Beta: Stacyo72 and Maxandmo

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N I know I said no updates until I finished Tangled Up In The Mainline but you've all been so hard on poor Edward! I thought maybe you should get a glimpse of his POV and then see if you still think he's a complete ass/douche for not believing Bella. We're picking up from when Bella is arrested at the airport.

A few people have asked about their ages. It's there if you read closely. Edward is 25 and Bella is 35.

Ch. 2 Inherent Trust

True Believer Syndrome- The inability for victims to accept they have been scammed.

Affinity Fraud: A name for a type of scam that targets members of a specific demographic. Perpetrators attempt to portray themselves as members of this group or people who can relate to the members of the group in order to gain trust and eventually money.

EPOV

The elevator doors close, the soft thud overwhelmed by my shouts. The two TSA officers are still holding me back, preventing me from getting to the next elevator or running to the nearest stairwell. I fight with everything I've got but I'm no match for two brawny men trained in security, and I find myself pinned to the floor with my arms behind my back. I call them every name in the book and in my desperation, do something I detest; I use my family's wealth and name to threaten them. I know it's wrong but I must to get to Bella. She needs me. I promise they'll be fired, ruined, never able to recover. I'll make sure they lose everything if they don't let me up and bring me to my girlfriend, immediately. Their only response is to tighten their hold. I feel like my arms are going to break off.

"Mr. Cullen! Mr. Cullen, enough! Sir! If you will just calm down and come with us, we will explain what is going on!" The deep authoritative voice is coming from above me. I turn my head and focus on the guy in the off the rack suit and outdated tie. He's probably Bella's age. He's got a buzz cut and that straight posture that screams cop. I wouldn't be surprised if he was an ex-marine too. I stop resisting the two baboons on top of me and nod. He gestures to them and they release me. I slowly rise, ignoring how badly my arms ache from where I was held. I give the TSA guys a nasty look as I straighten out the coat Alice gave me last Christmas. The thought that she won't be pleased runs through my mind. Cashmere and dirty airport floors aren't a good combination. I couldn't care less though.

I turn to the man that spoke to me. "I take it you're in charge?" I try to keep my tone level and leave the haughty ass I was a moment ago behind. My mother would have been horrified if she saw my behavior. Still, if it means getting to Bella, I'll do it again in a heartbeat.

"Yes, I'm Agent Crowley from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I'm overseeing this case along with my partner, Agent Mallory, who is accompanying Ms. Swan to the local authorities for processing."

"The FBI?" What the fuck? My stomach flips. I wasn't expecting anything more than the local police. I can't imagine Bella parking illegally let alone doing anything that would merit a federal investigation. "This has to be a mistake."

"Mr. Cullen, I know you have questions, if you could just come with me, I'll bring you to your family and explain everything." Agent Crowley's voice is firm and although it's phrased as a request, I know his statement is a demand.

I follow him and two other agents as we walk in silence through the terminal, the staring eyes of startled passengers burn through my back. We pass through an inconspicuous plain door into another set of large empty white-walled, white-floored passageways. This is the part of the terminal most travelers never see.

After several twists and turns, we come to another set of elevators, which we take to the ground level of the terminal. Another empty white hall, another twist then turn and we've reach a glassed-in interrogation room. I can see my family sitting around a cheap looking faux wood conference table. They are all there- my parents, Alice, Rose, and her husband Emmett. Each has a ubiquitous bottle of water in front of them. I hesitate, unsure of this scenario as one of the agents opens the door.

"Please, Mr. Cullen." Agent Crowley indicates that I should walk inside.

"Edward!" My mom rises from her seat and rushes over as I enter the room. She engulfs me in a crushing embrace. "We're so worried! I was afraid she might have done something to you."

I pull back and look at her like she's insane. "What are you talking about? You know I was in Lugano with Bella all weekend."

My mother's elegant features set in a hard line. "That woman is exactly what I'm referring to. A person of that nature could be capable of anything. She could have poisoned you in your sleep."

My brow furrows then raises in shock as her words sink in.

"Esme, you're not making any sense. We need to explain what's happened first," my father says as he approaches me, putting his hand on my shoulder. He has that sympathetic look in his eyes that scares me more than anything else that's been said. "Edward, you need to sit down. Here, have a bottled water."

It takes the better part of an hour for the story to completely unfold. I listen, stunned, as they accuse Bella, my Bella, of embezzlement and fraud. The agents, my parents, and my sisters all spew forth their evidence that Bella stole our money. I try to reconcile my memories of my smart feisty girlfriend to the profile the FBI draws of a cold-hearted grifter who may also be a black widow. I can't. It doesn't make sense.

I learn that we have almost nothing left. We own our estate outside the city and a pile of unpaid bills. All of our other properties, the houses, the island, even my condo, have been sold out from under us. The Cullen fortune has disappeared and although it appears to have happened overnight, Bella, and her assistant, James Floyd, apparently planned this for years and executed it over a series of months, with this weekend being the final act, the grand finale of their shell game.

"Affinity Fraud?" I repeat, looking at Agent Crowley and his associates, Agents Newton and Yorkie. "You want me to believe that Bella Swan is a con artist who has spent the better part of the last decade plotting to steal my family's fortune?"

"Yes, the true masters of the game are willing to spend enormous lengths of time setting up the con. The more elaborate the game, the more their reputation grows in the grifters' world. "

"This is bullshit! She's being set-up. Bella is the most conscientious person I know. She even pays for her own postage if she mails a letter from the office."

"Mr. Cullen, I realize that this is hard to accept given the intimate nature of your relationship with Ms. Swan. That is known as True Believer Syndrome. It's similar to Stockholm Syndrome or the brainwashing a cult member endures. The Bella you know isn't real. She is a lie, created to be exactly the type of person you would put your faith and trust in."

"Did you just compare me to a fucking cult victim?" I stand, knocking my plastic chair over behind me. Anger boils up, lashing out as I bang my fist against the table. "I want to see Bella, now!"

"Edward! Stop this outrageous behavior at once!" My mother gets right in my face daring me to turn my temper on her.

She knows I can't. I hang my head and close my eyes as I slump forward and lean against the table. She puts her hand on my back and gently rubs circles like when I was a child and felt sick. Her voice is soft in my ear. "Dear, I know this is hard to believe, but the evidence is overwhelming. There are emails, phone calls, texts, and her signature is on all of the documents. She did this."

I shake my head and pull away, holding my hand out to keep her back.

"No! No fucking way. I'm sorry for my language, Mom but it has to be said. I know Bella. I love Bella! She is being framed. How well do we know this James Floyd? He has only been with Cullen a few years, hasn't he? He is behind it. Did we check him out? Did we verify that Bella's signature on those documents was real? We don't seem to be doing a very good job lately of knowing whether signatures are forged or not, have we, Dad?"

I look over at my father who shakes his head.

"Why are we here wasting our time like this?" Rosalie slams her hands down on the table in disgust. "Show him! Show him the damn tape already!"

My father sighs and runs his fingers through his hair at the same time I do. The familiar gesture reminds me that we are both cut from the same cloth.

Agent Crowley clears his throat.

"Mr. Cullen, if you would please sit back down," he juts out his chin to point to the chair still on the floor. I right it and do as he requests.

"Mr. Cullen, can you account for all of Ms. Swan's time in Lugano?"

"You mean were we together the whole weekend?"

He nods.

I try to think back over the past few days. We flew out Thursday and arrived in Switzerland early on Friday morning. I had a service pick us up and bring us to the house. We spend most of Friday ensconced in the bed or the hot tub or any other available surface. We slept part of the day then I had dinner brought in from a local restaurant.

Saturday was the day I took her skiing. She had looked so beautiful in the Bogner ski jacket I had Alice help me buy. I had thought I was so smooth, giving it to her at the office the week before we left. I pretended I had picked it up on my lunch hour when in fact I had it specially ordered and shipped. Alice knew Bella would love the designer hot pink jacket featuring orange piping and embroidered tropical flowers. Bella had no idea it cost almost $2500.00 or she would have never agreed to wear it. Combined with the Bogner ski pants and the Rossignol boots, she was wearing almost $5,000.00 worth of ski gear. No one looked better on the bunny slope.

After we spent about half the day on the beginner trails, we did a little Christmas shopping. I dropped her off at the house so she could nap while I made preparations for dinner and bought her a few more Christmas presents. We spent Saturday night the same as we spent Friday: alone at the house. Sunday morning we packed then left for our flight home.

"We weren't apart for more than maybe three hours," I finally answer aloud.

"Would that have been on Saturday afternoon, between two and five o'clock?" Agent Crowley asks.

Rosalie's eyes are piercing me from across the room. I nod slowly. I feel like I'm being set up.

Agent Crowley takes out his phone. "Mr. Cullen, this is tape from a security camera at the entrance to the bank in Lugano, Switzerland where the funds were wired. As we mentioned, the funds were then withdrawn. Due to the secrecy of Swiss Banks, we are unable to trace them further. Does the woman in the video look familiar?"

I watch the small screen as a petite brunette in a hot pink ski jacket with orange piping and embroidered tropical flowers walks by the camera. She never faces the screen but there is no mistaking that distinctive jacket. The video skips to a time stamp forty minutes later and the same figure is seen emerging from the building holding a large black briefcase. Her head is down and hood is up as she walks away in the opposite direction she came. She never faces the camera. I feel my jaw clench as my head begins to throb.

"I can't see that woman's face. This doesn't prove it was Bella. She's not the only person in the world to own a Bogner jacket."

Rosalie huffs and rolls her eyes. "Really, Edward? I know she's been your wet dream since you hit puberty but you need to face reality. She's a thief."

"Rosalie!" My mother is both mortified and furious. She looks like she's about to have an aneurysm. I might too. I hope we can still afford medical insurance.

"Sorry, Mom but he needs to understand Bella Swan is guilty."

She addresses Agent Crowley. "Tell him the rest."

I cross my arms in front of me, a childish signal that I'm not buying any of this crap.

"While Ms. Swan was at the bank, she signed the documents selling the house in Lugano and its contents. I have faxed copies of all the documents as well as the other documents from the previous property sales and the numerous emails between her and James Floyd. The signatures are identical."

"So the same person forged them all."

Rosalie throws her hands up in disgust. "Seriously?! Are you that stupid, Edward? Do we need to send you to rehab to get her out of your system?"

"Shut up, Rosalie! You don't know her like I do. She isn't a con artist. She's the daughter of a police chief! She loves her family, her son, and me. Why the hell am I wasting my time here? I need to go to wherever she is and help her."

"What the fuck did she do to your dick that you can no longer think with your brain?"

"You goddamn cunt! You have to make everyone else as miserable as you are, don't you? You've had everything in life handed to you and you still aren't happy. Bella's worked hard for Cullen for years. She's stayed with us through the lawsuit fiasco. She's put up with all our petty requests and the bullshit you dish out without ever telling you off like you deserve, and you hate that because you know deep down that she's a better person than you are. You're jealous of her! You hate that she's smart and good and everything you're not. Fuck off Rosalie! I'm getting the fuck out of here."

I grab my bottle of water for no other reason than it feels right to grab something and head to the door. I'm vaguely aware of my mother's sobs but I block it out. I don't have time to feel guilty about my brutal honesty. I throw open the door and head into the maze of white halls. I have no idea how the hell to get out of here.

"Edward!" I hear Alice call out behind me but I don't stop. I need to find the exit.

"Edward! Please, let me come with you. I know where we need to go." Her voice echoes off the walls.

"Alice." I don't raise my voice. I can tell she's very close. Alice rounds the corner and hugs me, her head barely reaching my sternum. She squeezes me tightly.

"I'm so sorry about this. I wish I could take it all away."

"I know."

I wrap my arms around her. Alice and I had always been close as children. Not even my spending almost a decade away at boarding school and college could alter that bond. It was the exact opposite of my relationship with Rosalie who had resented us both from the moment we'd each been born.

"Alice, I have to get to the police station."

Alice looks up at me and I want to hate the pitying look in her eyes.

"Edward, we won't be able to see her now. She is being questioned and they won't allow visitors. We can't go until she's transferred to a holding facility."

I pull back and look suspiciously at my younger sister. "How do you know so much about this?"

She strokes my face and pinches my cheek in an affectionate gesture. "Because I asked, Silly." Alice's face is solemn despite her light tone. She takes my arm and starts leading me down a hallway in the opposite direction. "Edward, you need to see the evidence before you talk to her. I know you want to believe in her innocence but you need to know what she's up against."

I shake my head even though I know her argument has merit. "Have you seen it?"

"Some. They're still gathering and organizing all the information about the case. I know there's all the banking stuff- the wires and the documentation with her name on them but then there are other things too. I've never had a head for business so most of that is beyond my grasp. You've now seen the tape of the girl in the Bogner jacket. The FBI has been to Cullen Conglomerated and seized her computer and James Floyd's computer as well. They're also checking our security tapes as well. This morning they executed warrants to enter both of their homes and seize anything they thought was of interest to the case."

"Christ…" I shake my head, disgusted by the thought of strangers pawing through Bella's cluttered but organized little house. "Did they take J.J.'s Legos? What about Bella's Pillsbury Doughboy collection? Nothin' says embezzlement like somethin' in the oven," I quip.

Alice sighs and stops in front of a door with an exit sign. "Edward, I'm not trying to pick a fight. Three days ago, our family never had to worry about our financial future, not even after we lost so much in the law suit. Right now, Mom can't afford to buy cereal for breakfast tomorrow. We're still weeding through how bad it truly is. Dad needs you, he needs your expertise to help figure out what we're going to do. Edward, whoever did this, whether it was Bella, or James Floyd, or both of them, or even someone else entirely, those people wanted to destroy us. This wasn't just about stealing money. This was about bringing the Cullen family to our knees."

I nod. I don't disagree that whoever was behind this hates us with a deep and unbridled passion. I just can't believe that Bella could be that person.

Alice sighs. "You still want to go to the police station, don't you?"

"Absolutely."

"You should take Jenks."

I immediately see the sense in this and consent. I know Jenks can't represent Bella but maybe I can finagle some advice from him, or at least a recommendation for an attorney to represent her. We make our way through the main terminal. The sun set long ago and the bright artificial lights outside make it hard to see the sky.

I pull out my cell to check the time and there are Bella's deep brown eyes staring back at me. I changed my cell phone wallpaper just yesterday. It's her in that Bogner jacket with the Alps behind her as she prepares to tackle the beginner slope. She's got a huge smile on her face and her cheeks are red from the cold. There's no fucking way my girl did this. A huge flash abruptly interrupts my thoughts.

"EDWARD! WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE BETRAYED BY YOUR LOVER?!"

"EDWARD, DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA YOUR GIRLFRIEND WAS STEALING FROM YOU?"

Alice grabs my arm as a handful of reporters and photographers shout questions and try to surround us.

"Don't answer them! They're trying to make you angry to get a reaction out of you," Alice whispers.

For a petite woman, she is surprisingly strong and manages to pull me towards security as the throng follows us. We're flat out running by the time the guards get behind us to block the crowd from following us into the parking garage. I am out of breath when the elevator doors finally close, assuring our escape.

"What the fuck was that?" I ask when my breathing has slowed enough for me to talk. I really need to spend more time at the gym. Even with a private trainer, I'm obviously not in as good a shape as I thought.

"Edward, this case has garnered international attention. The Cullens are stalwarts of the American upper class. We're like the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts as far the public is concerned. All of our money is gone. This is front page news. Don't expect less than that type of reception wherever we go. It will be much worse at the police station."

"Fuck."

The elevator opens and we cautiously make our way to Alice's bright yellow Porsche with the New York vanity plate FSHNSTA.

"This certainly won't help us to fly under the radar."

"At least I can outrun whoever follows us. It won't matter for long. The CPA seems to think we'll need to sell almost all of our assets in order to pay our bills," Alice replies as we get in the car.

"I don't understand. How could we possibly owe so much?" I buckle my seatbelt. I've driven with Alice enough to know she's a speed demon even when she doesn't have the paparazzi on her tail.

"Edward, James Floyd stopped paying all of our bills months ago- the property taxes, the health insurance premiums, my rent for the condo, our credit card bills. Somehow, they managed to avoid having the taxes deducted from the properties they sold so we still owe all of that money. It's hundreds of thousands of dollars just in taxes. Then, we're looking at three to six months worth of bills depending on when he stopped payments. Rose's fertility treatments alone are in excess of eighty thousand dollars. How did you pay for your trip to Lugano? Credit card? I can guarantee you still owe them that money."

"But can't we get a loan to pay the bills? We're Cullens for Christ's sake."

Alice sighs, "This is why you need to get involved. I don't understand it all but the CPA said something about the deal Cullen Conglomerated has with the courts regarding the reparation payments. It's too complicated and boring. All I know is Daddy thinks I'll have to sell this and buy a domestic car." She says the word like it is something reprehensible.

I can't help but agree; my own car collection tends to be European and fast. I think the only American vehicles I own are vintage muscle cars. Regardless, I'm somewhat familiar with the deal Bella hammered out for the reparation payments. I have a niggling bad feeling in the back of my mind. There are some clauses about us not being able to use certain types of funding while we are paying the reparations. There's also something about my father and I and any other family members being able to earn more than a certain salary amount from Cullen Conglomerated during the reparation period- which means for the next five years, we are limited as to what we can take from the company. I say nothing to Alice about it. I will need to talk to the CPA as soon as I take care of Bella.

We call Jenks and arrange to meet him at the police station but he can't get there for another two hours. Alice won't let me go there without him. We argue about it but she's driving. I have no choice. We go home to our parents' estate. I suddenly realize I've left everything – my luggage and Bella's luggage at the airport.

"Did Dad and Mom take my stuff from the condo or did they put it in storage?" I ask as we raid the fridge. I didn't think I'd be able to eat but I'm famished.

Alice freezes. "Edward, they explained it to you at the airport. The condo was sold with its contents."

"Okay, yes. I understand my furniture is gone but are you telling me I have no clothes?"

An hour later I'm standing in the hallway in front of my loft, bargaining with the new owner. I've got three hundred dollars and about four hundred Euros and I'm trying to buy some of my personal possessions back. I don't give a damn about most of the stuff but there's the sentimental things Bella got me like a baseball from when we took J.J. to a game, and yes, some of my clothes. The guy isn't persuaded by the cash.

"You think you can buy a Gucci suit for that? It's friggin' custom you know."

I try not to roll my eyes. Yeah, it's custom fit to me, not some jackass six inches shorter and with a beer belly.

"I don't want the goddamn suits. Are you seriously telling me you're keeping my used underwear, my socks, my toothbrush?" My tone is sharp, worn down by this bullshit.

"Nah, I threw that shit out. It's all in the dumpster," he slams the door in my face.

I run my fingers through my hair in aggravation. For about thirty seconds I consider going behind the building and diving for my stuff, but I'm not that desperate yet. Plus, I need to get to the police station. Alice takes my hand and leads me away from my former home.

Jenks is already there when Alice and I arrive. For the first time since Bella was taken away from me, I relax a bit. I'm finally doing something to help her. We make our way through the maze of cameras and reporters camped outside. The flash of the bulbs is blinding, if Alice wasn't there to lead me through, I don't know if I would have made it without pushing people out of my way. We shield ourselves the best we can until we get inside. Jenks has reserved a conference room for us.

I dispense with any pleasantries and get right to business. "Have you seen Bella?"

"I've haven spoken with her if that's what you mean. I was allowed to see where she is. They were interrogating her until she asked for her own attorney."

"Were you able to recommend anyone?"

Jenks looks at me like I've got six heads. "Edward, you realize that we are on the prosecution's side in this case?"

"Bella is my life. I'm on her side, always," I retort.

Jenks shakes his head. "You really feel that way even after finding out about her relationship with James Floyd?"

"What?"

Jenks leans forward across the table but Alice puts her hand out to stop him from speaking. "Edward walked out before the FBI was able to finish briefing him."

Jenks eyes widen. "Shit."

It's the first time I've ever heard him utter a profanity. He pulls out his handkerchief and dabs his bald head. His eyes dart between me and Alice.

"What do you mean her relationship with James Floyd?" I ask between clenched teeth.

"Perhaps I should give you both a few minutes and let Alice explain." Jenks rises from his chair.

"Sit." My voice is low and angry. "Are you trying to suggest that my girlfriend was having an affair with her assistant?"

Jenks clears his throat as he lowers himself back into his seat. Alice speaks first.

"There are emails and texts, like I said, it's still early and they're still discovering evidence but it seems like that was the case. Bella and Floyd were much more than just business partners in the con."

"I want to see these emails."

Jenks nods. "Perhaps I can get Detective De Nali to talk to us."

He scurries out the door faster than I would have thought possible for an old guy with fat legs. I spend the next fifteen minutes listening to Alice make excuses about why I wasn't told earlier. Jenks finally returns with a tall shapely strawberry blonde. Her hard features and hard voice leave no doubt that she's a cop. Still, I don't like the way she's eyeing me, like she's mentally strip searching me. She opens a briefcase and removes a laptop as well as a folder full of papers.

We introduce ourselves and she hands me the papers. "Mr. Cullen, I believe Mr. Jenks explained we're still organizing the evidence so I apologize that I'm giving you things piecemeal. As you can see, we've printed about two hundred or so emails between Ms. Swan and Mr. Floyd dating back over a period of about six months. It would appear that the con had been planned for some time but the actual operation did not begin until after the Supreme Court reached its verdict against Cullen Conglomerated. The majority of the emails are either about normal business or about the reparation plans. However, this group here," She hands me a pile of papers secured by a binder clip, "these are of a more personal nature."

I read through the one on top and feel my blood drain from my face. I read another, then another. "These aren't real. Bella would never say these things," I look up at Jenks. "Have you read this?"

"I-I've read some of them." He stammers nervously, which is enough to confirm that he's seen the disgusting crap on these pages.

I turn my attention to Alice. "Have you?"

She shakes her head. "No, but I know what they contain."

I think about my mother and Rose. "Christ, does everyone know?"

Alice puts her hand on my arm in a comforting gesture. "Edward. I know how hard this must be for you. I can't imagine being betrayed this way –"

"Fuck! Don't start that shit with me Alice! You don't know! Bella would never talk this way! She'd never be so crude. The things this says- this isn't her!"

"Perhaps Mr. Cullen and I could discuss the evidence in private for a few minutes?" Detective De Nali cuts in before Alice can reply. "I believe I may be able to help him make sense of what he's seeing."

Alice and Jenks exit the room. The detective offers me a bottle of water. I take it and drink even though I now associate bottled water with this whole fucking mess.

She gets up and walks to my side of the table, leaning next to me. She fingers through the papers. "Mr. Cullen, I agree that it is easy to fake an email. Anyone with an intermediate knowledge of common email programs could change the parameters to make it appear that someone else sent it."

I feel relief sweep through me. "Thank you! I'm so glad someone is listening to what I've been saying. Even if these look like they were written by Bella, I know they're fakes."

Detective De Nali's expression softens unexpectedly. "Mr. Cullen, it's possible to successfully fabricate one or two emails," she taps the pile in front of me. "We're looking at potentially hundreds of emails between Ms. Swan and Mr. Floyd during this time period. This is just what we were able to gather in the past two days. I have already been in touch with your IT department to determine if these emails were sent from Ms. Swan's computer or a different IP address. At this point in the investigation, it appears all of them were sent from her office."

I grit my teeth. Just when I thought perhaps someone was on my side, Detective De Nali proves she's just like others. Detective De Nali moves her hand from the pile to the laptop next to her. She presses a few buttons and extracts a DVD from the drive. I notice she takes a deep breath as she looks down at the small disc in her hand. There's gravity to her manner that increases my unease.

When she speaks, her voice is low, barely above a whisper. "Mr. Cullen. I have been a cop for over twelve years. I have always followed the letter of the law. In investigating this case, it was immediately apparent that Mr. Floyd and Ms. Swan wanted to not just steal from you but they wanted to devastate you as well. I have read every single one of those emails. I know they contain disparaging comments about your sexual relationship with Ms. Swan. I know how badly you don't want to believe that the woman you loved deeply would betray you the way she has. However, you need to know that is exactly what she did. Isabella Swan never loved you," she extends her hand and offers me the DVD.

"This DVD was found this afternoon in James Floyd's apartment. There was almost nothing left behind so I believe he wanted this to be found. I should have this DVD in an evidence bag and I should have it cataloged so that our prosecuting attorneys can examine it and use it during the trial. Mr. Cullen, I have never withheld evidence from an investigation but I am giving you this. I don't know if it's a wise decision on my part. I do know there is nothing here that will further the investigation. We have enough evidence already to prove Ms. Swan is guilty of embezzlement and fraud. The only reason this DVD exists is to humiliate you personally. This is a sex tape of James Floyd and Isabella Swan."

I sit alone in the dark in my old bedroom in my parents' house. Three hours ago I was at the police station proclaiming Bella's innocence to anyone who would listen. Now I'm watching a grainy image of a naked James Floyd pounding into the woman I thought was my soul mate. I can't see her face; in fact I can't see most of her. He's taking her from behind and his body is blocking hers but I can see her long dark hair and I can hear her screams and moans. Shit, she never made those sounds during sex with me. Detective De Nali was correct; this video was made expressly to humiliate me.

James taunts me as he thrusts into her over and over again. "That rich pretty boy can't fuck you like I can! He can't give it to you the way I do. I know how you like it. No one fucks you bareback except me. You're mine Bella, mine to fuck. You love it when I fuck you hard. Edward Cullen can't ever make you cum like this!"

The tape cuts to a different image. This time Bella's head is in James' lap. Again, her hair hides her face but I'm so disgusted, I'm glad I can't see her. James is looking right at the camera. His hand is holding her head against him as she bobs up and down. "You gonna swallow me all down, aren't you Bella? You're sucking me off until I finish, no pulling away like you do with the rich boy. Edward doesn't get to come in that pretty mouth. That's just for me."

I need to stop watching this, I know that, but my body won't move. I think of all the times Bella and I had sex. He's right, she never swallowed but I never asked her to either. Some women don't like it and I just figured that's the way it was. Besides, I usually wanted to be inside her, which was always with a condom. Never once did we not use a condom. We were together for six months. We worked together. We slept together. We went to restaurants, baseball games, movies and museums. I feel like Neo did when he took the red pill in The Matrix. What the fuck has my life been?

I'm vaguely aware of the sound of James orgasming on the tape before it's replaced by the same screams and moans as before. The sounds she never made when we had sex. My eyes stare at the screen of their own accord. He's taking her from behind again. Just as before, I can see his naked pasty ass but only flashes of skin from her and that hair, that long wavy brown hair. It takes me a moment to realize they're having anal sex. It's one more thing we never did. James shouts out again, the same insults about how I never got in there and how Bella's ass belongs to him alone. I think I'm going to be sick. That turkey sandwich from earlier is a large undigested lump in my chest.

Suddenly the screen clicks off. I look up to see Rose standing next to me, her blond hair luminescent in the dark. She's cautious as she puts her hand on my shoulder.

I place my own over it. "I'm sorry, Rose. You were right. You were right about everything. I've been a fool."

Her other hand strokes my hair. "Oh Edward, I'm the one who's sorry. No one should have to feel what you're experiencing right now. I know I don't say it enough, but I do love you. You're my baby brother and I would do anything to take away your pain."

She helps me get to bed and tucks me in like she does with my nephew Hunter. I lie there forever until my pillow is wet and my eyes dry.

A/N So…. A few things: Yes, I planned that from the beginning. Why didn't Edward mention the tape when he saw Bella? Because he got it from Tanya illegally (it should have been evidence). He was afraid that his conversation with Bella would be recorded and then Tanya would get in trouble for withholding evidence. Also, he is so humiliated that he doesn't want to talk about it with anyone, least of all the woman he thinks used him. Why didn't Edward realize that wasn't really Bella on the sex tape? Because James struck him where he was most vulnerable: his ego.

So, usually I'd say something like "leave me love" but I have a feeling some of you might be a little shocked right now. I'm still curious what you all think so hit the review button. I'll put on my big girl panties. Love it? Hate it? Hate me? Hey, blame James, he's the one that orchestrated the whole thing. Also, I just gave you that cute fluffy Carlisle/Esme 1990 outtake in Tangled Up in the Mainline. Go read that if you want to feel better. Follow me on Twitter: shelly_duran (2 underscores).