Chapter 5: Naivety

Cinderella Farmington P.O.V

Over the next two days, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mr. Barton’s surprise visit and how I had stunned both him and my step mom pricilia. I can still remember the look on her face she seemed livid and flustered. Her face turned completely red when I popped the word "Pregnant".

Mr.Barton immediately took his dirty black hat and hurried out of the Manor in a angry mess, and I know what I said was wrong but apparently it's the only way to stop this charade and ruin pricilia’s plan of selling me off into a rushed marriage which I do not desire.

I think to myself perhaps, she'll let go of this new thought of getting me married and finally be just satisfied with me being her maid but knowing her, she never let go of any grudges that easily. Infact am the first on her hunt list now which means I need to act fast, figure out a way for me to get out of this absurd arrangement.

The pregnancy stunt won't last long!

She hasn't mentioned Mr. Barton again, but definitely am not stupid. I don't have many options of escape it's either I considering running away again to another Kingdom or asking someone for help.

Realistically, I have no money and escaping requires funds. To worsen my case I have no hidden talents or treasure and my father didn't leave any money, dowry or even a property for me to inherit. My father was an earl and he had no son and no other family too. He bought this manor under Pricilia's name not mine, and pricilia is in charge of the whole estates and townhouses my father possessed.. 

Teresa and Susanna keep teasing me about Barton, but I don't mind their childish plays. My problem is way bigger than those two little miscreants.

Conrad is single, and there are other men in the village that are very much more suited with me other than Barton.

So if I want to get married, it will be me choosing my life long partner and my marriage will be with a man who truly loves and cares for me. It's obvious why pricilia chose Barton as my suitor, she knew that I wouldn’t like him at all. She just hates the idea of me being happy and She wants to get rid of me too...

So marrying me off to a fat, potbellied man will do the trick of bonding me in an eternity of torture and regret. 

Things are getting a bit complicating, pricilia has brought in a new cook. Which is unnerving, because I suddenly have a bad feeling about this whole move. My stepmother dosen't make a move without purpose, the scary thing about all this is that she's being quiet all through...

After her mental breakdown when I openly challenged her, she hasn't said a word to me. I've also been trying to talk to her about attending the ball, However, every time I tried, someone always interrupts me. And those annoying stepsisters of mine are sabotaging all of my cleaning duties, creating a mess and leaving a pile of dirty clothes for me to wash. I know that Susanna and Teresa are testing my limits, and they want me to snap, but I'm not going to let them have the satisfaction of seeing me go berserk on them, so they won't have any reason to deprive me from attending the ball. 

The day of the ball is fast approaching more quickly than I'd anticipated and day after day have been coming back to my room exhausted. Pricilia has been giving me more cleaning duties and also training the new cook/maid is extremely draining. 

I practically have no time for myself or anything else. I don't still even have a dress for the ball and on top of that, I saw my Conrad with Cassy in the market and it crushed me even more.

I guess that's why he never tried to reach me!

Am still dumbfounded, like I don't understand. Why is he with Cassy?

 I thought the two of them broke up, I knew there was a possibility he couldn't have just forgotten about me.

Gosh am furious with myself and heartbroken, I got played and used and yet I feel stupid for still thinking maybe they're just friends now... 

But it's impossible for him to be Friends with his former lover. I guess am the stupid and naive one for thinking he would choose me, I was naive to think I'd finally become lucky just because he finally noticed. 

And it's still stupid for me to hope he'll take me to the ball. We haven't talked about it, but am hoping. I know it sounds naive but am praying that when I show up at his townhouse looking beautiful, he wouldn’t say no to me 

He'll take me to the ball with him!

The night before the ball, I found a storage box that hasn't been used since my father passed away.Finally I have something to work with. Some of the materials are in good shape, and I think I can create something spectacular if I have a bit more time. I ran back to the attic once I was done with my chores, and I started thinking about the kind of dress I wanted to create. 

After a few minutes I felt exhausted and knelt down to rest for a bit. Every muscle in my body is aching badly. So I closed my eyes to rest a bit but before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep, not even realising it was already dark outside.

The next day, bright beams of sunlight woke me up. I jumped to my feet, having no idea why I'm still in my clothes, and not in my nightgown.

“No, no, I couldn’t have fallen asleep,”I whisper to myself angrily, seeing that the old dresses from the storage were on the floor. I then realised that last night didn't go as planned. I must have fallen asleep, dropping down to my feet tiredly I could already feel the stress of my fatigue getting to me as my eyes filled with tears.

All the meticulous planning of yesterday all went down the drain, I still don't have a dress for the ball and the ball will be starting in several hours.

I guess this was Pricilia's endgame!

Work me to the bone, then at night I won't be able to deny myself sleep....

I glanced at the clock and saw that it's nearly eleven a.m and it's quite shocking that no one has barged into my room, telling me to get my ass off my bed and go start work. 

Sighing I resigned to the drawing room downstairs and realised that my stepmother and stepsisters must have left early to go pick up their dresses from the modiste shop in town. I might have a lot of work today, but this is the perfect opportunity for me to create my dress for the ball. 

I didn’t hesitate this time, and picked out whatever I could from my stepsisters’ rooms. Teresa and Susanna have lots of dirty dresses scattered around the floor and I assume they won't miss some old forgotten clothes.

I mean they vist the modiste shop almost everyday for new dresses....

So they definitely won't miss it, which means more for me!

I found my sewing kit in the cupboard that used to belong to my mother and started making my dress for the first ball. In the past, I used to make dresses for my dolls; my father had brought someone from town that showed me how to use the sewing machine.

So I guess I should consider adapting that skill a blessing!

For once I didn’t care that the house wasn’t cleaned and that the cook was waiting for me in the kitchen. My dream is finally coming together and I intend to not waste my morning.

My Mission for attenting this ball is finding a suitable husband, someone other than Barton, that is the top secret agenda on the list of my priorities.

Several hours later, my dress was ready and I couldn't help but feel extremely proud of myself. My eyes keeps staring at the silver material, imagining dancing with a real prince. 

Well my daydreaming was cut short. Pricilia and my stepsisters came back, and they didn’t even pay attention to me. Pricilia looks stressed about last minute errands that she needed to run, while Susanna and Teresa were running around, panicking that they were going to get to the castle too late. None of them had men who would accompany them to the ball and I know that they were hoping the prince would notice them standing alone in the crowd of other women.

It seems Susanna and Teresa haven't learned the real meaning of subtle. They're making it so obvious that they want the prince's attention, the sun was slowly setting and my stomach is suddenly in knots. 

I don't even know what scared me, the thought of going to ask for permission from pricilia to attend the ball, or the fact that deep inside of me. I already know what her answer is. I still don't even know how I'm going to get to the ball in the first place. 

I stared anxiously at the window....

“Cindy quit playing around, come here right away. I need you to curl my hair,” Teresa called from the other room. Well am quite happy to help her but it wouldn't hurt if she tried to ask nicely..

Anyway my plan is simple, if pricilia dosen't let me join them then I'll have my dream dress ready to go, and just sneak away from the house after they leave for the ball.

“Oh, I really hope that the prince won’t be a spoiled brat so he’ll actually dance with us. There will be other ladies there, but after all, we do come from such a good family. We’re bound to hit it off,” Teresa gushes out saying ,wearing a very bright pink dress while putting powder on her cheeks.

 I nodded at her curling her hair.

“He might choose me for sure,” Susanna stated, rolling her eyes at her sister’s words while brushing her hair.

They started to argue about who was better looking. Soon, just as I predicted, their argument turned into a catfight. The girls were shouting at each other while I just distracted myself and wondered if I had shoes that would look good with my dress.

“Ladies, we are leaving in five minutes,” Pricilia says, walking into the room all of a sudden. Her eyes automatically moved down to me who was just about to sneak upstairs to change too. If everything goes according to plan.

I might get to Conrad's townhouse. I mean it's not confirmed that he's back together with Cassy and our meetings couldn't have meant nothing to him too. I stiil shiver thinking about the way Conrad had kissed and touched me. Our connection and chemistry is real.

 “Cindy there’s a little present waiting for you upstairs in your room. You’ve been working really hard over the past few days and I want to reward you. I have your invitation to the ball, and I think you should come with us.”Pricilla says her words sounding like a sudden lightning bolt.

I looked at her like she’d grown a pair of horns and two heads I definitely can't believe she actually noticed my hard work, since when did she ever notice my effort.. 

I guess it's never a good thing to judge people, maybe she isn't that bad after all and maybe she wants me to have a good time at the ball.

“Thank you, stepmother,” I mumbled, feeling really happy that everything turned out so well. I could feel tears of joy slipping from my eyes and I also didn’t want to go against her wishes by running away to the ball without her permission. 

Besides, I'm too afraid of the dark to go on my own.

Immediately I run back upstairs to change into my new dress, but when I got there I saw my dress. 

it was completely torn apart!

No!!!

“No, No, No ,No this can't be happening”I mumble to myself...

This has to be just a bad dream. Blood rushed to my ears. Tears slipped down my cheek as I picked up the pieces that I had carefully sewn for hours. Everything is ruined. 

There's no Saving it...

There's no Saving me!!!!!

The dress, my dreams of escape this house of horror is completely torn!

“Now you understand the consequences of crossing me, you stupid girl. The prince would have never looked at you anyway, because you are too poor and uninteresting,”My stepmother says, smiling viciously. “You stole all the materials from my daughters and that simply isn’t acceptable. I won’t tolerate thievery. Your wedding to Mr. Barton is going to happen whether you like it or not.”

Pricilia is dressed in a beautiful shiny blue dress. Teresa and Susanana were standing behind her laughing at me as the tears poured down my face.

“Yeah, you were never invited to the ball, so I have no idea what you were thinking. You’re just a maid,” Teresa added, tossing her curly red hair behind her, and they all walked away giggling.

The door was slammed shut and I threw myself on the bed, sobbing even harder.

I was naive once again....

How could I have thought she even wants my happiness!

I played into her hand yet again..

This is pure wickedness!

How could she be so cruel ruining my dress to make sure I couldn’t go to the ball. What have I ever done to deserve such cruelty?

Am not ready to marry a man I don't love, just because my stepmother wants to get rid of me. And I know Barton would have me working twice as hard and just as my stepmom.

I cried and cried until I had no more tears left. Eventually I got up and went to the window. I could see the bright, radiant light emanating from the castle in the distance and imagined myself dancing at the ball with Conrad.

I wiped my nose and tried to calm down, thinking rationally about everything that has happened. My thoughts starts racing away and the tiny voice in my head suddenly give me a glimmer of hope....

I can't just give up now and am not ready to sit in my room and sulk all night while my stepsisters are dancing and having a good time. 

I've been dreaming about this kind of opportunity for far too long.

Minutes later, she got up, put the torn dress back into the wardrobe, and washed my face. After everything that I've been through I'm not going to let pricilia win or get away with selling me like am a piece of clothe.

I threw my coat on and went downstairs, feeling a little better. I located my invitation to the ball, hidden in my stepmother’s wardrobe. She pressed it to my heart and felt a bit braver. Then I went to the door and took a few deep breaths staring out into the darkness. 

My heart started pounding in my chest. Am a little scared of the dark, well have always been. I took a step outside the house and my breathing becomes laboured. For several moments, I tried to pull myself together, but it wasn’t easy. After about half an hour of mental anguish, I managed to get to the gate. I could literally feel my heart jackhammering in my chest as old fears wrenched my stomach.

If I want to attend the ball, I need to bite down my fears!

“Conrad is waiting for you in his townhouse,”I say to myself. It’s only a ten-minute walk from here to his townhouse”I try to convince my feet to move.

 But fear rose in the pit of my stomach, paralysing me further. The forest is dangerous, filled with wild animals, but I have to keep walking.

Small beads of sweat were dripping down my face and I have no idea how long I've been walking, but I'm taking it one step at a time. When I looked up I saw dark clouds appearing in the sky and it suddenly seems it's about to rain...

The air was getting colder, the temperature dropping down at an alarming rate. Conrad’s home isn't too much further and I already know what am going to tell him.

About half an hour later, have successfully found my way outside Conrad's townhouse. There's a light shining in the windows and finally I felt safe at last.. I sighed out in relief, happy that I made such a huge progress tonight overcoming my fear of the dark once again and walking in the forest alone.

As I was just about to leave my hiding place and knock on his door that's when I saw Conrad And he wasn’t alone. Cassy was with him and she looks absolutely beautiful, wearing a dark blue shiny dress with tiny diamonds scattered around the full length of the skirt. Conrad was staring at her like a lost puppy and something inside my chest cracked. My heart burst and I suddenly felt a little dizzy. 

She can't believe they're back together!

Or did they even break up at all? It's not fair, especially not after what he has been telling me. He professed words of love and affection to me the countless times we met and I was ready to even give him my virtue.

Oh Cindy Cindy.......

Your story is definitely different from any written fairytale!!

I went soft just because he glanced my way just once, I might have an invitation, but I know my place now...

I know I look like a maid, not a future princess. There’s no way I can show up at the ball wearing one of my old dress. 

Conrad is putting on a sharp military-styled jacket and brown leather pants, and he looks really handsome.

The perfect couple!

I watched how Conrad smiled at Cassy, helping her to their carriage. They laughed at one another and held on to each other intimately. Moments later, the horses pulled the carriage away, leaving me completely alone in the darkness.

I burst into tears and threw my invitation to the ball on the ground, knowing that I have to get back home. 

It was stupid for me to think I had a chance with anything....

It was stupid to think I would get a man like Conrad....

Stupid to think I would finally get the opportunity to attend the ball...

It was stupid and naive for me to think someone like me deserved a happy ending. The palace guards will throw me out once they see me, they wouldn't allow a girl dressed like a servant into the prince's ball and I can't walk into the castle looking like a servant.

 Hot tears were streaming down my face and bitter disappointment filled my heart. I could hear the loud thundering in the sky as rain began to fall. I've never been so miserable in my entire life. 

Just like the loud shattering thunderstrikes and heavy rain beating hard on my skin, my heart shattered into different pieces with each sound....