A/N: Another new story! This one's been playing around in my head for awhile and I was working it out in my head with some logistics to make the plot seem feasible.

Here's my attempt though at getting it started.

Summary:

AH, OOC; It's been five years since Bella left behind the hell-scape that was Forks High School. She transformed from once being to a shy, awkward, weak girl that was picked on mercilessly for years - into a strong confident and gorgeous model for Victoria's Secret. Life has been blessed for the young woman with high end fashion, a stable career, adoring fans and being the center of attention in all of the magazines and tabloids. However, the past comes knocking on her door in the form of an invitation to go back for a month long five year high school reunion. Bella would've almost passed on going if not for the fact that she's ready to dish out some overdue payback to the ones that made her teen years miserable. Just what will happen when she returns and has a run in with her long-term crush? Will she be able to get her past tormentors to see the errors in their ways? And what about the twist of the fact Bella's got a daughter?

Rated T to M, but it'll be T for now.

It's a payback story with a bit of a twist.

Lets get to it.

Payback's a Bitch

Prologue

Bella

"Ms. Marie-Belle!" I looked up from my vanity when I heard one of the stylists call for me. She was a thin young woman with russet skin, long black hair pulled back into a tight braid and her brown eyes were searching through the hoard of models and frantic stylists surrounding the backstage area. She had a long tape measure slung over her shoulders, with a hanger that held my ensemble in one of her hands and a small iPad in her other hand. When she twisted her head around and then finally spotted me, I could see three long scars that marred her pretty face.

"There you are!" the woman cried and squeezed her way over to me.

"Emily where's the fire? I've been waiting to get finished in getting ready before the show starts up." I told her over the loud hollering and shouting ongoing back here, where after Emily stopped beside me she handed me my outfit and rolled her eyes at me.

"Well I knew that but last I saw you was by the doors to the bathrooms. It's whatever, just hurry up in getting dressed since you're still going to be the first one out on the catwalk." Emily ordered me before blowing me an air kiss and then whirling around to hurry back into the throng of models. I waved her worry off and then picked up my outfit on the hanger she handed me. I thoroughly loved the style of it and then picking it up I went to my personal dressing room, making sure my silky hot pink robe was tight around my body while I tried to keep my toes safe from the other models' high heeled shoes. I had my high heels waiting for me back in my room.

Guess you're wondering who exactly am I? I'll let you know now - I'm some big time top model that's here in New York city working as a Victoria's Secret model. We had a show tonight that was going to be showing off Victoria's* early release of her fall collection, and I was set to be the starring model in showing some of her favorite works that she wanted to really push to the forefront of the market. I've been working with VS for roughly four years, which I've been the head model for most if not all the shoes. Victoria herself had a sweet spot for me soon as I came onto the team, but even more so because - here's a shocker - I was a young mom. But, let me just back up a bit before we get to that.

You see, five years ago I was just a senior student in a nothing town called Forks, residing in Washington. I was born and raised as Isabella Marie Swan, daughter to my mom Renee and my dad Charlie. My dad's a bit older than my mom, only by a few years. They had met each other sporadically when my mom was visiting Washington DC years and years back - guess I should say my mom did some light modeling back then and was on a special vacation with some of her model friends. When out at a café, she met my dad - a former agent of the CIA. It may sound so crazy and far-fetched to believe that my mom the model and my dad the ex-CIA agent, had a chance meeting while out one day - and as soon as their eyes locked, they were both immediately smitten with each other. It had been a whirlwind romance between the two of them, where my dad tried his hardest to woo her while busy with work. She was going to different places across the country at the time but she had confided in her friends that she couldn't stop thinking about my dad. When my dad had went to one of her shows, he managed to meet her and they exchanged numbers when they realized that their feelings for one another were mutually shared - and basically the rest is history. My dad left the CIA while my mom retired from being a model, where she followed my dad to little Forks while they were dating - and they soon married while he went about finding a job as a police officer. And then, they had me. Growing up my dad worked his way through the ranks in the police force (it was a fast rise for him considering when he gave his past work details out to his old boss, his boss was improved but confused as to why he chose to 'downgrade' like he did) while my mom would take up some part time jobs trying out new things and hobbies that excited her. She was naturally creative and talented at least so she usually excelled at everything.

Forks was my home growing up but it never felt welcoming to me considering through the school years I chose to stick to the background. I used to hate being the center of attention and I would rather I could be left alone; sure it sucked if I was forgotten or people never took notice of me. It honestly never bothered me until middle school when other girls in my grade would be getting noticed by the boys in our grade. When I was younger, I never considered myself pretty, so I knew nothing about me was probably even remotely appealing to the guys. I was a skinny girl that wasn't too short or tall - just average height. I wouldn't say I was unhealthy with my weight but I didn't exactly gain anything in my chest, hips or butt while I matured. I had simple brunette hair and just simple brown eyes; my mom would always disagree with me when I was growing up saying that I was really pretty since she said that the brown eyes that I had inherited from my dad was one of the reasons why she was smitten with him when they first met each other. Que the gagging. Still, I was no bottle blond blue eyed cheerleader with filled out curves. I also back then had zero taste in fashion, coordinating outfits or wanted to dress up overly fancy for any occasion. I basically had put no effort to try and make myself stand out when I was maturing into a teen and at the time I was fine with it to a point even though I'd try pushing down the creeping depression that was going to eat me alive. I don't think I would've ended up with a boyfriend in my later years and had thought I'd always be alone. I never got my first kiss before high school but with the fact no guy at the time would even remotely pay two seconds of attention to me, I tried telling myself back then that it was fine; and once again I faded to the background.

That is, until I had reached high school. That's when the torture began. I had tried my damn hardest to keep my nose down and had prayed that I could just focus on myself, ignore the rest around me and be able to get through my teen years to graduate with no mishaps and make my way out of the state to go to some great college. But no, that was all ruined - thanks to the people who decided to bully me all the way up until senior year. All because I didn't bow down to the 'royalty' that was Rosalie Hale, Lauren Mallory, Tanya Denali and Jessica Stanley. When I had accidentally tripped over Rosalie's super flashy bright candy red Gucci tote bag, she was ready to scratch my eyes out unless I got on my knees and begged her to forgive me. Her posse of the other three made sure that they would make me do it if I denied it - and like any sane person would do, I did not get on my knees to have her accept my apology. At the time, I didn't see the reason as to why when it was just a stupid bag. It didn't help that she left it practically halfway out into the pathways for other stupids to easily knock into. Luck just wasn't on my side that day considering naturally back then I was a klutz and had non existent equilibrium to be able to keep myself steady when I would walk. So since I had only apologized and tried to walk away right after, Lauren had stopped me with Tanya and Jessica right behind me, where Lauren chewed me out and ordered me to ask Rosalie for her to accept my apology on my hands and knees. But since I still refused, Rosalie had then taken my tray of food and pushed it into me, where I had to wear my food for the rest of lunch. That incident had me running out to the nearest bathroom to try and clean up while the four of them laughed behind me and said they'd make sure I'd live to regret not listening to them.

The four of them had already managed to establish themselves at the top of the food chain in high school. They had been doing cheer from early middle school days and did it all the way through high school, so they had it in their heads that secured them a spot at the top to where they could boss anyone and everyone around. They surely had the guys wrapped around their fingers anyways while girls would obey everything they'd say and would never want to get on their bad side else they would face their wrath. Three out of the four of them were blond haired beauties; Rosalie and Tanya were cousins and they were naturally blond. Rosalie's was a shiny golden blond that fell to her mid back, effortlessly straight and shiny, while Tanya was a strawberry blond where when down it'd reach her lower back. Lauren had almost fake looking platinum blond hair but I think naturally she was a dirty blond; she would have to touch up her roots often and keep re-dying her blond hair. Jessica though was a dark curly haired girl, so she didn't fit the "blond mold" but I think they only kept her because she always seemed to have the most recent gossip about any student at the high school - I'd jokingly call it that she has ears and eyes everywhere and that's why rumors would be out so quick on their latest victims. Regardless, they all ran the school with fear tactics to keep anyone they didn't like in check. And that is what my four years pretty much came down to. The bullying only exponentially got worse over the years. It'd leave me in tears by the end of the day and I could feel that creeping depression from my preteen years overtake me while I got older.

By the time Senior year rolled around, I at least had managed to make a small group of friends through some small clubs that I joined. Two of them were with Angela Weber and Ben Cheney. I had joined photographers club with them, and we all immediately clicked. Angela was a sweet girl that was about my height with shoulder length black hair, olive skin and dark eyes. She was pretty in her own rights but she was like me - shy and awkward. Ben was her boyfriend who was the same height as her, with pale skin, cropped black hair and dark grey eyes. We all became best friends fast back then in high school, and they were there for me to comfort me on bad days when I was being tortured and bullied by the horrible four. I had made them promise me that they should never try to stick up for me against them as much as they wanted to. I wanted to protect them from their ridicule, even though the four would find ways to still make fun of the two of them time to time. The four would rather focus most of their bullying on me since I apparently committed the greatest of sins that day in Freshman year.

Beyond my two friends throughout high school, there were only two other things that made it at least bearable up until the disaster that changed my life forever (don't worry we're getting there but just hold your horses). And that was in the forms of Alice and Edward Cullen. You see with these two specifically, I had taken more notice of them in high school - they were in my eyes at the top of the food chain up there with the Horrible Four namely because both were so naturally gorgeous teens. Alice was a spritely pixie girl with spiky ink black hair that fit her spunky, high energy personality. She had the pale skin that was commonplace in our small town, and striking blue eyes that would crinkle slightly when she'd give you her killer watt smile. She became a cheerleader and was in the same squad as the Horrible Four but unlike them, she was nice. Like genuinely, she was a sweet person and her happy attitude about everything was contagious if you ever talked to her. She spoke a mile a minute, had such great fashion sense, and was a kind person to everyone she talked to. We had a few classes together throughout the years where we would have conversations on and off to where she made me feel welcomed. I didn't feel like I had to try and protect myself from her, it felt like we were old friends all along when we'd talk. Granted, she never went out of her way too to make me her best friend or would schedule regular hangouts but I figured she was busy with cheerleading that she couldn't - but I would like to hope that we were getting to that point since school was nearing its end.

As for the other Cullen - well the two of them were siblings. Alice was his adopted sister though. But the one that really matters to this story was Edward Anthony Cullen. When I had first saw him in our science class in freshman year, all of those repressed girly feelings suddenly sprung to life and nearly knocked me off of my feet. Edward even as a young teen progressing into maturing was always handsome. In freshman year he was a lithe, lanky guy with little muscles to his name and messy bronze hair that worked wonders for him; it's as if he created the embodiment of sex bedhead without needing any products. His features were strong and only filled out the more he grew up. His voice was all male too, velvety smooth, which made my knees weak. His eyes were a piercing emerald green that would sparkle whenever he'd laugh his perfect laugh, or whenever he'd throw out his half grins that made my heart race. He had greeted me that first day of class in such a sweet murmur, and we had small talks with one another while we worked on our first day assignments. Everything about him too was that he was just genuinely nice much like Alice was - granted every year we had only a few classes together where we'd kept everything just to small talks. Edward was more sporty and busied himself with baseball and soccer at the school, so he was sucked into that crowd quickly and we kept our conversations brief in our classes - and on top of being involved with his sports activities, he filled out nicely from being lanky in freshman year to where he had at least defined muscles but nothing overly bulky. He found a good balance in his build but was still all that much more swoon worthy. Not only was he physically appealing, he was also brilliant academically, witty with his banter when he needed to be, and was never mean to me much less anyone unless they were dicks to him first. He seemed to be the perfect guy and he was a dreamy fixture in my head from that very day. I was overwhelmed in feeling like this for the first time in my teen years and had struggled trying to grasp it all, but I kept it away from my parents; Angela knew straight away that I was crushing hard on Edward Cullen, and would tease me whenever we were in our Photography club sessions.

Sadly, my secret wasn't safe from the Horrible Four. They found out somehow - or at least could see me making secret goo-goo eyes at him that they confronted me one day in Gym and had threatened me to stay away from him. All four of them it seems, had a crush on him and had staked their claims (more like time slots) on him to where he was off limits to anyone but them. Frankly I don't think Edward would really ever give them the time of day - at least I had tried telling myself that. But the old insecurities reared its ugly head when they were threatening me to stay away from him or else they'd increase their bullying to something far worse than what it was already. Coming from a girl that had no confidence in herself physically and never had a male's attention unless it was to ask for a pencil or piece of paper, I didn't know what Edward liked; it certainly wasn't me because no dude would ever be into me. So for four years, I tried to appease their demands (without really trying since Edward never made any moves that would lead me to believe he was attracted to me in any sense.) I'd only keep up with polite light conversation with him if he initiated it but I never went out of my way to make the first move so to speak. I didn't even have the proverbial balls to make the move to tell him I did have a crush on him or something more. I did feel like I fell in love with him while the years passed us, but it wasn't anything I was too sure on since I'm pretty sure it was just one-sided infatuation with a guy.

I guess though it was time to stop beating around the bush and mention just what the point of telling you my backstory is; something had happened that year that made me flee from the small town and dread ever going back. It led to my life changing forever in turn, for the most part is was great that it did since it propelled me to where I am now. But back then, I felt like it was the end of all things about me, where I did spiral into a brief dark period where I wished I could disappear permanently - I did manage to pull myself out of that time, along with the support group that I had around that time.

It was near the end of Senior year where Edward and Alice were throwing a party for the Senior class to come by. Their parents would be gone for at least two days - they had asked for permission to throw a party at least, but the parents had made them promise that there was to be no alcohol at this party. So the Cullens went about inviting every Senior they knew to come to this shin-dig, and both of them had asked me separately if I wanted to come along. Alice had also asked Angela and Ben if they would like to come along too - which they agreed to it. But I was hesitant at first when Alice asked me first on it. I wasn't one for parties; the pressures that was a party - dancing, probably drinking because let's face it someone was bound to bring drinks to this party, and of course being in the same building as Edward where I had zero charisma skills so I don't think I'd be able to socialize. I was nearly accepting it though since Angela and Ben would be there and I didn't want to say no completely to Alice. But it wasn't until Edward asked me if I was coming to it, that I readily told him I would be there. He could ask me anything and I'd be putty in his hands. So that night Alice had helped me get dressed up for the party, putting me in a form hugging short sleeve top and a tight short denim skirt with black ballet flats. And she told me to take off my glasses (when I was a teen, my eyesight wasn't all that great so mid high school I needed to start wearing glasses but I also got contact lenses since my mom insisted that I would) because she wanted me to show off my eyes that night with my contact. She did some makeup on my face, nothing too overdone but as she had put it that night it was done up to play up my natural pretty features - dialed up to a twelve. I didn't know what any of that meant when I felt like she was wasting her efforts on trying to doll me up when I always viewed myself to be the ugly duckling among all the beautiful swans of the school. But after she had gotten me ready and we rode together back to her place, many eyes turned towards me when I entered the house party with Alice. The party was already lively when we arrived and Alice had led me through all the other Seniors while loud party music blared on the speakers. She had found Angela and Ben and the four of us just hung out, dancing and laughing the whole night. A few times I'd separate briefly to go get myself some drinks and would only pause to awkwardly say hi to any of the other senior boys who never dared to look at me twice before that night - but suddenly wanted to make their presence known to me while I needed a drink.

The night went on and overtime I had noticed I was getting tipsy - as I had predicted, someone definitely had brought booze and mixed it in with the normal drinks. When I was going back into the kitchen to get my sixth drink, I was stumbling into some students and the countertops, drunkenly apologizing while giggling my ass off like a mad woman. When I got myself my next cup, I turned and was stopped by Alice since she followed me. She was only slightly buzzed but was concerned for me and wanted me to stop drinking. She took the cup from my hands and had told me that if I went up to her room I could rest on her bed for the rest of the night because she didn't want me getting hurt downstairs. I willingly followed her directions, albeit with how hazy my brain was that night everything was garbled so I think I got her directions mixed up while I clumsily pushed my way past the other Seniors towards the stairs. The Cullens' home was huge and I had quickly found that out when when I was up on the huge second floor and stumbling my way down the hallway while blindly looking into the rooms up there to see if I could find Alice's room. Looking back at it now, Alice's room was in a middle spot of the whole floor - and Edward's room was at the very end of the hall way to try and ensure he had the most privacy. Somehow, my faded brain didn't think to remember that and I decided in my drunken state that I wanted to be as far as I could from the loud booming music downstairs so I had went down to the end of the hall and went into the last bedroom that I could find. It was a masculine bedroom with a huge bed with a dark comforter and a mountain of pillows that sat to the right side of me when I entered it; after turning the lights on to a dim setting because lord was that room pitch black when I entered, I found that there was some bookcases in the far back left corner filled with many books, a desk that had a fancy expensive looking computer next to these bookcases, and then there was a high end expensive looking stereo system next to the desk that on the wall had an elaborate shelving system filled to the brim with CDs and Vinyl records. There was a wall of big glass windows behind the bed, and to my left once I entered the room a bit further, there were two doors; one was opened and I could peek inside to see a fancy adjoining bathroom. The other door was closed but I could only guess at the time that it was a closet. Either way, I didn't know where exactly I was - my drunken mind thought maybe it was Edward's and Alice's parents' bedroom or maybe some extra done up spare bedroom for guests. I didn't think much on it after I decided to close the bedroom door.

My mind was starting to get tired the more I tried to stay awake after having downed six solo cups of mystery alcohol. So I decided to make myself home at that time and literally had pulled off my denim skirt and let it lay on the floor while clumsily making my way over to the huge bed. As soon as my bare skin came into contact with the comforter, I had let out a low moan because every my sense of touch was heightened at that point and the comforter felt like it was the softest thing in the world that my skin has ever touched. It was heavenly and I lost myself in just rolling around on top of the bed in my small shirt and underwear, trying to bury myself physically into the bed. I had been so wrapped up in my rolling around that I didn't hear the door open and didn't see someone had walked into the bedroom. But when I heard the door close again, I jolted upright and there I sat stupidly with my mouth gaping wide open and my heart pounding. Because with my luck that night, Edward Cullen had walked into the bedroom, shut and locked the door behind him and now he was standing there, staring at me sitting on top of his bed in my half undressed state.

Edward snapped out of his stunned state and then cleared his throat though halfway he hiccups too. Then in a slurred tone, Edward had asked me what I was doing in his bedroom. His bedroom... shit it wasn't Alice's room. I had giggled madly at his question, hiccupping while answering stupidly what was he doing in his bedroom. An eyebrow of his had rose at the question but he laughed instead, stumbling to take his shoes off. I then said sorry to him about being in his room and said I could leave since I didn't want to make him uncomfortable while in his room, where I struggled to slide off of his huge bed. Edward then shocked me when he raced forward and with his strong muscular hands had placed them on my shoulders and kept me seated on the edge of his bed. He had said through his slurred speech that it was more than fine if I was in there with him and that I could stay. In my drunken state, I didn't say no or argue beyond that point if he was more than fine with it. So I remained on his bed, sans skirt still which I didn't see anything wrong with at the time while my mind was clouded due to the alcohol intake I had drank that evening. Edward probably was no better than I was just based off how much he had stumbled around. I watched with hungry eyes where he seemed more than fine with taking off his pants and leaving himself in his boxers and t-shirt. He joined me on the bed and we sat next to each other, talking nonsense and laughing about nothing while the party raged on downstairs.

Unfortunately after that point in between then and the highlight of my evening, I don't remember exactly what we were talking about before suddenly, I had been so much as a bold floozy and then climbed into his lap and throwing my arms around his neck, I had planted my lips on his. Something about being drunk seemed to cause the shy, awkward Bella leave the building and in came this overly confident girl that didn't care about risking it all - much less embarrassment from the whole school or fear of rejection from the guy she's been crushing on for four years - but I was bold and wanted to kiss him while I had him alone. We were about to graduate and go our separate ways after high school, and I no doubt would never see Edward again. With how he made me feel while going to school - something no guy could ever make me feel before - I wanted to put myself out there just this one time and give into what I wanted to do deep down. So there I was that night, straddling Edward half-naked and my lips on his, experiencing my first ever kiss with the first and only guy I had actual feelings for since this was the first guy to actually see me and talk with me like I was person even when I was just looking like me - not because I got all dressed up tonight.

I feared that my move would've scared him, or worse he would've pulled back and laughed at me before kicking me out of his bedroom. But I was extremely surprised that when I had climbed into his lap and began kissing him, Edward didn't push me away. In fact, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tighter to his body, reciprocating the kiss eagerly. I could feel the electricity spark between us when his hands gripped my bare thighs and we groaned when we both let our tongues come together and fight for dominance over the other. We continued making out on his bed that night, and we discarded the rest of our clothes, losing ourselves in one another. We explored each others bodies that night, moaning and groaning at the sensations we were feeling. Thankfully the music downstairs was still so loud that the noises we were making were easily drowned out that no one would be able to hear us up here. I didn't realize that we were both naked and he was positioned the way that he was above me until he stopped kissing me just to talk with me.

"Bella, are you wanting to go all the way with me? I've honestly had a crush on you for four years but I've been too much of a chicken shit to tell you. I won't pressure you into doing something you don't want to do." Edward, in his slurred speech that night, had asked me huskily while above me. I was grateful that even through all of the alcohol I had that night, I wasn't blackout drunk to where I wouldn't ever remember hearing him say those words to me. Being able to recall back now to hear that he's always liked me - but was too scared to reach out and tell me - was all the confidence I needed to feel good about myself after so many years of feeling like I was nothing. It honestly still felt a bit shitty that he was confessing only at the point after we were finishing up high school and then be going off to college away from each other. Still, just hearing him say those words gave me all the courage I needed to tell him how I felt about him too.

"Edward, I've liked you too for years now - I've just been too shy to tell you too. You're not pressuring me; this is something I've dreamed about for so long as bad as it sounds. I'm just warning you it's my first time so I'm sorry if I'm not good." I had mumbled out too, though I don't know how much he had heard considering I was still tipsy. Edward had smiled down at me and shook his head at me, informing me that it would no doubt feel good to him - and he apologized to me with a drunken laugh saying he was a virgin too so he was sorry if he was a disappointment. I wanted to reassure him that he wouldn't disappoint me, but he then leaned down and gave me a searing kiss that made my toes curl. In that next moment, he carefully slid in and that was the night I lost my V-Card to him, as he did to me. I only recall bits and pieces of that night; of course it hurt since it was my first time, but the pain quickly subsided and we lost ourselves in each other to the pleasure that came with it. All too soon it was over but god was I feeling immensely satisfied. I think honestly we did it a few more times together - I can't completely remember but I could've sworn that we didn't stop after the first round - before we had completely passed out beside one another in his bed.

Honestly I know it sounds like it was too damn good to be true that we gave into each other that night at the party; almost as if it was out of left field, here was this amazingly sweet, hot guy that I've been crushing on since freshman year - where we had landed ourselves in his bedroom that night after being drunk at the party, and everything had escalated to where we were making out, confessing our feelings for each other and decided to give into our raging hormones which led to one of the best nights of my life that I can only remember bits and pieces to this day. (Damn alcohol.) I thought it was a dream and then I'd wake up in my bed back at my house, where I'd just feel completely depressed that I had come up with the whole scenario. But imagine my surprise when I woke up that morning and looked to find myself still lying naked in his bed. I was sore down there and I was sporting a pounding headache - but when I turned over and found Edward's sleeping form beside me looking so peaceful and handsome while he was knocked out, I could feel myself get giddy.

But then I realized that I was about to be in deep shit that moment because I never told my parents that I'd be staying here after the party last night (Alice had told me that I'd be sleeping over in her room last night for our first sleepover ever and mainly because she didn't want me driving home by myself in case I had gotten slipped some booze.) So I scrambled out of his bed that morning, throwing my clothes on quickly and quietly. I found a notepad on his desk and wrote him a quick note - something that I sadly can't remember now other than apologizing that I left that morning without talking with him about the previous night but if he wanted to try finding me after graduation, we could sort it out then. Then I had grabbed my phone from my pocket and slipped out from his bedroom to start reading my texts that my parents left me last night while they were panicking not knowing where I was. When I was reading them just before I had made it to the stairs, I was stopped when I heard a throat clearing and I looked up to only feel my heart sink to my stomach.

Standing at the top of the stairs was Tanya and Lauren. Rosalie and Jessica weren't there - I knew that the four of them would've been here at this party last night. And now I was being confronted by the two of them. I stood frozen before them wondering just what they were doing or what they wanted out of me. That's when my high for that morning came crashing down because the two bitches in front of me proceeded to inform me snidely that they had set up a small spy camera and tape recorder somewhere in his bedroom that night when he wasn't up there. I paled before them, just fearing that somehow they knew I was in there with him last night. I didn't stick around to hear them or whatever they would've threatened - I knew that if they did know I was in there last night, or if they found out at some point if they saw us on their camera or heard us, they'd blackmail me to some degree. Before long I had pushed past them and raced out of the Cullen home, jumping into my car and racing home trying to be careful on the road while my tears ran down my eyes. In hindsight all these years later, I don't know honestly if they actually did have a camera or tape recorder in there that was recording everything going on in there. They could've easily been lying to me to try and scare me off when they noticed just which room I had come out of, or had hopes they could sneak into his room that morning (but I was smart at least when leaving that I had relocked Edward's bedroom door). But at the same time with how bad they've been torturing me for all those years, I wouldn't have put it past them to stoop that low and to hold something like that over my head. It surely breached my privacy, even more so breached Edward's since it was his bedroom.

I soon reached my house and ran inside, sliding to the floor after I had slammed the door shut and I was there on the ground sobbing when my parents rushed over to me. My mother hugged me to her and let me cry into her chest while Charlie was pressing me for questions trying to figure out why I had came back home so upset, as well as questioning me as to why I didn't answer any of the texts or phone calls the night before. I wasn't able to give them an answer since I was so viscerally upset by what had happened that morning - but my parents put together something in their head that day. I was sobbing and crying my eyes out, I looked like a mess due to my hair and makeup being smeared (mainly from crying but because I didn't have a chance to wash the makeup off after my night with Edward), and then my mom saw it; I had some blood on my leg. I knew the blood was from my first time with Edward, but I didn't even think to clean myself up down there. She saw it and assumed the worst - as did my dad. They thought I had been taken advantage of at the party. They were ready to spring into action that morning to get me down to the station and that they'd race back to the Cullen home to start demanding answers out of the party goers - but I stopped them.

I somehow managed to convince them that I just wanted to leave Forks. This shocked them. But I had told them that I've been bullied mercilessly for years at the high school and that last night was the tipping point because I was at the receiving end of a horrible joke that was pulled on me - and that I just wanted to leave. My parents tried convincing me to finish up school at least stick around for graduation but I pushed that I wanted to leave - if I wanted my diploma that badly then I could have it mailed to the house but I just couldn't go through with the graduation ceremony. I wanted to disappear so badly. They wanted to press for more details and try their damnedest to get me to stay but they saw something in me that morning that they fully realized just how broken internally I was after the night I had been put through (when really that night was fantastic) and then they agreed. They realized I was on the verge of a mental breakdown and they couldn't bare to see their only daughter so upset like she was. So they agreed that we could leave. Charlie had announced that he wanted to take us on a trip to New York as a treat to me for getting through high school and graduating at the top of my class like I did - but he was willing to push us to go earlier. So both my mom and dad set about finalizing the trip while I had kept to myself and stayed at the house for the next two days while they did everything for our trip. I locked myself in my bedroom when Alice, Angela and Ben, and the most upsetting, Edward, had come looking for me before we left for our trip. I had written notes for each of them, telling them that I wasn't upset with them but I was at my limits after the bullying I had faced at the school. I had told them that I was going away on my vacation with my parents and then would be going straight into school (at least that was my plans at the time) so I didn't know when I'd ever be able to sit down and talk to them again. But I told them in each of their notes that they made getting through high school worth it to see through to the end of the tunnel. I especially made sure to include something to Edward that he shouldn't think I didn't enjoy our night together, that I still really liked him and I wanted us to pursue our futures in school first before we're to find each other again and maybe talk then about us - that is if he hadn't already moved on at that point. I had given my parents instructions to hand each note to them when they had stopped by, having them promise me that they wouldn't go looking at the notes when handing them out. They listened and I could at least feel somewhat reassured that I had gotten my feelings written down and for them read.

My parents before we left had managed to talk things out with the principal of the High School that I wasn't going to be able to attend graduation but that I'd like to still have my diploma sent to our house. They sorted everything out with that considering Principal Greene had tried arguing that I had to be there and walk to get my diploma - but my dad really must've scared him or either had told him about the fact that I was on the brunt end of severe bullying for years and that he would be taking out a lawsuit or something against the school for they hadn't done anything to stop it; he wouldn't be filing something like this if Greene agreed to let me get my diploma without being there. Whatever the case, Greene didn't pressure me into going to the graduation ceremony and just before we left, I had received my high school diploma in the mail. I stowed it away for the time being and we soon left Forks behind for our family vacation. It was a great change of pace and I felt like I could breathe when we entered New York City. I lost myself in the loud city sounds, the smells, and let myself go where I enjoyed my time out with my parents. My mom did everything in her power to pamper me and decided she would let me get so many makeovers in trying to boost my confidence within myself. With her past experience as being a model herself, she still was well in touch with some of her old stylist friends and she was willing to shell out everything for me to try and boost my mood after all that I had suffered. My dad was a sucker and couldn't say no to her. We at least weren't poor so we could afford it to a point but I felt bad that they were spending money on me - but all thoughts of that went out the window when her old stylist friends after having met me and reconnected with Renee, had said everything would be free because they viewed me like a daughter of their own.

Amidst the makeovers and the primping I was receiving - all of the new clothes, the new shoes, makeup, handbags and accessories, and the hair appointments, waxing and piercing of my ears -, I was approached by my first agent. I was shocked because my mom and I were out one afternoon in a high end store with one of her stylist friends when we were approached by said agent. He went by the name of Felix Del Rosa where he was Italian but his English was near perfect that I wouldn't have been able to tell. He had apologized for interrupting our shopping but said he couldn't help be captivated by the beauty that was me. I was floored when he said it was because of me that he wanted to approach us and talk with us. The usual insecurities that I was still working to push past at that point would still drag me down where I didn't feel like I was all that beautiful even as I was getting these makeovers. But apparently Felix was sincere and said my natural beauty was something he's been looking for awhile at that point and he wanted me to give me a shot at modeling. My mother was just as shocked when hearing this but she snapped into action and told him that she was my mom and wanted to talk out some stuff with him in private. I had let them wander off at that point while I busied myself in just listening to her stylist friend about coordinating outfits and accessories. They didn't take long to have their own private meeting before they returned. My mom said that she booked me with Felix, since he was even more eager to give me this opportunity since he found out that he was talking to the renowned but retired Renee Dwyer (which he called now Swan since she's married) - and I at first was upset my mom had agreed to this without talking more to me about it; but she convinced me that I should at least give it a try and that I might find I'd enjoy it, or at least see it as a huge boost to my confidence that I desperately needed after all of this time. So I appeased her for the timing being which the next day we arrived to the site that Felix had told her where I'd needed to be for my first shoot - my dad tagged along too, overprotective of his only daughter and not wanting her to be pushed around.

That first shoot I had went perfectly - better than I expected. As soon as I was dolled up in the first outfit and my hair was done to match the theme of the outfit, I did feel like an entirely different person. Once the camera was on me, I took to the directions the photographer had told me to do quickly and naturally. Felix was watching how I was doing with my parents next to him and the whole time he was smiling and nodding at me while he talked with Renee. I felt like I was in my element just taking directions easily while shifting from pose to pose smoothly. I didn't feel awkward about it - it was almost unheard of the more I think back on that first photoshoot. I've just been nothing but a wallflower all of my years, letting myself fade to the background and being an awkward ugly duckling that no one would ever look twice at. Not to mention I was a walking hazard sign since I couldn't ever keep myself steady on my own two feet. Yet it was like overnight I was a brand new person; the makeovers slowly were seeping into my being and really affecting me positively, both physically and mentally. My mother was there beside me the whole time at every makeover saying that she could see a difference in me each and every minute that I was being pampered. She She would also give me small lessons of how to walk a bit better and carry myself more in heels, which her stylist friends would back up on the lessons and teach me how to groom myself to keep my new look up to date. Everything that I had taken in from their small lessons had helped me that day while I was being shot, and it was multiplied the more photos that I took which after listening to the photographers feedback was nothing but positive encouragement was all I needed to keep giving it my all.

By the end of the shoot, the photographer was showing the shots to Felix while my parents congratulated me and gave me warm hugs. Felix had returned to us and gushed that every shot I had taken was absolute perfection and immediately offered to take me on as his latest model to promote and push to big name brands. The only rule we had wanted to include with my modelling contract was that I didn't want to be referred to by my actual name - I wanted to forget my past that I had endured in High School and wanted to be known under an alias so I could model in peace without anyone from back home recognizing me or at least knowing outright that it was me. I'd like to say physically my appearance was twenty-times different than what I had looked like previously to where I think I was mostly unrecognizable to the eye; I doubt anyone back in Forks would really see it was me on the catwalks and in magazine spreads. But I wanted to be doubly sure at least with my name so we created a stage name for myself - Angel Marie-Belle. It might be a mouthful but it would make do. Felix agreed to the nickname thing after we had clued him in on my past - and he had expressed his deepest sympathies to me - and that was the day that I had been propelled into the modelling world. My mother took on the role as my manager at the time and would be working with Felix to get me settled into everything, which I and Felix were more than happy to let her do that. We were getting offers left and right from so many brands as soon as my photos went out to companies since Felix was teasing them that he had the next biggest model. Everyone was vying for me to accept their contracts to model for their brands, and even more so they were pleased to hear just who was my mother so they felt like it was natural that I came into the modelling world taking after my mom. Eventually, Victoria's Secret reached out and said they wanted me to become a more permanent model for her lineup for years to come. I readily took the offer namely because Victoria herself when she came out to personally meet me, everything about her was warm and inviting; I instantly felt relaxed around her like she was an aunt to me. She adored me and gushed over my skills as a model when I've had zero experience before, but made me feel like that didn't matter and that she praised me either way for how well I was excelling. So I agreed to be a main model for her company, while still doing shoots for other companies. I was an instant hit in the fashion world and I could see myself on magazine covers in no time.

I thought I would've lost everything however - remember that night I had with Edward? Well, it came rearing back at me about a month later while I was in the middle of my model madness. I had gotten sick a few mornings in a row, which concerned my mom greatly. But I thought it was just nerves at first after having been thrusted into the spotlight like I was so suddenly. Maybe my body and my mind was just suddenly slamming together realizing just how sudden my life had changed. Then I realized that I hadn't have my cycle in awhile. When telling my mom that she was flabbergasted but sprung into action and got me a pregnancy test. When that positive plus sign stared back at me when I had finished taking it, I passed out in shock. She had found me on the bathroom floor that morning and was yelling at my dad to get a car ready to take me to the hospital but when I sat back up to dissuade her from that plan, she demanded to see the test. I showed it to her and she was shocked at what she saw. Then my dad saw it and had mirrored my mom's reaction. They ordered me to tell me what was going on, but was starting to go back to their previous theories when I had returned home that morning, thinking that I had been raped and this was my 'rapist's' baby. I stopped them in their tracks and realized it was time to come clean about what actually happened - or at least what I could remember. So I told them about the party, how I had begun drinking alcohol without realizing it but was already tipsy by the time Alice Cullen had tried saving me from being harassed downstairs and she had sent me upstairs to her room. I told them that I was too drunk to realize remember her directions so I had stumbled into a different room and was about to fall asleep that night when her brother walked in drunk as well. I told my parents that he didn't start anything with me and that we initially were only talking with each other - and that it was me who started things with him. My dad was looking completely stiff and uncomfortable in his seat when I told him that I was to blame that night for having sex - unprotected sex mind you - but that everything was consensual between the two of us and I guess with the both of us drunk and not in our right minds, Edward didn't think things through and that we didn't think to look for protection.

My mother's reaction just was enough to send me into a fit of laughter and tears; she was excited to hear me talk about losing my virginity and that she was happy to see her daughter happy with a boy that she's had a crush on. My dad yelled at her for it but I calmed him down. Then they pressed me in asking if Edward Cullen knew about this or if he even remembered that night, to which I told them no he most likely doesn't since I left as hastily as I did. I then kind of spilled the details of the real reason why I was sobbing that morning when I had returned home and told them about the 'threat' that Lauren and Tanya would be dishing out to me since they saw me come out of Edward's room that morning. My father was livid as was my mom, before both were saying that they'd work on finding a lawyer and a private investigator to see about the logistics of this possible revenge porn the two were holding over my head that morning, and that they'd protect me from them. I was relieved hearing them promise that - even though I felt like the likelihood of that even working out or even being possible to do didn't seem all that plausible. But for now I had told them I was pushing it from my mind and wanted to focus on the now - between my suddenly sprouting modelling career and now this unexpected pregnancy. We quickly realized that this would change just what I could do about said modelling career and I feared that Victoria would want me being a model for her now that I had a baby to worry about. But she was full of surprises; the next day after we had found out and went to tell her (where Felix was there too) we told them about my unexpected pregnancy that was now on the table. I had no plans to ever remotely terminate this pregnancy either. This baby was created on a night with the man I had real feelings for, and it just wasn't in my nature to ever abort a baby regardless if the baby might jeopardize my sudden new career. I was just worried that the fun I was having would be cut short but even if it was I wouldn't change it.

Victoria and Felix took the news well and said that we'd work around my pregnancy but that I could still work for her and other shoots. Felix amicably said all it did was open even more options for me to model, specifically maternity lines, or even lotion ads targeted at women dealing with stretch marks and anything else baby related. And Victoria said that she's been wanting to work on a small maternity set of underwear and lingerie just for pregnant women so they could feel included in the market - feel sexy and beautiful while being supported. It was a win win for everyone. And so, I progressed through my pregnancy wonderfully while still getting to model and do photoshoots for numerous companies. My name was making the rounds in tabloids and articles where people were shocked to see a new young face to the modelling world, pregnant too which was even more shocking but led to speculations of just who my 'baby daddy' was. I did my best to keep that to a 'no comment' answer every time when I was asked, while also just trying to focus on myself and everything going on around me. I kept myself in shape while pregnant, eating healthy and working out safely so I would be able to hopefully bounce back into my pre-pregnant body after having my kid.

Nine months later, I had found myself back in NYC with my parents when I gave birth to my daughter. She was born as Vanessa Carlie Swan, a healthy 7lbs 5oz baby with pale skin and a full head of dark curls. She was perfect in every aspect and I wanted to hold her every hour of the day. My parents were star struck with her, Victoria and Felix loved her as well, and every model that I was friends with wanted to shower their 'niece' with so many gifts and spend so much time with her. The little baby girl in my life had everyone wrapped around her tiny little finger. The media was in a frenzy after she was born and wanted to capture a coveted picture of her when she was just a tiny thing but with the security details that my father and Felix had worked out, I was protected everywhere I went with her. I took to raising her where I could while being a busy model, getting back into rigorous workouts and eating healthy while going from shoot to shoot. Victoria gave me some maternity leave right after she was born but soon as the period passed I was back to working as a model for her. My mom had let Felix have the reigns for the time being when I got back to work so she could stay behind and be a nanny to her for me, but at least after my shows and photoshoots I got go back to my penthouse where I was living in now currently and got to be with my little Vanessa. With my mom's help she helped me adjust to the mom life which I picked up on quickly - everything about it felt natural and I enjoyed every minute of it. It helped that Vanessa was an extremely easy newborn for me and I didn't really lose much sleep with her; even if I did, it was worth it and I was used to my sleeping schedule having been turned upside down when I dove into the world that I did.

And well, that was pretty much almost five years ago to this day. So much had changed all those years ago when I was finishing up high school. Everything about it still didn't even feel real half the time when I'd reflect on it. It was still hard realizing that now I was twenty-three years old, still at the top of my modelling career and flourishing in the industry. I was well off now in my finances able to get what I've wanted for years and then some, as well as being able to spoil my parents since they deserved it in my eyes. I had taken the time to remodel our home back in Forks for my dad - since he went back after the summer vacation was over to go back to being Chief of Police while my mom stayed with me in NYC time to time before she'd go back to be with him. They had tried to get me to save my money and wanted me to have it settled so I could care for myself and their granddaughter but I was stubborn. I insisted that little white house should be remodeled and fixed up to be able to house the four of us whenever I'd come by to visit them. I did get myself my own house just outside of Seattle which was a decently sized three bedroom home that I adored and would be perfect for Vanessa to grow up in. After I had told them that I wanted to build a bedroom for Vanessa for any of our visits as well as redo my bedroom and just overall gift them their dream home that they wanted they eventually relented and let me have my phone redoing their home. And so it was done up perfectly which my mother loved and wanted to repay me back someday.

Vanessa was almost five years old at this point and she was just a gorgeous little girl She was smaller for her age group but she had perfect pink pale skin, freckles across her sweet button nose that she got from me, had slightly larger ears than mine - I think she got that from Edward to be honest. The brown curly hair that she got from me had grown out over the years and each curl would bounce to and fro while she would hop around my penthouse playing with the models that I chose to share it with. She loved her other 'aunts' and they would do anything to please her during playtime. The most noticeable trait of her were her eyes; each time I'd look into them it reminded me of Edward and how much I desperately wanted to find him and tell him that he was a father. After Vanessa had grown some and grew out of the baby's blue eyes that each baby would get when they're born, they slowly turned into becoming Edward's emerald green eyes. I was reminded of him every time I'd look into her eyes and I honestly missed him, I missed his sister, I missed Angela and Ben after these years. Vanessa would notice my mood if I had been looking into her eyes for too long and would ask me what was wrong because she didn't want to see her mommy sad. But I'd clear my head and reassure her that everything was fine.

Truthfully even with the desire to go back home and find him to tell him the truth, I was more than happy of just living my life and being there with my daughter while I excelled in my new life. I had no time to really dwell on any negative past thoughts when I was going ninety miles and hour between different photoshoots and runway preparations for several companies. I had my daughter and my model friends there to keep me grounded at least so I wasn't losing my sanity over it - but at times when I did have even just five minutes to myself, my mind would wander back to them. I honestly don't know if I'd ever have the chance or the balls basically to go back home and show those small town bullies just where I ended up, much less tell Edward that he was a dad now. The likelihood I'd even be able to find him there or even run into him is just slim to none.

A sudden knock on my dressing room door had me looking over my shoulder. "Ms. Angel! We need you out here, the show's about to start!" I could hear Emily on the other side.

"I'll be out in a minute!" I promised her, and turned back to look at myself in the mirror. I loved the look that Victoria had made for me for tonight's show as she had gushed to me that this was a piece she made that I apparently had inspired her on. To hear that and the fact this was part of her collection was all the more exciting and boosting my confidence even more.

Yep, everything about my life was honestly perfect. If I could tell my past self, the old me that was suffering from depression and feeling like I would never have a better life ahead of me, I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that everything would turn around for the better than I could ever expect for myself and that I just had to keep pushing forward. I wasn't sure if everything that I faced was exactly worth it - my daughter for sure was, and the fact I had a complete turn around to end up where I did, all of it was definitely worth it in that aspect. What would make it completely worth it is if I were to ever see the faces on those four horrible bitchy, caddy girls if they ever were to put two and two together in realizing the wallflower Swan they had picked on endlessly for four years had blossomed and was a successful top model. I would pay so much just to catch a glimpse of that.

Perhaps one day, I'll be able to enact payback. I thought briefly, but shrugged my shoulders. No more time to dwell on what-ifs, I had to get out there and turn on the charm for the runway.

So with one last satisfied nod, I left the dressing room and went out to enjoy my life.

A/N: And there's the prologue; probably a lot of information overload as to just who Bella is in this story. But I wanted to get out as much backstory that'd work towards the plot as I could. I most likely could've worked it more into other chapters rather than laying everything out. However for a prologue I think it was better to just get everything out pretense wise before we start diving into the story.

*In regards to the star: Now I've no clue as to who the CEO of VS really is but in this universe, I'm playing it out to be that Victoria of VS is really "Victoria" aka the nomad; I was going to reveal that in the next, 'official' first chapter but figured I'd make note of that in here instead just so we can clarify things.*

Any feedback is greatly appreciated! I hope mostly everything could be seen as logical or at least make some sense. More pieces would be explained when we get into more chapters if anything didn't seem to make total sense or could be argued another way.

Until then,

~Lady Eleanora~