The story deals with adult subject matter and occasional description of explicit sexual abuse. Not meant for underage readers. Read at your own peril. And oh, Twilight belongs to SM. This is just a fanfiction.
Beautiful Sorrow
End of Chapter 5:
Laying await for Sylvia's call, she let memories take her back to a time when things were simpler, and she wasn't the broken, beaten, shell of a human being that she was now; she thought of the day her husband noticed her for the first time.
Chapter 6
Bella, age 15
After the surprise visit by their savior, it took a while for Renee and Bella to pull themselves out of their shocked stasis. For the longest time, all they could do was to stare at each other with disbelief. Finally, Renee pulled Bella into a tight hug, exhaling a sigh of relief and hope – the first one, it seemed like, since she got that phone call from Billy two days ago. She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and told her through a tearful smile, "Everything will be ok, baby. Thank God, everything will be ok."
She then turned to Charlie's resting form and moved closer to him to place a kiss on his forehead. She held his hand in hers and whispered to him, "Honey, I wish you were awake to hear what just happened. Everything will be ok, sweetheart. You just have to get well and come home to us. We don't have to worry about the money, or the meds. Just get better, ok?"
Whatever feeling of disbelief that had lingered at the back of their minds was quickly dispelled when they noticed the renewed buzz among the hospital staff about Charlie's case. Dr. Green, along with the Chief of Cardiology, dropped by and had more of a heart-to-heart conversation with Renee. The nurses checked in on Charlie more frequently than they had the day before. Most telling of all, within forty minutes of Carlisle Cullen's visit, Charlie was moved to a private room, which was larger and nicer, with no one else to share it with.
Renee was reeling from the sudden windfall and could hardly keep still from her jittering. With the colossal weight of Charlie's healthcare cost lifted from her shoulders, she could at least see herself getting through this ordeal with her family intact, quite possibly even with her daughter's college fund untouched.
Neither woman could stop talking about what had just happened. They both wondered why Charlie had never said anything about how generous and kindhearted his employer was. Charlie never talked much about his work. It wasn't that he hated his job, but he had always been quite tight lipped about his day once he returned home to his family. Renee and Bella had always assumed it was due to the tedious nature of his job, or his lack of interest in letting work cut into the time he had with his wife and daughter. Given what had just transpired, it was strange how little Renee really knew about the man who employed her husband for nearly as long as he'd been married to her. Bella suggested that maybe it was Billy who had appealed to Mr. Cullen's charitable side on their behalf, as when he visited them the day before, he'd mentioned starting a collection pool for Charlie.
They talked about future plans, including how they'd have to divide up caregiving responsibilities, since even if Mr. Cullen took care of Charlie's hospital bills and medications, they would still be short on income for a while. Charlie had always been the principle provider of their little family unit, while Renee's pay check from her part-time job helped out with the peripheral costs. With him out of commission, Renee would have to find a full-time position someplace soon to compensate for the loss. She didn't know where or how she'd find such work in this small town of theirs, but that wasn't as pressing a problem anymore.
Once she started working, she'd need Bella to pick up some slack at home with regards to her dad's care; after her school hours of course. Bella readily agreed, and asked about the professional in-home care the doctor's suggested they arrange for Charlie. She reminded her mother that Mr. Cullen had asked them to prepare a list of expenses to show his representative, whom he said would be visiting them the next day. Perhaps the cost of a visiting nurse should be on the list?
Grateful for her daughter's presence of mind, Renee spent the next hours preparing the list with her.
"Mom, don't you think he looks like a movie star?" Bella asked her mother with sheepish, starry eyes once the discussion winded down a little. Her cheeks still felt hot from when she'd looked at his face.
"I know, he looks just like Tom Cruise, but taller…and better looking. Oh my God! We are so bad," Renee mockingly admonished their own quips, covering her face to snuff a giggle that threatened to escape. She felt bad immediately for having such a frivolous thought while sitting right next to her husband's sick bed.
Bella too, felt sufficiently embarrassed. She brushed aside her juvenile thoughts and tried to focus on the task at hand. They might have been given a very generous bail-out package, but they were still very much in hot water. Charlie's convalescence and managing their family would be a great burden for Renee alone. Bella knew she needed to be strong to lend a hand, and she had set her mind to do that no matter what. However, she wasn't able to exorcise completely the dream-like perfection of the man's face from her mind. They refused to go on exile and kept popping up in her head randomly, and if she were to be completely honest, she'd have to admit that she didn't really want to rid her mind of these errant images. He was a vision to behold, and by far, he was the most magnificent sight she had ever laid eyes upon.
That evening, Billy Black came to visit. He was perplexed as to why Charlie had been moved to a private room, and he asked Renee as much as soon as he located them. Renee filled him in enthusiastically about what had transpired earlier that day; the surprise visit from Carlisle Cullen, his generous offer to pay Charlie's medical bills and maybe even some way into his long term care. Billy was surprised to hear that. Apparently he had no idea that his employer was going to make such a grand charitable gesture.
She moved them to the sitting space in the corner of the room and launched into her own barrage of questions that she'd been struggling to hold back.
"Billy, how come you or Charlie never talked about how nice he is? And so young! How old is he? I thought Mr. Cullen was much older," Renee bombarded Billy with questions that she could no longer hold back.
"No, he's not that old. He just likes to keep to himself. I mean, seriously. All of us working at the house, we signed a confidentiality contract when we started; Charlie too. It actually spells out that talking about him, or anything we come to learn as a result of our work at his house, is grounds for firing. And he enforces that too.
"A few years back, a maid leaked to some reporters what shampoo Mr. Cullen uses or some shit, and I think she also tried to sell pictures of his bedroom. She got fired on the spot! No chance to explain her side, no nothing. He's a bit anal about it.
"You said someone's going to bring you paperwork? I bet good money he will make you sign a non-disclosure too," Billy said while thinking the situation through.
Renee considered what Billy had explained to her, trying to take in all that she was being told. All these years she thought her husband didn't enjoy talking shop at home, she never suspected that Charlie was refraining from speaking about his place of work on purpose. On some level, she understood why a man of Mr. Cullen's position would value his privacy, however strange it may seem to 'common' people like them. If discretion was the only price he asked in return for saving their collective financial hide, then it was a fair enough arrangement. She decided to ask something pertinent instead, "Do you know if he normally helps people out like this? Or is Charlie a special case?"
Billy looked uncertain. He scratched his head before replying, "Honestly, I don't really know what's normal for him. I've worked there for nearly as long as Charlie, and in all those years he'd said maybe ten words to me…I'm not saying he is mean, but he doesn't go out of his way to talk to the staff.
"As for whether he did this for anyone else, gee Renee, I don't know. I haven't seen him rubbing shoulders with any of us. But I heard from the housekeeper that Mr. Cullen bought a house for the old lady who used to manage the estate before her, and set her up for life too. Of course, she doesn't know this for sure, and I already told you how he feels about us gossiping. I wish could tell you more, but that man really keeps to himself."
Renee wasn't sure what to make of this. The man she met hours ago seemed compassionate, if a little aloof. To her, he didn't appear to be someone who would purposefully make people feel that they were beneath him. But arguably, her perspective on the matter was somewhat eschewed, and he was in the room for all of ten minutes. She could hardly claim to know the man better than Billy did.
"But, you don't think he would go back on his offer, do you?" Renee voiced her fear.
"No, I don't think so. The man has more money than a king; he won't miss the cash, trust me. This is probably pocket change for him," Billy said encouragingly.
Renee nodded her head hopefully. "I hope you are right,"
That night, both mother and daughter slept a little better, feeling safe in the knowledge that the worst of the crisis had been averted. While they'd still need to tighten their belt to make it to the other side, thanks to their unexpected benefactor, they wouldn't have to do it with an empty stomach or without a roof over their heads.
In the morning, Renee resolutely put her foot down that no way Bella was to miss another school day. As Bella started collecting her things and grabbing some food to have on her way to school, their phone rang. Renee spoke on the phone for a few minutes and then hung up to tell Bella that as promised, Carlisle Cullen's emissary had called to request a time to come and meet with her. She had told the man he was welcome to come by that morning before she left to visit Charlie. Understandably, she seemed nervous about the meeting.
"Mom, how about I catch school from half time today? I'd like to be here when he comes. Please, Mom?" Bella appealed to her mother.
It didn't take much convincing to get Renee to relent, given how she wasn't too keen on going through the meeting all alone. "Ok, but only this one time. I will drop you off at school when I go to the hospital. You have a lot of catching up to do."
In preparation of receiving their visitor, they spent the morning cleaning up the house a little. Up keep of the house hadn't been at the forefront of their minds, and it had become quite dusty and cluttered in the span of just a few days.
Just as Bella was stowing away the dust pan in the closet under the stairs, she heard the doorbell ring. Renee quickly checked her reflection in the mirror beside the door before answering the door. A well dressed man in his thirties stood at the entrance.
"Mrs. Swan, I presume? We spoke on the phone; I'm Harold Jenks, from Jenks and Cohen Law Firm. We represent Mr. Carlisle Cullen in his personal finances. I believe you have been expecting me. I am here to explain a few things to you, and then I have some documents for you sign. May I come in?" the man asked politely.
Renee invited him into their modest living room and signaled him to the threadbare sofa. "Please take a seat Mr. Jenks. I really appreciate you coming all the way here."
"No problem at all, it's what I do," said Mr. Jenks as he took the offered seat.
Renee noticed Bella hesitating by the door and motioned her in.
"This is our daughter, Isabella," Renee introduced her.
"How do you do? It's nice to meet you, sir," Bella muttered.
"Likewise, Isabella," Mr. Jenks said with a quick nod of acknowledgement.
"Is it ok if she sits with us?" Renee questioned.
"Of course, feel free to join us or ask any questions you may have. The better informed you all are, the easier my work will be," he politely replied before beginning to pull out papers from the briefcase he was carrying.
"But before we begin, I'd like to say how sorry I am about your husband. I can't imagine what a difficult time it must be for you. I apologize for intruding at a time of such family crisis, but I hope the news I bring will ease your mind to some degree," he said as he looked from Renee to Bella.
He had a soothing voice and a clever way of vocalizing his words. He reminded Bella of all the fancy attorneys she'd seen on television shows; sleek and polished, and very sure of himself. Something about the man reminded her of Carlisle Cullen; the sure footedness and easy grace with which he swept the room with his eyes, and how he seemed to own the room simply by being in it.
Renee nodded her head in understanding and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
"Mrs. Swan, I am sure you are already aware of this, Mr. Cullen has decided that he will bear all expenses connected to Charlie Swan's medical care. He has also taken into consideration how the loss of future income might impact your family due to him becoming incapacitated, and chose to continue paying what Mr. Swan normally receives as a salary; a pension, if you may. I realize that his job originally did not come with a pension plan, but such are Mr. Cullen's wishes. I hope this will relieve some of your worries," he said with a smile, taking in the surprised gasps from the women before him.
Renee reached for Bella's hand and grasped it in hers tightly. This certainly was sounding too good to be true.
"What? Are you sure? You're telling me that he will keep Charlie on the payroll? Even though he might never go back to work?" Renee asked incredulously.
"Not quite, Mrs. Swan. Charlie will have to be removed from the company's payroll. This is a…gift, if you may, that he will be receiving from Mr. Cullen's personal funds. Since Mr. Swan is in no shape to handle his own finances at the moment, as his primary beneficiary, it will be payable to you. You can consider it him going into an early retirement with a pension," he explained with an indulging smile.
"This is…this is very generous. Wow! It's quite a lot to take in." Renee sounded flustered. "I mean, thank you. I'm very grateful. Truly grateful, but I need to ask, what exactly are we expected to do in return?" She hoped she worded it correctly. She didn't want to sound ungracious, but when something appeared to be too good to be true, more often than not, it was. Carlisle Cullen's promise to take care of Charlie's medical costs was unthinkably generous in itself, but for him to provide for her family's livelihood for the foreseeable future was unbelievable. Why was he doing this? What did he want in return? What did they have that could be of any value to someone like Carlisle Cullen?
Harold Jenks expected her skepticism. "That's why I am here Mrs. Swan, to explain to you the terms and conditions of this arrangement. I'd like to assure you that Mr. Cullen doesn't expect you to do anything but carry on like you always have. But you need to be very clear on a number of issues: first, what Mr. Cullen is offering you is assistance on compassionate grounds. He is not legally obligated to do this, nor should he be pressured for more. This is not an entitlement. I will need you to sign a waiver before I leave that would confirm that you understand that.
"Second, like all his employees, Mr. Swan vowed to preserve and protect the privacy of the Cullen home when he began his employment. It is a critical part of this deal that you continue to uphold that. Mr. Cullen is fiercely protective of his privacy. Anything Mr. Swan has learned through his years of work at the Cullen estate must remain private. If you, or anyone from your family, choose to speak to the media, and as a result if anything about Mr. Cullen ends up in the gossip magazines, however trivial it may be, will make this arrangement null and void. No exceptions, no second chances. You must give this to me in writing too. I have the paperwork with me for you to read and sign.
"Finally, you will have to provide me with a list of expense areas which you will be reimbursed for. I already have all direct medical expenditures listed here." He extended a piece of paper towards Renee. "I am authorized to add more categories, if needed; indirect expenses, for example. Like perhaps the cost of retrofitting your house to make it wheelchair friendly; things like that. Once we agree on this list, I will sign off on it, and in future you'd only be able to request reimbursement on those items. I encourage you to think about it carefully, so we have as complete a list as possible. Revising this at a later date might not be as straightforward."
He took a deep breath after his long speech. He sat back, allowing Renee to take in the implications of his words.
Surprisingly, knowing the gift came with certain rules and conditions made it more acceptable to Renee, though the terms seemed ridiculously easy. She had no intention of overstepping the line or to try to take advantage of Mr. Cullen's generosity, neither did she worry about breaching any kind of privacy clause, given how she knew next to nothing about the Cullens. And agreeing on a preset list of expenses sounded only fair. She couldn't sense any ulterior motives on their benefactor's part.
She looked up and nodded at Mr. Jenks. "I understand. I'm grateful for this help; I assure you that we have no intention of asking for more. And you really don't have to worry about us speaking to anyone about Mr. Cullen. You see, we hardly know anything about him. As for a list, my daughter and I worked on making one that I could show you. I actually didn't even think about retrofitting our house. Thank you for pointing that out." She smiled nervously.
"No problem. I know it takes a while to adjust to sudden changes. I'd love to look at your list, and if you have any questions for me, I'd be happy to answer them," he reassured her.
"Well, could you give us some idea about a timeframe? I mean, how long do you think we can count on this?" Renee asked the question that weighed on her mind the most at this point.
"Mr. Cullen's instructions to me were 'for as long as it is necessary'; so in essence, this could continue indefinitely. Unless you are found to be in breach of one, or all, of the conditions."
"So, this could go on forever? Even if Charlie is never able to get back to work for the rest of his life?" Renee's voice still held traces of incredulity.
"Essentially, yes. Why don't I tell you the ways in which this arrangement could become void? Maybe that will give you a clearer picture:
"First and foremost, the easiest way to bring this to an end would be for you to tell me - right now or later, in writing - that you do not want to receive assistance any more. I am the fund administrator for this particular account, so I need to be informed by you, specifying that you wish to stop the payments.
"The second best way would be for you to sue Mr. Cullen, or try and extort a more generous package. I can tell you right now, you do not have any legal grounds for that. Should you choose to pursue that route, you will lose and be cut off from all monitory support immediately.
"Thirdly, trying to capitalize on any personal knowledge you or Mr. Swan may have about the Cullens, would be a sure fire way to dissolve this deal.
"Fourth, though less likely, is if Mr. Cullen's business enterprises are liquidated in the unforeseen event of a financial collapse. Simply put, if he loses his fortunes, he won't be able to support you.
"Finally, and this is important, Mr. Cullen has the right to withdraw his gift anytime he chooses to. Yes, the chances of him doing that without provocation are extremely slim. But nonetheless, you need to understand that it is, and always will be, his prerogative. I am not saying this to scare you, or to suggest that Mr. Cullen is a fickle man. He isn't. He isn't in the habit of going back on the commitments he makes. If you don't give him any reason to reconsider his decision, chances are good that this arrangement will last a very long time."
He stopped after his long spiel and watched Renee's reaction. She seemed to be coming to terms with everything finally. She appeared calmer than she did when he arrived.
"Thank you for explaining all of this to me. I understand the conditions and I accept them. I'm really grateful for this help; we all are. Please let Mr. Cullen know that we will not do anything to upset him, or give him any reason to regret his decision. Also, you should know that I don't intend on living off of his generosity forever. As soon as I have a little more control over things and I find a full time job, I will let you know," Renee said with a strong resolve.
"That is completely up to you, Mrs. Swan. It wouldn't be advisable for you to be too hasty in pulling the plug though. Think things through very carefully when the time comes. It's not something you'd be able to reconstruct again, if scrapped prematurely," he warned.
"I understand," she affirmed.
It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't been a very good host. In order to correct the oversight she said, "Oh dear, where are my manners? Could I offer you something to drink, Mr. Jenks? Some coffee or tea perhaps?"
"Actually, coffee would be really nice, thank you. Maybe we could go over the expense list over coffee? Also, some caffeine would be good for my drive back to Seattle."
"Of course, I'll be right back." Renee left the room to fetch her list and bring the drinks for their guest. She signaled for Bella to stay and keep their guest company.
Bella had been sitting quietly through the exchange. The picture her mind drew of the elusive Carlisle Cullen was better rooted in reality now, but it was no less magical in texture. She couldn't fathom the designs or intentions of this god-like being. Surely all rich people weren't so kind.
"Mr. Jenks, can I ask you something?" She braved her nerves to ask what she hoped he'd be able answer.
Harold Jenks had nearly forgotten about the gangly adolescent present in the room. He looked at her and said indulgingly, "Of course, my dear…Isabella, right? Please, ask away."
"Why is he helping us?" she asked meekly.
Harold Jenks smiled at her and replied, "Mr. Cullen is a very wealthy man, Isabella. It's not my job to question his reasons. Maybe your father made an exceptionally good impression with his work? I'm afraid only he'd be able to tell you for certain."
"Does he help a lot of families like ours?" she persisted.
"I can't discuss what my client does with his personal funds, but I can tell you this, the philanthropic division of his company is arguably the largest in the private sector. He is a very charitable man," he explained.
Bella nodded and made a mental note to thoroughly research 'philanthropic' and 'private sector' later at the library. She vaguely knew what they meant, but she wanted to know everything about the man who had just saved her family from destitution, and she wanted to know things accurately. Hearing Mr. Jenks confirm that he was a generous man made her deliriously happy inside. He was their godsend, who chose to save them, even though he had no obligation to do so. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she looked away to keep it from Mr. Jenks' sight.
Renee returned soon after with the coffee and they carried on their discussion on what more should be added to the list and how Renee preferred to be reimbursed. She was given the name and contact information of the person who was to be in charge of their case at Mr. Cullen's company. All bills and reimbursement requests were to be addressed to him. Harold Jenks was only to be contacted if she needed to revise the expense categories, or if she wanted to conclude the arrangement. Finally, once all paperwork was done, and she had jotted her name on all the documents that needed her signature, Harold Jenks took his leave with polite parting words.
"Thank you for the coffee, Mrs. Swan. I wish you all the best with your husband's care. If all goes well, you won't have to see me ever again. Let's hope for the best, shall we?" he said with a smile and drove away, leaving the two women with plenty on their minds.
It was nearly early afternoon and Renee agreed that there was little point in Bella making it to school that late. Bella was grateful for the reprieve. She was lost in her thoughts of Carlisle Cullen and what his benevolence meant for her life. Her father would receive the care he needed, her mother wouldn't have to work two jobs to keep them fed, and most likely she would be able to go to college someday. She was indebted to him forever. Even if they could, by some miracle, become self reliant in the near future, it would not negate what his support meant for them today. She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and her eyes teared up.
She asked to stay home that day when Renee drove out to see her father at the hospital. She spent the day cooped up in her room, trying to think of ways she would someday be able to repay Carlisle Cullen.
AN: As mentioned in the last AN, the Avant Garde Award Round 1 voting is still going on and will stay open till 4th June. Please vote for your favorite story. I have been nominated in the category of Best New Author. If you like my story and think that I deserve the nod, please vote for me. I'd be immensely grateful.
Heck, please go and vote even if you don't like my story. Just vote, make someone's day. I happen to have the privilege to know some of the nominees. They are amazing people and definitely deserve your vote. You will find their names and details in my last AN.
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Thanks to lulabelle98, for making all this readable. I couldn't do it without her. Check out her story The Long Walk Home. It's quite the epic.