Love me King Robart

Chapter 1

Point of View : Angelica Smith

-My baby, you still haven't eaten anything since this morning.

Sitting in front of my mirror, I take another long look at my bruised and scarred face. Life can be so unbelievably cruel. I've endured so many trials in such a short amount of time, and sometimes, I wonder how I've managed to keep breathing.

Years ago, I was the most beautiful woman in Canada-top model, international celebrity, adored and envied. People admired me, men desired me, women wanted to be me. I took such pride in my appearance, always perfecting every detail. Honestly, I worshipped myself. My beauty was my power. It was everything to me.

But everything changed in a heartbeat.

I lost my parents-my only family, the people I loved most in this entire world-five years ago. That fire... God, I remember it so clearly. We were having dinner together, laughing like we always did. It was just a normal evening. Nothing unusual, nothing alarming.

Then everything turned to ashes.

I woke up in the hospital, barely conscious. The pain was unbearable. My face... it was burned, ruined. When I looked in the mirror for the first time, I let out a scream so loud the nurses had to sedate me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. That wasn't me. That couldn't be me.

After countless surgeries, skin grafts, and painful procedures, some parts of my face recovered. But the scars never fully disappeared. One side of my face still carries the marks of that night-raw, ugly reminders of everything I lost. My beauty. My career. My family. My identity.

Since then, I've kept my face hidden from the world. No one sees me without my scarf or veil. Not even myself, sometimes.

And love ? That died with the fire.

No man wants a woman who looks like a monster. I've been alone for five years now. The silence is suffocating. The longing is unbearable. I miss being touched, being kissed, being seen-not for the scars, but for the soul beneath them.

I crave love so badly it hurts. I would give up everything I own just for one man to say he loves me... for real. No pity. No lies.

In just a few months, I'll turn 26. I'm getting older, and it terrifies me.

-Sweetheart...

-Yeah, Mom ? What did you say ?

Her voice brings me back to reality.

She comes closer, her warm hands gently resting on my shoulders. Her eyes shine with that same motherly love that has never changed-not even after I became... this.

-You're beautiful, my love. I sing that to you every single day, don't I ?

I give her a sad smile, eyes filling with tears.

-You say that just to make me feel better. Why can't you tell me the truth ? That I'm hideous. That I don't look like anything anymore. That I'm a freak. Why do you lie to me just to spare my feelings ?

My voice breaks as tears spill down my cheeks.

She shakes her head firmly and cups my face in her hands.

-Stop hurting yourself. You are still beautiful. You just don't see it. Please, for the love of God, value yourself. You've locked yourself in this darkness for years now, hiding from life, hiding from hope. Enough ! Go out. See what's out there. Discover the good that still exists. Live, Angelica. You still have a future, damn it !

She's right. She always is. But her words feel like a punch to the chest. I wish I could believe her.

Later that night, I lie in bed and pick up my phone. I haven't touched it in years. I've been so disconnected from the world that I barely know how things work anymore. Is Facebook still a thing ? Are people still posting selfies and updates like nothing ever goes wrong ?

I open my photo gallery and start scrolling through old pictures. There I am-flawless, glowing, alive. And there they are-my parents, smiling beside me, unaware of what fate had in store.

I sob uncontrollably.

Then, suddenly, I get this urge... a strange, unexplained impulse. I log into my Facebook account.