AN: Enter with caution, this chapter contains extreme drama!

Chapter 20

One Month Later

APOV

"Edward please!" I tried to stop him for the umpteenth time that day. This was my last chance and I hadn't had a single moment alone with him.

"I have to go Alice, you can't keep following me around, sorry." He brushed past me, his face more gaunt than ever. I'll admit, Edward was a mess. There were dark circles under his eyes, his face paler than I ever thought possible for him.

"This is important!"

"I'm sure it can wait!" Edward walked into the groomsmen's parlor, a grimace painted on his face. I thought the groom was supposed to be happy on his wedding day. 'Not if you're being trapped into marriage.' I thought grimly.

"Alice, come on, the family is arriving." My mother swept me away into the women's parlor to greet Tanya's parents. They laughed together heartily.

"But what of his other son, what will happen to him?" Jane asked while looking over her perfectly manicured nails. She was wearing a long gold silk gown with two much cleavage showing to be considered tasteful. Her hair was pinned up in an elegant bun.

"Oh, no matter. I got rid of his mom and I can get rid of him. Masen should be much easier." My mother laughed. I gulped. I remembered how hard she had tried to get rid of Bella, to drive her away from Edward. She purposely made sure that Bella's life was as miserable as possible so she would just want to get away. She called in all of Edward's jobs, keeping him out as late as possible to ensure that they spent no time together, effectively ruining their relationship.

'And you knew all alone…' I thought woefully.

I shook my head to clear it of those thoughts. My negativity was not what Edward and Bella needed at the moment. They needed the truth.

"Mom, I can't go through with this, I'm telling Edward." I stated clearly, squaring my small shoulders to tell her I was serious. The smile dropped right off her perfectly powdered face.

"Alice, this is for the greater good. Edward will eventually fall in love with Tanya and they'll be together. They'll be happy." She assured me.

"No, not while he's in love with another woman. His heart belongs to Bella. you know that, I know that, we all know that. They deserve to finally be happy." I tried to open the door only to have it snapped from my grasp.

"Now you see here little lady, I've worked hard to take care of two, hard to earn money to raise this family. Pampering you like a little princess, making Edward feel special. I've earned the right to finally be taken care of and Edward is going to do it." she hissed while grabbing my arm. "You will not ruin this for me."

"Yes ma'am." I squeaked, suddenly terrified of the woman that had raised me. How had I not noticed that she was so evil? "If he finds out, he will never forgive you." I whispered, tears spilling down my cheeks. "He'll never forgive any of us."

"And that's why he'll never know. Edward's a good boy, he'll do the right thing. Be a good girl Alice. No go clean your face." she said to me. Too bad I didn't know what good was anymore.

MPOV

I strolled into the church looking confident, I just couldn't wait until all hell broke lose, the pretty floor cover in tears and quite possibly, blood.

"I still can't believe we're doing this Masen. You do realize that Esme is a powerful woman right?" Sylvia asked, still attached to my arm.

"Mind over matter my dear." I smirked at the wedding guest, excitement coursing through me at lightning speed.

"She could have us killed? We could die if this little plan of yours doesn't work. I'm not sure I'm willing to die for you."

"Please, Esme won't get one over on me, I'm always one step ahead of the game." I pulled the flash drive out of my pocket relishing in how right it felt in my hand. Have you ever held a gun? Knowing that you hold someone's life in your hands, knowing they had no idea that life as they knew it was about to end forever? I was the one holding all the cards this time, I was the one with the detonator. With that one little flash drive, I had all the power in the world, I could play god even if it was only for a few seconds.

Then mom had to go and screw it up.

"Masen!" she cried, effectively ripping me from my wonderful daydream.

"Mom! What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming." I stuttered out, clearly shocked to see her. Her untimely appearance had thrown one hell of a monkey wrench into my plans.

"I know but I have to see Edward. I have to let him know that I'll always be here for him." she smiled at the thought.

"No you can't! you can't at all. He's a jerk remember, Tanya's pregnant." I tried to deter her.

"I know but-" she didn't get to finish her sentence on account of Sylvia suddenly shoving her into the janitor's closet.

"We don't have time and you know it. Don't judge me. If we're gonna save your dad, we have to get upstairs now!" she grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the closet.

"MASEN!" I was so grounded when this was all over.

"I promise I'll be back mom! I promise!" I shouted as we ran.

"C'mon!" Sylvia snapped at me. We raced down the hall and up the stairwell at the back of the church.

"Let's go!" she shook the door handle at the top of the staircase. "It's locked Masen, we aren't getting this door open anytime soon."

"No, it can't be. I checked it yesterday." I grabbed the door and shook it as hard as I could. "Oh hell no." I finally pulled back to stop and think. I had to remain in my element after all. Then…a slow smile crept across my face. Why strain myself when I could just blow the door down? I fished three batteries out of my back pocket (something I never left the house without) and some copped wire from the other. It wouldn't take long at all.

EPOV

I was terrified. What was I doing, why was I marrying her? 'Bella's right,' I thought, 'This is my second chance.' I had failed to build a relationship so late in Masen's life, he was much too hateful to want anything to do with me. I would be a good father to this baby, regardless of its mother. I looked up at the screen that was shuffling through pictures of Tanya and I for everyone to see. The pictures were being projected from a machine in the very top room of the church. The door was almost always locked. We looked so happy but I knew the truth behind every photo, no matter how they were projected. They were still all lies, pure unavoidable lies.

Cringing as the wedding mach began, I stiffened my shoulders and waited for my future to begin. This was the start. Maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad. Still, there was part of me that wanted Bella to come charging trough that door, telling me how much she loved me, how much she wanted to be with me. I would carry her away and we would be happy. Tanya threw open the doors in a gaudy strapless gown. I didn't understand why it was white, wasn't white for women who remained celibate until marriage? Anyone with eyes could tell that there was no way Tanya had done such a thing. Her stomach had grown only slightly, something that confused me greatly. It seemed like the baby, would have grown much more considering how long it had been since we'd slept with each other.

I looked into the audience carefully analyzing each face. They were all my mother's friends, her rich associates, even my father smiled wistfully at me. It was still a smile. It was like they could see my damnation, like they could tell how badly Tanya would screw up my life. Still there were two faces I didn't see. I had at least thought Masen would have come. I had specifically asked my mother to make sure he got an invitation. Maybe he was just as angry as Bella was. Hell, maybe he just hated me that much.

"Dearly beloved, we are gather here today to unite in holy matrimony, this young man and this young woman." Tanya grabbed my arm laying her head on my shoulder. Why couldn't I just say the word no? It was just one little word. I should have known how to say it by then. I could feel my mother's eyes boring into my back, daring me to speak up. If I said anything, she would kill me, I would never be free.

"And now these two will exchange their vows. Miss Tanya will begin." I hadn't even been paying attention.

"Edward, from the first moment I saw you, I was in love. You have made me so happy in the few months that we've been together. I promise to always be honest and faithful to you, to always stay by your side. No matter what, I will always love you just like I know you'll always love me."

"Edward?" the priest asked me. Before I could speak, the projector ringed to life, the screen lighting up once again.

"Who turned the projector back on? What in the world?!" My mother stood up, I could literally feel her anger. That however wasn't what I was focused on. Unlike the previous slides, pictures of Tanya and I, this was a video of my mother, Tanya, Jane, and Alice in the women's parlor at our home. There was no audio at first but within seconds, I could hear their voices wafting through the speakers that had once projected our wedding march.

"I hate wearing this thing Esme. I get's itchy." Tanya said scratching at something hidden beneath her dress.

"Sorry sweetie, this will all be over soon. It's almost time for the six month belly by the way." Esme stood and came to help her adjust the straps.

"Do you really think Edward is buying this whole thing Esme. What if he decides he just doesn't care in the end and decides to stay with the girl he already has?" Jane asked, lighting herself a cigarette.

"He won't, he's a gentleman. He'll feel like he owes Tanya and he'll marry her." Esme patted Tanya's back lightly before stepping away to examine her handiwork. "Excellent, anyway, Bella's too sweet, she'll try to drive Edward to be with Tanya. Something about being a single mother herself. We really have nothing to worry about."

"Please let me take this thing off! I'll slip it back on before I go see Edward again. He'll never know the difference. She didn't wait for a response before she unbuckled the fake baby belly and slid it out from under her dress. "That is so much better. I cannot keep wearing that thing. It's way too hot. When can I miscarry?" she put air quotes around the word miscarry.

"Only after you're married, then Edward won't be able to get away."

"Don't you worry about what your son will think if he actually finds out about this?" Jane asked, taking a nice long drag from her cigarette.

"Of course not, Edward's feelings don't really matter all that much to me."

The screen went black.

The silence in the church hall was deafening. I pulled my arm from Tanya's grasp and stumbled down from the altar, no one spoke as I walked down the aisle, ripping the bowtie from my neck. Finally, my mother broke the silence.

"Edward!" she cried, running towards me as fast as her off white heels could take her.

"How could you do this to me?" I demanded.

"You were going to ruin your life with that girl, you need Tanya!" she shouted.

"No, I don't need her and I don't need you." I spat, throwing my bowtie at her.

"Edward!" Alice came running towards me. "Now you know what I've been trying to tell you, you wouldn't listen to me." she whispered. Part of me wanted to hate her for being apart of this whole scheme in the first place. However, she had tried to warn me, on several occasions.

"You're right, I should have listened." I granted.

"Edward-"

"Cold hearted bitches go to hell mom."

"Then looks like you'll be going first. All you've ever done is bitch about that girl. I was sick of it Edward, sick of it!"

"Oh please Esme, you're the queen of bitches." Masen swaggered into our circle, a smirk twisted on his face.

"You-You did this!" Esme screeched.

"Guilty as charged, definitely some of my best work." He winked at me.

"Masen?"

"If anyone takes you down daddy-o, it'll be me." I smiled at him, because in some weird way, some twisted convoluted way…Masen had just referred to me as his dad. Maybe I hadn't failed after all.