Isabella Swans world had turned into a nightmare from which she could not wake. The man she had once loved with all her heart, Edward Cullen, was now a stranger to her, his every touch a brand of pain she could not escape. And now, with Emily Brontes cruel revelations echoing in her ears, Isabella felt her heart breaking into a thousand pieces.
She had asked him once, "Why did you propose to me?" And his response had been as cold as ice, shattering any lingering hopes she might have had. "Isabella, your intelligence is in question if you even have to ask such a question," he had sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
The light in Isabellas eyes had flickered out, leaving behind a void that was once filled with love and warmth. She had stopped listening to Emilys taunts and Edwards callous words, retreating into a silence that was as deafening as it was isolating.
Emily had laughed, a harsh and grating sound that cut through the tense atmosphere. "Isabella, you see, Edward never wanted you to bear his child. Hes far too proud for that," she had gloated, her words slicing through Isabella like a knife.
The truth was a bitter pill to swallow. Edward had been using contraceptives all along, a fact that Emily had taken pleasure in revealing. The idea of having a child with Isabella was repugnant to him, a testament to the depths of his loathing for her.
Isabella had closed her eyes, refusing to give Emily the satisfaction of a reaction. But inside, she was reeling from the revelation. She had been so naive, so blind to the truth of her marriage. Edwards proposal had been a farce, a means to an end, and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
As the night wore on, Isabella sat on the balcony, the cicadas song a constant backdrop to her thoughts. She was like a broken doll, unmoving and lifeless, her spirit as shattered as the pieces of her heart.
The sound of the door opening startled her from her reverie. A mans voice, unfamiliar and yet somehow known, broke the silence. "Miss Swan?" she heard, and she looked up to see a man dressed in athletic wear, his face a mask of determination.
Without a word, he approached her, a dark cloth in his hand. Before she could react, he covered her eyes with it, plunging her into darkness. "Sorry, Miss Swan, but youre coming with me," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Isabellas heart raced in her chest as she felt herself being lifted and carried away. She tried to struggle, but the cloth muffled her cries, and the mans grip was unyielding. As she was taken from the only home she had known, she couldnt help but wonder what new horror awaited her.
The night air was cool on her skin as she was moved from the balcony. The sound of the door closing behind her was the last thing she heard before the world went black, and she was swallowed by the unknown.