XY XX

CINDERELLA PART II

Xenia applied for the program Canada offered to French Ex-pats. The package allowed her to find a place to stay and a job quickly. For the moment, Xenia stayed at her aunt Patty's house with Sia.

The woman was at the window when a luxury Chrysler pulled up at the bank, where she underwent a job interview for a temporary one-month vacancy. Xenia gasped when she recognized a familiar silhouette stepping out of the car.

She excused herself and left the room, knowing she blew the interview.

"Gregory," Xenia muttered as she hurried to the bank's door. Before he could enter, she was pushing him out.

"You can't come here, Gregory. I don't want a scandal."

"Then talk to me. Besides, I own this bank, so it's not a bother. If you want, I can come and work here two. We could reboot everything."

Xenia gasped in shock; it seemed there was nowhere in the world she could hide, perhaps the man owned satellites or Google Earth, "don't start this again. Gregory, you ruined my engagement, youㅡ."

"Did I really spoil it, or did I save you the trouble of ruining it yourself?" The man asked with a beaming smile.

"You've got a nerve, don't be cocky."

"I'm not cocky, Xenia. If you and Andrew didn't make it, then it wasn't supposed to be."

"And with whom is it supposed to be? With the arrogant you, I presume," Xenia said as she advanced as far away from the bank as possible.

"Yeah, I believe I'm a good match. No one will ever understand or tolerate your temper like me, just as no one else will cope with me except you. Listen, Xenia, I know you're crazy, your mouth seriously needs a padlock, but I'm sorry to say this despite that I love you," the man said, opening his arms as if Xenia would run to them.

Gregory expected a reaction, but not the one which followed. Xenia turned and began to walk away.

"Jesus woman, what do you want?" Gregory lifted his hands to the sky and slicked back his hair.

Xenia strode back up to him, "I'm scared, Gregory, I'm scared because I trusted you. And I found out you were someone else. Who you are frightens me."

"Oh, come on, Xenia, everyone is afraid, I'm afraid. I'm human too; I'm not some robot," Gregory said, throwing his hands in the air once more.

They yelled in the street; passersby could not distill, whether it was a breakup or something else.

Gregory continued regardless, "I'm frightened out of my wits of getting hurt or of hurting you. But it's the deal; that's how a relationship works when two people are in love, if I'm not mistaken. One has the love and this fear, but you have to face both emotions, and we can do this together."

Xenia shook her head and blocked her ears with her hands for a second, "no, Gregory, you have an empire, you have a public face."

"Oh, please, can you give my social status a break. We're not in frigging Victorian times. I'm no prince, and you are anything but a peasant. Do you know what the problem is with you women? You rock yourself to sleep with Cinderella&co, and you only see the ending. No one tells you the part II where Cindy argued with charming; despite that, they still loved each other. Come on, Xenia; you're a competitor. Don't you want to throw your tale at Cinderella and give her a wicked whiplash with your love story? Let's start again; let's love again."

"I can't, Gregory; I've just figured it out. I'm at peace with myself. I don't want to take a risk; I can't risk losing my way again. I'm sorry, Gregory."