A/N: I know it's been a while, and I have no other excuse except for Life. I could go on about how I haven't had a free weekend in three months between all my assignments, and go into great detail, but you all know how it goes. School comes first, and no matter how much I love you all…this is fun, but it isn't my entire life.

So, as I cut my losses (five people took me off story alert, and after that, I stopped counting) I shall go on to happier news:

I updated!

This chapter is dedicated to FIORI OMEGA, my 100th Reviewer!

Special mentions to JESSICULLEN92 for her hilarious title suggestion "The Maid and the Moron." Props to Jessi!

100+ reviews…..wow! Thanks guys. :)

Previously…

"Sorry, Mr. Jasper, but unfortunately I have already been taken." I made my voice sound as regretful and longing as I could.

Edward squirmed.

Well, the jerk enjoyed my discomfort before, so I should enjoy his now. Maybe I could turn this to my advantage...

This might just be fun after all.

Chapter 9: Disaster

EPOV

I swear she was enjoying this.

Jasper chuckled at something she said, and I could swear he was in on it too.

Calm down, Edward. I told myself. Not everyone betrays trust like—

No. I am going to enjoy myself. I glanced at Bella and saw that her eyes were shining with excitement. At least somebody's happy.

"So Bella," Rosalie began. Suddenly the room became silent as a grave. Rosalie had taken an instantaneous dislike to Bella, and her silence throughout most of the night made this sudden outburst all the more ominous.

Bella turned her head.

"What is it that your father does for a living?"

Talk about a loaded question.

Bella glanced at me for guidance. I carefully kept my face blank.

"Well," she began awkwardly, "my father died before I was born."

"Then surely he left you a large inheritance" Rosalie interrogated.

Bella responded so quietly I had to strain to hear it. "No. He left my mother and me without a penny."

"Oh, you poor dear" my mother said.

"I suppose we all know what you two did to support yourself." Rosalie said snidely.

"Excuse me?" I said, not understanding.

"I would thank you to keep your mouth off of my mother." Bella said. Her tone sent chills down my spine.

"What are you talking about?" I asked Bella, forgetting to add a "dear" or other form of false endearment. Why were they acting so aggressively?

"So what were your rates? Or was it free if you had a place to sleep at night?"

Bella flushed. "I am not a prostitute, and neither is my mother!"

Now it all made sense. I was shocked that Rosalie would suggest such a thing in polite company.

Bella's POV

"So, sleep with rats, do you?"

"Rosalie, stop it this instant." Edward defended. "It's not her fault she's a lowly gutter waif."

Gutter waif…

So, sleep with rats, do you? Their comments echoed in my mind.

Why were they so cruel?

Why had I agreed to this?

But I couldn't let them win. I wouldn't.

I suppressed my tears. My voice did not tremble. "I thought wealth and power were supposed to denote class. Evidently I was wrong."

I

I was wrong, I was wrong, so very, very wrong. This wasn't fun at all.

This was a disaster.

Edward POV

I watched as Bella stormed out of the room.

"Are you happy now, Rosalie?" I asked.

"Edward," my mother said reproachingly.

What? I gave her a look.

"I would suggest you go after her." Jasper said mildly.

Without another word, I turned and ran after her.

"Bella!" I yelled.

I finally saw her ahead of me as I turned down another hallway.

"Bella!"

She ignored me.

I zipped around her and put my hands on her shoulders. "What do you want, Edward?"

"Why did you run out on me?"

She swung her head up to look at me. She was crying!

"What's wrong?" I asked, shocked.

The tone of her voice changed. "Are you freaking kidding me? I was just accused of prostitution, and you just sat there!"

"I defended you!"

" 'Gutter waif', Edward! You called me a gutter waif!"

"You know I didn't mean it like that!"

"Yes you did! Why even bother defending me if your only intention was to embarrass me in the first place?"

"I didn't take you to dinner to be embarrassed." I replied coolly. "Despite what you seem to think of me, I am not as uncouth as that."

"This entire engagement is a joke! When I entered into this agreement, I expected to be snubbed. I knew that I would be degraded, but never, never did I ever expect you do to this to such a degree. All you wanted to do was humiliate me. Well congratulations, you win. Now leave me alone."

I was speechless. And the next words out of her mouth hurt even more.

"I never want to see you again."

Stunned, I could only watch as she walked away.

Why does this hurt so much? She was nothing to me. I barely knew her, and yet…

She depended on me, and I let her down. It had been a long time since anyone had counted on me. After…her…and I turned to going out all night and staying locked in my room all day, he didn't know what to do. I had become like a creature of the night myself, isolated from humanity. For a brief time, it was like I lost my soul.

It hurt more than I wanted to admit when to know that I had lost Bella's trust. I'm not sure want that would mean for our future (our? Since when did "we" have a future?) but I had to make things right.

I was going to get her back.

This chapter sucked. There's no other way to say it. I'm sorry for making you wait, but like I said, Life Happens.

Finally some ExB action!

***I think I need a beta. I would like to have one of you lovely people do it, but I would also like your input if you think that would be a bad idea and I should have an unbiased person do it. No previous experience required, but know yourself: Do you suck at grammar? Do you really have the time to do this? I won't be offended if you can't.***

Review? This chapter used to be short, bot I made it longer for you guys. Do I get any points for that?

No?

Review anyway. =D