Taming Cinderella

Ella:

"Are you done crying?" Mary, my step-mom raised one of her sharp eye-brows and taunted me. I looked up to find her staring at me by the door. At 48, she thought she was no less than Elisabeth Taylor. Wearing a slinky pink night suit putting her surgical breast implants on full display, I doubt if any part of her was real.

This was one of the usual days where she would remind me how wretched and unlucky I was for the family, not that she ever had anything nice to say.

But for me today was Cecelia, my mother's death anniversary, when my world turned upside down exactly 12 years ago in 2007 after she passed away from a long standing battle with cancer. I was only 13 years old, still too young to understand and grasp the reality of the situation.

Wiping my tears off, I wrapped my night robe, got up from the bed and started walking out of the room.

Where do you think you are going? Mary stares at me asking the question as she puts her hands on her hips to emphasize her point.

"I have to go early to the office today", I replied back without making any eye-contact. It was time for work and I did not want to get into any kind of argument with her.

"Make sure you clean-up the utensils and prepare the food before you leave. I want fresh strawberries, blueberries and mangoes served with zero fat yoghurt topped with pumpkin and sunflower seeds for breakfast and chicken Caesar salad for lunch. Ask your sisters what they would like to eat; they leave for college and work at 8 am" she orders me in a threatening tone.

I nod my head and walk out of my tiny room. As I walk down the stairs, I drift back to my childhood. Mamma would come to my beautifully decorated bedroom; kiss and wake me up from bed, dress me up in pretty clothes and tell me that the world was my oyster. There would be my favourite blueberry pancakes for breakfast post which my father would drop me off to school.

On weekends, Daddy would take us on long drives along the coast. We would often go on hiking camps to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park. I have saved all the pictures in a family album safely tucked away from Mary's clutches. I am afraid that she might destroy any happy memories which did not include her and these pictures were my prized possessions.

My childhood bedroom was taken over by Bridget and Beatrice-my stepsisters and I was moved to a small room where old furniture, used clothes and stock items were piled up.

Over a period of time, I had converted that tiny room into a time-machine. Every time I entered the door, I would travel back in time where baby Ella was safe and protected in her parent's love. Sometimes, I wish my father would have thought just a little bit more before he made such a hasty decision.

Ella:

Richard, my father, was a strong man who worked for the United States government until he died after a severe case of stroke four years ago in 2015. I had etched their names in ink on the inner sides of my wrist near my pulse remembering them with each heartbeat.

My step-mum did not care about me at all, for her I was the maid of the house. Mary's first husband had abandoned her after the birth of her second daughter post which they were living for years in absolute poverty on social support.

After sweet-talking herself into marrying my dad in 2010, she and her two daughters had moved in with us. Dad thought that she will make up for my mother's loss and will make for a maternal figure in my life but from Day one she had turned my life into a living hell.

She would pretend to be all nice and caring to me whenever my father was at home but once he left for office, she would show all her true colors.

On one occasion, she pushed me hard because I was hungry and asked her for food. I lost control hitting my head against the wall. She threatened me saying that if I ever told the truth to Daddy, she would kill him. Scared to lose my only other parent, I suffered in silence. Her daughters, Bridget and Beatrice followed their mother's footsteps insulting and harassing me all the time.

Fortunately I had already been admitted for my Masters in Business Administration at New York University. Else Mary would have made sure that I never went to such a prestigious school although it did not stop her from continuing to torture me.

There was this one day where she slapped me for serving dinner late. I told her I was studying for my exams and I still remember what she said, " You were born ugly and meant to serve as a house-maid, God knows why Richard spent such an insane amount of money for your studies. If you serve our dinner late again, I will make sure you never go to university again"

Despite such adversities, I had graduated with first class honors securing NYU's Gold Medal for "Student of the Year". Accent, one of the world's top conglomerate firms had offered me a job at one of their offices in New York. I remember how much I had to beg before her to allow me to work. She allowed me to continue to work only if I paid the house's utility bills and gave her a monthly rent.

Her daughter, Bridget passed the local community university and got a job at some huge enterprise because Mary had pulled a few strings. Beatrice, the younger step-sister had already failed a year at junior college and was more interested in becoming an actress than studying.

Every morning I would get up at 5 am, do all the moping around the house, prepare breakfast and lunch for everybody before heading out for work. After I would come back, dinner preparation and utensils consumed the rest of the day.

It was only during the night as I sat by the fireplace feeling the warmth of the cinders, I would truly feel free of all shackles.

This was why I was nicknamed Cinderella by everybody around me but Mary would say, "Just because you are called Cinderella does not mean you will marry some prince charming. You are just a cinder; a piece of burnt coal which needs to be disposed off to some waiter washing dishes at Four Seasons"

Ella:

I finish off all my morning chores and reach my office early. I had worked for a good two years at Accent, a Fortune 500 company and this was my chance to work towards that full time contact I had been eyeing since a year.

Until now I was a subcontractor on an agency's payroll so Accent had no obligations whatsoever towards me as I was not really their employee. So, I was working overtime to secure at least million dollar company accounts to gain a permanent position at Accent.

"Hey gorgeous!" somebody whispered slowly in my ear.

I recognized that voice and swung around, hugging him and smiled gleefully, "Joeyy, what are you doing so early?"

Joe was my first ever boyfriend in life. My step mum would man me like a hawk at home and never let me date anybody. Whenever I'd ask her the reason she would pretend to be all sweet and say, Oh Ella, I am your mother after all, I know who can keep you happy so you must always listen to me and marry the man I will choose for you" I doubt if she actually had my best interests at heart.

"I had to file some important papers for onboarding an account. Can you help me find them in the file room?" he pleaded naughtily.

" Awwww you're so melodramatic at times. Yes, indeed I will" I teased him.

As I was accompanying him to the file room, I recollected the first time I came across his name. I knew nothing about Joe before meeting him. I noticed his name on the list of graduates including me who had just started working in Accent's graduate program.

The morning of our first day at work, I was running late because Mary wanted me to drop off her clothes at dry-cleaners before going to work. She knew it was my first day and the cleaners open only at 9 am yet she insisted I finish her task first.

As I rushed through the door, entering Accent's premises, I noticed a fair, blond hair, five-foot eight inch guy sitting in the lobby with a fresher batch attached to his front pocket. He seemed to be staring impassively at the receptionist, both feet tapping away on the floor, hands loosely rested on his thighs.

After getting all the fresher formalities sorted, I sat besides him and he eagerly introduced himself to me. During our brief conversation, he described himself as a "tall handsome athlete who played football". I chuckled to myself about the description but as time went by, I realized that he was actually good natured, confident and ambitious.

Joe pursued me relentlessly for six months before I finally agreed to go out on a date with him. I had instructed him to never come to our house as Mary would kill me if she ever found out I had a boyfriend. At times, I often enjoyed the thrill that came with maintaining such a level of secrecy.

As we entered the file room, he turned around and latched the door behind him. I swung around and innocently questioned, " Joey, what are you doing?"