The Wedding Picture Chapter 6, a twilight fanfic

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, favorites and follows. Also, thank you to my Sweetheart, Paige Edwards for sharing this story!

This story is un-beta'd. All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 6

Bella

"Okay, Sean, will you please explain the process of an annulment to me again?" I asked.

Robert, Cassie, Mom, Dad, and I were all seated in a century-old mansion built in the 1950s that was renovated into office space, on North Lake Shore Drive.

The office was tastefully decorated in vintage decorum with columns, soft lighting, and white oak wood everywhere.

"Sure." Sean nodded. "There are four grounds for annulment in the state of Illinois," he counted with his fingers. "the first being lack of consent, underage marriage, meaning one party is under the age of eighteen, illegal marriage, which means you married a close family member and lastly inability to consummate."

"Can't we go with the last one since we didn't consummate the marriage?" I blurted out.

"No." Sean slowly shook his head.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Why not?"

"I'm sorry but that's not how Illinois law works. That law speaks to not having the ability to consummate, meaning sexual intercourse and one party was not aware of it within 365 days of the marriage. Since that is not the case in your situation Bella, we cannot annul the marriage, however, you can file for a divorce."

"With the connections I have Sean, I'm sure I can get a judge to issue a Judgement of Invalidity," Dad interjected standing by the ceiling-to-floor windows.

After Robert and I left the horrible scene of Aaron getting himself arrested and I'd calmed down I called my dad and told him what happened.

Later that same evening my parents came to Robert and Cassie's house so they could see with their own eyes that I was okay—the phone wasn't good enough. Dad was furious, to say the least, and it took Mom several minutes to talk him out of calling in some favors to not have Aaron beaten to a pulp or to come up missing altogether.

I decided then and there that it was time to stop crying and to untie myself from Aaron as quickly as possible.

I called our family attorney, Sean Adams, and told him everything that happened, and he immediately set up an appointment for the following day. I knew he canceled other appointments to fit me in so soon, but he'd known me all my life and viewed me as his niece.

I rode with Robert and Cassie and my parents met us at the office.

Sean leaned back in his leather Kramer swivel chair and chuckled. "Knowing you Charlie you just might."

"You're damn right I will. That sonofabitch went up to Bella's job harassing her. I have every goddamn right to do it, Sean. Who knows what he would've done if security wasn't there to intervene?" Dad sneered.

"Charles Swan, calm down, please." Mom pleaded. "We need to hear all of the options that are available to Bella, so she'll know exactly what to do. I believe it's safe to say everyone in this room wants Aaron as far away from her as soon as possible."

Dad looked somewhat remorseful and sat down. In normal circumstances, he's as levelheaded as Mom but whenever my safety became an issue all bets were off.

Sean shifted his gaze from my mother back to me. "Bella it's your call. You can let your dad do his magic or we can start the divorce proceedings today."

An annulment would have probably been easier if Aaron would not have fought it but knowing him, he's going to fight either way.

As much as I know my dad wants to help me, I won't allow him to put his career on the line or anyone else's for that fact to end this scam of a marriage any sooner.

"Daddy," I leaned forward in my chair and looked at him. "I know you mean well and I'm sure you could get the job done but I don't want you to do that."

His expression softened. "But Bells," he started.

"No, Dad." I shook my head. "You'd have too much at stake and I'd never forgive myself. Our relationship is over as far as I'm concerned, I just have to handle the legal side of things."

"All right sweetheart, whichever you want to do is fine with me." Dad smiled.

"Now, you and Aaron both sighed prenups right?" Sean asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

Aaron thought I was going to be offended when he presented me with a prenup agreement, but I wasn't. He was the surprised one when Sean had one sent to him. We had words that night. He thought I was trying to get back at him because he gave me one.

I had invested a lot into my career, and I wanted to protect my investment—me. I wasn't some gold-digging woman who was looking for a man to take care of me. I had my own profession that I loved, which happened to make me a lot of money.

Also, I'd been wisely investing my money in real estate for years, so I had a nice nest egg.

"Great!" Sean smiled. "With the length of your marriage, Aaron couldn't claim community property state anyway but the prenup makes things easier."

"With Aaron being the snake that he is he can't pull something to get Bella's assets, can he?" Mom asked.

"He can try," Sean smirked. "But her prenup is ironclad. He won't get a damn thing." He chuckled and shook his head. "And with these pictures, no judge will let him fight the divorce. If he knows what's good for him, he'll just sign the papers, so this won't get out. I'm almost positive his firm doesn't know about this." He pointed at the picture on his desk. "Plus, I'm going to have one of my investigators do some more digging just in case he wants to drag the proceedings out."

"Sounds good to me. How soon will he be served?" I asked.

"If you don't mind staying a little longer, I can have them served to him the day after tomorrow," Sean replied.

I looked over at Robert and Cassie since they were my ride. "Do you guys mind?" I felt bad for them sitting here with me for over an hour already.

"Of course not." Cassie shook her head. "Take all the time you need. We can go across the street to grab everyone some coffee and pastries if you'd like."

"Thank you so much, Rob and Cas. I appreciate it." I smiled.

"It's no problem at all." Robert winked before him and Cassie left the office.

"Helen?" Sean pressed the intercom button on his phone.

"Yes, sir?" Helen replied.

"Will you please bring the documents I just printed off?"

"Sure. Give me one moment."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After Sean released the button, he intertwined his fingers on top of his desk and he leaned forward with a serious expression across his face. "I have to ask you this, as I ask all of my clients. I believe I know the answer, but I don't like to assume or be caught off guard. Is there anything I should know about your personal life that Aaron's attorney could use against you in court?"

Just because I wasn't a lawyer that didn't mean I wasn't aware of how dirty things could get in court. Throughout the years Aaron and I have been together, I've heard a few of his conversations when he'd work in his office at home. He was cut-throat and since he doesn't like to lose things wouldn't be any different with me.

"No, I have nothing to hide. With me working for the government and the type of high clearance I have; I have to be squeaky clean. They can do random checks at any time. Not that I'd do anything crazy anyway."

"That's what I thought but I had to ask. I don't like surprises." Sean said.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. A woman who looked to be in her late thirties with brown hair and caramel highlights walked in with a stack of papers in her hand. "Here you go, Mr. Adams. Helen smiled.

"Thanks," Sean nodded she laid the pile on his desk and exited the room.

"After we spoke on the phone yesterday, I started filling out the forms yesterday to speed up the process. Look through everything to make sure it's correct and let me know if I need to make any changes." Sean said sliding the paper in front of me.

"Okay." I nodded.

"I'm going to step out for a moment. I need to call Kennedi back." Sean said pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Tell her I said hello." I smiled.

"Will do." He said closing the door behind him.

Kennedi and I were around the same age. She was the youngest of the three children he and his wife Tasha had. She was a successful writer who lived in New York.

She was a daddy's girl just like me.

My eyes landed on the paper that sat in front of me that would change my life. When we stood up in front of the pastor, our family, and friends, I thought it would be forever. I had no idea I'd be filing for a divorce in a matter of weeks after my wedding day.

But he did this to us—to me.

I couldn't trust him anymore—not after this.

Sometimes we do things that we can't come back from and this is one of them. There isn't a damn thing Aaron Smith could say or do that would ever make me believe a word he said.

I hadn't realized I was crying until a tear fell on the desk.

Next, I felt my mother's warm hand on my back, rubbing comforting circles. "You don't have to sign today if you're not ready, sweetheart." She gave me a sad smile.

"No," I whispered. "I need to do this today. Too much time has passed already."

These weren't tears of apprehension, I was hurt by how little he thought of me and our commitment to each other. I've spent endless nights trying to understand why. But I've come up empty-handed every time. I may never get it or the truth from him and I'll have to be okay with that.

What I won't do is allow him to hurt me any more than he already has.

I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand, not caring if I smeared my makeup off or not. I cleared my throat before I spoke, "This is getting done today so he'll have a clear understanding of where he stands with me."

"There's my fighter." Dad slowly walked toward me. "I know that bastard hurt you baby girl and you're not going to get over what he did overnight, but this is a step to you moving on with your life—to putting the pieces together." He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

"You're right." I agreed with a shaky voice.

With blurred vision, I picked up the pen and signed the first line of many.

TWP

I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop open, looking at apartments. I'd been staying with Robert and Cassie for almost two months, but I felt like it was time for me to get my own place.

I called our real estate agent who Aaron and I hired to represent us with buying our first home together and explained the situation and why I wanted to back out of the closing.

A few days later she called me and said the sellers were understanding of my situation, but we would lose our fifty-thousand-dollar deposit. It didn't matter to me; no amount of money would make me change my mind and if Aaron wanted to continue with the closing, he'd have to start the process over again without me.

I could only assume she'd spoken to Aaron, but I never bothered to ask either.

"Hey, Swan, I have my famous chili simmering on the stove. Would you like a bowl?" Robert asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah," I smiled. His chili was beyond delicious.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked as he pulled a spoon out of the drawer.

"Looking at apartments."

"Why?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Well, um, I feel like I've invaded you and Cassie's privacy long enough. It's time for me to get my own space, you know?"

"No, I don't know. That's bullshit Swan, and you know it. You're not invading a damn thing." He protested.

"Robert I've been here long en—"

He cut me off. "No, Isabella Swan, I'm not having it. Have you forgotten what that idiot did just a few days ago coming up to your job? There's no way in hell you're getting you're getting a place now."

"But I have the restraining order now and the hearing is next week." I challenged.

"Do you think a piece of paper will stop that motherfucker from trying to get to you?" Robert yelled.

"Hey, hey, what's going on in here?" Cassie asked panting.

"Look at her laptop." Robert pointed.

Cassie stepped closer to me to get a better view. "Bella, you've got to be kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not. I feel like this is another step getting over him and this—this…" I choked up, unable to complete my thought.

"Aw, honey." Cassie closed the distance between us, crouching down, and pulled me into a tight hug.

It had been a long, emotionally draining day.

It's one thing to talk about getting a divorce but it's a totally different thing when you see it in front of you in black and white.

I was in a room full of people who I knew cared about me, and that would do anything for me, but I'd never felt so alone.

I thought maybe if I was in my own place it would make me feel better—less needy. Not this piece of a woman I don't recognize when I look at her in the mirror.

Dark circles under my eyes, and barely eating or sleeping.

Drinking coffee and energy drinks to make it through the day.

Hot tears continued to run down my cheeks as Cassie and I rocked back and forth.

"Bella?" Robert spoke barely above a whisper. "Please rethink your decision, it is not safe for you. We'd all go crazy with worry if you were living alone right now. I'm positive Charlie would have a fit if you'd told him what you were planning to do."

I couldn't help but chuckle when I thought about the aneurysm, I knew he'd have, which is why I hadn't mentioned it earlier.

"You can be stubborn all you want but you know I'm right." Robert laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." I laughed pulling away from Cassie. "No apartment right now, you win." I licked my tongue out at him.

"You two are nuts." Cassie laughed as she stood to her full height.

"I always win." His smile was smug.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, closing the laptop.

"All right then, let's eat." He clapped his hands together once walking toward the stove.

TWP

The wind tousled my hair as he approached the steps to the courthouse in busy downtown Chicago.

Sean requested an Emergency Order the same day I was in his office a week ago. He was able to get the police reports from the incident that happened at my job and the judge didn't hesitate to grant me temporary protection once everything was e-filed.

Dad had no problem asking Deon, a Cook County sheriff and close friend of his, to serve Aaron the papers at his job for the Order of Protection court date and divorce. Based upon what Deon said, Aaron wasn't at work but a few of the partners that were there when he arrived wanted to know why he was being served.

To be a fly on the wall that day.

"We need to go to the second floor, we are in room 212," Sean said as we entered the building.

He led the way to the bank of elevators as Mom, Dad, Robert, Cassie and I followed. I was concerned about my dad being there with me because of the position he held with the police force, but he told me there was no way in hell he wasn't going to be there with me. Mom told me to pick my battles, so I let it go.

Once we were on the second floor people flowed like rivers, through the dimly lit hallways that had wooden doors leading to different rooms. There were several small groups of people in hushed conversations, with briefcases or legal-size manila file folders in their hands.

I tried to get lost in my surroundings as we silently approached where we needed to be.

I woke up with a bad feeling in my stomach but wasn't quite sure if it was my nerves about how things would go today or not.

Aaron has been quiet, almost too quiet for my liking but maybe the temporary protection order sobered him up for the moment. Me knowing him, there's no telling what kind of shit show it will be.

"You okay, baby girl." Dad pulled me out of my musing.

"Yeah, I'm good." I lied.

He shook his head and snorted. "No, you're not. You can't fool me." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him, kissing the side of my head. "Everything is going to be just fine."

"Charlie's right, Bella. Judge Livingston is a stickler for law but fair. Based upon the police report Officer Easton wrote, Aaron better hope he's not disbarred." Sean shook his head.

I laughed without humor. "I'm sure his partners would make sure that never happened."

"That could be true, but he is also embarrassing their firm as well. I know Myles and James; they will not stand for that type of behavior." Sean said.

Myles might go a little easier on Aaron but James, I doubt it.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Mom stepped forward reaching for my hand, squeezing it. "It's going to work out. You'll see." She gave a warm smile.

"That's right, Swan, we've got your back." Robert winked.

I chuckled at him. No matter how sad a situation may be, Robert has always found a way to make me smile.

"Swan vs Smith." A short guy with black hair called out after opening the double wooden doors.

"That's us," Sean said rising his hand to get the guy's attention.

We all piled in as the short guy held the door for us. "Attorney Adams will you and your client please be seated at the table on the left." He asked.

Judge Livingston and a woman around my age with blonde hair were in a quiet discussion once we were seated.

I dug through my purse looking for a mint to help with the nausea I suddenly felt.

I heard the doors open again and by habit, I looked back and was met with steel blue, sharp cold eyes.

A/N: Would love to hear your thoughts…

RECS

The Way I Wanted It, by iambeagle WIP

This Is Where It Ends, by Hotteaforme WIP

La Bellissima, by StarryBlueEyes WIP

The Love of the Game, by DrivingEdward WIP

Solace, by FanFicsrForNerds WIP

Bewitched, by 2brown-eyes WIP

Swan Dive, by samviolawrites WIP

OZ, by drotuno WIP

There Goes My Life, by TheStrong1 WIP

Culewoode Hall by ssomethingvague

Please look up Moon Writer's on FB for teasers and to be a part of the group.