Cinderella in Satin

Chapter 1: Invitation Intermission

You are cordially invited to Zogue Fashion's annual Amateur Designer Fashion Show where young, upcoming designers are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to display their talent to the world.

We have reviewed your application and have selected you as one of our lucky finalists.

We congratulate you and look forward to seeing you work your magic on the runway.

Love, Z.

I read over the elaborately decorated piece of paper in my hands once again. And again. And then again. And then once more. I couldn't help but let out an excited squeal as I flopped onto my bed, letting dust fly up everywhere and fill up the attic.

I did it, Mom. I finally did it.

But my excitement was cut short when a loud shriek echoed throughout the whole house, causing me to immediately tense up. I quickly folded the invitation up, stowed it away in my back pocket and rushed downstairs.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, out of breath from running down the endless flight of stairs.

In front of me were my two stepsisters, Amanda and Dakota, along with my stepmother, excitedly jumping up and down in the middle of the living room.

"Oh this is so wonderful! This calls for a celebration!" Stepmother exclaimed. In all the years I've known this woman, I've never seen the smile she had plastered on her face right now. Frankly, it was quite scary. "Oh, Ella! Perfect timing! Be a dear and grab us some champagne from the fridge, would you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Not wanting to talk back, I ran to the kitchen to grab the champagne bottle along with three glasses.

"Did something good happen?" I asked, pouring the champagne into their glasses.

"As a matter of fact, something great happened. This was just delivered to us." She held up a letter with an elaborate design along the border that looked oddly similar to the one I was reading in my room not long ago.

Oh I see what's happening. Zogue must have sent an additional invitation to the families of the contestants. They're celebrating me becoming a finalist!

My lips instantly curled up into a smile. The fact that they were genuinely happy for me and my accomplishments completely warmed my heart.

"You guys don't have to be so happy. It's not like I'm going to be chosen as the grand winner or anything." I blushed, trying not to sound cocky or arrogant.

"Excuse me?" Amanda asked, sounding as if I had just slapped her in the face.

"Hm? I thought you goes were happy for me for getting accepted as a finalist." My smile slowly disappeared.

"Wow look at this girl," Dakota scoffed. "Trying to take the credit for someone else's accomplishments. That's right, keep living like the lowly scum that you are." She flipped her obviously dyed blonde hair over her shoulder and marched upstairs to her room with Amanda trailing along from behind.

Oh, they must have gotten an invitation as well. They must have been celebrating for themselves. Not for me.

Now it was just Stepmother and I sitting alone together with an indescribable feeling of suspense and awkward silence surrounding us.

"Now," she drawled out, "you said you're a finalist, huh?" I nodded nervously.

She took a sip of her cider and placed the glass back on the table. The sound of the contact between the glass and the wood of the table was the only sound present amidst the silent house.

"Tell me more." She leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms.

I cleared my throat. "Well, there's not much to say. I went to the post office early this morning and it was in there, so I just took it and opened it not too long ago." My hands were trembling. The seconds seemed to pass even slower than usual.

Stepmother pursed her lips and nodded. "Congrats." She picked up her cider once again and took a sip. Even if she was congratulating me, the sincerity was nowhere to be found. It sounded cold, heartless, ruthless. Like her.

"Look, Ella, I'm going to tell you something just between us." She leaned forward towards me. "You're very talented. My father used to show me your sketches and I've got to say, you have quite some potential. You're going to go places." I did not like where this was going.

"You're smart, beautiful, and obviously talented." I flinched as she reached out to stroke a piece of my hair. "Your sisters on the other hand, they've got nothing but this." Okay now I really didn't like where this was going.

"Wouldn't your dad have wanted all three of his daughters to be successful instead of just you?" Her voice was like venom, the poison seeping into my skin.

When she noticed that I wouldn't be easily agreeing to her offer as she expected, she sighed. "I'll cut to the chase. I want you to drop out of the fashion show. This could be Amanda and Dakota's stepping stone to fame and fortune."

Just as I thought. They weren't even doing this because they were passionate about it; they just wanted to be rich and famous.

I took a deep breath in as an attempt to stop myself from saying anything I would regret later on. "Stepmother, I understand this could be their big break, but it could also be mine. I've been working myself to death designing my pieces and I really think I can make it. Please," I pleaded.

She said no more. She abruptly stood up and eat into her bedroom. A few seconds later, she reemerged from the room, holding something familiar in her hands as she walked towards the fireplace.

"You remember your mother's sketchbook, don't you?" She dangled the book in front of the fireplace as her other hand hovered over the button that would start the fire.

At that moment, I no longer knew what to say, what to think, or what to do. I could feel a lump in my throat as tears swelled up in my eyes. After my mother passed away, Stepmother took it upon herself to get rid of her presence in the house by whatever means; burning her clothes, selling her most valued items, and even brainwashing my father to never speak or even think of her. My father, being the weak-hearted person he was, couldn't protect what was left of mom. He painfully watched as everything that remained of his first love got destroyed. Everything except this book.

Growing up, I watched my mother work her magic in that sketchbook. All it took was a pencil and some imagination for her to create art. She was a world-famous designer by day and a loving mother and wife by night. She was my role model and someone I aspired to be like. In a way, that sketchbook was the only connection that remained between my mother and I. And there was no way I would let that cold wench destroy it.

"Stop!" I wailed, jumping out of my seat.

Stepmother held up her hand, warning me not to get any closer. "Stay away from that fashion show or else your mother's book will become ashes like her."

I hurriedly took the invitation out of my pocket, which Stepmother snatched away from me. She threw Mom's sketchbook on the floor, far away from the fire, while proceeding to rip up my invitation and toss it into the fire.

Like the invitation, my heart was also torn into shreds and thrown into a fire.

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A/N:

Hope you guys liked the first chapter!

Summer's been pretty boring, so I'm trying to pass some time by getting back into writing. I have really high hopes for this book and am excited to continue it. 

Stay awesome, my lovelies! -Rainbowth