Board Thread:Rant and Rave/@comment-25733960-20171029001047/@comment-24304025-20171029125821

It's been implied that he lived 50-ish years with no magic - that's giving up everything he cared for for nearly his whole life.

(Then, sure, the second he realized she would die, he wanted to use the dagger.)

Rumple's behavior is hard to analyze, but I don't think it is fair to say that Belle wasted her life. They haven't shown us it all, but the context, writing, acting etc. is clearly meant to show she was truly happy, not like an illusion of happiness.