Losing Cinderella (Completed but on hold)

CHAPTER 1

Unlike most people, Ashtyn Montgomery never really looked forward to Fridays. While the whole working population must be celebrating and cheering, 'Thank God it's Friday,' she was loathing for the weekend.

She took a quick glance at the clock on her computer. Three o' clock. "Home time," she sang nonchalantly as she hit the save button of her work for the Nth time that day before shutting down her computer. She pulled her bag out of her bottom drawer and swung her bag over her shoulder. "See you on Monday!" She bade the office as she picked up the mug that still had the green tea she prepared two hours ago. "Eeeww," she grimaced as she felt how cold it has gone. She had been too engrossed doing edit logs for the footages taken from one of the events the company handled a week before. Looking at the pile of discs and tapes on her desk, bundled accordingly by elastic bands, she sighed. Thirty-six hours worth of footage and they want me to complete the logs by Tuesday? she shook her head in disbelief. She was pressed for time but in spite of that, she was happy. She enjoyed it. While everyone regarded it as one of the most boring chores in the post-production process, Ashtyn saw it as an opportunity. A stepping-stone towards something more important. Who knew? Maybe next week, her luck might change. She might start editing herself. Or be part of the marketing team, or help with setting up venues, organise designs or entertainment. Or...she would be just happy to be the gopher. Go-pher this. Go-pher that! she giggled. The possibilities of what she could do in the company were endless! She couldn't help feeling giddy over the thought. "It'll happen!" she exclaimed positively.

She looked around her to make sure that she hasn't forgotten anything. The office was bare. It was basically just a big room that had a glass computer desk tucked against the far left corner of the room. Other than a powerful iMac, keyboard, mouse and a pile of DVDs and tapes, there was nothing else on the desk. There were three drawers that were practically empty, except for the top one that contained her basic stationery—a wad of sticky notes, a pad of paper, a pen, a mechanical pencil and an eraser. The only thing that belonged to her in that office was a micro-bead pillow that she squished between her fingers while they took a bit of a break from tapping across the keyboard. When she gets tired of staring at the computer screen, all she had to do was swing her very comfortable executive chair to the right and she would be gazing out of the big panel window that gave her a picturesque view of Perth's cityscape and the Swan River. If she swung her chair another ninety degrees, she was facing a bare, white wall. If it weren't for the plastic plants that stood on each side, it would be pathetically boring. The other wall had a huge whiteboard with nothing written on it. Dull as it was, she still liked it. If they permanently assign this office to me, she thought, Baby, I'm giving you a makeover! She looked around the office one last time, making sure that she hasn't forgotten anything. "See you on Monday," she sang again and switched off the lights.

She walked down the wide corridors. As opposed to her office, it had more life. Everyone seemed to be walking briskly around as if they were running out of time. She could sense the stress in the air. It was the weekend after all. Most events were held on the weekends and every tiny detail had to be in place. Everything had to be perfect. To be part of team creating that perfection was what she has longed for.

She found herself smiling again. "I'm here, but not quite there yet!" And when I get there, the weekends will be a blast!

It was less than a year ago when she attended her lecturer's wedding, whose husband-to-be was a very wealthy man. She was just a few months off from finishing her Bachelors in Media and Communications then. She expected that the bride and groom would normally just invite friends and relatives. She didn't expect that Miss Tyler would invite the whole class. First thing she thought, Is she for real? But being the show off that she was, she was indeed for real. The groom was just as arrogant. Probably, with all that money, they both wanted to splurge big time to get people talking and all.