The Other Belle, page 1
The Other Belle
A twisted Beauty & the Beast retelling
Whitney G.
Contents
Synopsis
A Note from Whitney G.
Once Upon a Time
Seven Months Later…
In a Faraway Land
A Suitor Not So Sweet
Someone Quite Peculiar
A Secret They Won’t Share
A Sudden Goodbye
An Unwanted Return
Worth the Risk
Not So Fast
The Whispering Woods
A Daunting Journey
A Drop of Defiance
An Unexpected Bargain
A Wicked Detour
Making Haste
Dancing in the Moonlight
As the Petals Fall
The Rules of the Game
Enchanted No More
A Watchful Eye
The Rose Lives On
A Hidden Kingdom
A Broken Crown
A Bastard’s Ball
In the Morning
Conflicted Hearts
It’s True After All
Cruel Intentions
Splitting the Curse
Two Unkind Princes
Like You This Way
A Changing Tide
The Details
Finding Another Way
One Final Petal
Tale as Old as Time
Happily Ever After
Note from the Author
Two Weeks Notice
The Other Belle
* * *
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2022 by Whitney Gracia Williams
Cover design by Najla Qamber of Qamber Designs & Media
Editing by Brooke Crites of Proofreading by Brooke
Additional Proofing by Viviana Varona
Additional Proofing by Evelyn Guy
Storyboarding by Whimstery Media
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the author.
For Grace.
I’m looking forward to you reading this one…
Synopsis
"I'm giving you one last chance to tell me that I own you..."
Those are thirteen words that I refuse to give to the beastly man who kidnapped me in the middle of the night and forced me on a never-ending journey through the woods.
While he's desperate to break a tragic kingdom-wide curse that's ruined him to his core, I'm determined to escape and find my way home.
I'm not the woman he wants anyway ...
He wants my sister, the beautiful, book-loving girl who wants more out of life and believes a prince is all she needs to find a happily ever after.
Of course, he has no idea that she's none of those things, and as much as I want to deny the chemistry between us, I can only take so much punishment, and I may be forced to finally submit to his desires ...
Until then, I'll hold off on getting closer to a man like him, a true villain, destined for Hell.
He'll never have the real me, the other Belle ...
A Note from Whitney G.
Dear Awesome Reader,
Thank you so much for picking up The Other Belle! I hope you enjoy this inversion & retelling of my favorite fairy tale of all time: Beauty & the Beast! (Well, more La Belle et la Bete, but hey, you get the picture.) This book ends at 90% and features an excerpt from Two Weeks Notice.
If you want to be the first to learn of my upcoming releases, sales, and special things that I only offer to my readers, be sure to sign up for my Exclusive F.L.Y. List. (F.L.Y. = Effin Love You. Because whether you love or hate this story, I still love you for giving it a chance!)
Sincerely,
Whitney G.
One day I will go to all the places I have seen
Between the pages of my reads
And when you ask me where I’ve been
You’ll be convinced it’s all a dream…
* * *
—My mother’s lullaby to me
Once Upon a Time
Belle
I’ve always known that I am the biggest disappointment in my family.
Since the day I was born, my father made it painstakingly clear that my older sister Isabelle, “the better Belle,” is his golden child.
I’m an unwanted copper tin that he can’t wait to throw away, the “ugly rubbish” that he keeps hidden from sight as often as possible.
Only a few people in our village even know that I exist…
On countless nights, I’ve awoken to the sound of his vicious prayers, wondering if he knew I could hear them. Then again, I doubt that he cares, and I have them all memorized by now anyway.
“Please change Belle into someone else, so she can land a suitor who will help pull us out of our debt.”
* * *
“Why couldn’t you drag her to heaven instead of her mother?”
* * *
“Can you at least teach her how to read books as well as Izzie, so the town library might have a job for her when I die?”
I can’t help but see the irony in his last prayer since my sister is a living, breathing fraud, but that’s a story for another day.
“This is your last chance to prove your worth to this family, Belle.” He suddenly steps in front of my bed, holding out a bright red ribbon.
“If this prince’s glass slipper doesn’t fit your foot today, there’s no shame in that, but if it does and you even try to resist, I swear on everything I own that—”
“You’ll punish me by locking me in the basement until I’m forgiven.”
“I’ll never forgive you.” He snaps his fingers. “Izzie! Come help Belle with her hair and face, please!”
Stifling a groan, I walk over to the window and watch heavy sheets of rain attack our land. I silently wish the hills would rise and roll over our cottage so I won’t have to take part in this.
Every woman in town is buzzing with glee over the day’s big news: A prince from the Second Kingdom is crossing through The Whispering Woods in search of his lost love via a “Which maiden’s foot can fit the slipper she left behind?” contest.
I desperately want to know why he can’t remember what this woman looks like and attempt to find her that way, but no one else seems to find this odd.
Can a prince really be that stupid?
“Your eyes are so beautiful, Belle.” Izzie pulls a brush through my curls, yanking all the life from them. “Dark emerald and grey, like our mother’s. Instead of opening your mouth, you should help the prince focus on those when he arrives.”
“I’ll try.”
“Try hard,” she scolds. “I mean, that’s what I would do if this were my only shot at landing a prince. This is as close as you’ll ever get to attracting a suitor, so don’t cry if it doesn’t work out.”
“Right…” I don’t dare mention that she cried bloody murder this morning when she found out she was ineligible for this silly fitting game.
“Are you reading anything good lately?” she asks.
“Romeo & Juliet,” I say. “Oh, and I’m almost done with Oedipus Rex.”
“I see.” She loops the red ribbon around my smoothed hair. “Are they romances?”
“No, Izzie.” I hold back a sigh. “They both end in utter tragedy.”
“What?” She sucks in a breath. “Then why are you reading them? Better yet, how could any author bother to write such awful things?”
I bite my tongue as hard as I can.
Moments like this are what I wish most people witnessed when they complimented how “well-read” and “worldly” my sister is.
They’re completely unaware that she reads the same three books every week—usually skipping ahead to revisit her favorite chapters—and I’m convinced that she can recite those stories word for word. All without ever glancing at the page. She complains about being misunderstood and wanting to explore the world outside of our small kingdom, but whenever I tell her that we should go together, she comes up with an excuse.
Standing still, I force myself to smile as she paints my face in a pale powder and coats my lips in a crimson rouge.
“Okay, you’re all set.” She spins me around to face my father. “This is the best I can do.”
“Much better.” He glances at his pocket watch and pushes me closer to the door. “Don’t keep him waiting when he’s close. Make a good impression and say all the right things.”
“All the right things” means utter silence in his book.
I stare through the glass as a sparkling gold carriage led by four grand, white horses makes its way down our winding road.
With every galloping step, I can’t help but wonder what life in the other kingdoms is like.
They can’t all be this way…
When the procession stops in front of our gate, two footmen step into the rain and roll out a royal blue carpet.
Another servant opens the back door and holds up a parasol while another ties the stallions to our fence.
The prince emerges in a white and blue coat, and I crane my neck to steal a glimpse of his face. I can make out a hard, chiseled jawline and intense green ey es, but my heart doesn’t skip a beat when I see all of his breathtaking features.
Not a single butterfly flutters in my chest, and I don’t feel the world stop under my feet.
I’m not attracted to him in the slightest…
He knocks on our door a few times, and I contemplate letting him stand there until he walks away.
“Open the door, Belle,” my father hisses. “Now.”
I let out a breath before pulling it open.
“Your Grace.” I offer a weak curtsy. “How may I help you?”
“I’m Prince Charming,” he says. “Son of King Aries II & Queen Arabella Windsor, victor from the War of Beasts, and heir to the throne of the Second Kingdom.”
“Please tell me that you don’t have to say all that every time you introduce yourself.”
“I do.” He smiles. “I’m looking for the eligible maiden of the house.”
His gaze ventures toward Izzie, and I can practically see him undressing her with his eyes like every man in town does.
“The eligible maiden is me.” I roll my eyes and usher him inside.
“Oh.” He looks Izzie over one last time before looking my way. “Please have a seat so that my men can determine if you’re my long-lost true love.”
“Can’t you already see that I’m not?” I ask. “I think we would both remember if we’d ever met.”
“Belle,” my father warns.
“Right over here.” Izzie guides me onto a chair, mouthing, “Stop it.”
Prince Charming’s footman clears his throat and reads from a long scroll.
I’m grateful that we can hardly hear his words over the heavy rainfall, and I’m holding out hope that a flood will wipe all of us away at any moment.
“And now, let the fitting begin!” The footman pulls a sparkling glass slipper from his satchel and slides it onto my right foot. “Please rise, Madam.”
I stand to my feet, hoping to show that the shoe is too small, but it fits perfectly.
What the…
“It’s you.” The prince pulls me into his arms and presses his lips against mine without warning, giving me the worst ‘first kiss’ in history.
It’s wet and sloppy, rhythmless and wild, and…It means nothing.
My heart doesn’t hope that his mouth will never leave mine, and every nerve in my body begs me to get the hell away from him.
“Our master has found his true love at last!” someone announces. “Prepare the carriage for a return to our kingdom with its future queen and king.”
As the prince pulls his mouth away from mine, my relief turns to dread. I’m forced to watch one of his men arranging payment with my father.
“I can’t wait to have you alone again, Belle,” the prince whispers. “I’ve searched for you for far too long, and I want us to pick up where we left off.”
“How do you not remember what the woman you fell in love with looks like, or notice that she’s not me?” I cross my arms. “Like, how is that even possible?”
“It was a dark night when you left me.” He clasps my hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t pay better attention.”
“No.” I yank my hand away. “I’m not the woman you’re looking for, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not going with you. I’m staying here.”
“Can you not see the filthy life that you’re currently leading?” He narrows his eyes at me, still whispering, “You live in a poor, disgusting village where gossip is the main attraction.”
“Anything here is far more attractive than you.”
His gaze darkens, but he keeps his voice low. “Coming with me will benefit you and your family. You’re days away from marrying a man who is next in line for the throne.”
“Sounds like you’re willing to settle for any girl at your side.”
“No, it sounds like you should stop talking and focus on getting a better life.” He runs his hand against my bare neck, making me shudder at his touch. “I’m looking forward to taming every inch of you, so you can learn to behave and keep your troubling little lips shut.”
“I’ll never sleep with you.”
“Oh, you definitely will.” He runs a hand through my hair, and my flesh crawls. “The moment we return tonight, I’ll show you exactly how to please me with your mouth, and I’ll give you a taste of what it feels like to be owned by a man like me … You’ll like it so much that you’ll beg for it again.”
I glare at him as he stares into my eyes, sensing a world full of pain and misery in my future.
“I’m so thrilled that you’ve reunited with my daughter, and I can assure you that she’s talked about finding you for weeks.” My father juggles a full satchel of coins. “I trust that you’ll continue to send payment since this isn’t her full dowry?”
“Depends.” He’s still looking into my eyes. “Are you coming back to the Second Kingdom with me, Belle? To a much cleaner and fulfilling life?”
“Fuck you.”
A thick silence suddenly suffocates the room.
Izzie’s jaw drops to the floor.
“Madam, that’s no way to talk to your future husband, let alone sitting royalty.” One of his men speaks. “Apologize to His Grace now.”
“I apologize for not being the slightest bit interested in a life with you, Your Grace,” I say. “I’m sure you can find another woman who will be happy to get ‘tamed’ by your disgusting touch whenever you like.”
The prince presses his lips into a thin line, then he snatches the coins from my father.
“Thank you for your honesty, Belle,” he says. “May you enjoy the rest of your life. Alone, I’m sure.”
He walks toward the door, and his servants follow suit.
Before I can walk over to the window and watch him leave, I’m suddenly yanked back by my hair and my head hits the wall.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” my father hisses, slapping me across the face. “Do you?”
“Wait,” I beg. “Let me explain.”
“Explain what?” He slaps me again. “Why you just ruined all of our lives within seconds?”
Izzie serves me a look of sympathy from across the room, but she doesn’t move to intervene.
She’s just as livid as he is.
“You’re always ruining everything, Belle,” he yells so loudly that the windows shake.
His third strike sends my body to the floor, and I can no longer feel the left side of my face.
Shutting my eyes, I wince as he yells how I’m a “forever disappointment” at the top of his lungs. He kicks me all over, harder than he ever has before, and I hold back tears.
I refuse to let him see me cry, silently repeating my mother’s last words.
“Never let anyone see you look weak, Belle. Ever.”
When his insults come to an end and the height of his anger dissolves, he grabs me by the arms. Clutching them tightly, he drags me across the room and toward our second basement.
“I should’ve fucking known,” he curses under his breath as he opens the hatch.
“Here, Belle.” Izzie, late as ever, presses a cold wet cloth into my hand.
To my surprise, my father doesn’t snatch it away.
He picks me up and tosses my body over his shoulder, carrying me down the steps. Dropping me onto a stack of quilts, he glares at me.
“I meant what I said about never forgiving you for this.”
I’ll never be sorry for this.
He looks at me as if he’s heard my thought, as if he’s tempted to slap me again.
