Summary: With the unexpected and mysterious death of her mother, Isabella was given a life-altering gift; a way out of the abuse she endured at the hands of her husband, James. However, the new life she enters is filled with truths she may not be ready to face. Mafia, Crime, Abuse, Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Meyers owns characters but the plot is of my original work.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Me

Eventually, Marie started to fade away. Legally, my name was now Emily Humphries. That was the name on my new birth certificate and passport. But whenever I met new people, I told them my name was Bella. Mom always called me Isabella whenever I was in trouble while growing up. She'd yell my name from the bottom of the stairs and nag at me about dishes or homework. I only started going by Marie in elementary school because there was another girl in my grade named Isabella.

I think I gained about 15-20 pounds since I left the United States. Since then, I've been from one continent to another. This Emily Humphries sure did garner a lot of visas in the last six months. I decided to do the four-day Inca Trail hike to the summit of Machu Picchu. I spent about a week in Aguas Calientes, a town located just below the Machu Picchu Mountains to get used to the climate. It was a pretty treacherous hike, and I needed to be strong enough to make it all the way up.

I cried when I finally got to the top.

Something about being in a new country and being in a place my mom dreamed about visiting sure helped with my healing. I ate so much of the local food—I traveled back and forth between Aguas Calientes to Cuzco, where they had a variety of Peruvian cuisines. Standing at the top of that mountain and being in the presence of something ancient washed away a lot of my fears. It made me miss my mom more, but I felt like she was standing there with me. It made the trek so much more worth it. That was when it finally dawned on me that I was truly getting a fresh start.

I purchased a couple of items at the airport when Charlie dropped me off. I needed clothes for the next couple of months and some travel-sized toiletries. Esme said I should get myself one of those cameras that can make it through any type of climate. She said that her daughter-in-law liked to rock-climb as a pastime, and she wore the camera on her head. I found one at an electronic store and even something called a selfie-stick. Everything I owned fit in one suitcase and a backpack.

I also bought myself a laptop to store all of my footage, which I ended up sending to Esme. I kept in contact with Charlie like I promised, but I also found myself calling Esme or sending her e-mails with my video footages of the places I've visited. Esme reminded me so much of my mom so it wasn't surprising that I got close to her so quickly. She often asked me when I would be coming home, and I always told her the same answer.

I don't know.

I often pondered over that word 'home' because I didn't know what home was. Home used to be where I grew up, in Chicago. I don't think it would be safe for me to go there, and as much as I wanted to go visit the house my mom and I lived in, I didn't want to risk being seen by James or his henchmen.

So instead, I ran from Machu Picchu to Brazil and then Fiji. I visited a lot of tropical places in the first two months, and then I decided to sign up for volunteer work for an organization in Uganda. So I flew to Africa, and I told them I had an English degree back in the states. I ended up teaching children how to read and write for the four-week program the organization ran. I promised to come back after it ended because I actually enjoyed my time with the natives and their eagerness to learn. Something about their life in that country made my problems seems so small, so trivial.

After Africa, I wanted to get a taste of Europe. I spent a couple of days in each of the countries of Europe—first Spain, then France, Italy, Germany, and then the UK. Mostly, I lived for the food. I ate so many different cuisines, and I quickly regained my original weight after just a couple of months. I rejoiced when the last of my bruises faded away, and traces of my life before was now slowly becoming a dull memory. Sometimes, I still had nightmares that I'm waking up in Kenilworth before realizing that I was in a hotel room somewhere else in the world.

I was safe. I was thousands of miles away from James.

My appearance definitely looked different, and Esme never failed to comment on it every time I sent her a new video. She said my hair looked longer, lighter and fuller. She said I looked healthier and that my skin had such a nice glow from the sun. She was right because James liked my hair dyed a deep brown black. He had me maintain my hair in a sleek, A-line bob and always straightened. However, since leaving James, I haven't touched a hair straightener nor have I dyed my hair. As it grew and the dye faded, the sun lightened it back to its natural mahogany brown shade. I also didn't bother with makeup anymore. I hated the way it felt on my face and just the way it made me look gothic or bold. Nowadays, I only wore Chapstick and moisturizer.

Something I also missed a lot were sneakers; which was stupid because they were just shoes but James always made me wear high heels. For the past couple of months, I didn't carry any other type of shoes beside my hiking boots and a pair of black Nikes. I didn't own any stupid dresses or blouses or any other fancy designer fabrics. Instead, my suitcase only contained jeans, t-shirts, and clothes to wear for hiking or sightseeing.

I was thoroughly enjoying my time exploring and being alone, and I found that I had a talent for picking up quickly on the different languages of the countries I visited. I obviously didn't speak fluently but with the iPhone that Charlie had given me, I used the app to help me translate basic words to speak with the locals. After repeating the words over and over, I eventually got the hang of speaking Spanish or French.

Most of the time, the organizations that I volunteered for provided housing and food. I tried not to use much of the money in the bank account that Jason set up. He had taken care of a lot of the paperwork stuff and just before my last day in Iowa, he presented me with a shiny black credit card and login information for the bank account. My mother…er…parents put away so much money that I technically didn't need to work a day in my life.

But that's just not how I was raised.

My mother taught me to be a hard-working young woman so the more time I spent exploring the world, the more I found that I was drawn to teaching. While spending time with the locals, most of them were curious about learning to speak English. In the same manner in which I learned their language, they also learned mine. I enjoyed interacting with children so most of the time, I volunteered at various foundations or non-profit organizations for children. It was such a great experience for me, and I used my time away from reality wisely.

X

The call rang twice times before Charlie answered.

"Hey Bella," he greeted me. Charlie didn't see any harm in telling locals my preferred name—they were, after all, thousands of miles away from Chicago.

"Hey Charlie," I smiled into the phone. "I was just checking in on you."

"Yeah, it's been a couple of days, where in the world are you now?"

"I actually just got off the plane in South Korea about an hour ago," I told him. "I just wanted to let you know that I landed, and I'm in my hotel room."

"I heard Korea is fun," he mused.

"I hope so," I said. "I remember Mom being so into the Korean drama phase when I was in college. Every time I came home for the summer, she would gush about a different show that she was binge watching. So I do want to visit some of the places that I remember in shows she showed me."

"That sounds like fun," he laughed. "I'm sure your mom would have had a great time with you there. Take more pictures for us."

"Thanks, Charlie. I will." I laughed right now. "Did you see the video I had from Germany? I was in Munich for the Oktoberfest. I didn't expect the festival to be happening at this time of the year. Who would have thought Oktoberfest occurred in September?"

Charlie barked out a laughed. "Honey, I did see the video. Esme showed it to me the other day. I'm glad you're checking in on us like this. It's like I'm there with you and I appreciate it."

"It's the least I can do. Plus, I like that I don't worry you with my whereabouts," I smiled sadly. Sometimes, I wish Charlie and I did have more time to get to know each other better. I wanted to ask him more stories about Mom and where they were married, how they met or how long they dated before he proposed. Where did he propose and how did he propose. I had so many questions for him, but I'd have to wait until I was ready to go back to find out the answers.

"Oh," he suddenly said. "I forgot that tell you that Esme's daughter, Alice is there in South Korea right now. I think she was invited for some fashion show there. You should call Esme and ask her if maybe you can get together. You'll love her."

I hesitated a bit, and Charlie must have noticed.

"Or not," he laughed awkwardly. "It's okay. I just figured you might want some company for once. Alice is a pretty big celebrity there in the fashion industry; she flies to Korea a couple times a year. She knows the country pretty well."

"Maybe," I finally managed to say. "I won't make any promises. It just makes me nervous thinking about meeting someone from home."

"Don't be," he said. "She's a great kid. Actually, she just got engaged, so I should probably stop calling her kid. But I watched her grow up, and she would love you meet you. I already know it."

That was a blow to my chest. He watched Alice grow up but he wasn't there to watch me. I was past the point where I blamed Charlie for everything. Maybe it was the different air in the countries I visited, but as time went by, I understood Charlie a little more. Things were still rocky, and for the first couple of weeks the conversations over the phone were awkward.

Eventually, though, I realized that he did try everything he could, and as much as he hated it, he loved my mother so much, he let her go. Her happiness meant more to him than his did, and for that, he had made the biggest sacrifice of his life. I can see his efforts to be in my life more now, and I truly appreciate it. As the time goes by, the more I am easily able to forgive Charlie and to accept that I wasn't alone.

"For you, I'll try," I said. "I'll call Esme in the morning. Well, morning for me cause I'm about to crash here. I'm really jet-lagged."

"Stay safe," he told me, like always.

X

When I woke up the next morning, I looked out the giant, floor-to-ceiling window of my hotel room and found that I was looking right into the heart of Seoul. The city was incredibly busy, even this early in the morning. So many people and so many cars—I wondered idly how India or China looked in comparison. Maybe I'd visit those places next…I never really knew where I was going next.

Staying true to my promise, I called Esme.

I checked time zones and Esme should be home around 6 PM. Back in New York, Esme was a pretty busy woman, but somehow, she always made time to talk to me. Regardless, I always tried to catch her at a convenient time.

"Bella!" she answered the phone cheerfully.

"Hi Esme," I greeted just as joyfully. "How are you?"

"I'm a very good," she said. "The family is all in town this weekend, except for my daughter, but I'm actually in the middle of cooking dinner for everyone."

"Oh, am I catching you at a bad time?" I frowned.

"No," she quickly disagreed. "Don't be silly, Bella."

"Oh," I sighed in relief. "What's on the menu tonight?"

"Good 'ole southern comfort food," she said. "My daughter-in-law is from Texas and she's four months pregnant, so I figured she could use some food from home. Hold on a sec, Bella," Esme said something but this time, her voice was muffled as if she covered the receiver end of the telephone. "Edward, stop! Wait for dinner!"

In the background, I heard a deep baritone respond with, "Mom, I'm starving."

"Well, go pick on something else other than my mashed potatoes," I heard her swatting something. I figured she was shooing him away so I laughed as I listened to her chastise her son.

"Mom, c'mon," I heard him beg.

"Edward Cullen, I swear to the heavens. If you don't get your butt out of here," her voice held a playful warning, and I heard him laughing in the background. His laugh sounded so beautiful…even through an international call. "Now, go. I'm on the phone with someone."

"Fine," I heard him grumble.

There was a scuffle, and suddenly, Esme was screaming, "Edward! Bring that back!" I couldn't hear his response except for his laughter that slowly faded away. Esme was once again talking to me. "Sorry about that Bella," she laughed. "My sons can be a little difficult sometimes. They don't act like the men that they are. I blame Carlisle."

"I think that's a sickness all men have," I joked with her.

Her laughter was so joyous that you couldn't help but smile when you heard it. "So, where in the world are you now?"

I laughed as I recalled Charlie saying the exact same thing to me on the phone last night. "I'm actually in South Korea." I heard her gasp on the other end, but before she can respond, I said, "I heard your daughter Alice was here and was wondering maybe I could get her number?"

"Oh Bella, really?" I could almost see her practically dancing in her kitchen.

"Yeah," I scratched the back on my neck awkwardly and tugged on my ponytail. "Charlie said she was pretty much a local here."

"Oh, she is," Esme gushed. "She's there for the fall fashion week in Seoul. I am positive that Alice would love to meet you."

"I'm glad to hear that," I said to myself. "Hopefully."

Esme rattled off the contact information and made me promise to try to see her. I agreed because I didn't see any harm in meeting Alice. For the most part, Esme and Carlisle kept my anonymity in their family. I mean, I guess my family now too, since Esme insists that I am a part of it. They don't know much about me other than back in March, she and Carlisle disappeared for a couple days to visit Iowa.

I wasn't sure of their knowledge regarding Charlie's long-lost daughter but Esme did mention that Alice and Emmett, her other son, had asked why their Uncle Charlie disappeared for a week. Of course, being that Emmett and Edward were in the family business with Carlisle and Charlie, they wondered why Charlie made a personal trip out to Iowa without a word. Esme said all that Charlie told them was it was family stuff and that maybe one day soon, they'll find out.

Charlie respected my feelings in the matter and didn't babble about my business to the rest of his family. As far I knew, though, Charlie never remarried after Renee, and he didn't try after to have any other kids. He was content with Alice, Edward, and Emmett as he watched them grow. Esme said that he always hoped that he would be able to meet me and have me become a part of this family.

"Take care, Bella," Esme told me as we were saying our goodbyes.

"Have fun with the dinner," I told her. "Save me a plate." I joked.

"Ha-Ha," she said. "I can't wait to see you again in person Bella."

"Soon," I promised.

X

I decided to spend the day looking around the inner parts of the city of Seoul. This city was so bright and lively, and I found so many interesting places to visit. There were a lot of shopping centers but mostly, the sheer beauty of the city was nothing compared to Chicago. I guess everything about Chicago was so clouded by bad memories that everywhere else looked a hundred times better.

I looked around a lot of shops and even bought a couple of new shirts to add to my small bundle of clothes. Of course, the food was absolutely to die for. I always loved Korean food, and although Illinois didn't have many Korean barbecue spots, I enjoyed kimchi and bulgogi. Half of the time I spent looking at the landmarks in the city, and the other was spent eating the street food.

By the time I got back to the hotel, it was nighttime, and I was completely spent. I was just about to put my purchases on the bed when my phone started ringing. For a split second, my heart dropped because no one really called me on the phone. The only time I had a call from this phone was when Charlie gave me some news about James. Above that, only Charlie, Esme, Carlisle, and Jason knew about this number. I always called them if I needed anything—I knew the time zones better.

My worst fear was answering and James being on the other end. I wouldn't know what to do. I would be alone in a different part of the world and Charlie wouldn't be here to help me out like before.

The phone stopped ringing, and after a couple seconds, it notified me that I had a new voicemail. My fingers trembled as I raised the phone to listen to it.

"Hey, Bella. It's Alice Cullen."

I almost passed out from the sheer relief when I heard the female voice.

"My Mom called me this afternoon telling me that she had a friend in a city. She said that maybe I could show you around, and if you're free tomorrow, I could take you to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Maybe some other places too; the national parks are absolutely beautiful this time of the year. So, yeah, call me when you get the chance."

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank you!

4/10/18