Page 66 of The Cinderella Arrangement

The sequel to The Cinderella Arrangement is included in your copy. Keep scrolling down to read Natalie’s story! It is a 60k word, standalone novel with a HEA. This modern fairy-tale has a darker tone. It deals with a hero coming to terms with a terrible tragedy in his past, and learning to forgive himself and love again. I hope you enjoy it!

The Cinderella Arrangement II

1

The lights in the mall seemed too bright. Jessica’s blonde head bobbed in and out of view as she disappeared behind the dress racks in the petite section. I felt like a zombie as I walked toward her, rifling throughdresses and feeling nothing but indifference for the styles.

Too flashy. Too many sequins. What is this, prom? I hate baby doll dresses; they make me look like a child. No, no, no.

Jessica dragged me out to the mall to go shopping with her because there was this party at her boyfriend’s house. They made up months ago.

Ben and I were still over.

You’ve seen the Facebook photos. He’s moving on.

Less than a month after we broke up, I woke up to a splash of photos of my ex with another woman on Facebook: Ben sipping drinks with his coworkers in a flashy lounge, with his arm wrapped around a leggy brunette, her cleavage almost spilling from her dress. Seeing those hands I knew so well touchinganother womangutted me. It was like he reached in and grabbed a fistful of my innards—and yanked. He made me feel worthless, and that was probablyhis intention.

It was eight months since we broke up.

Eight months of Facebook stalking and crying into tissues and my whole body shaking with sobs that exhausted me and left me so tired in the morning I could barely function. Eight months of that horrible, empty feeling in my chest. I missed him. I loved him. I hated him. Rinse and repeat.

You broke up with him. I reminded myself of that ten times a day, at least.

I ripped aside another dress with a little more force than I needed, and Jessica raised an eyebrow at me.

“What do you think about this?” She showed me a bright-red knit number and draped it over her body.

“It’s a cute, but I’m not sure it’s appropriate for a cocktail party.”

She bit her lip and nodded in agreement. “Maybe I’ll buy it anyways.”

“Who will be at this party?”

“Oh, it’ll be mostly Luke’s coworkers. It’s a launch party for his campaign so maybe a couple departments.”

I frowned. “And he’s having it at his house?” I couldn’t imagine all those people fitting into a home in the city.

“Just wait till you see it. It’s huge.” She took my hand. “It’ll be so much fun. There will be a band, and he’s hiring caterers with the most amazing food.”

“Yeah, it sounds cool!”

Jessica’s eyes were knitted together. Apparently she sensed mylack of enthusiasm.

“Listen, I know you don’t feel like going, but you haven’t been out in ages. We used to do a lot of stuffand now we barely hang out.”

I tried to hide my burning face, ripping dresses across too quickly. Her saddened voice made my emotions, which were running high these days, rise into my throat, constricting it.

“I’m trying to get over him.”

“I know, hon.”

More than anything, I wanted to go home and retreat into my room to watch reruns on Netflix. There was a constant push and pull between loneliness and solitude. Whenever I was alone, I craved company. When I wasn’t, I couldn’t wait until I was alone again. But I couldn’t keep doing this. Jessica was right, I needed to get out of my funk.

A slim black dress caught my eye, and I pulled it out. It had a lace back and shoulders.

“That’s cute!”

Relief washed over me when I bought itand walked outside into the blinding sunshine with Jessica.

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