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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtR2EmZAIz
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jIHrgjynr
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu6B1099Gi
“Look at your arm, Gaston. No one injured you but yourself.” The voice continued, “this is what hate and jealousy looks like.”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThfp9Mmv2d
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcrYuUxaE6
“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.”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpPtddZ5cH
“No, thank you. All I want is you. I cannot be happy without you,” replied Gaston weakly.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHtQTY4ttA
“I’m sorry Gaston but… but… I can’t… I don’t…” stammered Belle.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbZGijx03l
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXukLhNIQI
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRGVEHGsBi
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99HpSusUKZ
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkzHK7t8uA
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8B1kBE4R2w
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. 700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGIAn3xtL7
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItyQsqftQn
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTen91fqqAP
There was one who did not move out of her house because of Gaston. Her name was Amanda. She knocked on Gaston’s door.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeeVCq9aO0
“Hello, sorry to disturb you,” said Amanda, “may I come in to talk to you?” 700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmeDTDIsm7
A part of Gaston wanted to turn her away, but he gave in to his craving for company.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOuKuYnP0F
“Have you noticed how everyone moved out of this area because of you?”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmPc79Wn3g
“Yes I have! Why don’t you do the same!” Gaston shouted, uncontrollably.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp9t383Bje
“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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsheUdoTh33
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrPvtz26F8
“Unrequited love hurts. Sometimes the person doesn’t return the love you give them. It happens to everyone.” Amanda told him softly.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn27VYEzWId
“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.”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqhvzFQ19G
“I do.” Amanda said, “I felt heartbroken watching you in pain.”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE62Yc2nSK
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5Z8Aow24Y
“Why don’t I tell you a story of mine?” Amanda offered.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3P7wiBIu1
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLUEwGKvtY
“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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPc2WKFXB8H
“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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74Y7zQXHis
“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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULFX6RH8DR
“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.”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQI2sFBAtR
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7Kmea0pLt
“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.”700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkgE7DK3Cn
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1q8PUme6r
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyGGA51qFA
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. 700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfocM3EBlj
“I love you Amanda, and thank you,” he’d said.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJWGdJ9fCO
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfOccDCrIq
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.700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VPFp8iO7A
“No regrets!” Gaston said as he beamed his true smile. It was the best thing that’d happen to him.
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