Why People Shouldn't Search For Their True Love Through Their Shoes

"It fits!"

Cinderella stopped dead in her tracks. She had just escaped the attic and was on her way to try on her glass slipper when she heard the duke's exclamation.

"OMG it fits! YAY!" Drizella cheered, clapping her hands with glee.

"Of course it fits!" Lady Termaine interjected after recovering from the shock, "It is her shoe after all. Yes, she was the one who danced with the prince."

The duke looked at Drizella, growing more confused the longer he stared. "Whew, the prince called that 'the most beautiful woman I had ever seen'?" he thought, "Well, I guess everyone has their own... preferences. Note to self: Tell king to get the prince's eyes checked." He cleared his throat. "Ehm. Well then, in accordance to the decree from the prince, you shall be brought back to the castle and become the prince's bride."

"WHAT! That's not fair!" Anastasia whined, "I'm supposed to be the prince's bride! I'm the one with the dainty feet!" She shoved Drizella off her chair, plopped herself on it, and stuck out her foot. "Try it on me! It will fit so much better-er! Marrying the prince is my destiny!"

As Drizella was not the kind of lady that would go down without a fight, that was what occurred. 2 hair pulls and a punch later, Lady Termaine put a stop to the catfight. "Girls! Girls! Is this how you act in front of the king's right hand man! Forgive me sir duke. The girls are usually very sweet and civilized."

The duke cast a sideway glance at the disheveled sisters who were still grumbling while fixing themselves. "I'm sure they are. Well, we should get going. We don't want to keep his highness waiting. There is much to prepare! After all, the wedding is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" the sisters exclaimed.

"Tomorrow!" Cinderella exclaimed to herself in disbelief as her legs gave way. As she slowly slumped on the bottom step of the stairs, her heart sank.

"Yes, tomorrow!" The duke said as he prepared to head out. "The king was never one to dilly dally. Why, he planned the whole ball in one day! 'Let's quickly wed the two lovebirds together so my son can finally be king' he said to me. So, tomorrow it is."

"That is a wise choice," Lady Termaine purred. She glanced at Cinderella with a sly smile. "Very wise."

Soon, they were gone and Cinderella was left alone. She wanted to cry, but was still in too much shock to do so. She couldn't believe her feet were the same size as Drizella's (they always seemed so big!). She also couldn't believe that this similarity with her stepsister cost her the love of her life.

How could this be? Just minutes ago, she was on cloud nine, replaying the greatest moment of her life: dancing with the prince to a song that seemed to be made for them. Now she was in the depths of hell, all because of a glass slipper. She took out its other half out of her apron pocket. She wanted to hurl it at the wall, but instead she hugged it, clinging to her last memento of the ball.

Then, she felt something she had never felt before. She felt... angry. The anger bubbled as she remembered all the cruel things her stepfamily has done to her. They forced her to become a maid in her own house. They ripped apart her mother's dress out of spite. They gave her the degrading nickname "Cinderella" that is so stuck that everyone—even herself—refers to her with that name. She usually let them get away with their deplorable ways in faith that something good might finally come her way.

But this was different. This was a new low, even for them, as this was not just about her; it's about the prince too. Tomorrow, he's going to walk down the aisle, expecting his true love (her), but instead end up with Drizella, her (and she meant this in the nicest way) ugly, horrible, stepsister! She couldn't let him go through that. She had to stop the wedding.