A/N: Hey guys,I know I'm the worse author ever. I know I've been awful with the updates, but I had a major case of writer's block and I really felt like stopping writing. Some of you were very supportive and that's why this chapter is here today. Hope you like it. Remember it's from after the prologue scene where Edward tells Bella that he's lost the deal.


Recap: "Thank you, Bella," his voice whispered. The melodic rhythm of his breaths made me close my eyes as I rested my head on the chest of the man I loved.

We would get through this together, I vowed and hugged him even tighter if it was possible.

Chapter 26 - Shattered Hearts

Life has a funny way of making you think you've reached your lowest point. It's only when you step back and watch that everything just begins to collapse in front of your eyes.

Maybe it was fate.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem fair.

As if the moment in my office wasn't heart breaking enough…Edward drew back even more. It started out in little ways. I still remembered the night that Edward had lost the deal.

He sat through the night in his study, staring blankly through the crystal glass. The black label of the Jack Daniels mocked me from its place on Edward's desk. Even in the darkest of times, Edward had refused to lean on me.

When he returned to my room in the early hours of dawn, he stumbled against the sofa. And my heart lurched as I quelled the need to help him. I knew that if I tried to help him now, he would despise me because it would hurt his pride. As he turned to the sofa, I couldn't stop myself.

"Edward, come and lie down on the bed with me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady so that it would leave no room for arguing.

Surprisingly, he hadn't refused. Perhaps it was remorse, but whatever it was it made him more agreeable. He lay with his back to me, and I allowed myself to press my palm against his lower back. His warm vitality calmed my mind, so what if he didn't have the deal? He did have me, and I would help him through this just as he had helped me through the most god-awful night of my life.

And while I was reassuring myself, my touch seemed to have the opposite effect on him. He stiffened, his back muscles stretching taut against my palm. I fisted my hand in his shirt, just holding onto it for a moment before whispering, "Not a chance, Edward Cullen," I said, referring to him trying to withdraw. I moved myself towards him until my front was flush with his back, wrapping my arm securely around him. I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against the back of his head, hoping in my mind that he would understand the words behind my actions.

I'm sorry, Edward. I'll always love you.

At times, I really wished there was a way I could help…that I had some knowledge in business to help find a way out of this mess that Aro had made for us.

In what only could be a disaster, the situation went downhill from there. Within days, investors were backing out of Masen & Cullen's corporation. The stock prices plummeted, and Edward grew more haggard. He hardly slept, and neither did I. I lay beside him every night watching him restlessly twist and turn around in the sheets.

Edward's family began questioning him. Francine, his grandmother, definitely didn't go easy on him on the phone. I could tell that just by watching Edward's face; his eyes hardened like cold shards of ice as he listened, and his jaw clenched as he shut the phone forcefully. From what I had gathered, Edward being an adopted child was held to higher ideals than others. Carlisle didn't shy away from expressing his displeasure at the situation either and blamed Edward's temperament for the situation at hand.

A few days later, I came home from work to find a distraught Edward sitting on the dinner table. He had his eyes closed, fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose. I set my purse down, and slid my palms against his shoulders, squeezing them to eliminate some of the strain.

"What's wrong, Edward?" I asked softly. He sighed, letting his head drop against the table. Slightly alarmed, I rubbed his back.

"Talk to me," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"I sold my apartment today," he said dejectedly. I knew Edward held his apartment close to his heart so it came as a shock that he had sold it.

"Why?" I asked, shocked.

"The company is running out of funds. I had no choice. A few months ago, I had decided to take several loans to expand. I figured the deal would help support us if things got tight. Of course, that was before god damn Aro stepped into the picture."

"And so you sold your apartment to pay off those loans," I concluded sadly, realizing that Edward's apartment and furnishings would have cost a small fortune.

Edward looked through the window, his eyes tired. "I didn't have a choice, Bella. Some of those loans were personal loans that I had to take because Francine wouldn't allow me to take them on the company's behalf. She thought of me as incapable.

No surprise there, she guessed correctly," he said disdainfully. "Francine Cullen, the woman who can never be wrong."

"Don't say that," I said, "It wasn't your fault, Edward. The deal was almost finalized. You took a calculated risk, not a stupid one."

He didn't appear to be listening. His eyes were glassy as he stared out the window. "Francine is coming tonight, Bella."

I squeezed my eyes as all the humiliation from her last visit struck me as a tidal wave. Without a thought, my fingers tightened on Edward's shoulders.

"Why?" I asked, angered. The woman couldn't have chosen a worse time. Edward was having a hard enough time as it was.

He placed his hand over mine that was resting on his shoulder. Startled by his voluntary touch, it took me some time to make sense of the words he had said.

"Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure. She's not happy, Bella. "

~x~x~x~x~

Our much awaited guest arrived shortly after nine that night. Throughout the evening, Edward had been quiet, subdued, but that wasn't different from how the past few days had been. Today, he was more resigned as though he was prepared for tonight.

Grudgingly, I opened the door trying to maintain some semblance of a smile.

"Mrs. Masen," I said pleasantly as Francine Masen's sharp green eyes peered at me.

"Bella," she said somewhat dismissively. My anger simmered under the surface as her comments about me from the last time came to mind. She sure had one hell of a complex!

She handed her coat to me, and I mentally rolled my eyes at her rude manner. "Please have a seat. Dinner is ready," I said courteously, trying to play the good host.

"Edward." Her voice was artic as she addressed him. When she took her seat, she stared pointedly at him as she awaited his greeting.

"Francine," Edward replied, the rebellion in his voice loud and clear as he refused to address her as his grandmother.

She gave a sharp laugh, harsh in its undertones. "I see that your manners haven't improved since my last visit."

Edward smiled wryly, but his eyes were bitter. "I'm nothing if not brutally honest."

Francine eyes glittered under the overhead lamp. "And you'd be nothing if it weren't for me and your mother."

Feeling that the situation was spiralling out of control, I intervened abruptly. "Dinner is ready!" I said a little too brightly. "Mrs. Cullen, I hope you have brought an appetite."

However, Edward and Francine weren't paying attention. Rather they were silently glaring at each other.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Thank the Lord for that. I had made sure the beef chilli was nice and hot so that Francine wouldn't complain about the food being cold. In my heart, I really, really hoped she would burn her mouth.

Edward continued to eye Francine as he drank his red wine slowly. Francine ignored him, zeroing in on me.

"So Bella, I heard you got a job?" Francine said, a smile curling on her darkly painted lips.

"Yes, one at the library nearby. I'm the librarian's assistant," I said hesitantly.

Francine choked on her wine. "Is this your idea of a joke?" She asked.

When I gave her a deliberate glance, she stared at me for a whole second before letting out a degrading laugh.

"Edward Cullen's wife accepts an assistant's job at a lowly library!" She said humorously, then turned to Edward and said, "She's definitely not what I had in mind for you, Edward."

This time I didn't wait for Edward to speak me. "That's enough," I said quietly.

Francine's eyes flared. "Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?"

"She's my wife," Edward said, staring at Francine as he swirled the red wine in his glass.

She turned her focus back to me, "Wife," she scoffed. "I can see how much your wife values our respect in the society. At the very least she could have taken a job at a worthy place."

"The job at the library is very rewarding," I retorted instantly, my mind flitting to the images of the young children eagerly peering at me.

Francine laughed condescendingly, "So naïve," she said before snapping at me, "You should have joined the company, that way maybe you could have stopped Edward from committing such a monumental mistake."

Edward sat up suddenly, and I pressed my hand against his thigh under the table. I stared at Francine sternly and in a calm voice said, "Edward is completely capable of making decisions for the company."

Edward silently glowered at Francine. He leaned in menacingly, eyes narrowed at Francine.

"Cut the crap. Why are you here?" He asked with no pretense whatsoever.

Unfazed, Francine folded her arms. "You disgust me, Edward."

Edward didn't miss a beat. "Answer the question."

"Making you the CEO of Masen & Cullen was the worst decision I could have ever made. I'm here to fix my mistake," she said coldly, her face frigid with disgust.

My heart dropped in my stomach. I felt sick as I grasped the meaning behind her words. She was firing Edward. The implications were so horrifying, I had to close my eyes to hold my composure.

"You are the most ungrateful person I have ever met. It's a pity to see Elizabeth's sacrifices going to waste," she said, her words laced with hatred.

I was shocked by how ruthless Francine Masen could be. Struck by Edward's silence, I turned towards him expecting to find him hurt, crushed by Francine's harsh words. But I was wrong. His jaw was clenched, eyes hard as stone as he stared at Francine.

"Thank you, Francine," he said, his voice bitter. "Thank you for reminding me once again that I never was a part of this family."

Francine angered by his manner, stood up abruptly, "If it were for me Edward, you would have never been a part of my family. And if Elizabeth would have listened to me, you would have never been part of this world," she said bitterly.

Unable to hear further, I quelled the urge to block my ears. "Francine, stop it," I said forcefully.

Her green eyes burned with ferocity, "I won't. You've pushed me too far this time, Edward. Get out of this house. And take your poor excuse of a wife with you." I had always known that Francine was the owner of Masen & Cullen corportation and the house, but I had never imagined that she would ever turn on Edward the way she had.

Edward stood up and threw his glass of red wine on the polished wood floor, the sound of breaking glass becoming a reflection of his anger.

Eyes dark with contempt, Francine spoke harshly, "Your time at Masen & Cullen is over, Edward. As the owner of the company, I officially dismiss you from your position."

My eyes teared up at the animosity in the room, but Edward stood tall, unwilling to submit to the cruelty of Francine Masen.

It was in this moment that I realized that everything I had known was about to change. Not only had Edward lost his job of ten years, but we had also lost our home.

~x~x~x~x~

The hum of the car was the only sound as we rode in silence. Edward broodingly stared through the window as he gently steered the car through the streets of New York.

"What now?" I asked somewhat hoarsely, disturbed by his indifferent manner.

Edward tightened his hands on the steering wheel before speaking quietly, "I don't know, Bella. Maybe Franco will have some answers for us."

Franco may have been Edward's mentor through the years, but I doubted he would have a hopeful answer for us today.

Frustrated by Edward's unperturbed and reclusive manner, I spoke abruptly, "How can you be so calm after what happened?!"

Edward's tired eyes turned to me, and he sighed. "Bella, Francine's behavior wasn't a surprise to me. She has always been very clear on how she feels about me."

"I hate her," I said, overcome by emotion. "No child deserves to be adopted into such a family."

"Well, the circumstances under which I was adopted were less than ideal so the family's bitterness is to be expected."

"What circumstances?" I probed gently, hoping he would reveal more of himself to me.

"It's all in the past. It doesn't matter now," Edward said, shaking his head.

Oh Edward, when will you ever share your story with me, I thought sadly, turning to stare outside the window, trying to lose myself in New York's traffic.

I leaned against the light post in front of Franco's lawn as Edward relayed the story to Franco.

Franco ran a head over his shaved head. "I can't believe Francine's guts. Unbelievable," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"If I could, I would have resigned right now, Edward," he said, looking at Edward through sincere eyes, "but I can't afford it. I need the money for Genelia's hospital bills."

Edward leaned back against his car, a dark shadow crossing his face. "Franco, you know I would never ask anything like that from you. You know me better than that," he said, a hint of hurt ran deep in his voice.

"Just tell me what to do. Just do what you've always done," Edward continued, looking down at his hands.

Franco moved in front of Edward and placed his hands on Edward's shoulders. "Regardless of what Francine says, I've always believed you. No matter what I'll always be behind you, and you know that," he paused, letting the thought set in. "That deal was ours. It's not your fault that Aro came in and destroyed the picture."

"I keep fucking everything up," Edward said, running his hands through his hair agitatedly.

"It's not you, it's your past. This is such a mess."

Edward smiled wryly, "Well, that's my life for you."

"Man, let's turn in for today. I think you've had enough for today. " Franco said, squeezing Edward's shoulders. "You know this is your home so please don't leave. Stay for however long you want."

Edward shook his head grimly, "No Franco, it's not right. You don't need more problems than you already have."

"What nonsense," Franco said angrily. "I think of you like my own son, and I'll be damned if I have to request you again."

"Franco-" Edward began, ready to protest, but Franco raised his hand.

"You and Bella can take the room on the lower floor," he said firmly, leaving no room for an argument.

As he walked back to the entrance, he stopped by me. He stared at me for a minute before speaking in a hushed voice, "Trust me, Bella. He's better off without them. They never understood or accepted him."

I didn't say anything, after all what could I say? There was nothing I could do. For God's sake I didn't even understand why the Cullens hated Edward so much. I sighed, starting to walk behind Franco. I stopped, then turned back to Edward. "You coming?" I asked.

He muttered something before following me inside.

Franco lived in a small, two-storey house that was comfortable and cozy. I wished that the circumstances under which I first visited Franco's house were different, but life rarely took the path we wanted it to. This night, like many others, was restless. It was hard to sleep when there were so many troubles looming over us.

As I woke up the next morning, I spread my hand against the cool sheets in search of Edward. When I didn't feel him beside me, my eyes opened, searching for him. I found him sitting on the foot of the bed with a newspaper, a pen carefully poised in his hand.

At the look of concentration on his face, I asked, "What are you doing?"

He looked up, staring at me seriously. "Looking for a job," he said firmly. I did a double take. "What?"

Looking at the perturbed look on my face, he said, "Bella, I need a job, I'm practically bankrupt. Franco is kind to us, but we can't stay here forever."

"Edward, I have some savings from my previous jobs -" I started to say more, but Edward shook his head.

"You can't pay for my mistakes. I need to fix this myself," he said.

I glared at him, "Just because I'm a woman you won't accept money from me?"

"It's not that, Bella. I can handle this, trust me. I don't want you to spend your money on this of all things. Not this way. I have a few contacts that owe me a favor," he said.

"You're going to work under people who used to work for you?" I asked, feeling a pang of pain for the hardships Edward was willing to go through.

Edward smiled at me, and I knew it was a smile to pacify me. "It can't be that bad."

But it was. Edward had been wrong.

As if it wasn't bad enough watching Edward come home dismayed for the next 4 days, the fifth day hadn't been fruitless. Edward had been a hired as an office clerk by none other than Aro Volturi.

It was worse than any nightmare I had ever had. Aro had quite expertly manipulated the other companies, effectively preventing them from giving Edward a job. The cost was simple, giving a job to Edward meant being banished from Aro's prosperous business empire forever.

Edward hadn't stood a chance. I didn't know whether to be thankful or to cry in pain. The sheer cruelty of their relationship, whatever it was, scared me. It was degrading and spiteful on Aro's part, but heart-searingly painful on Edward's.

"Give it up!" I shouted in despair as Edward returned back home on his third day of work. "You don't need this job, Edward. We'll leave New York."

Edward shook his head at me, tired and defeated. "It's the only way I know, Bella," he said quietly, squeezing my hand. "It's late, get some sleep," he said, kissing my forehead before heading toward our room.

Franco lips tightened in anger as he stared at Edward's retreating back. Turning to him, I begged him with my eyes. "There must be something you can do?" I asked, tears of frustration crowding my eyes as I imagined all the verbal hell Aro was probably giving to Edward.

Franco stared at me sadly, "I'm sorry, Bella. My hands are tied, there's nothing I can do."

That wasn't the end of it. Not by far. A few days later, I was sitting out on the porch, waiting at midnight because Edward still wasn't home. I shuddered in the cold breeze that blew along the street.

A creak sounded against the gate, and I surged to my feet as Edward's dark figure stumbled in.

"Edward!" I shouted, running to help him. He laughed, raising his hand as I reached out.

"I'm fine," he slurred.

I stepped back, stung. He was drunk. Here I was waiting, worrying about him and he had been drinking away, not even thinking to call to let me know he was okay.

"You're drunk," I said, stating the obvious.

"Yes, I'm drunk. So very drunk," he said, tripping over his words. As he appeared under the porch light, I noticed he had split lip. My hand automatically rubbed over the bruised lip.

"What happened?" I asked, all the anger vanishing, replaced by nothing except immense worry.

Edward grasped my hand lightly, kissing my fingers. "You're so beautiful," he said, whispering the words against my fingers. My heart melted with sadness at his words. It was clear that he had gotten into a fight, but the Edward I knew would never initiate a brawl on his own.

No, this was all Aro's fault.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Edward?" I asked, my voice trembling with anguish of the past few days.

"Don't cry my beautiful girl," Edward whispered, his uncoordinated arms moving clumsily to embrace me.

"Don't do this to yourself, please," I said, shedding tears over him knowing well that he was beyond comprehension. He was losing control. And I was losing him.

And there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

~x~x~x~x~

Edward had apologized profusely for his behavior. I had forgiven him of course. I couldn't blame him even though I wanted to. The coldness and bad blood in the family were responsible for his current situation. He had every right to resent them. It would be so much easier to deal with his anger.

I wished he was angry, mad, anything was better than this silent indifference. It was eating him alive, his frustration was being replaced by bleak acceptance. He had loved challenges, I had seen him in breathtaking authority, the sheer power of it mesmerizing all those around him, but that brightness was dimming with every passing day.

He pushed away his half eaten breakfast as he stood up. He smiled lightly at me, but all I saw were purple shadows under his eyes against his pale skin. I was amazed by his strength, or maybe it was his tenacity, his stubbornness. How taut could he let himself stretch before he would snap?

Coming around, he kissed my forehead. "I'll be late because of the office gathering tonight. Don't stay up waiting for me," he said, even though we both knew that wasn't going to happen.

That evening I came home to quiet house, Franco wasn't home because he was at work. I had felt slightly hurt that Edward hadn't asked me to join him tonight. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It would be hard enough for him, a former CEO, to be present as an ordinary clerk. Add to it Aro's condescending nature and it was a recipe for disaster. I shuddered, hoping he wouldn't run into trouble tonight. The last thing he needed was for his wife to witness his humiliation.

Picking up a Kristin Hannah book, I crawled into a fluffy chair, settling in for another long night. A very unpleasant night by the looks of it, I thought, shuddering as the rain and thunder began to brew a storm.

Around 10 p.m., the phone rang. I rushed to pick it up. "Hello?" I said, feeling my heart beating against my chest.

"Bella, it's Tanya." Her voice was slightly frantic, my breath quickened as I thought of the man we both loved.

"Edward's in trouble. You need to go pick him up from Roosvelt Hotel at the corner of Madison Avenue."

"What? Why…why didn't he call?" I stumbled over my words, confusion, anger, fear, worry fighting inside me.

"I don't know, Bella. I can't make it, I'm out of city. I can't be there. Go get him," she said hoarsely, and I realized that her feelings for Edward were still etched deep.

I hung up without another word. I dragged on my coat over my knee-length nightgown, rushing outside. I froze at the scene in front of me, freezing rain in a dark night. I clawed at my hair, the memories fighting to rise to the surface.

I cried out in pain, in agony, in sheer desperation…how much could I endure? Where did my misgivings end? Pushing my hand into the closet, I grabbed an umbrella, running out the house.

I tried to hail a cab but it was pointless, the weather was too harsh. I clenched and relaxed my hands against the umbrella handle, a useless exercise to calm myself. Perhaps there was someone up in the heavens and a cab mercifully stopped. Steeling myself, I scooted in, my heart beating a fast tattoo in fear of getting in the cab with an unknown stranger.

To my surprise, the driver was a young, pretty dark woman. "Where are we going, sista?" She asked and I took a deep cleansing breath.

"Roosevelt hotel," I said, wiping both the rain and tears from my face.

"Bad boyfriend?" The driver asked with pity in her eyes.

I shook my head, unable to say anything as I clung to my collar trying to ease my breathing.

Just as I stepped outside the cab, Edward fell face first near my feet.

"Edward," I cried, getting down on my knees to help him. My heart stopped as I began to fear that he had begun to drink again.

"Bella," Edward said, his eyes staring at me in bewilderment. He was sober, perhaps that hurt even more. His face was bruised, bloodied, a black shadow blooming around one of his eyes.

"You shouldn't have come," Edward said sadly, getting up but his clothes were dirty, his pants torn on one of the knees.

Then, one person I never expected to see, stepped out from the shadows, Rosalie. She was glamorous, dazzling as always…but still malicious. Her ruby red lips curved up in a wicked smile.

"Bella." She said sweetly. Edward turned and glared at her, "Rosalie not now," he said angrily, then more softly added, "Please."

She avoided his comment. "You know, Bella, I've always been envious of you. You've always been so good with Jazz, and then there was Edward," she said, letting out a short laugh.

Her voice turned low, a deadly whisper. "But now I pity you. You've lost Jazz already. And now you have this Edward," she paused, sending a demeaning smile towards Edward before she zeroed in on me.

"Even my PA earns more than him." She tsked and said, "What a shame."

I remained silent, her words were like spears against my heart. "It's a good thing you came here. Poor Edward," she said, running one red painted nail against his cheek, which he angrily shoved away. "He had to be kicked out for the brawl he was starting. Everyone knows what happens to those who mess with the boss." She laughed loudly, and it hurt so much, I dug my nails into my palm.

"Well, I better return. After all, the night is still young. I'd wish you both a good night but I know better," she said with faux sadness before disappearing through the door.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Edward said, his eyes low, his voice filled with shame.

Without a word, I began walking. Edward quickly caught up, grasping at my elbow.

"Stop. You're getting soaked." Shrugging out of his grasp, I continued to walk, the rain saturating through my coat and nightgown.

"I'm so sorry" he said, repentant. "Bella, please, you hate nights with rain. Please stop, I'll call a cab."

I didn't say anything, and continued to walk. He caught up, stepping in front of me, blocking my path. "Don't punish me like this, please," he said, his voice as pained as his eyes.

"And what about me, Edward?" I asked, tears springing to my eyes. "Don't you think it hurts me to see you doing this to yourself?"

"You're hurting me more than this rain ever could," I cried. "I'm in pain, Don't you see it, Edward?" I asked, clutching my throat. "I can't breathe. It hurts so much."

The tears and rain blurred my sight. Edward's trembling hands grasped my face. "Please don't cry, Bella," Edward said shakily.

Rendered unable to speak, I just shook my head as the tears streamed down my face.

"I'll- I'll do whatever you say. We'll leave New York. Just please, please stop crying," he said, his fingers shaking as he wiped my face. His battered, bruised face brought on a new string of tears. Tears for myself, tears for him, tears for all this unfairness.

"Maybe you were right. Maybe we just aren't meant to be," I cried, clamping a hand against my mouth to stop my sobs.

Edward looked agonized, pulling his hair with both his hands as though he couldn't quite understand what to do. Tears glittered in his eyes as he grasped the meaning of my words.

He suddenly dropped to his knees, grasping my thighs with his arms, pressing his face against my thighs. He didn't care that it was freezing, and the rain was pounding hard on us. His voice was hoarse with emotion when he spoke next, his words so strong that I nearly staggered with their force.

"Please don't do this, Bella. I can't let you go," he said brokenly, "I love you far too much."


A/N: So there, yes, that was probably the worst of the angst. In case you forgot, Rosalie was Jazz's sister, she's always had a strained relationship with him and she has always wanted to be with Edward. Franco works for the Cullens and helped raise Edward.

Forgive for any business based mistakes, I really have no knowledge of how these things work. I think we have about 5 more chapters to the end.

If you read this, please do review. I love feedback. It always keeps me going. Thanks for reading guys! See you soon.