Losing Cinderella (Completed but on hold)

CHAPTER 1

No one in her class wanted to go. Besides, she had other commitments—commitments that have kept her occupied every single night and she has kept up with it for over two years. She spotted Miss Tyler as she was entering the library. She intended to avoid her but her teacher saw her before she even had a chance to pretend that she didn't see her. Just when she was about to open her mouth to express her apologies for not being able to make it, Miss Tyler had the first word in.

"Miss Montgomery!" she exclaimed. "You are coming to the wedding, right?" 

"Miss, I—"

"I look forward to seeing you. Don't concern yourself with a present. Just come, eat, drink, dance and enjoy. There will be a lot of important people. Mingle." She gently gave the young girl's cheek a gentle tap. "I don't know what your plans are, or what you want to do after uni, but if you haven't established your social network to help you secure your future, you can start at my reception."

Ashtyn was dumbfounded with the woman's words. Was that her intention for inviting the whole class? To help with their network? Getting a job in her field of study was difficult. Unless she had a great deal of work experience or a good set of contacts, she would probably end up at a random office as a clerk or be stuck in entertainment. So she decided to attend the 'circus', as her classmates called it, even though she was alone. I suppose, before you get your foot in the door, you first must knock.

Her jaw dropped as she came face to face with the enormous double gates that protected the mansion where the reception was being held. "Wow!" she gasped. She heard that the houses in the Mosman Park area were beautiful but this was something else. She suddenly felt out of place as she walked up the driveway. It was as if she was in a different country. Her eyes lingered around the exquisite front garden with sculptured hedges of swans and spirals. The meticulously trimmed landscape lit up with dainty lights that flickered like fireflies and the air carried the dainty fragrance of gardenias.

"Oooh wow!" she gasped again when she reached footpath that led towards the mansion's entrance.  The French architectural design was absolutely stunning. From the front porch, she could already see the brightly lit chandeliers hanging from the cathedral ceilings of the foyer. When she entered the huge house, she couldn't help her eyes from sweeping around the enormous space around her. It seemed like all the furniture was taken out to make room for ice sculptures, exotic flower arrangements and guests. She continued to walk forward, following the crowd towards another room that looked more elegant than the previous. Her jaw dropped once again upon seeing the elegant staircases on both sides of the room that curved towards each other. She could imagine that the bride and groom must have stood at the top of the stairs, waving to their guests from behind the wooden balustrades. Then separating to walk down the carpeted steps, only to meet each other again at the end. "My god, this is so beautiful," she sighed under her breath. The staircase also served as an archway that led to another room. The jarrah panels that had intricate floral carvings decorated the sides of the stairs. From where she was standing, it seemed like the rich reddish stain of the wood was an arched picture frame for the black grand piano that stood in the middle of the next room.

She walked through the arch. The room was circular, filled with tall arched French windows. This must be the ballroom. She looked up and the chandelier that hung from the high ceiling was even bigger than the ones in the other rooms. She walked towards the piano and smiled. It was a Steinway & Sons. George would love to play this! she said in her thoughts.

"Hello?"

She instantly spun around towards the owner of the voice. He was standing underneath the arch. She walked towards him, ready to leave the room. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just admiring the view," she said apologetically. She didn't know why she was suddenly nervous. It's not like I did something terribly wrong, she told herself. Must be part of the security team, she guessed.