It was then Cinderella came gliding into the ballroom, looking as if she had just stepped from the pages of a fairy tale book. All eyes in the room turned to her. Lady Tremaine hardly recognized her, and she could tell Anastasia and Drizella didn’t either, but it was their stepsister who arrived just in time to steal any chances they may have had with the prince.

“Where did she get that dress?” Lady Tremaine asked through clenched teeth, watching her daughters fumble their way through their curtseys. But the prince was no longer paying attention. His eyes had moved past them, focusing only on Cinderella. Anastasia and Drizella hadn’t even finished straightening up from their curtseys when he stood abruptly, making his way right past the sisters, who looked so foolish just standing there in front of the empty throne.

As Lady Tremaine watched the prince go to Cinderella, she felt her world crumbling around her. She had lost everything. And now the girl who had betrayed her would have everything, everything Lady Tremaine had desired for herself and her own daughters. She hated Cinderella more than ever; she felt it like hot bile churning in her stomach as she stood there watching the prince kiss Cinderella’s hand and then lead her to the dance floor, her silver dress gliding around her gracefully. It made Lady Tremaine sick to look at her.

This was supposed to be her happily ever after, and Cinderella had taken it from her. Everyone was in awe of Cinderella, crowding the edge of the dance floor, and she realized her daughters had made their way from the throne to join those clustered to see who was dancing with the prince. She didn’t have it in her heart to tell them it was their stepsister. She hoped she could spare them this final humiliation at least while they were in public.

“Do we know her?” asked Drizella.

“Well, the prince certainly seems to,” said Anastasia. “I know I’ve never seen her.”

Drizella crouched down to get a better look. Lady Tremaine muttered in agreement, lying while formulating a plan to keep Cinderella from marrying the prince. She would hide her away in the basement! She thought it was a brilliant idea, and she couldn’t wait to share it with her daughters once home.