I’m trying to be an obedient step daughter, sweeping the dusty floor and keeping my head down as I do it. But I can’t help feeling completely brokenhearted.
And I’m also wondering if somehow something magical will happen to save me from the destiny my step mother is robbing me of. Even if that destiny is just standing in as a fake princess and then losing my virginity to the Prince, it’s what I want, dammit.
As I sweep I can hear my step sisters talking in the kitchen.
“Did you hear the news?” Sheila asks Gloria. “I can’t believe it.”
“No. What are you talking about?” Gloria asks. She’s never as much in the know as Sheila.
“The prince’s bride has run off or something and so he’s trying to find her,” Sheila says. “Or maybe it’s that he’s looking for a new princess. No one really knows for sure.”
I stand straight up, almost unable to believe my ears. Am I dreaming? He’s trying to find me?
“They say he’s going house to house looking for her, on our very street,” Sheila says. “I bet you he will make his way here soon.”
Suddenly I hear my step mother pop into their conversation like she always does, uninvited.
“Girls, I think he’s looking for another girl,” she says. “Not his fiancée. And that’s exactly why I wanted to keep a close eye on Ella today.”
She says it as if I’m not even here.
“Ella?” Sheila says, and as I peer into the kitchen I can see her crinkling up her perfect if not slightly upturned nose. “What would he want with Ella?”
“No one can answer that,” my mom says. “But I’ve heard rumblings. People talk. So, just in case I thought I’d keep a close eye on her.”
“Good thinking, I guess,” says Gloria and shrugs.
They move their conversation into the living room. I can’t hear what they’re saying anymore. But I’m infuriated. How dare my step mother not let me have my own life? I try everything I can to get along with her and she insists on mistreating me. And my step sisters, of course, are no better.
I’m so sick of this. And even more so, I’m determined to fight for what I want. If the prince is looking for me, well, then I’m going to go look for him. But first I have to make sure my dad’s business is okay.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” I cry out, although no one’s really paying any attention to me.
My step mother is so lazy she can’t even do a good job at the one thing she said was her goal today— keeping an eye on me. I go into the bathroom and lock the door and take out my phone from my bra.
I had emailed myself a copy of the document on my dad’s computer. I also have his estate attorney’s phone number. I’ve known Bill Spiegel for a long time, but only as Dad’s attorney. I don’t really expect an answer but I feel that I have to try. I can feel my heart quickening in my chest.
To my surprise he picks up right away.
“Ella,” he says, “I was expecting your call.”
“You were?” I ask, confused.
“Why yes your aunt Ashley called me,” he says. “She told me to be expecting your call and to be on standby.”
Before I can say anything else he continues. “…so that I can explain to you that there appears to be some confusion or misunderstanding about your dad’s Will.”
My heart races even faster.
“Really?” I ask, trying not to be too loud.
“Well she says you’re under the impression that you have to always run the business with you stepmother correct?”
“Yes that’s what I thought but then I saw a document that says something different.”
“Well the document you most recently saw is probably correct,” the attorney says. “As you know, I closely advised your dad for many years and I don’t mean to be mean but I had a feeling about the second wife of his. There are such people as…”
He trails off so I decide to help him.
“Money grabbing bitches?” I ask.
“Well yes,” he says with a chuckle. “I wasn’t going to use those exact words. But I told him to structure it in such a way so that his wishes might be honored when it comes to you guys trying to get along but that if that didn’t work out you would have some outs because I know how much he loved and cared about you.”
“Thank you so much Mr. Spiegel,” I say practically jumping up and down. “So you have an actual executed copy of his will, right?”
“I do,” he says. “I was meaning to contact you after he passed away but some people don’t want to be bothered with the details right away and I figured I’d let you come to me. He told me that you knew that I was the lawyer handling his estate so I figured you’d come talk to me when you were ready. So I was happy to receive your call.”
“Yes,” I tell him.
Now I’m kicking myself for not contacting him sooner. How could I be so blind and stupid? But at least I have time to fix it.
“I’ll come meet with you on Monday to go over things,” I tell him. “But the way I understand, and I’m sorry to be in a rush but I just want to clarify something… is that if I can buy out my stepmother’s share of the business then it is mine to do with as I please, correct?”
“It certainly is Ella.”
“Yes!” I practically call out.
“Is everything okay in there?” I hear my stepmother coming towards the door. “Gotta go,” I whisper to Mr. Spiegel.
“The money grabber cometh?” he guesses correctly.
“Yes,” I tell him. “She cometh for us all.”
He laughs and says, “Take care Ella and see you on Monday,” and I thank him again before we hang up.
“Almost done,” I say innocently to my stepmother. I make a big fake show out of flushing the toilet and fake washing my hands. By the time I get back to my spot with my broom, she’s doing a better job of keeping an eye on me. She is perched in the corner scowling at me.
“Were you talking to someone in there?” she accuses me.
“No one, it was just me and I was just singing a song to myself,” I tell her.
“One of those stupid Broadway songs you like?” she guesses.
“No, it was from a Disney movie,” I lie.
You’d make a perfect wicked witch, I think to myself.
Suddenly there’s a knock on the door. I had been planning to make a break for it as soon as I could but I hadn’t gotten the chance.
I rush towards the door.
“Oh no you don’t,” my stepmother stops me. Then she says, “Girls come help me.”
To my bewilderment my stepsisters rush out and they push me into the broom closet. They must push a chair up or something up on the other side because I can’t get out.
Oh my God these bitches are so bad they’re headed into kidnapping territory I think.
They open the door and I hear gushing and fawning. It’s definitely the prince. My Prince. And then I hear his familiar low voice. Despite my compromising position squatting in the closet like an idiot, I feel myself getting wet for him. I can’t help it. He just has the most amazing effect on me.
“Hello there, hello there,” says my stepmother. “Come right on in. I hear you’re looking for a princess.”
I can hear him say, “I’m looking for my Princess, yes.”
I’m right here in the closet, I want to say, but I don’t want to mess things up yet. The timing has to be just right.
Just like it was yesterday when I completely ran into him. This is my Prince charming and I’m going to get him as soon as I can.