A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Disclaimer: All characters are not mine. No copyright infringement was intended. Thank you to Stephenie Meyer for creating Edward and Bella for our enjoyment. I just like playing with them, making them my own ... even for just a little while.

So, Charlie had an adverse reaction to his medications but seems to be doing better. There were also rumors about Bella going to the women's clinic ... spinning her to be something awful. We all know she's not, but this 'spin' is more than likely Lady Kathryn and Irina's doing. Up next will be a bit of a breaking point ... in Bella's POV.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Bella

Sitting in the newly completed office of the bakery, I was looking over several resumes for new employees. The bakery renovations were nearly finished. All we needed was people to work in the bakery. With my dad's questionable health and my newfound celebrity, we needed to hire people to run Swan Family Bakery. Both Dad and I were adamant that we needed to hire from within our community.

"Oh, this girl, I like her," Angela chirped. "She worked at the bookstore and was awesome."

"Worked. Past tense?" I asked, arching a brow. "Was she fired?"

"She wasn't fired. She went away to college but didn't really care for the university she'd chosen. It was too big and she wanted something smaller," Angela shrugged. "She came back home, taking a gap year and asking for her job back. We'd already hired someone to replace her." Angela handed me the resume and application. "This girl, Bree, has retail experience and is great with people, friendly and outgoing."

I read over her application, smiling as I saw how thorough she was in her answers. "I'll bring her in. She could be helpful at the counter and working as a server for the café. I need people who are willing to work in the kitchen, though. I don't want to be the one, getting up at four in the morning, to start baking our family's recipes. I can oversee the bakery, but I don't have the heart to run it like I did before," I frowned. "And to be honest, I don't know if I'm staying the states, Ang."

"Are you planning on moving in with Masen?" Angela asked, leaning forward and grinning.

"He hasn't asked, but everything we've ever done has alluded to us being together for the foreseeable future ... possibly for the rest of our lives," I smiled, blinking up at her. "I love him, regardless of who he is. He's been so supportive and perfect throughout all of this ..." I gestured to the renovated bakery. "He hasn't walked away with the bullshit of my crazy family. He's ..."

"Prince Charming," Angela quipped. "And he is." She looked at me, but her smile faded. Reaching across the desk, she squeezed my fingers. "How are you doing with the tabloids?"

"They suck, Ang," I growled. "Did you see the article about how I supposedly aborted a baby? I went to the women's clinic to get my birth control shot. Not that it's anyone's business. It's my body." I got up and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in the kitchen. "That's the only thing that's making me freak out about my relationship with Masen. I love him. He's an amazing, wonderful and generous man. I just hate having my personal life splashed over the newspapers. It's bullshit."

"Does it bother Masen?" Angela asked.

"He's more accustomed to it," I retorted, idly pealing the wrapper off the bottled water. "He's upset that the American tabloids are quick to judge and print lies without any sort of research. We also have some resistance in Gevalia. There's this woman, Lady Kathryn ... who was under the impression that she was going to marry Masen, but didn't have a snowball's chance in hell ... who conspired with my bitch sister. Alice was arrested and is in a holding cell in Gevalia."