A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 2- Who is the boss of this house?

Bella's POV-

I hated her.

I hated….

"Bella, sweetie,"

"Yeah, Joy," I gave her my fakest smile, the fakeness literally dripping by in buckets, as I pretended to like the woman.

It was a difficult task; I can assure you of that!

"Can you set the table? Dinner is almost ready. Of course, that is if you don't have any objections." She politely questioned- the fake woman that she was- smiling wider than one normally ever did.

"Of course not. I would love to help."

Keep the smile on, Bella.

It is just the first day and the first hour in this very house.

Too soon to commit a murder.

No one will believe your claim of being mentally tortured and acting out in self-defense…. at least not this very soon.

So, keep your calm!

"Oh, Bella," she went back to stirring her pot of soup, completely nonchalant in her approach, "If convenient, why don't we add this to your daily chores while you are in this house? Quil already does enough with washing the clothes and utensils, and I handle the cooking, cleaning and ironing. Surely, you would like to offer a helping hand?"

"Sure," I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "I would love to be of any help."

"Great!" she smiled, going back to her work, humming some famous in the eighties song as she cooked our dinner.

Gosh. I hated the woman.

I just hated her.

I let out a sigh, starting to lay the table, a huff leaving my mouth every now and then.

I know. I know I was behaving like a spoilt brat, acting out when there was absolutely no need for it.

I was simply asked to put three bowls and three spoons on the dining table; how much work could that even be?

And logically speaking, I would be staying in her house for the next six months- a mighty long duration, and so needed to help out in the daily chores, as was only fair.

I wasn't contributing in the rent or paying any of the bills that mattered.

This was my only way of paying her back, to thank her for her good gesture.

I knew this. I understood all of this.

But yet, I just wanted to go home.

I did not want to stay in someone else' s house.

I wanted to stay in my own house. Period.

"Hey Bella,"

I forced a smile onto my face. It was not his mistake that I was annoyed at the entire world, and just wanted to sleep away the coming six months of my life, waking up when everything once again returned back to normal and acceptable.

"Hi."

He smiled wider, ignoring my rude non-attempt at being polite, but from the way Joy's eyes narrowed briefly, she had certainly not missed the unfriendliness and annoyance in my tone.

"You liking it here?"

Um.

No.

"Quil!" Joy suddenly called out, smiling widely once the two of us turned to look at her, "Have you spoken to Jake? I thought that there was a voicemail from him when I came back home from work today?"

"Mom!" Quil looked horrified by the prospect of missing the traitor's call. "Couldn't you have told me this any sooner?"

He quickly ran out of the room, towards what I assumed was the telephone, leaving the two of us behind in heck of an awkward silence.

"I am assuming Jake hadn't called."

She waved me off. "He will learn."

I nodded my head in agreement. Fair enough.

"Bella," Gone was the sweetness from her tone, replaced by a no-nonsense hardness. "I am not your mother who pretends to be a teenager herself."

"Excuse me? How dare…"

"I am not done yet." her eyebrows were raised in disapproval. "I don't appreciate being interrupted. Anyhow, like I was saying, I am not your spoilt excuse of a mother, and neither am I your father who gave you too much a free hand, that being his way of apologizing for not being a part of your childhood."

"You don't know a thing!"

How dare she go around commenting on my personal life?

She did not even know me.

Or my parents, for that matter.

Who made her judge and jury then?

"I may not, but I do know that I will not tolerate rudeness and childish immaturity in my house." She firmly stated. "In this house, we give each other the respect they deserve; chores are shared and there is no 'mine' that comes into play. You need a lot of growing up to do, Bella Swan, and I will be damned if the same immature Bella Swan returns home when her father returns."

"I can't believe you." I whispered, aghast.

I was immature?

Why was I hearing this for the first time in my life then?

I had looked after my mom since I was five.

I had cooked, cleaned, managed the bills…

"Maturity comes from within, Bella. And when I look at you, I see a spoilt kid who has never heard a no in her life. I have heard all about your 'escape' to your mother's early in the year, ending with you returning home with a broken leg."

Don't.

Don't go there.

Please.

"I don't know why your father wasn't any stricter on you, but let me assure you, if you pull any tricks like that while under my roof…. God help you, Bella Swan."

So, this was her real side?

Huh.

I had always known that nobody could be as sweet and polite as she pretended to be.

It was all an act.

If only, Charlie would have been able to see this.

I would be in the comfort of my home right now.

"Mom," Quil shouted, banging the door as he re-entered the room. "Billy said that Jake is out. He had not called."

"Oops," Joy offered him a brief smile. "I must have mistaken then. Why don't we sit for dinner? Bella?"

What?

Is there some rule to be followed for that, as well?

"I am not hungry." I frowned, pushing my chair back, "I am going to bed."

Honestly, I just needed to get away from here!

They were pissing me off to another whole extent!

"Suit yourself." Joy shrugged, saying her prayers as she began to serve herself the soup prepared, completely unbothered by my bad mood and refusal to eat. Quil gave me a sad look, probably wanting me to stay back, but I was too annoyed and exhausted at the world to care.

Who the hell was Joy Ateara to talk to me in that tone?

She was not my mother…or my sister….or even my friend.

How dare she then talk so rudely to me?

She had no right whatsoever.

And hence, in retaliation, I would not be eating dinner tonight, showing her that I was my own boss, and I did not listen to anybody.

Stupid move, I know.

I could see that as clear as the day as soon as I pushed my chair back and decided to abstain from dinner.

You see, I was actually, really, very hungry.

And now, because of my own hasty decision, food was not on the cards for me….

Yup, I am an idiot.

But once said was said, and to hell with my hunger, I wasn't going to go begging for food.

No. I was stronger than that.

And one night of skipping dinner would certainly not kill me. I hope.

With that thought in mind, and one last nod of the head- my decision not to be changed, I skipped up the stairs to the room that was to be mine for these next six months, banging the door harshly just because I could- I could almost see the smoke come out of Joy's ears.

Gosh.

It was going to be so much fun to rile her up!

Sleeping with an empty stomach was never the most pleasurable of them all, but I was not going to back down.

If I backed down now, Joy would expect me to back down in every situation, which I was not willing to do.

I did not take orders from her.

She was not my parent.

And while I had no issue with doing any household chore, the issue lay in the fact that she had called me immature and childish. Which I so was not.

Right?

Yup, and so it was time to show her who the boss was going to be for these next six months.

And I was not accepting defeat, at least not without a fight.