"She'll do it. Whatever you ask of her, she'll do it. I have nothing else to offer, Mr. Gold!"
And so it began that Mo French offered up his only daughter to the man who had made his life a living hell. He would have done anything to get out from under Mr. Gold's thumb.
"What use do I have of an eighteen year old girl who has no work experience to speak of?" snickered Mr. Gold, scoffing at the very thought of accepting anything but money as payment for, in his mind, a very generous loan.
"W- well," French thought quickly, " rumor has it that you're in desperate need of a nanny for your boy. And my Belle is great with kids. And you won't have to pay her anything. She'll work for free.
Mr. Gold was quiet for a moment. "Well, you see Mr. French, she wouldn't be working for free. She would be paying a debt. Your debt. And what does she think of this arrangement?"
"She'll think whatever I tell her to think. I am, after all, her father!"
"Yes, a father that is willing to sell his only daughter to a man that he knows nothing of to pay off a debt." said Mr. Gold. "Very well. Have her here at 8:00 am tomorrow morning, and not a moment later. And if my son happens to find the girl to his liking, then we have a deal."
"Oh thank you, Mr. Gold!", French exclaims, "She won't disappoint you, Sir!"
"We'll see."
All Belle could do was stare at her father. "How could he do this to me? How could you just sell me to that man? Th-that beast!"
But as usual, her father wasn't listening. She didn't matter to him. All that seemed to matter to him since Belle's mother died was drinking and cards. After all, isn't this how her father had gotten himself, and now, bell into this position in the first place? Because he had been more interested in the bottom of a bottle that in paying the bills.
But none of that mattered anymore. It was done. And, even after all he had done, Belle still loved her father more than anything. And she knew what she had to do!
Surrender to The Beast.