simply pain, this time I cried from fury.

Everything, even all the memories and emotions I managed to choke down earlier, was ripping through my body now, causing me to almost screech out from the overwhelming pain. And he was the one to blame. All the pain caused by the others pales in contrast to the pain and heartbreak that he had brought upon me.

My body shook from my attempt to not freak out, or worse, to break down. But I know that it's only a matter of time. There's only so much a person could take and my limit was reached; I was one wrong word, movement or glance from anyone here in the room short of seeing red.

The tension was palpable and everybody seemed to feel it, too. Everybody but one.

"Bella...," he whispered softly, astonished and somewhat confused.

And that single word was enough for me to snap.

The glass I had held in my hand was slammed against the wall to my right. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FUCKING HOME! Right now, all of you. Get out!"

They had to go. They had been here for way too long and I couldn't any more...not now that he was here, too. Frantically, I looked around for my phone but couldn't find it.

"I'm not leaving before somebody tells what the fuck is going on here!" Edward said with determination. "Why the hell are you here?"

I couldn't tell if he was talking to me or someone else, and I didn't care – I just wanted them gone.

Forever.

As I could finally make out my phone laying on the table in front of my couch, I noticed that Alice dragged Edward over to the same wall Carlisle and Esme had stood in front of earlier.

"It seems that little Isabella has a wee little secret-", Alice started in a matter-of-fact voice but was cut off when several voices, mine included, yelled out at once. "ALICE!"

That was it! That was the last straw.

I stomped over to where she was standing and yanked on her arm, forcing her to face me. "What the fuck is your problem, you stupid bitch? Haven't you done enough already? Do you get off on bringing other people pain and misery? What have I ever done for you to treat me like shit?" I shoved her away from me a bit. "Huh? What is it? Tell me!"

A pair of strong and way too familiar arms encircled me from behind, holding me back but igniting the raging fire within me even further.

"Get your fucking hands off of me right now, Edward, or I swear I'll fucking castrate you!" I jabbed my elbows back into his abdomen with force until he let go of me. Immediately, I lunged for Alice again.

I had startled her a moment ago, but now she looked just as furious as me. "You know what you did, you cheating bitch!" she sneered at me.

"No, I don't! And don't you dare insult me by comparing me to the likes of your cousin! Unlike him, I've always been faithful!" I spat and took another step toward her.

"That's not what half the male student's at Masen's said though, and it's certainly not what Brandon Evanson said!" she screamed back with a fire rivaling my own.

I was confused about what she said for a second, but then her words settled in and I understood...kind of.

My hands were balled to fists again, "Is that it? Is that all you've got? I went through hell and back because of you and your family! Are you telling me that you acted out of jealousy? Jealousy without cause because nothing ever happened with anyone beside the cheating little shit behind me! Everything you all made me go through...it damn near killed me, and for what? Because a stupid little girl didn't get her way!Because she couldn't get enough attention even though everybody was practically laying at her feet? Are you really that heinous and pathetic? Answer me for fuck's sake; are you really that pathetic?"

My eyes were watering quickly, and I knew I had to bring it to an end. " You know, I despised you before...but there aren't any words for what I feel now."

I turned around and faced the remaining Cullens, Rosalie, and Jasper without actually looking at them. The bile was rising in my mouth, and I felt dizzy. "Isn't your family-in-law just lovely?" I addressed Rosalie.

I took a few steps toward the door when a thought—an impulse—crossed me, causing me to turn back around. " Oh, and Alice...?" Before I could really process my intended action, my flat hand had already made contact with the side of her face. Wrapping both my arms tightly around my torso, trying to rub the sting out of my pulsating palm, I finally, finally made it toward my apartment door.

My back was to them, my voice flat and eerily calm. Drained."The freak show is over. You have five minutes to leave. When I come back, I want you all gone. If even one of you is still present, or I find so much as any kind of evidence that you had been here at all, I'm gonna call the cops and tell them everything. Everything. Don't ever dare to come back again!"

A gossamer string of strength was left in me and it was dwindling down with every step I took along the hallway over to the staircase. I was falling apart and there was nothing I could do to prevent it.

Everything, every cruel memory, every good memory, all the pain they caused me, everything that happened and was revealed today, crashed down on me like an avalanche.

I swayed as I took the first steps. I couldn't breathe. I was in pain. Tears were streaming down my face; my vision was blurry. It was too much.

And it all came out as I vomited all over the staircase.


Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Edward's up next. Let's see what he has to say...

Thanks for reading.

-Sue