The Beast And His Belle

Chapter 3

It's almost every little girl's dream to find that amazing love of their life. The one that sweeps them off their feet and live happily ever after, creating a family and a lifetime of memories growing old together.
And Belle was no different. She's read every book that's probably ever been written and she believes in the fairytale romance that she's been patiently waiting for. For her Prince to come in and sweep her off her feet, love her unconditionally, risk his life for her if they lived in a world where there existed damsels and heroes.
But that was all until yesterday when she was given the heavy ultimatum that could ruin her chances of finding true love and her outlook on the classic happily ever after.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." She reads in rhyme to the classroom of children that sit in front of her, all gazing up in youthful admiration and curiosity.
"That was said by the ever so famous Dr. Seuss!" She closes the book with a smile looking into the future of possibilities of legendary writers.
"Miss Rose," one little boy raised his hand.
"Yes, Christopher?"
"I think reading is hard when I don't know all the words," he pouted.
"Oh, you just have to practice and every time you will get better and the new words will come easier to you."
"Why do you like reading so much?" Christopher questioned and she leaned in as if she were giving away a secret.
"I always like to say, reading is like dreaming with your eyes open!" Her face beamed and the children seemed to lean in closer. "Books are magical! You never know what things you'll find when you keep turning the pages. And I just love when a story takes me away to far off places." Belle smiles brightly at the children, seeking each one's interests.
"Maybe I'm on a pirate ship in search of a great lost treasure!" Her student Christopher's eyes grew with a smile peeking through. "Or maybe I'm a mermaid queen in the deep sea!" another student, Amelia giggled at the thought. "Or maybe I'm a lost princess stuck in a castle guarded by dragons waiting for my Prince Charming to come rescue me!" She was so caught up in her fairytales she didn't hear the commotion right outside her classroom door.
"Is that him, Miss Rose? Is that your Prince Charming?" Her students called out together pointing to the door.
She turned her head behind her and seeing who it was, she huffed under her breath. "No, he's more like the villain," she mumbled to herself, rising from her seat to answer the door.

"What are you doing here, Jackson?" she spouted with clear agitation in her voice.
"That's not a proper way to greet your Prince Charming," he said in his arrogant cocky tone.
"Who is it, Miss Rose?" the kids called out.
"Miss Rose? I thought your name was Belle?" Jackson asked, leaning against the door frame making himself comfortable.
"I-it is but the kids like that my middle name is a flower so it stuck," she said, getting all flustered forgetting why he was here in the first place. "I asked you what you're doing here?"
"Mmm, Rose, I like that." He raises his hand tangling around his finger a lock of her hair that fell around her shoulders.
"You're interrupting my class, Jackson!" She pushed his hand off finding his touch was tantalizing.
"For good reason to." He lifted himself off the door frame and pulled something from his pocket. Proceeding to get down on one knee, he opened a small velvet box and looked up at her.
"My Rose, my love," he said in a sweet but fake tone, "will you make me a happy man by being my lovely wife?" Shining in her eyes was the largest diamond ring she's ever seen. It looked like he stole it out of a museum from a royal queen's collection of jewels.
"I-wh-Jackson!" she stuttered on her words before being blinded by flashes of lights, realizing there was a swarm of paparazzi standing behind him capturing the moment for the tabloids. It made her enraged.
"I did NOT agree to the contract!" she spat angrily through clenched teeth so they wouldn't hear.
"Looks like I made the decision for you, my flower. Can't really say no now." He said with a twinkle in his eye and a devilishly handsome smile on his face.

It made her stomach turn in knots and her blood boil all at the same time. Why was she feeling the least bit confused when she looked at him? She should feel outraged and nothing more. He cleared his throat still down on one knee waiting for her response. She realized she hadn't thought of any other way to help her father and felt even more helpless now. There was no way out of this. She felt her throat closing in on her as the tears swelled. One drop released, trickling down her face and she heard the paparazzi squeal before she could even silently nod yes for her answer. They mistook her tears for tears of joy, but they were tears of sadness. Sadness for all the books she's ever read about the fairytale loves she envied and wished for. All the magic she's filled her heart with turned to dust. The magic fading with the feeling of all her favorite tales being turned to the last page and the book closing forever.