Once upon a time, there was a girl, desperately searching for true love. She longed to find someone that could fill up the empty space she felt in her heart. Someone who could really complement her. And a guy, desperate to find someone who sees and loves him for who he really is, and not only for what he has.
The girls’ name was Belle, a kind and clever girl. Belle was the most brilliant girl in her whole school, since her grades were exemplary. Belle had everything a girl would wish for, a loving and safe home, a sincere best friend, and inner and outer beauty. Still, there was one thing Belle was missing: true love. She wanted to find someone honest and loyal, whom she could trust blindly.
The guy’s name was King Thrush beard. The king had found love many times in his life, but it was never true love at all. All the girls just wanted to be with him because of his money and his belongings. He did have a lot of money, and it changed the way people looked at him. Everyone he met just wanted to make a profit from his wealth and did not really care about himself. King Thrush beard was tired of people who just used him for his money, so he decided to hide his identity. The next person he met would have to like him for being him, without knowing how wealthy he is.
And as if fortune wanted it, one day Belle and King Thrush beard met…
Belle was studying in school, just like any other day. She was an ambitious student. And as focused as she was, she didn`t even notice someone attending her table. A calming voice disrupted her concentration: “Hey, I´m sorry to interrupt, but I saw you are studying math? I started yesterday, and I have to say I am on the right path. Can I join you?” Belle looked up. A tall, charming-looking boy was standing in front of her. “If you don`t disturb me, you can take place. After all, there is more than enough space. What`s your name? Because if you do disturb me, I want to know who to blame”, Belle raised her eyebrows, but still allowed a small smile to escape. The boy smiled at her: “Thank you, I´m Luke. And your name is?” “Belle”, she nodded, signing him to take a seat. When he sat down, Belle shortly glared at him, then continued studying.
They did not talk anymore. “What a weird conversation. Is this guy simply looking for some sensation? ”, thought Belle to herself. His direct but at the same time, polite approach made her curious.
The following days he sat down next to Belle every time he saw her studying. Each day, the two of them started talking more and more. It did not take Belle long to start to like him, he seemed genuinely nice and charming. ‘Is this the one? Could this become the true love she was waiting for? And does he see me as a study mate, or maybe more?’’
One day, while studying, their hands accidentally touched. Belle could feel the butterflies in her stomach, it was magical. She got more and more excited to meet him in school.
Their accidental touches turned into holding hands. Holding hands turned into kisses. And the stranger who she once met became her boyfriend. Belle was filled with joy. She felt like she could fully trust him. He would never betray her in any way. There was no other place that felt as safe as his arms.
Spending so much time with Luke resulted in Belle not having that much time for her best friend anymore. They used to spend every day together, now she spent every day with Luke.
Her best friend did not like Luke. “There is something off about this boy, even though I can see he lights you up with joy. He is hiding something, and I will prove it to you. There must be someone else he is talking to. Whatever it is, I will figure it out. And you will not need him, you can live without’’.
She thought her best friend was just jealous, and she could understand why. Belle didn`t take her seriously. Until that one day, the day everything fell apart.
Belle got a message from her best friend: “I do not want to tell you ‘I told you so’’, but there is something I found out, and you should know. I will just spill the tea; Luke is not who he pretends to be. I found out that he has money to blow, which is not a terrible thing though. He even is a king. I am talking about YOUR fling!! Is this not insane? His name is King Thrush beard, Haha, what a silly name”.
Belle´s eyes started to fill with tears. When she looked up, Luke gave her a worried look: “Are you okay? You seem upset.’’ ‘’Were you ever planning to tell me, King Trush beard, or did you just forget? Belle’s sadness had quickly turned into anger. Luke gasped; he was clearly shocked. “How…how do you know? Did you happen to find my chateau? I wanted to tell you, give me the chance to explain. Please, only the thought of losing you already gives me chest pain”, Luke stuttered. They went into the hallway to talk, but Belle didn`t want to hear any more lies. She was furious, how could he lie to her this whole time? “I did not mean to lie to you, you have to believe me, Belle! I just did not know when and how to tell.’’ Luke tried to explain himself, “Every time I meet a girl, they just wanted me for my money, not for me. I wanted to find someone who would love me for who I am, without knowing about my wealth, you see? And I would have told you about it, but I just did not know how. And everything between us was so great, until now’’.
Belle shook her head in disbelief: “I don`t care about wealth. I just want to be happy and have good mental health. How could you think that it would be your money to make me stay? That is a silly game I would never play. I will never trust you again, I had never expected you to be that kind of a man. I can`t do this anymore. It will never go back to how it was before. We are done, as fast as everything has begun.” She ran away.
Weeks passed by and Belle was devastated. How could she ever trust someone again? Luke or King Thrush beard, whatever his real name was, tried to contact her many times. But she didn`t want to hear from him. She had moved on.
And she lived happily ever after, as a strong and independent woman.