by E L DuBois
The Beast always complained that Beauty’s breasts were too small. Had he not used that very fact to justify his infidelity? The more Beauty thought about it and put together the pieces, she realized that the women Beast chose to watch in pornography were very similar in looks to his sister. Was the Beast in love with his vile sister? Beauty tried to wrap her head around it. Maybe she had misheard who he said his accomplice was. The Beast did grow up with several girls with his sister’s name. They were all Drama Queens.
Beauty must have been silent too long because the Beast’s aggravated words broke through her thoughts.
“Hello! Did you hear me? Are you still there? You better not have hung up!”
Her speech was stilted and layered in disbelief
“Sex with the Drama Queen? What do you mean?”
The Beast blew out an exasperated breath like he was annoyed with her ignorance.
“I meant exactly what I said. When I was younger, I carried on a sexual relationship with the Drama Queen.”
Still stunned and not processing the information well, Beauty asked again.
“The Drama Queen? Like your sister, the Drama Queen, or one of her friends with the same name?”
The Beast was growing more agitated. “Yes, Beauty with my sister. Jesus you are dumb.”
“I’m going to be sick.”
All at once Beauty felt the bile rush up her throat. She dropped the phone and rushed to the bathroom. She barely made it in time to heave up all the contents of her stomach until nothing was left. When she was finally done, she sat back against the bathroom wall and used a wash cloth to wipe her mouth. Beauty did not know how long she sat there, breathing heavily, her mind numb with the sudden realizations. She could barely process it. The woman had lived in her house. She had seen her every holiday. She recalled the jealousy she felt the Drama Queen had for her. It had started before Beauty had been pregnant with the Princess. The weird way they interacted, more like fighting lovers than siblings. The way the two of them looked at each other. Beauty had been blind to it all because the thought of something so perverted would have never crossed her mind. It was the kind of stuff people saw in movies or read about in books, not real life. At least, not in her life, but there it was all laid out in black and white. Beauty was a substitute to the Beast. Once she had the missing piece to that puzzle, Beauty knew without a doubt that the Beast’s misery and problems stemmed from his longing for the one person he could not have. His own sister, the Drama Queen.
Chapter 31
If you want a fairy-tale life, you have to make it yourself...
THE NIGHT THE Beast revealed his most vile secret, Beauty made her mind up that she would get away from the Beast and she would love who she wanted. Nothing and no one was going to stop her. She waited up that night for the Beast. When he came into the door, he seemed startled to see her sitting in the dark, at the kitchen table. The Beast had made himself vulnerable with his revelation and Beauty was going to take advantage.
“Take a seat. We need to talk.”
In an un-beastly like manner, he did as he was told. His face was guarded. Beauty felt a strength growing inside her.
“After what you told me tonight, I am going to need time to process all of it. I do not want you to touch me. I do not want to be around you or your sister for the holidays. I am not comfortable with it. I cannot let you be alone with the Princess at all, and I do not want her around your sister either. What you two did was incest and molestation. As you stated, there is no statute of limitations on that crime. I will not say a word to anyone about what you told me if you give me the space I am asking for. In fact, I think you need to deal with that situation. Since you’re spending most weekends near your sister’s home when you’re car racing, maybe it would be best if you slept at her house or in one of your friend’s houses until I can come to terms with this. You are always going on about how much you miss being close to your family. I understand now why this has always been such a problem for you, and why you have such a need to be near your sister.”
Beauty met his eyes on that last statement and held her ground. She was telling him in so many words that she knew exactly how twisted the love in his heart was. The Beast did not try to argue or deny any of it. Instead, he smiled and nodded, as if he agreed that it was the best idea in the world. Beauty felt even more disgust for the Beast.
“Until I come to terms with this, I would like you to sleep in the guest bedroom when you are home.”
A sliver of malice crossed the Beast’s eyes, a protest on his lips. Beauty held up a hand.
“On this, I will not be moved. The Princess will either sleep with me or at my parents. You will not be alone with her. Again, I remind you that there is no statute of limitations on what you two did, so I took precautions and emailed all the information to the Queen. If you do not respect my wishes or anything happens to me, she will notify the authorities. Since you and I know you will never leave or let us go without it ending in one of our deaths, this is the only option on the table.”
Beauty could tell the Beast was pissed, but she put on her bravest face and stood her ground, meeting his glare and refusing to be the first one to turn away. Everything she had said to the Beast about this being the only option was bullshit. She was taking herself and the Princess away from him. She needed a place he knew nothing about and protection. When she made her move, she and the Princess would disappear, and the Beast would never see them again.
Finally, the Beast looked away and nodded.
“Ok, we will do it your way for a while.”
Beauty did not miss the caveat he placed at the end, but she rose from the table and moved to walk past him. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. He had not grabbed her like that in almost two years. She glared down at him.
“Take your hand off me.”
His grip briefly tightened and then released.
The Beast said nothing, and Beauty went straight to her bedroom, locked the door and propped a chair under it. In the darkness, she finally let herself feel the old familiar fear. She was shaking from the encounter as she crawled into bed. A sense of dread crept into Beauty as she realized what she had done. Her cell phone was clutched in one hand, ready to dial for help if it was needed. She knew a storm was coming and the next moves she made would be the most important in her and the Princess’s lives.
Beauty heard the Beast leave. He never went to sleep in the guest bedroom. It was the weekend, so she hoped he had opted to go to his sister’s or a friend in the early morning hours. Beauty waited in the silent darkness for his return, but it never came. As the first rays of sunlight began to peak through the curtains, Beauty stared at her daughter’s angelic little face. A new resolve had set in and she was going to get them away from the monster’s clutches. She tried not to let grotesque images of the Beast and his sister together invade her thoughts. Her life was like a bad lifetime movie and it was up to her to make sure that the Princess never suffered as she had. Her cell phone vibrated in her hand as a text came through.
The Beast: I made it to my sister’s. I love you. We will get through this.
Beauty stuck the phone under her pillow and rolled her eyes in disgust. “Nope, we sure won’t, sister fucker.”
This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Her phone vibrated again. Beauty sighed in frustration, figuring it would be one of the Beast’s attempts to play at a honeymoon phase. But a wide grin spread across Beauty’s face as she saw who it was from.
Mr. Knight: Good morning, beautiful. How are you today?
Beauty knew he was married, but their connection was undeniable, and she had decided to go with it. She knew if the Beast ever found out, he would kill her, but she hoped that by that time, she and the Princess would be long gone and safe. Beauty was playing a deadly game, but it was one she was determined to win.
Beauty: Good morning, handsome. I am good, thank you for asking. How are you doing?
Mr. Knight: I’m good, just thinking about you.
Beauty’s smile was so wide her cheeks hurt. Her mood did an immediate one eighty. By the time the Princess woke, Beauty and Mr. Knight had texted back and forth several times. He made her feel at peace even with just texts.
That weekend, she spent quality time with her daughter and talked to Mr. Knight. It was the best weekend she had ever had. Even the Beast’s occasional half-hearted manipulative texts did not bring down her mood. By Monday morning, she felt like a new woman. She would not be seeing Mr. Knight because she had training starting at her old office, but she did have to pass by the new office on the way.
Her new trainer was a stern and unyielding woman. She was like the scary teacher from school. Beauty was only able to check her messages on breaks but was always ecstatic to see several from Mr. Knight. He was always thinking about her and saying he missed her. Beauty was trying to go slow and be cautious after the way the Beast had played her in the beginning, but she was no longer the naïve girl she had been years before. Beauty had learned a lot from the Beast and had developed a sense for when people were genuine and when they weren’t. Mr. Knight was nothing like the Beast and Beauty had never met a more honest person. He did not have the manipulation gene. He was so honest that against Beauty’s advice, he had told his wife he wanted a divorce and she needed to move out. The woman had not taken it well and was refusing to budge from the house. She was also making his life a living hell. But he could not lie and wanted to pursue the connection he and Beauty felt.
At the end of that first day of training, Beauty was exhausted, but she stopped by the office anyway to see Mr. Knight. His truck was the only vehicle in the parking lot. Everyone else was gone for the day which meant they would be alone in the office. Beauty’s pulse began to race. She just wanted one of his reassuring hugs and to smell his soothing scent. Nothing more. That’s what she told herself until she saw him. He looked so good in khaki pants and the favorite hoodie he had bought while deployed overseas. The minute they saw each other, they were both smiling like kids in a candy store, and Beauty impulsively began to run toward him. With arms outstretched, she jumped up into his embrace and he picked her up like she weighed nothing. Instinctively, Beauty wrapped her legs around his waist and leaned her head into his. The kiss that followed surprised them both and was a little awkward at first. But as his warm lip pressed against hers and began to move, Beauty melted into it, letting go of all the apprehension and fear she felt. It was a kiss for the record books, like something out of the ending of a romance novel or movie.
When they finely pulled apart and stared into each other’s eyes, they were both breathing heavily. Mr. Knight had a shy grin on his face and Beauty was flushed all over. His grin widened, and it made Beauty giggle like a child. At some point, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and was holding him close. He leaned his forehead into hers
“Well... that was…”
“Yeah, I know,” she replied between breaths.
They stayed silent for a few moments, soaking up each other and the magnitude of the kiss. It held so many promises and so many complications, but in Beauty’s mind, it was worth it. She had never felt true love and she thought maybe, just maybe... if it did exist... this man could be hers.
Finally, Beauty reluctantly pulled back a little and looked from one side of the ground to the other, then met Mr. Knight’s eyes and giggled again.
“I have never been picked up like that before. Am I hurting you?”
He nuzzled his nose against hers and whispered into her lips. “Never, you weigh nothing.”
Beauty blushed. “I guess you better put me down. It is already getting late.”
Mr. Knight briefly squeezed her tighter, then Beauty unwrapped her legs from around his waist and slid down his body. A sexy growl escaped his lips. She was silent as she stepped away and turned her back to him. On impulse, she threw a sexy smile over her shoulder in his direction and he gave her one in return.
“You headed my way?” she asked as she threw a little extra sway into her hips.
Mr. Knight quickly grabbed his stuff and followed her to the parking lot, opening all the doors like the gentleman he was. Beauty was on cloud nine. Mr. Knight escorted her to her car, opened her door and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Then, he hopped in his truck and signaled for her to go ahead. He called her as they drove in the same direction to their separate homes, with separate lives, and partners neither of them wanted. Beauty laughed and felt giddy as they talked. Beauty knew without a doubt that after that kiss, if she could pull this off, this man would be her future. If she didn’t, he could also mean her death.
Chapter 32
She looked so good In Love...
BEAUTY HAD A new lease on life and was more determined than ever to make a fresh start. She wanted to leave the Beast in the dust and his indifference toward her made her believe she could. Beauty knew she still had to take precautions to be safe. The Beast was unpredictable, but one thing she knew for sure... he would never let another man be a father to his child, even if he was no kind of father at all.
The more time she spent with Mr. Knight, the stronger their bond grew. Beauty was falling head over heels in love with the man while trying to keep it a secret from the world. She did her best, but she could not hide the glow of happiness around her. Jasmine had noticed and became Beauty’s confidant. It felt good to have a female friend to confide in after so many years of being isolated. Beauty loved the fact that she was starting to feel like her old self.
One evening, she went to pick up the Princess from the Queen’s and her mother gave her the strangest look.
“What’s up with you? Who is he?”
Beauty’s eyes grew wide as she tried to stutter out an excuse.
The Queen gave Beauty an incredulous look. Her mother knew her to well.
“Fine, it’s a guy I work with. He is tall, dark haired, blue eyed, handsome, hardworking, kind, sweet, generous, loving, and muscled. The list could go on Mom, but basically he is everything I could have ever hoped for or dreamed of.”
The Queen threw her arms around Beauty and hugged her tightly.
“Thank GOD! I knew if anyone worth anything paid any attention to you, and you actually noticed, you would finally kick that piece of shit to the curb.”
Beauty leaned back from her mom and met her eyes. “He’s married and it’s complicated.”
The Queen scoffed at Beauty. “Oh honey, no woman is a match for my Beauty. You got this.”
Beauty just stared at her mother for a moment. “Are you telling me to go after him and take him? He is married, Mama, and she is a female version of the Beast in Troll form.”
The Queen raised her eyebrows at Beauty and smirked. “If you want him, then go get him. The only person stopping you is you.”
Beauty thought about that then said, “How did you know?”
The Queen smiled a gorgeous smile at Beauty. “Because my baby has not looked this good or this happy in a long time. You’re starting to look like your old self.”
Beauty was proud her mother thought she looked good. It had been a long time since she had felt her mother thought anything good about her.
“Thank you, Mama, but I am worried. This is a very dangerous game I’m playing.”
Beauty looked her mother in the eyes and tried to convey just how dangerous the situation was.
The Queen patted Beauty’s back. “Don’t worry baby. Everything is going to be ok.”
Beauty hoped her mother was right.
The holidays were fast approaching, and Beauty opted not to go anywhere near the Beast’s family. She could barely stomach the thought of the Drama Queen let alone suffer through having to be in the same room with her. That family was such a twisted screwed-up lot, that Beauty could not even imagine in her wildest dreams the stuff they came up with. Everything was a competition with them and they were all a few bricks s
hy of a full load.
Mr. Knight was going to be gone for two weeks between Christmas and the New Year and neither of them could stand the thought of being away from each other for that long. The nights and weekends had become so hard that Mr. Knight and Beauty had started finding reasons to slip away and meet for minutes, just to steal a quick kiss or hug. They were like addicts needing a fix in the honeymoon stage of the relationship. Things at Mr. Knight’s home were rough, and he was dealing with a lot from the Troll. She was being insufferable and refusing to leave. She even implemented the help of family and friends, anyone she could get to try and talk him out of the divorce. She went as far as to hold an intervention with her parents and best friends, where they spent the whole time berating him and trying to convince him he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his deployments, and the “affair” was the result of his condition.
Beauty was so glad that Mr. Knight held fast to his convictions and feelings for her. She knew she was not the complete reason for his decision to divorce the Troll, but she had been the catalyst. Her presence, before anything had happened between them, had shown Mr. Knight how unhappy he truly was.
On Beauty’s home front, things were much the same. The Beast was distant, withdrawn, but she rarely had to see him. Beauty was glad for this, but the lack of attention made Beauty bolder and she took more risks. Maybe subconsciously, she wanted to get caught because it was getting increasingly hard to keep her secret and maintain separate lives.
