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~Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express. ~Joseph Addison
~Motherhood is the greatest potential influence in human society. Her caress first awakens in the child a sense of security; her kiss the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world. Thus in infancy and childhood she implants ever-directing and restraining influences that remain through life. ~ David 0. McKay
The Forgiveness Only She Can Give.
Chapter Five: Her Lie.
Rosalie's POV.
"Did she call?" Alice asked me as we met in the locker rooms before our shift at the local diner started.
"Her assistant called. She said to make sure and bring the children. I have no clue what it's about though. Wasn't that luncheon supposed to have occurred already?" I responded as I pulled out my apron.
"Never happened. Isabella couldn't cope with her emotions for a while. Isabella also wants to meet the children. Hence, the invite." Alice sighed as he sat down. "Every night Rose, I go to bed and her speech plays over and over in my head. Jasper has not spent one night home since that night. The guilt has resurfaced. Edward isn't any different. Angela confronted him and the outcome was not pretty. Angela was torn up but forgave him none the less. She understands the rift in the family now. How's Emmett?"
"Coping. The truth rocked him to his core." I said with a shake of my head. "After all this time, do you think that what we did was worth it?"
"No. I mean I got Jasper. I married the man I love but he isn't whole. He lost his sister simply because I did not want to share. We were stupid Rosalie and look; she still came out on top."
"I know so we meet up tomorrow with the group and have lunch with the in-laws. Yeah, that would be a piece of cake." I said softly because Alice and I both knew that this lunch would be anything but a piece of cake.
.
.
.
"Remind me again why they are here? Couldn't we have just brought the children and Angela along? Why on earth did we need to bring all of them?" My mother-in-law asked, absentmindedly twirling her locket that bore the Cullen Crest, as she stared at us with the most hateful expression on her face.
"They are here because Bella wanted to meet our grandchildren and she doesn't know that we cut ties with them." My father-in-law replied. "I know you don't like it. Hell! Even I don't. But she is our daughter and she wanted to meet them since she was told that we had grandchildren. You know that."
"Oh I know," She sighed as she pulled her gaze away from us, "I just wish they would hurry up. I always wanted her and Angela to meet. They would be such great friends." She gushed grabbing my sister-in-law's hand in her own.
And it was true; Angela Cullen and Isabella Black were meant to be friends. They were perfect, caring, compassionate but most importantly they were considered to be Cullens.
I was pulled out of my musing when I heard the doors of the restaurant open. From where I was seated, I could see the door but more so I had the perfect view of the immaculately dressed couple that had just entered the restaurant.
As they came into the line of sight of everyone at the table, I felt Alice's hand clamp down on mine as we took in the beauty that was Isabella Black. As a child, she was beautiful and there was no doubt that she would be gorgeous as an adult but now looking at her, there were simply no words one could us to justify her beauty. Forgive me if I am wrong but was it not beauties like her that men once placed on pedestals to be worshipped?
Like the night before, she was dressed in a designer red dress and had chosen to accessorize using, what looked to be authentic gold jewelry. On her ring finger, was the diamond that left me speechless the first time I saw it
With sure and confident steps, they walked up to our table being led by a clearly flustered waitress. Like the gentlemen they were raised to be, Emmett and his brothers stood silently.
"Bella," Esme, I mean, Mrs. Cullen sighed as she stood to embrace Bella. "You look lovely today. There is a glow about you."
"Thank you Mama C." She responded before gently pulling away and walking up to Dr. Cullen before taking him into a hug "I missed you, Papa."
"And I missed you, dear." He whispered pulling out of the hug to gently cup her face. From my right, I heard the gentle sobs that could only belong to Alice. Even seven years later, Isabella was still the only one they saw as a daughter; the only one they saw as their daughter.
"Come on Isabella, Jacob sit down." Mrs. Cullen laughed, joy shining on her face.
Smiling, Jacob gently pulled out Isabella's seat for her and ensured she was seated next to Dr. Cullen before seating himself next to her.
"Now Isabella, I must say you look absolutely breathtaking today." Dr. Cullen complimented as he pulled her into his side.
"Thank you, Papa C. I don't normally dress like this but it's a tradition in the Black Family that when a new branch of their company is opened that the entire family visits the office as an opportunity for us to get to know the employees. So today I had to dress the part."
"That's great, dear." Mrs. Cullen gushed making no attempt to hide the pride in her voice.
"And that is partly why we are late and I apologize." Jacob added.
"There is nothing to apologize for, son." Dr. Cullen said as he waved his had dismissively. "But now we have to get down to business."
"And that is?" Mrs. Cullen asked raising her eyebrows.
"Ordering lunch." He said rubbing his stomach earning a laugh form his granddaughters.
As if now aware of the presence of the children, both Jacob and Isabella's heads snapped in the direction of the children.
"You brought them." Isabella smiled. "I didn't notice them sandwiched between Emmett and Edward."
"Oh, now I'm getting some names." Jacob laughed.
"Oh honey I'm sorry. I was so taken by Mama and Papa C that I forgot to introduce you all." Isabella apologized as she made to stand.
Linking her hand with Jacob's she made her way over to the end where we were all seated.
"Jake, this is Edward, Emmett and Jasper, the biological Cullen sons and Rosalie and Alice. They are married to Emmett and Jasper respectively." Isabella said pointing to each of us in turn as Jacob reached out and shook our hands but I would have been a fool not to notice the way that Jacob's eyes hardened as we were introduced.
"And you must be Angela." Isabella said standing next Angela who was now standing.
"And you must be Isabella." Angela said softly while holding out her hand.
"You are not serious. We don't shake hands in this family. Well at least I don't." Isabella laughed as she pulled Angela into a hug.
After Isabella had released Angela, Jacob took Angela's hand in his, leaving a gentle kiss on the back of it.
"I apologize for my wife. She is yet to grasp the concept of personal space." Jacob chuckled.
"Oh hush." Isabella laughed as she turned to the children.
Squatting down to their levels, she extended both her hands in their direction.
"Hello, I'm Bella. What are your names?"
"I'm May and this Emma. We're five." May, my daughter, answered
"Oh my! You're big girls." She said smiling at both girls.
"Who is that?" Emma, Angela's daughter, asked pointing at Jacob.
"This is Jake. He's my husband." Bella answered while pulling Jake down by the leg of his pants.
"You're lucky." Emma whispered shyly as she peeked through her eyelashes at Jacob.
"How so?' Bella asked.
"He's cute." Emma stated before sticking her thumb into her mouth.
Laughing, Jake helped Bella stand as she looked over at Jasper who had his six month old son, Lucas, cradled to his chest.
"His name is Lucas, Isabella." Jasper said with a small smile. "He's been suffering with colic. This is the quietest he's been in a while." It was no secret that out of all of us, Jasper and Bella had been the closest. When she left, the guilt and hurt had almost killed him and now that she was here; living and breathing but horribly scarred, it had caused Jasper's guilt to resurface and now Jasper's entire family was being affected.
"He's beautiful, Jasper." Isabella said before re-taking her seat.
"Okay, now that the introductions are out of the way, I have been dying to ask you something or more like ask you for something." Mrs. Cullen said, making no effect to hide her dislike for the Cullen children as she sent a warning gaze in our direction.
"And what might that be Mrs. Cullen?" Jacob asked as he flagged down a waitress no doubt to order drinks.
"Oh Jacob!" Mrs. Cullen chuckled. "When I hear the name Mrs. Cullen, I look over my shoulder for my mother-in-law. You can call me Esme, mama or just about anything else." Mrs. Cullen stated with a smile on her face.
"And that same goes for me boy, you hear." Dr. Cullen interjected. "Papa C or Carlisle but no Dr. Cullen or Mr. Cullen. There never is any need to address someone formally in a family."
"Of course Papa C, Mama C," Jacob smiled, humbly accepted their corrections, "but before you ask for what you want of my wife and myself, what would you all like to order?" Jacob asked, gesturing to everyone at the table to order.
"Oh! Well we haven't decided on our food choices yet but I guess we can order drinks. Does that sound reasonable?" Mrs. Cullen asked turning her attention to the drinks menu.
"Please feel free to order whatever you wish." Jacob said looking over to where the outcast Cullen children and their spouses sat. "I will be sponsoring our lunch and before anyone of you object, I already gave them my credit card number." Jacob said smugly as Dr. Cullen opened his mouth to object.
"Thank you, Jacob." Jasper drawled as he turned to the waitress. "Five cokes and orange juice for the girls, please."
"And what about you, Angela dear?" Esme asked Angela who was seated next to Jacob. We had learned a long time ago to never order for Angela.
"A coke will be fine, thank you." Angela spoke with a smile on her face.
"I guess I'll have a glass of red wine." Mrs. Cullen ordered.
"I'll have the same." Dr. Cullen said turning his attention back to Isabella who looked to be having a silent conversation with Jacob.
"Well then, why don't we order a bottle since neither of us is able to resist a good red wine?" Jacob laughed as Isabella's face lit up. Turning to the waiter, he ordered a bottle of Casillero del Diablo which I had heard was a very decadent wine even though I had yet to taste it luxury as I had once dreamt about.
As the waitress walked of, Mrs. Cullen turned her attention back to Jacob and Isabella.
"You know I have yet to try that type of wine." She mused. "How is it?"
"It's amazing. And that's all I know. If you want the finer details, mama, Jake would tell you. If its one thing my husband knows, it's his wine." Isabella said smiling lovingly in Jacob as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Now Mama C," Isabella smiled, "what is it that you want?"
"Well, I hope it is not too forward of me but I was wondering if I could possibly obtain one of you wedding pictures so that I could hang in our home?" Esme asked.
At this point, I could not help the tear that slid down my cheek. After all, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen did not even attend any of their sons' weddings except for Edward and Angela and even then came as guest and did not identify themselves as the groom's parents.
"Don't you dare say it Isabella." Jacob laughed.
"What is it?" Mrs. Cullen asked, confused by the exchange.
Smiling, Isabella reached into her purse and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box and handed it to Mrs. Cullen.
"I had a feeling you would have wanted one but Jacob here thought differently." Isabella smiled soft as Mrs. Cullen opened the box.
Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked at the contents of the box angling it so that Dr. Cullen could also see.
"Bella, is this really your wedding pictures?" Dr. Cullen asked as he removed the picture-frame from the box.
"Of course and there is also a copy of the actual wedding DVD somewhere in the box."
"Thank you Bella. I was just sorry we couldn't be there. At least we got you a gift and were allowed to pay for something even if it was just the flowers." Mrs. Cullen said, wiping her tears away.
"Which were ridiculously expensive." Isabella laughed as the waitress approached with our drinks.
"Oh relax, would you? I have practiced medicine for over twenty-five years now Isabella. Spending twenty-thousand dollars on flowers did not even put a bent in the Cullen account and you know that."
"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked in Jacob's direction. I had seen that look many times. It was the look of a woman trying to flirt with a married man. Jacob, however did not respond to the waitress' obvious flirting. Instead, he pulled Isabella flush against his chest and entwined her left hand with his, leaving both their wedding bands quite visible and buried his face into her hair before replying.
"No thank you. I'll call when we are ready." Jacob responded with a kind smile as the paled waitress turned to leave.
"Was she hitting on you, sweetheart?" Isabella giggled as she ran her hands through Jacob's hair.
"It's not funny, my love." He smiled at her.
"I happen to think that it is hilarious. I'm sure Mama C has to deal with the same thing. Am I not right Mama?" She said laughing at the pout now on Jacob's lips.
"You are right, my darling one." Mrs. Cullen said as she accepted a glass of wine from Dr. Cullen. "I had to fight the little home wreckers of with a stick but now Carlisle just handles them."
"And how do you do that?" Jacob asked as he sipped his wine.
"I make out with her by the nurses' station. Works like a charm." Dr. Cullen stated bluntly then laughed at the pained expression on Isabella's face.
"Oh Jacob, this wine is heavenly." Mrs. Cullen moaned as she sipped her wine.
"Oh God! You're right." Dr. Cullen exclaimed. "Jacob, this is perfect. You and I will have to sit and have some very serious discussions."
"No problem Papa C." Jacob laughed pulling Bella's chair closer to his.
"Now how about some lunch?" Mrs. Cullen asked the table at large but looked only at her grandchildren.
After we had decided on a menu and ordered, Mrs. Cullen called May and Emma to come sit with her while we waited. The children readily jumped at the offer and were soon sitting on the laps of Mrs. Cullen and surprisingly Bella.
"She's wonderful with them." I heard Alice say from besides me.
"She is." I agreed.
"So Jacob, I am warning you. This meeting is about you getting to know us and about us getting to know you. So I have many questions to ask you." Esme said as she absentmindedly played with Emma's hair.
"Naturally." Jacob responded.
"Firstly, what do you do? Job wise I mean? I honestly feel bad that I don't know this considering that we have been in each others lives for the past two years but I am sure you can understand why most of my attention had been focused on Bella."
"I completely understand. I had expected it. As for my job, I am the Vice-President of Black Construction Companies. My father is Billy Black, founder, President and CEO."
"Wait, I heard about that company. It's a very successful company from what I have heard." Dr. Cullen said nodding in approval.
"Thankfully but there were many scarifies made to get where we are told." Jacob said humbly.
"Secondly, how old are you? Forgive me when I say this but Jacob you as quite handsome and had I been thirty years young, Bella would have some competition." Mrs. Cullen said and then laughed as a blush spread across Jacob's cheek.
"Down, Mama." Isabella laughed, "Papa C is right there you know. Plus Jacob is mine."
"Oh Bella I am fully aware that your father is seated right next to me. He does pay my bills."
"And just because our husbands are around Bella, it does not stop us from looking." Angela interjected, clearly loving the playfulness of the conversation between Isabella and Mrs. Cullen.
"True." Isabella responded. "But back to the original question. Jake here is twenty-nine."
"Isn't that a bit old?" Dr. Cullen asked as his eyebrows rose.
"Nope. It just means he has plenty of experience." Isabella responded in an offhand manner which promptly caused Dr. Cullen to choke on the sip of wine that he had just taken.
"Isabella," Mrs. Cullen exclaimed through her giggles.
"What? It's true."
"Okay back to the questioning. Let's not kill my husband. Now Jacob, tell me about your family."
Instantly and silently, Isabella placed her hand on Jacob's allowing him to entwine their fingers offering him some comfort.
"There really isn't much to tell. It really was only my father and I until I met Isabella. My mother died about ten years now." He shrugged.
"Oh, I am so sorry dear. I had no idea. That must have been difficult for you." Mrs. Cullen said softly.
"It was. I was in my second year of getting business and law degrees and it was sudden. She was killed by a drunk driver you see. But I coped and was able to finish my degrees. After I got my degrees I started working at my dad's company."
"That's wonderful dear." Esme smiled as the food arrived.
"Emma, May come here and eat." Angela called. Immediately the children came running.
I watched in amusement as Isabella placed all her vegetables into Jacob's plate, concentrating solely on the pasta dish in front of her.
"Excuse me," Isabella called the waitress back after she had served us our food, "but do you by chance have any bittersweet chocolate shavings? If you have, may I get some please?" She asked kindly.
"Of course."
"Isabella, what are you doing?" Esme asked curiously as Isabella waited patiently on the waitress.
"You'll see Mama C." Isabella smiled when the waitress returned with a bowl full of the shavings.
Smiling, she took the bowl for the waitress and leaned over to Dr. Cullen. Taking a small amount of the shavings, she sprinkled it onto his pasta dish.
"Taste it." She simply said as she repeated the action with Mrs. Cullen's plate.
Like the trooper he was, Dr. Cullen took a bit of his food and chewed carefully. Soon his facial expression changed from caution to delight.
"But how?" He asked dumbfounded as Mrs. Cullen's facial expression soon matched his.
"This is an Italian dish. If you smell it properly, you will be able to smell a trace of cocoa. Italians are known to do that in any of their slow cooking dishes so just to enhance the already existing flavor of the cocoa; I just like to add a bit of bittersweet chocolate at the end. Here, try it." She replied as she passed the chocolate in our direction.
And she was right.
"You're right Bella. This is amazing." Alice said while offering her a slight smile.
"Thank you Alice."
"Isabella?" Alice called again.
"Yes Alice?"
"I have been meaning to ask you this and I hope you don't mind but is that an actual orange diamond?"
"Yes it is. It was the first thing Jacob bought with his first pay check."
"Really? I mean that has to be like a five carat ring and those things aren't cheap…"
"What are you trying to say, Alice?" Dr. Cullen's voice cutting threw Alice's words and silencing her immediately.
"Nothing, Dr. Cullen. I apologize Isabella." Alice mumbled as she lowered her head.
Surprisingly, Isabella and Jacob laughed.
'No Alice. It's quite alright and yes you are right on every account." Jacob responded to our raised eyebrows
"Meaning?" Mrs. Cullen prompted.
"This is indeed a five carat orange diamond; one of the rarest type of diamond in the world. You were also right when you said that it wasn't cheap. I paid a very pretty penny for that ring. Soon enough you will understand that I tend to go overboard when it comes to anything dealing with Isabella."
"Yes. You should come to the house. That is living proof that there is little that can be done to rein Jacob in."
"What do you mean?" Alice said raising her head.
"Well Alice, when we had decided to build a house here in Forks, the initial plan was for a three bedroom home. Soon after I handed over the plans to Jake here my two story, three bedroom home turned into a three story, six bedroom home, complete with indoor pool and koi pond."
"Where did you build?" My husband asked ignoring the glares my mother-in-law sent his way.
"On Selvean Drive." Jacob replied after taking a sip of his wine.
"That's a nice place but really expensive."
"I know." Jacob chuckled, "but Bella liked the property so I bought it; no questions asked."
"Seems to me like you give her everything she wants." Jasper stated.
"I do mainly because she never asks for much. But yet again, isn't it my duty as her husband to ensure she gets what she wants?" Jacob asked almost in a challenging manner.
"It is your duty." Jasper agreed, "Just like it is mine." He continued looking over at Alice.
"So Jacob," Esme said turning the conversation away from our group again, "when will I be getting more grandchildren?" She asked causing Isabella to choke on the mouthful of food she has just taken.
"Mum! Are you trying to get me killed? You don't ask those kinds of questions out of the blue. You build up to it. Geesh!" Isabella exclaimed as she reached for her wine.
"Oh Bella! Always so melodramatic!" Esme said with a wave of her hand, "I need to know these things so I could get started on ideas to renovate the house."
"Ideas to renovate the house? Mother, why on God's green earth would you need to renovate the house when we decide to have a baby?"
"So that my grandchildren would be able to have a playroom and their own bedrooms so that they could stay as much as they want. Isn't it obvious?"
"Mom….." Isabella started again only to be stopped by Dr. Cullen.
"Bella dear, let me just say that there is no way that you are going to win this argument because no matter what you say; when we hear that there is a little one on its way the Cullen manor will be renovated to accommodate the newest additions to the Cullen family."
"You never did that for our children," Alice grumbled next to me in a quiet voice so that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen would not hear. But she was right. They were not even there for the births of their grandchild and had only seen them when Emmett, Edward and Jasper had taken the children to the Cullen Manor.
"Fine but let it be known that I do not want this." She huffed, causing Jacob to chuckle.
"Alright but we haven't answered their question. We plan to wait about two years before trying since it would give me time to get the company's branch here, running smoothly which in turn would allow me to be home a lot more with Bella and our baby."
"Good for you son. You really are wonderful when it comes to Isabella. You're financially stable, providing to her every need but most importantly, you love her." Carlisle said smiling.
"Well enough about me, what about you all? What do you do?" Jacob asked looking in our direction.
"Well, Emmett, Jasper and Edward are actually school teachers and Rosalie and Alice work at the local diner in Forks." Esme said with an evil stare.
"How come? I thought you all wanted to be doctors just like Papa C." Isabella said frowning at the men she once considered to be her brothers.
"Dreams change, Bella," Edward said with a small smile. But that wasn't the truth. Their dreams had never changed. What had changed was the fact that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen no longer wished to pay for their college education. Jasper, Edward and Emmett had to work their way through school.
"Oh okay," Bella responded though there was still some doubt in her voice. "What about you Angela?" Isabella asked kindly with no hint of malice in her voice.
"Oh, I am a psychologist but I work more with children." Angela said as she battled with May to eat her vegetables.
"Oh I always wanted to do that but I never got the chance. However I am happy with my lot; content."
"And what is that," I asked feeling that I had stayed quiet for too long.
"With my father's-in-law help, I was able to start a charity organization that helps children who have gone through what I have. We also started a scholarship program for children from impoverished backgrounds. You know, Angela, I'm always looking for a on-call psychologist. Would you consider it?"
"Absolutely. I would love to help." Angela beamed.
"So Jacob, loving Forks so far?" Emmett asked as he held my hand in his.
"I am actually. It's a completely different way of life here; slow, quiet. A guy could get use to this."
"If he hasn't already." Isabella jabbed causing us all to burst into a fit of giggles.
"That's harsh, sweetheart." Jacob said while dramatically holding his heart.
"True but you still love me." Isabella laughed.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." He finished placing a kiss on her forehead.
I could not help but smile at the whole exchange. He loved her and it was plain to see.
"Now Isabella, tell me about this home of yours." Esme said placing her cutlery back on her plate.
"Well, I would actually prefer for you to come see it." Isabella said softly.
"What?" My mother-in-law asked as she began to vibrate in her seat. "Are you serious?"
"Of course, Mama. Saturday, Jake and I are having a small thanksgiving service at our home and we were hoping that you all would come." Isabella answered as a blush began to colour her cheeks.
"Of course we shall be there. Oh and I'll come help you get everything ready." Mrs. Cullen replied.
"That won't be necessary. Leah, our housekeeper, has everything under control. She loves planning these things from what I have heard. We have almost finished unpacking and Janet, our chef, already has a menu planned so right after the thanksgiving service, we will all have dinner." Jake said as he laughed at Bella's obvious discomfort at being the center of attention. "None of you are allergic to dogs are you? Because we just got three puppies."
"No. None of us are allergic but the kids will love you for it." Angela responded as she pointed to her smiling daughter.
"House keeper, chef? Sound like you are a kept woman, Isabella." Alice said with a slight malice in her voice. Softly, I groaned. I knew this was going to happen. The life Isabella lived was the life Alice wanted: a rich husband, a lovely house, working because she wanted to and not because she had to.
"Alice!" Jasper hissed at her.
"What! I'm just saying." She replied flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Jasper again opened his mouth to respond but before he could even say a single word, Jacob responded. His voice was cold and deadly.
"I do not know what you are trying to imply, Alice but let me tell you that my wife is my world, my life. I did not struggle through college to get my business degree for nothing. I did not work my ass off twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for my family to go hungry. I worked my ass off to get where I am today so forgive me if I insist that we hire a housekeeper and a chef so that my wife does not have to lift a single finger while at home."
"Actually, it sounds completely different to me." Alice sneered. "It sounded like your wife is living quite the life and that you just got a free ride to your position at your father's company."
From the corner of my eye, I could see the anger that was radiating through Dr. and Mrs. Cullen and I knew this meal was not going to end well.
"Alice, please," Isabella interjected, "that was not called for. You know nothing about us."
"Yes Alice you would be doing yourself a huge favor by shutting the hell up," Emmett warned, "since this is neither the time nor place."
"Whatever," She huffed childishly as she turned her attention back to her meal.
"I apologize Jacob and to you, Bella. It appears Mary Alice has reverted back to her ways of spite and malice." Dr. Cullen said in a cold, hard voice.
"It's quite alright Papa C and please forgive me Jasper for speaking to your wife in that manner but I did not like her words or the tone she used. You see I find myself in a difficult position. When Bella told me that she would be meeting all of you today, I, for one, was shocked. I did not like the idea about her meeting you all. I still don't. If I had my way each and every single one of you seated there except Angela and the children would be eating through a tube. I see that you are getting angry Jasper but just listen. Alice is your wife, your world. When you first saw Alice she was probably laughing and smiling. Am I right?"
Jacob waited silently for Jasper to nod his head before continuing.
"Well as I have said before, Isabella is my life, my world but unlike you, my first memory is not a happy one. It was the one that will forever haunt my dreams."
"Jake," Bella whispered softly, tears streaming down her face.
Instantly, Bella was wrapped tightly in her husband's arms as he continued to look over in our direction.
"The first time I saw Isabella was the night I found her dying from having used a bad batch of cocaine. I rushed her to the hospital and there five doctors worked for three hours until she was stable enough to be sent to ICU. She was unconscious for seven days. When she woke up, do you know what she told me or more appropriately asked me? She asked me why I hadn't just let her die. When I told her that I could not do that, she said that I should have done it because she wasn't worth it. Imagine that- the woman you love telling you to let her die. Trust me when I say that there is no torture more painful than that."
"For three months after that, Bella was in detox. When my father had heard what was going on, he insisted that we have her admitted to the best rehab facility that there is. After her detox period, was her therapy period. Only problem with that was that she had chosen not to speak. She had stopped talking and had now chosen to live a life of silence. Psychiatrist after psychiatrist tried everything and anything to get her to speak but nothing worked until we met a Dr. Marcus Volturi."
"Oh God!" Dr. Cullen exclaimed, "I have heard of him. He only deals with the toughest cases out there. He says he happens to love a good challenge. Was she really that bad Jacob?"
"Yes she was. She didn't eat, didn't sleep and didn't talk. She was so weak that she could not even walk. At first she did not speak. He was the one that did all the talking but he always seemed to hit the nail on the head when it came to what she was feeling. It was four months and nineteen days into her seeing him that she spoke."
"Jake please don't." Isabella cried knowing where this would lead.
"No sweetheart, you have cried to many times over this; over them. No more. I say no more tears." He cooed softly to the shaking and sobbing Isabella who now was pressed against chest before turning back to us. "On the day that Bella first spoke, Marcus had taken a more trash talk approach. He realized that if he bad mouthed a member of the family that he got a quicker response from Bella. He started of with you Papa C and then followed by bad mouthing you, Mama C. Occasionally Bella would flinch or cry out. It was impossible to get anything more out of her. But then he pulled out the big guns as a matter of speaking and started bad mouthing you three, Emmett, Jasper and Edward. Do you know the reaction he got from her? She threw a five hundred dollar crystal vase at his head and told him in every possible word under the sun that she would kill him if he ever thought about bad mouthing her brothers again. When he asked why he couldn't bad mouth you all she said it was because you are her brothers and that she loves you. It was then that we finally got a breakthrough and she finally started talking. A year later she finally resembled a human being but she wasn't whole. It was then that Marcus suggested that she attempt to contact you all and that's when she sent her first letter to Papa and Mama C."
"Bella," Angela started to say before she, herself burst into tears. "What damaged you so much? You told us about the drugs but I know there is something more, something deeper. What aren't you telling us?" Angela murmured as she looked over to where Isabella was crying into Jacob's chest and where Mrs. Cullen was glaring daggers at us all.
"Alice and Rosalie were the ones who started the rumors. Alice and Rosalie were the ones who started the hazing. Alice and Rosalie were the masterminds behind what happened to Isabella." Mrs. Cullen spat. "That's what she wasn't telling you. Alice and Rosalie wanted to be apart of our family. Carlisle and I had not problem with that but they got jealous. They saw how Isabella had her own room at our house. They saw how she had her own car; her own credit card. Yes, I know Edward told you about their involvement but you will never know how much pain Isabella had to go through. You would never know the bruises that littered her skin. You would never know how she woke up every night in tears. You would never know how she began to cut herself saying how the pain reminded her that she was alive. You will also never know the lie she told on that stage."
"Esme." Dr. Cullen cautioned even though his attention was focused on Isabella.
"What lie?" Angela asked.
"Don't Esme me, Carlisle." Mrs. Cullen huffed. "You know how Isabella said she was able to escape from the men who were trying to rape her?" Mrs. Cullen sneered and waited until Angela nodded before continuing. "She lied."
"What?" I choked out.
"That's right, Rosalie." Esme snapped in my direction. "Because you and Alice were so jealous of something that Carlisle and I were more than prepared to give to you, my daughter ended up being raped."
"Oh God." Edward gasped out.
"What does God have to do anything with this, Edward? If your brother had put a stop to it, none of this would have happened, isn't that right, Jasper?" Dr. Cullen shouted at his son, drawing the attention of everyone present in the restaurant. "My daughter was raped because of you idiots. Your jealousy caused this. Now you know why we want nothing to do with you."
"I don't believe." Emmett whispered, looking at Jasper in shock.
"You better believe it. Why do you think you friend James is in prison?" Dr. Cullen rebutted and that was when all hell broke loose.