Timeless Legacy

Queen of Mean

Night had fallen, and the moon cast a soft, silvery light through Audrey's bedroom window. The room was quiet, save for the occasional sniffle as Audrey sat on her bed, surrounded by old photographs. Most of them were of her and Ben, reminders of the life she had once planned so meticulously. There was another photo, though, one she had never been able to put away: a picture of her and Elina, taken just before Audrey had left for a vacation, back when things seemed less complicated.

The memory of her grandmother's words echoed in her mind, cruel and relentless. "A lifetime of plans gone. Your mother could hold on to a prince in her sleep." The words were a knife to her heart, reminding her of the impossible standards she was always expected to meet. But the truth was, Audrey didn't even want a prince. Not anymore. Deep down, what she longed for was something different—someone different. Not a prince, but a princess...or more accurately, a villainess.

Elina.

Audrey wiped a tear from her cheek as she thought about Elina, the girl she had once dismissed and disliked. Elina, who had stubbornly pushed her way into Audrey's life, insisting on breaking through the walls Audrey had built around herself. She remembered the times Elina had reached out, offering support even when Audrey had been difficult and distant.

After everything that had happened, Audrey realized that Elina had been the one person who had truly been there for her, especially during her lowest moments. Ben had been kind, but Audrey knew now that she hadn't been with him out of love. She had clung to him in a desperate attempt to finally feel acknowledged, to prove herself worthy of something—of anything. But even with Ben, she had never really been seen for who she was. And certainly not by her grandmother, who constantly judged and compared her to her mother, Aurora. The legendary Sleeping Beauty, who was perfect in everyone's eyes.

But Audrey wasn't Aurora. She never had been and never would be. The pressure to live up to her grandmother's expectations had weighed heavily on her for as long as she could remember, but now, sitting alone in her room, she realized something important: she wasn't meant to be Aurora. She wasn't meant to be anyone but herself.

She deserved to be the star of her own story, not a supporting character in someone else's. And maybe, just maybe, that story wasn't about being the perfect princess with the perfect prince. Maybe it was about something messier, something real. Maybe it was about finding someone who saw her, truly saw her, and accepted her for who she was—even if that someone happened to be a little more villainous than princely.

As Audrey stared at the picture of her and Elina, a small, sad smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Audrey sat on her bed, her diary open in her lap, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down on her. She picked up her pen, the words flowing effortlessly as she poured out her frustration and longing:

♪ I'm so tired of pretending. ♪
♪ Where's my happy ending? ♪

With a heavy sigh, she closed her diary, her emotions too powerful to contain within the pages. Standing up, Audrey began to pace the room, her mind racing with memories of the life she had tried so hard to lead—the life that had always eluded her.

♪ I followed all the rules ♪
♪ I drew inside the lines ♪
♪ I never asked for anything that wasn't mine ♪
♪ I waited patiently for my time ♪
♪ But when it finally came, she called his name ♪

She clenched her fists, the pain of being overlooked by everyone around her feeling like a physical ache. Reaching for a photograph of Elina, she brushed her fingers gently over the image, a soft, almost tender gesture. But the sadness that lingered in her gaze turned into something darker as she placed the photo back down.