A Cinderella Story
by Maura McCarthy

Once upon a time not too long ago there was a young girl named Cinderella. She lived happily with her mother and father. Tragically her mother died when Cinderella was only ten years old. Her wealthy father assumed that the best thing he could do for his lonely daughter was to remarry. His intention was to give Cinderella a new mother. Unfortunately the woman he married was the most vain and selfish lady in the entire kingdom. She was a gold digging social climber and was looking to remarry in order to gain more status and wealth. She had two daughters from a previous marriage. The beauty and manners of her own daughters paled in comparison to Cinderella; who was kind, well mannered, and beautiful.

Before the wedding took place the stepmother pretended to accept Cinderella as her own daughter. They all lived as one happy family for a short while. Then the unthinkable happened, Cinderella's father died. Now Cinderella was a young orphan with no one to call her family and no place to call home. Her stepmother decided to keep Cinderella. She kept her partly to take advantage of her inheritance and partly because she needed a new maid. Cinderella stayed in the house in a tiny room near the kitchen and catered to her stepmother and stepsisters every whim. Finally one night she ended up getting her big break.

Cinderella was helping her sisters get ready for the most important ball of the year. Everyone who was anyone was invited. Cinderella was not, obviously. After hours of primping her stepmother and stepsisters she saw them off. Then ran to her room and cried. Luckily her fairy godmother was watching. Her fairy godmother snapped her fingers and suddenly Cinderella had a fabulous gown, trendy shoes and a stretch limo. Her fairy godmother gave her an invitation to the ball and a warning. She told Cinderella to be home by midnight or else her dress would turn into a potato sack, her shoes would be flip-flops, and her limo would transform into a pickup truck. Cinderella kissed her fairy godmother goodnight and off to the ball she went.

She arrived in style and the handsome prince who was hosting the event took notice. They danced and had great conversation all night long. She was the belle of the ball, making all the other girls of the kingdom green with envy. Cinderella was having such a blast she almost forgot to leave by midnight. As she heard the clock strike twelve she ran to her car as fast as she could. She left in such a hurry she had no time to give the prince her name or her number. As she was running down the steps toward her limo one of her stiletto heels fell off. She knew she didn't have time to stop and pick it up. The prince chased after but he couldn't keep up. He picked up her shoe and vowed to find her and make her his bride. Meanwhile, after her night of enchantment, Cinderella went home and got back to business as usual.

Later the next day the prince called a kingdom wide search for the women who left her shoe on the palace lawn. As his servants were fitting every woman in the kingdom, Cinderella had an idea. She thought about how much she loved those shoes and how much she wished she could have kept both of them so she could wear them again some time. Just then it hit her. She could make the same time of sexy and trendy designer heels; only she would include an ankle strap into her designs. This way the fashionable shoes would never just fall off. She decided to use the money her father left her to start her own shoe company. She called it "Cindy's" and the ladies of the kingdom just couldn't get enough. It was rumored that even the Queen had a pair. Her business ended up being so successful that she moved out of the small kingdom and on to bigger and better things. Cinderella never did reconnect with her missing shoe, or prince charming for that matter. In the end she found much success as a shoe designer and lived happily ever after.