Twice upon a time, a young Prince lived in a shiny castle, with a beautiful young girl named Belle. They really loved each other to no end and were the most perfectly matched couple known throughout the lands. However, Gaston, who hated the Prince when he was a beast, was yet to accept that Belle could love the Prince more. He was determined that a beautiful girl like Belle must live with no one but himself.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrf8x1dv9I2
After being rejected by Belle seven times, Gaston decided to kill the Prince. This was to prove an arduous task as the magic of love protected the castle from jealousy and evil. Through the magic mirror, Belle watched as Gaston tore the hair from his head, trying everything to win Belle’s love.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8u8X4k9Tl
One night, Gaston arrived at the castle and shoved the door in anger and hate. Suddenly, his right arm was covered with purple-black vines and he yelled in pain. Then he head a voice that seemed to have come from the door itself.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALwFvTys79
“Look at your arm, Gaston. No one injured you but yourself.” The voice continued, “this is what hate and jealousy looks like.”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtTri9TUky
Belle and the Prince heard Gaston’s screams. They took him into their castle as he cried in his sleep. When he awoke, he found himself in a familiar castle, on Belle’s couch. He took his bandage off and realised that the purple-black vines had disappeared, an obvious reddish-brown wound in its place.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡck2QOywQlM
“Are you okay?” asked Belle as she entered the room with a tray of Black Forrest cake. “Would you like some cake? They might cheer you up a bit.”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZYIG5QaCJ
“No, thank you. All I want is you. I cannot be happy without you,” replied Gaston weakly.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZI9xNT71x
“I’m sorry Gaston but… but… I can’t… I don’t…” stammered Belle.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp22lF0SJM
Her words and indecision angered Gaston more and he slammed his fists on the table beside him. That was when the vines of anger, hate and jealously grew from his wound. He screamed and cried himself to sleep again.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9d25rExgB
The second time he awoke, he was no longer in the castle. He found himself back in his own house, with an orange card beside him. He cried reading it.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6F0yryUDG
The card read:
I’m sorry Gaston. It’s for the best that we say goodbye for now. When you’re ready, I will be with you, I promise.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiIz15pduc
Ready?! How am I not ready?! Having adverse reactions to his anger, he punched walls, windows and whatever he could set his raging fist on. Tears streamed down his cheeks in pain and sadness. Anger was burning in his chest like fire and he felt like it was going to blow up. Nevertheless, no sooner did his chest burst did purple-black vines grow back from his arm. He tried cutting the vines with knives and scissors, but they only grew stronger and longer. Everything he tried proved in vain. He couldn’t stand the vines any longer. He grabbed a baggy jacket and ran outside, hoping for a cure.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohCBn34AVm
Gaston pushed every door and shouted at every doctor he set his eyes on for a cure. He threw money on the desks and walked into every door angrily. None of the examinations helped, nor did any of the medicines. Not even the most expensive ones gave the injury any improvement. That made him angrier than ever, but anger did him no good. More vines crawled out of his arm.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNuNUF74sE
Everyday Gaston sought help from everyone. He felt angry and helpless whenever he found all his money a waste. He felt jealous whenever he sees happy couples walking on the streets. Even the baggiest jackets could not hide his vine-infested arm from the public.
On ordinary afternoons, Gaston would have been in the bar with his friends. There were happy, laughing memories made. But they were only memories. He could feel only emptiness. He could no longer face his friends, as they were all in happy marriages and he wasn’t. 786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vSDsFaYmo
Gaston resorted to taking his anger out on the storekeepers. Indeed, he caused a great deal of trouble. The streets were found empty, on sunny afternoons. No one dared to set up stores, or walk on the streets near Gaston’s house.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadLuMBt7TS
But rumours about him only made Gaston angrier. He started playing stupid pranks, throwing things into others’ chimneys. People soon moved out of their houses. Having an entire area to himself had always been Gaston’s dream, but now, he only wanted company.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV5qj8rIFj
There was one who did not move out of her house because of Gaston. Her name was Amanda. She knocked on Gaston’s door.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p1St2FMgj
“Hello, sorry to disturb you,” said Amanda, “may I come in to talk to you?” 786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLmOHfJz00
A part of Gaston wanted to turn her away, but he gave in to his craving for company.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqxyJMkWQt
“Have you noticed how everyone moved out of this area because of you?”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHY4AqGdV1
“Yes I have! Why don’t you do the same!” Gaston shouted, uncontrollably.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWGLr2popX
“You used to be a very nice person and I know it. I’ve seen you in the bar with your friends. I don’t see why you’re so cruel to everyone now,” said Amanda.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV5FB1u8tB
Gaston felt better at the idea of someone, who still believed in him and was willing to listen. He poured his days of despair out to Amanda.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjgb3XLD8r
“Unrequited love hurts. Sometimes the person doesn’t return the love you give them. It happens to everyone.” Amanda told him softly.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4itUsZPnsn
“But!” Gaston began to shout but stopped. Something about the way Amanda looked stopped him mid-shout. “Well, I only love Belle and only live for her. No one love or feel pain as I do. No one seems to care.”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKojP2ZVIr
“I do.” Amanda said, “I felt heartbroken watching you in pain.”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3P4TVPHiV
Gaston was speechless. It’s been so long since someone truly cared for him. Love. He pushed the thought away. I love no one but Belle.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk56k1VdPef
“Why don’t I tell you a story of mine?” Amanda offered.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuVnfbkV3S
Amanda dug deep into her handbag and took out a dark blue stone. She walked over to Gaston’s sink and turned on the tap. Gaston watched as the stone was placed into the sink, and the water began to swirl, revealing a story.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUfU8tXuyD
“Allen was my beloved man, but he never loved me back. But a man called Aminta loved me and begged me for marriage. We married young. He was, indeed, a nice guy, but I couldn’t help thinking about Allen. I really loved him and cried thinking of him, all the times.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsBS0hdoOw
“I’d always wished I’d married Allen, and Aminta saw it in my eyes. When I looked him in the eye, he knew I was seeing someone else. Of course, he asked questions, but I kept my mouth shut. One day, I spilled everything out to him and begged forgiveness, as I was so lovesick and so racked with guilt.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhgCTPEshy
“From then on, everyday he questioned my motives. Everyday his heart grew colder. Until his heart froze to ice and we were forced to divorce. We divorced young too. That was when I realised that my love for Allen has ceased long ago, and I was in love with Aminta. I did all I could to warm his heart back up, but a frozen heart was not something you could cure. Once a heart became ice, all you could do was to wait until it freezes the whole body from head to toe and watch it turn into a ghost.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWahlUIgPNf
“I cried a river of tears and it carried sadness around the land. It went into people’s hearts and grew from inside out. Soon no one could pick him or herself up to do anything. I was shocked when I realised how many innocent people are affected because of me. I felt bad and I was determined to stop it from infecting more people. So I collected sunlight and dried the whole river. Everything was fine since then. I still can’t help feeling heartbroken about the whole ordeal, so I lived alone through the past few years. But I’ve accepted the situation and put it behind me.”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQKKhBXFnX
Amanda turned the tap off and the images vanished, leaving a dark blue stone sitting on the drain. She picked the stone up and placed it carefully into her handbag.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19ZoGCZlsf
“I think you should do the same,” she continued, “you need to start a bright new life and forget about winning Belle’s love. You will become friends again when you’re ready, I can promise you that.”786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegIxUPTktn
They were similar to the words Belle wrote Gaston, but it no longer ignited the spark of anger and jealousy. He felt somehow better, knowing someone can feel what he feels, and gives him friendly advice. Amanda invited him to her house for dinner, and he happily accepted it.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWogrGzhhmT
Amanda was such an amazing woman, who was smart and understanding. As they feasted on their roast chicken and potatoes, talking through Gaston’s tragic unrequited love, something strange came across his mind. Somehow, the more they talked about Belle, the less she meant to him. Something about Amanda’s voice touched him like no other.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡng4wFaFMlU
Although Gaston told himself repeatedly that he would always be in love with Belle, his heart knew differently. He gave in to his feelings in the end. 786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5gBWxv6TZ
“I love you Amanda, and thank you,” he’d said.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmUGDuim4O
They eventually called a marriage. As he danced with Amanda, he saw his beautiful white arm. It looked as if nothing had ever touched it. He looked up to see Belle smiling at him as she realised the same thing.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vLP384faH
That was the best day of his life. Belle and the Prince greeted him warmly and invited him and Amanda to the castle for a sleepover. Amanda was right, Belle was treating him as if they’d always been friends. Gaston even became friends with the Prince.786Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBKIikkWnZ
“No regrets!” Gaston said as he beamed his true smile. It was the best thing that’d happen to him.
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