The Boss had been away for a little while now. Thirty minutes ago, she ordered Cinderella to not move from an exact spot, and Cinderella obeyed for once. The sun was shining heavily on her head, and Cinderella could feel the warmth sinking into her clothes. Like a cat, she was almost purring and restoring her energy.
'Cinderella.' A voice behind her made her head turn around. Not knowing it wasn't The Boss. Besides, The Boss disappeared in a store across from her. It wouldn't make sense that she would come up behind her. Cinderella also forgot the fact that she had to stay hidden for the time being. Regardless, she turned her head and was frozen to the spot immediately. In front of her, just a few meters away, she saw her stepmother joined by her two daughters. 'I figured it was you. I could never forget your back and that awful posture of yours.'
Cinderella was too surprised to even utter a word. She blinked with her eyes. Two, three times. Her heart skipped a few beats. The person she was trying so hard to get away from, found her. And not only that but, still had such an effect on her. 'What are you doing here?' Her voice creaked and was hoarse as if she had swallowed sand.
'Well, what do you think? Since you ran away, I have to get food myself now. These two.' She pointed to her daughters. 'Are too dumb to do it, so I have to teach them. But I guess that's not necessary anymore.'
'Why is that?'
'You're here. So,' Cinderella's stepmother wanted to give her the basket and said. 'I want two whole loaves of bread and add some milk with it. You know what to do. My daughters and I need to get some new dresses.'
How dumbfounded Cinderella was, she would not take the basket.
'What are you doing, girl? You're not telling me you are dumb as well as being ungrateful?' She took the basket back and threw it in the hands of Anastasia. 'Hold this.' Her stepmother took a few steps towards Cinderella, and although Cinderella was on the inside crying, she held her ground. Her stepmother continued. 'The house is a mess, thanks to you. I gave you everything. A place to stay, a roof above your head, food for you to eat, and a place to sleep. I gave you the same I gave my daughters. Don't tell me you're taking that for granted?'
Cinderella's eyes began to water, and she heard whispers from the two stepsisters. 'Oh, look. I think she's going to cry.'
'Yes, you're right. Such a baby!' They laughed, and Cinderella's fear got replaced by something else. Something more explosive. More destructive.
Her stepmother ranted on. 'I want you to obey me. Because if you don't, you know what will happen?' She inched even closer and got close enough for her stepmother to whisper into her ear. 'I'm going to tell everyone that you're the one who stole the crown.' This sentence didn't have the wanted effect her stepmother wanted to have.
'Then do it.' Cinderella held her stepmother's gaze. Cinderella didn't care that her stepmother knew about the ball. All she cared about was getting the anger out. Every bit of frustration for the past years. 'Do it. I dare you. But just so you know, the moment they know about that, I will tell them what you did.'
Her stepmother was not impressed and scoffed: 'What I did? And what is that?'
'You treated me like a slave. That roof you were talking about? The one above my head? That only means I'm more than a dog. The food and a place to sleep? That means I'm barely an employee. At least the employee's got beds when my dad was still around. I had to stay in front of the fireplace because it got too cold for me to sleep on the couch. I have taken you sh*t for years, but I, at last, have somewhere else I can go to.'
'Cinderella!' Her stepmother and her stepsisters were astonished, and Cinderella felt a rush of adrenaline. She felt like she was on top of the world. 'You can't speak to your mother like that.'
'My mother?' Cinderella laughed. She laughed because of how dumb a person can be. 'You were never my mother, and you were never my family. We both know that, so don't pretend we're all buddy-buddy now.' Cinderella had raised her voice, and now she and her stepmother had attracted some curious eyes. 'I'm not going anywhere with you.' After that having said, she took a step back and crossed her arms.
'Is everything alright?' The Boss had come back. Her stepmother and -sisters looked irritated.
She analyzed the situation and stood in front of Cinderella. Not to protect her, but to hold her back if necessary.
'I'm having a private conversation with my daughter. I would like it if you didn't interfere.' Her stepmother had never met Cinderella's godmother, so she had no idea who it was. She thought it was a nosy citizen and wanted to brush her off.
'Well, if it was truly private, you should have taken her place more private. You do realize we're outside, in public, with people around us, right?' Cinderella grinned and got a filthy look from her stepmother. Drizella, the other stepsister, stepped back, but Anastasia grabbed her mother's sleeve. 'Let's go, mom. It's no use. She does whatever she wants.'
'Get back, Anastasia!' She yelled at her daughter, and the last one bounced back. 'I'm not leaving my property out in the open.' The moment she spoke those words, her eyes grew wide. Almost as if she surprised herself. 'I-I mean.-'
'I think you need to go now, stepmother.' The Boss and Cinderella both had their arms crossed, forming a solid wall. 'Please leave. Don't make this more uncomfortable than it already is.'
That seemed to wake her up. 'Fine. Girls.' She turned around on her heels. 'Let's go. We don't have any business with her anymore. And Cinderella,' She looked over her shoulder. 'Don't ever think about asking for help. We won't be home.' With that, the three of them walked away. Her stepmother held her head high, but her two stepsisters looked uncomfortable over their shoulders, not sure what to do.
'That was exciting.' The Boss said in the most sarcastic voice. 'I thought they would never leave.'
Cinderella, however, couldn't be so relieved. The adrenaline faded away, and she almost collapsed on the ground if The Boss hadn't caught her. 'Come on now. Don't faint on me. You were doing so well.' The Boss helped her stand and threw Cinderella's arm around her slim shoulders. 'Let's go. The plans have changed a little. In the meantime, you can calm down, and if we're lucky, we can get to the next town by the evening.'