Cinderella's Dead

Four

Her mind went to the same place as any other woman’s would have.

Oh God, what if Maria and Andrew…? But no, that would be ridiculous. Cindy immediately shot that idea down. If anything, Andrew always looked down on the help, and Maria was the help. In fact, he had always been very vocal about how peculiar the friendship between the two women was, not that Cindy left any room for negotiating. If Andrew could be friends with guys that were, each essentially a cheap copy of the other, she could also choose her friends as she pleased. And since Andrew's friends were, from what she'd seen, misogynistic assholes always on the lookout for their next trophy wife, then her best friend being a cleaner was perfectly acceptable.

Cindy caught herself when she felt her lips tug into a small smile. Maria is her best friend, isn't she? What else would you call the person that listens to you, doesn’t judge you, and only offers words of comfort and encouragement? Well, except for calling them your roommate at the mental asylum, that is, which is where Cindy would be heading if she told her ridiculous experience to anyone else but Maria. Yet somehow she always felt like can trust the woman. She sensed how genuine she was from the moment they started talking. And even if Cindy offered, and she did that a lot, Maria never accepted more than what she absolutely needed. She accepted the job, the apartment and the chance to finish her studies, but never wanted Cindy to feel like she was a leech, taking advantage.

"Uhm… it may be that… No, that's crazy, it couldn't have worked, could it?" Maria started pacing the room and mumbling in Spanish, sounding like she was having a conversation with herself rather than Cindy.

Cindy, for the best part, could understand Spanish but not when her friend was not making any sense. She heard random words being thrown at a much too fast pace. Words like witch and ancient bloodline, words that made her lips twitch in a dismissive grin, despite her primal instincts screaming at her to pay attention. But this was no Spanish soap opera, so guessing what the woman in front of her was saying was not a wise option. She needed to understand her friend.

"Maria, speak! And use phrases, please, so I can make sense of what you're saying. At this rate you sound crazier than me, and I'm the one who insists she died and then came back in time to prevent her own f*****g death." Cindy hissed, wary that someone could have overheard them.

As soon as she was sure there was no one around, Cindy stiffened in realisation. Maria was looking at her with eyes so wide that she half expected to see the Latina making the sign of the holy cross and spitting in her face before spinning three times in a circle.

Cindy understood that she just said everything out loud, summing it up like it was just an update about the weather. That was her reality and without even being aware, she had come to accept it, her sharp mind already working to find a way out of it.

"... And seek revenge." Maria spoke in a grim voice, drawing Cindy's attention once more.

"What? I mean, sure, I would love you to find a way to get some payback on that bastard, but since I'm here talking to you, it also means that Andrew isn't actually guilty of anything yet. And maybe it was an accident…" Cindy spoke the last part in a soft, unsure voice.

The hurt in Andrew's latest text had made her doubt herself. He had been calling and texting her all morning, getting progressively worried that Cindy will miss their lunchtime meeting. That same meeting at her favourite bistro which will lead to him coming up with the brilliant idea to skip the rest of the day. He would get another spontaneous suggestion that will ultimately lead the pair to the museum where a rare Harry Winston collection is being displayed. It’s there that he will propose before whisking Cindy to his home for a session of lovemaking, and then they will announce their engagement the following day.

Cindy remembered the engagement announcement which turned into a full blown engagement party, meaning that Andrew had clearly planned everything in advance, down to a tee. He never even considered the possibility of Cindy saying no to him. She never did either, not until now. Now all she wants is to stay as far away from that man as possible.

Feeling guilty all of a sudden and thinking that maybe she jumped the gun and didn’t really consider the possibility that although real, her dream might have been an accident. What if what happened was just a terrible slip? What if Andrew was just as tipsy as she was and he didn't mean to push his wife off that yacht? She could be back in an attempt to prevent that accident. What if… what if Andrew fell right after her?

Maria caught onto her friend second guessing herself. The Mexican blood in her was boiling, because she just knew that what Cindy was saying was the truth. She had heard stories as a child about people scorned and killed that came back in time to seek retribution. She needs her employer and friend to trust herself and stop second guessing this incredible gift she has been given. It already came with a huge price, so Cindy might as well make it count. Though Maria would never tell Cindy what that price was, she would shed a tear and light a candle for what could have been her child. Now that life belongs to her friend, who deserves it for having a heart of gold and always thinking about others, not just herself.

“You really need to explain this to me, Maria. I have the crazy feeling that you know more about this than I do.”

“Not here.” Maria looked around, gulping. Just as she can see the real feelings in Cindy, the latter is just as bright in reading people. Fine, maybe not all people, but Cindy can read Maria. The two women just clicked from the get go.

Despite no one else being in the vicinity, they weren’t completely safe from someone's eavesdropping.

“You’re right. Let’s go to my office. We can talk freely there.” Cindy started walking towards her office but stopped when she didn't feel Maria following her. Turning on her high heels, she looked at the woman frowning down at her phone. After what felt like eons, Maria looks the device like it threatened to end her, whispering:

“It’s him. He’s looking for you.”

Cindy's heart stopped. Her first though? It’s the Grim f*****g Reaper calling to collect her runaway soul, since she somehow escaped his scythe last time.

Her second, slightly more rational, thought was that Maria had been contacted by none other than Andrew. Indeed, what would be the most plausible scenario, since her boyfriend was getting worried about her whereabouts.

“f**k!” Cindy whispers, feeling a little panicky. Out of all the tricks she anticipated Andrew to pull in trying to get her to talk to him, she never imagined him reaching out to Maria. And how on Earth did he even get the cleaner’s number? The only thing she could think of is that Andrew suspects something. And that was about the worst thing that could happen for Cindy.

Andrew had woken up feeling a little uneasy rather than the excitement he felt the day before he went to bed.

Today was supposed to be the day. The first day of the rest of Andrew’s life. A lavish, rich, and influential life like the one he always deserved.

Andrew’s parents have always lived in style, spending way more than what his father was earning, but since he understood the power that comes with wealth, Andrew swore to change everything for himself and his family. He had been dating heiresses and socialites since he was old enough to take them out for a drink and then thank them by f*****g them, but he was never even close to catching someone’s eyes enough to make them consider marriage, therefore securing him a place among the wealthy, without having to worry about next month’s payments to the banks.

Yes, banks, because there isn’t a single bank in this country that Andrew or his parents don't owe money to. And that’s on top of the debts accumulated by his father from various shady clients. But those shady clients and their blood money is what paid for Andrew’s penthouse and his sports car, and all the other elements he considered crucial if he were to date someone like Cindy Coleman.

Ah, Cindy. Poor, sweet, naive Cindy. Sure, poor is used in a sense that has nothing to do with the woman's finances. Being the only heir to her family’s fortune, Cindy was the best thing that could have happened to Andrew. An easy target. And once he met her in person, in that meeting where she struggled to assert herself and the company she was representing, Andrew saw an opportunity, an in. And thank f**k she was more than open to hearing his suggestions. Though Andrew admits he got lucky by having Cindy's biggest business rival in the meeting with them, otherwise the young woman might not have been so easily persuaded into going out with him, opening her ears to Andrew's bright ideas on how she could better assert herself is she were paired with a man like him.

Andrew knew he was risking it by proposing so soon, but he was counting on the fact that her parents seem to like him, though a little too much. The old Colemans seemed like they wouldn’t mind a shotgun wedding ever since Cindy first introduced Andrew to them. If anything, they looked a little surprised that their daughter has a boyfriend. Andrew remembers finding it odd, but not odd enough to deter him from his plan. Marry Cindy and run her empire, phasing her out until no one remembers who married who and who is the one with the fortune. And by phasing out, Andrew always meant killing Cindy. He learned a lot by being lawyer extraordinaire to the scums of the Earth, though he is the first one to admit just how handy everything comes.

They had only been together for a few months, and in all honesty, although a beautiful woman, Cindy was not Andrew’s type at all. What is Andrew's type is all that money that Cindy comes attached to. Now if only he could get through to his f*****g girlfriend so he can actually make sure the day will go according to plan…