Hello darlings! This is something very different for me, especially considering that my Wedding Night stories are some of my fluffiest. I've been reading a lot of dark fairytale interpretations on the site and decided to give it a try. Of course, my attempt won't be so dark, but maybe after a bit of practice, I'll get the hang of it.

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She had said that she loved him. It was the cruelest thing she could ever have done for it gave him hope. That hope ravaged his heart as he watched her leave him. The pain was far greater with his knowledge. He supposed that was why she had whispered it when she thought he was asleep instead of telling him directly. Before that moment, he had thought her unbelievably kind. Or perhaps she couldn't face the reality of loving such a monstrous creature. It was not for him to decide now. There would be plenty of time to nurse his obsession as death slowly claimed him. Not so slowly, he reminded himself. Twenty-one years. It was apparently all he deserved.

Adam retreated back into his quiet room, collapsing upon the reclining couch in defeat. The look of the room reflected how he felt at his darkest moments. He turned his head so he could see the ruined painting revealing the man he once was. He remembered the night he had caught her in here. It had been foolish of him to give her that warning. Adam sometimes wondered if he hadn't wanted to rouse her interest, to show her the beauty he had once possessed.

But the look in her eyes had killed that desire. He shut his eyes, remembering it as if it had only just happened. Every memory of her was vivid in his mind. He relived the pain of seeing her eyes light in feminine interest for another man. It was easy to recognize. It used to be as familiar as the looks of pity and fear his servants exhibited now. He had been flooded with rage, a deep, molten hatred that welled up from his core, targeted at the object of her admiration. Oh, he knew she had grown to admire him for the good qualities he could claim. But she had never looked at him like that. She never could. And for that, he hated the man in the painting. Almost as much as he hated the beast.

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I hope you liked it!

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat