Chapter 15

It was a few days later, and everyone was back at the Cullen house, except for Alice and Jasper. Bella was uncertain about how to break up with someone as she had never done it before. She wanted to avoid causing the kind of pain that Edward had inflicted upon her during their first separation. After careful consideration, she concluded that being brutally honest was the most appropriate approach. She took advantage of the weekend with Emmett and Rosalie away and Carlisle and Esme out hunting to have the conversation with Edward.

Bella called out to Edward, "Could we talk for a bit?" and he made his way down the stairs to join her on the sofa. "Of course. What's on your mind?" he asked kindly.

Bella took a deep breath and began, "This isn't easy, Edward. I know I won't be able to say everything perfectly, but I need to say it. I want to end our relationship. I do love you, but I'm not in love with you anymore. We've been drifting apart for so long, and it's time to call it. I'm sorry if this is hard to hear, but I had to speak up. We have eternity Edward, and we both deserve to spend it with someone we can love fully, without hesitation or doubt. Do you understand what I'm trying to say, Edward?"

Edward's expression was frozen as he processed Bella's words. He studied her for a long time, grappling with his own emotions. He loved her deeply, but he knew she was right. They had tried to make it work, but it just wasn't happening. "I do understand, Bella," he finally replied. "I don't want to admit it, but you're right. I've loved you almost since we first met, but things just never seemed to work out right. I've made mistakes that I can't fix. I know that leaving you before the way I did was one of them. I wish things could be different, but I understand and I'll respect your decision."

Bella rose from her seat and moved to sit beside Edward, wrapping her arms around him in a gesture of support and comfort. Carlisle and Esme arrived soon after, and the two shared what had occurred. Edward excused himself and retreated upstairs to be alone. Meanwhile, Bella went hunting. Though the circumstances were sad, Bella felt a sense of relief as she fed, unburdening herself of a weight off her shoulders she hadn't even known was there.

Interlude:

After posting the breakup section of my story above, I thought of a funny idea and decided to write it up. Please note that this is NOT an official part of the story and is mostly done in a tongue-in-cheek manner just for laughs.

Interview with Bella #178,442

Bella heard the doorbell ring and wondered who it could be. Perhaps it was the UPS driver with a package that needed signing. She got up from the sofa and went to the front door. She was surprised to see a man holding a tape recorder.

"Can I help you?" Bella didn't know what to make of the strange man.

"Hi, are you Isabella Swan, or do you go by Bella Cullen now?" The man asked with a friendly smile.

Bella ushered the man into the living room. This man knew who she really was, and Bella did not want to have a conversation with him outside where others could potentially hear.

"Yes, that's me. Who are you?" Bella felt a sense of unease. She was alone in the house, and how did he know who she was.

"This might be hard for you to accept Bella, but I'm from a different reality. In my world, you're quite famous. We love watching all the different versions of you," the man explained, hoping Bella would understand. "I would be honored if you could grant me an interview about your experiences as a vampire."

"Vampire... So, you're from some sort of multiverse like in the movies?" Bella was taken aback by the man's claim.

"Yes, that's right. In my reality, we have access to countless versions of you, Bella. It's quite fascinating to see the different paths your life takes in each of them. However, I'm particularly interested in this version of you. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?" The man hoped Bella would agree, as he was new to this job.

"I guess so. This is all so unusual. But I'm curious, what other versions of me are out there?" Bella found herself intrigued by the man's strange request.

"Oh, countless. In some realities, you're still human. In others, you and Edward got married. There are even some where you and Edward had a half-vampire child named Renesmee. But this version of you, you took a different path and gave Edward the boot after becoming a vampire. Not many versions of you do this, and I wanted to get your take on some of the decisions you've made," the man said, pleased to be speaking directly with Bella.

"Renesmee? What kind of stupid name is that?" Bella was intrigued by the man's claims and decided to hear him out. She didn't feel threatened by him so she nodded for him to continue.

"Thank you, Bella. So what led to your breakup with Edward?" the man asked, hoping to get some insight for his followers.

Bella pondered for a moment before responding, "Well, let's just say Edward and I weren't exactly on the same page. We had different goals and interests, and we just were not enjoying spending time with each other. Plus, he wasn't exactly eager to take our relationship to the next level if you know what I mean." She rolled her eyes, clearly still annoyed.

The man chuckled and said, "Oh, come on now, Bella! We all saw what happened after that lap dance. We were all hoping that you would finally get some action!"

Bella was taken aback, "Wait, you guys were watching that too? That's kind of creepy, don't you think?"

The man shrugged, "Hey, we're just big fans! Besides, it's not every day we get to watch a vampire version of Bella get a lap dance and orgasm."

Bella couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Well, I guess it's nice to know I have fans out there."

The man smiled, "You definitely do, Bella. Now, back to the questions..."

"Ah, yes, the many romantic entanglements of Isabella Swan, or should I say, Bella Cullen," the man chuckled. "Normally, the focus is on your love triangle with Edward and Jacob, but it seems like this time, your life is taking you in a different direction. Our followers are eagerly waiting to see who you will end up with in the end."

Bella shrugged. "I'm just as curious as everyone else. But whoever it is, I hope he can keep up with me."

The man laughed. "I have no doubt about that, Bella. You certainly seem to have a knack for attracting some interesting characters in your life."

"Now that you're unattached, what's next for you Bella? We are all seriously impressed by your fighting skills, and let's not forget that you're to my knowledge the only Bella to have ever blown up the Cullen's house in Forks," said the man with a grin still not knowing how Bella had done that.

Bella gave a sheepish smile, "Thanks, I guess. I still feel bad about that whole house thing, though. For now, I want to focus on mastering my powers and maybe even reconnecting with my parents. It's been over a year since I last saw them."

The man nodded thoughtfully, clearly impressed by her plan. "That sounds like a solid plan," he said. "Just be sure to get a handle on those powers of yours. This house seems pretty nice, and I'd hate for you to make it go boom as well," he joked.

Bella chuckled in response, "There's just so much that I want to accomplish now that I can interact with people without worrying about hurting them," she said.

"I know," the man said, nodding understandingly. "I had to wait until you were under control before visiting you like this. I really didn't want to be your first human meal," he added with a chuckle. "Thank you for not eating me, by the way." The man had seen some unfortunate outcomes that befell some of his colleagues who had visited a vampire Bella, before she was ready for company.

Bella couldn't help but grin at his comment. "You do smell really good, but I think you're safe for now," she teased.

As the man was about to ask his next question, Rosalie entered the house and immediately became concerned upon seeing Bella with a stranger. "Who's this, Bella?" she asked.

Bella flashed her trademark grin and replied, "Oh, just someone from another reality who's here to interview me. Apparently, people from his Earth have some sort of global wide fetish to watch all the different versions of my life. It's like reality TV for them, but way weirder."

The man chuckled at Bella's quip and added, "I promise I'm not here to cause any trouble. I'm just trying to gather information for research purposes."

Rosalie still looked skeptical, but Bella put a reassuring hand on her arm. "It's all good, Rose. I'm perfectly safe. And who knows, maybe this version of my life will be a hit in his world."

"That sounds crazy, Bella," Rosalie remarked, turning to the man. "Do people watch me like they do Bella?"

The man chuckled and replied, "Not really, Rosalie. You're usually just a minor character unless you happen to be in a romantic relationship with that version of Bella. Then people tend to take more interest."

Bella and Rosalie both answered at the same time, "We're not gay."

The man raised his hands in defense. "Oh, I know, I'm just saying that there are some versions of you out there that are."

Bella gave the man a playful wink. "Well, I guess that just means we need to spice things up in our relationship, Rose."

Rosalie rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh at Bella's teasing tone. The man sensed that his time was almost up and decided to make his exit. "Well, it's been fun chatting with you ladies, but I should probably be going now. Thanks for your time!"

"I want to thank you, Bella, for answering my questions," the man said. "I know when I've interviewed other versions of you like this, it can be quite confusing. Don't worry, though, I'll make sure neither of you remember this conversation once I leave. It'll be like it never happened."

Bella feigned disappointment. "Aww, and here I thought I could add 'interviewee for alternate universes' to my resume. But I guess erasing my memory is just as good."

The man smiled. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your future, Bella. Having this knowledge would certainly change things for you."

"Okay, well it was nice meeting you, and I guess I should give a shout out to all those people watching me. Hey!" Bella started waving goodbye to no one in particular.

As the man left the Cullen house, he erased all memories of the conversation from Bella and Rosalie's minds. He went home, eager to see what hijinks this version of Bella would get into next.