She couldn't believe she could feel any more pained at the realization after what had gone on in the study, but she did. She felt it deep, so deep it cut through her heart and tightened her throat until breathing became a struggle.
Blindly, Belle found her way towards her old room. She walked without truly seeing her path, allowing instinct and memory to guide her steps to the door she had once opened so many times before. When she reached it, she pushed it open and stepped inside, only to stop short in her tracks as her eyes took in the sight before her.
Belle let out a hollowed laughter. What had she expected from people who had been so eager to erase her from their family? Had she foolishly thought they would cherish her room when they had not cherished anything of hers, not even her portraits?
