Jessica and Lauren flounced down the staircase, arm in arm. "Oh Bellarellaaa!" Jessica's voice rang out shrilly. Bella was in her regular position, on the floor. Her hands were once again dry, red and rough. Slowly, painstakingly, she scrubbed the floor. She glanced up at the girls, her hair falling in her face. "Have you heard the news? The prince is coming to visit everyone in the kingdom in search of his true love!"

Lauren butted in. "Some girl showed up at the ball, no one knows who she was, and danced with the Prince all night long! That brat, who does she think she is? Just stealing my boyfriend from me! Humph!"

Bella couldn't help but feel a bit smug. If they knew the truth... Jessica continued Lauren's thoughts. "And, since no one knows who the girl was..."

"I'm going to convince the prince it was me!" Lauren gleefully squealed. Immediately, Jessica's arm withdrew from Lauren's. Lauren took a step back, and cast Jessica a dirty look.

"Lauren! That was my plan! I like, totally told you what I was gonna do and you stole it! That is so not cool! You can't just steal Prince Edward! Besides, he'd never want you anyways! I mean, just LOOK at your hair! You have so many split ends, no guy likes that!"

"Excuse me?! You never said it was YOUR plan! You just said it was a plan! So I took it! You're so short, the prince would have to get his legs amputated just to give you a peck on the head! Let's not even start with your hair!" As soon as Lauren had gotten the words out, Jessica had tackled her to the ground.

Bellarella moved back, watching the squabble as the girls shrieked insults, and hoped, secretly, that they'd both injure the other badly enough they'd have to go to a mental institute for the rest of their life. Despite the current fight taking place in front of her, something else was running through Bella's mind. Prince Edward was coming to every house in the kingdom... Her shoe! She had her shoe! He must have the other, for it hadn't been returned to her...

Bella bolted up the stairs to her room, leaving Lauren and Jessica downstairs. She thrust an arm underneath her bed, pulling out a small box. She carefully lifted the top and withdrew her slipper. The last remnant of her magic night. She ran her finger along its edge, caressing every groove. She had done this often in these past few days, she nearly memorized how the shoe was built.

All she had to do was bring this out for him, bring it out, and he would know for sure she was the girl he was looking for. She could hear Victoria sternly putting the girls into place, then ascending the stairs. Bella scrambled for the lid to the box, she couldn't risk letting her stepmother see this. She turned, and pushed the door, hoping to close it. It was still ajar slightly, but she didn't have the time to go ahead and shut it completely. She reached for her shoe, she must put it away swiftly, but gently. As she reached for it, she heard the door creak open behind her.

"Bellarella! Why have you left our floors- Oh, what's this?" Victoria arched an eyebrow as Bellarella attempted to hide the shoe." "Most... interesting."

"It isn't what-" Bella struggled for a sensible response. "It's just- I don't!"

Victoria bent at the waist and snatched the shoe from Bellarella's grasp. "I think I know what this is. If I recall correctly, didn't the girl who danced with the prince at the ball have slippers made of glass?"

"I- I don't know.. Ma'am. I wasn't th-there."

Bella bowed her head.

Victoria leaned down again, snatched Bella's chin and yanked it upwards. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you weren't there. Tell me you weren't there. "Her eyes were fierce, blazing fury. Bella attempted to speak, but speech failed her. "Just what I suspected. Filthy little liar." She let go of Bella's chin. The shoe dangled on her pinky finger, and she dangerously let it spin. One small mishap and it would crash, shatter to pieces. Only this time, no one would be here to fix it.

Victoria strutted across the tiny room, and leaned out the window. "Ahh, wonderful. It appears as if the prince and his servants have arrived. We should be getting ready to greet him."

Bella stood, and shamefully headed towards the door. Victoria was faster. She blocked the door, the shoe still in her hand. It captured a ray of sunlight, and a sparkle danced across the ceiling. "Oh no, dear. You didn't believe by "we" I meant you and me did you? No, no no! Filthy liars don't get privileges like my sweet Lauren and Jessica do!" The words rolled off her tongue, and she sneered unpleasantly.

"But, the prince! He's my- I'm his- We-" She felt faint, this was too much, she couldn't handle this. Edward was so close, her sweet Edward. She had to see him again!

"No Bellarella, you are a liar. We do not tolerate liars in this household. You will stay up here the whole time the prince is here. And you are not to make a sound. This house is rather spacious, no one would hear you even if you did yell out." The glass slipper dangled treacherously on the end of her finger.

"Please, stepmother! My slipper!"

"What? This thing? Why do you need it? It isn't like you'd have anywhere to wear it. And they must be far too fragile for walking in..." Slowly, as if trying to torture Bellarella, she let it slip from the end of her finger. Bella dived for it, but was too far away to ever have caught it. It shattered on the floor. Shards of glass glittered like tiny gems on the floor, and Bella's breath caught in her throat. No, no. It couldn't, Victoria didn't...

"Would you look at that? It couldn't even withstand a simple 3 foot drop to the floor. Definitely not something you should keep, I really did you a favor Bellarella. I'll come fetch you when the Prince has left. And don't you try anything while he's gone. This is only the beginning of your punishment." Victoria turned on her heel and, her nose pointed upwards, stalked out. She closed the door behind her, only to open it back up and peep her head back in on a devastated Bellarella.

"Oh, and Bellarella? Clean up this mess. You really should keep your room tidy." She shut the door again, and Bella heard the key click in the lock.

It was only when the sound of Victoria's heels clicking on the staircase had completely faded out that Bella lost it. She screamed, and sobbed. She threw herself at the door, small shards of glass embedded into her knees as she threw herself at the door, beating it with her fists. Her life was now a living hell. She couldn't believe how bad things had gotten. But she hated it. She hated it.

She sprawled out in front of her bed, picking shards of glass from her knees. She retrieved the broom from the corner, and began sweeping the glass. Her tears fell, mixing with the blood and glass soiling the floor. She was only making a bigger mess for herself. But she couldn't stop crying.

There was one thing worse than Edward being gone. It was knowing he was right there. And he could care less about her. All she would ever be was Victoria's slave. Edward was the prince charming, but he wouldn't come sweep her off her feet. No, not this time. And unfortunately, that was what she needed most.