silent Cinderella

Silent Cinderella Chapter One A Girl from Another Era The first thing that struck Selene in Florida was the heat. Not the weather itself. Her mother had warned her countless times that Florida's sun was nothing like Alaska's, and that the endless snow she had grown up with would soon become nothing more than a distant memory. No... It was the heat of people's eyes. Eyes that watched her. Eyes that judged her. Eyes that mocked her without even knowing her name. Selene stood before the grand entrance of the College of Law, slowly lifting her gaze toward the magnificent building gleaming beneath the morning sun. The campus looked more like a luxurious city than a university. Elegant gardens stretched in every direction, marble fountains sparkled in the light, expensive sports cars filled the parking lots, and students walked confidently through the pathways wearing designer brands she had only ever seen in magazines. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "If only Dad were here..." The thought never reached its end. Only two months had passed since she had stood beside his grave in Alaska. Now she was thousands of miles away, beginning a life she had never chosen. Taking a slow breath, she whispered, "For you, Dad... I'll become the lawyer you always dreamed I'd be." She tightened her grip on the old leather handbag hanging from her shoulder. It was more than just a bag. It had been the last gift her father had bought for her only days before his death. Although its leather had cracked with age and its color had faded, neither she nor her mother could bear to replace it. Her clothes told another story. A simple blue dress, more than four years old, carefully altered several times by her mother to make it look presentable. A pair of worn black shoes that had long since lost their shine. Her long brown hair was neatly braided in an old-fashioned style. She wore no makeup. No earrings. No necklace. Even her remarkable beauty hid quietly behind years of modesty and shyness. She stepped onto the campus. The whispers began immediately. "Look..." "Who's that?" "Is there a costume event today?" A fashionable girl wearing an expensive designer outfit turned toward Selene before bursting into laughter. "Oh my God... Did she just walk out of the sixteenth century?" Her friend laughed even louder. "No... I think she got lost on her way to a history museum." Within seconds, the laughter spread. The farther Selene walked... The more eyes followed her. More students turned around. Some secretly pulled out their phones to take pictures. She felt the ground shrinking beneath her feet. For one painful moment... She wanted to disappear. To go back to Alaska. Back to the little wooden house. Back to her father. Then another image appeared in her mind. Her mother. Removing her work gloves after another exhausting twelve-hour shift at the factory. Her hands were covered with tiny cracks, yet she still forced herself to smile. "Don't worry about me, Selene... Just study." That single sentence gave her enough strength. She lifted her head. And kept walking. At the opposite side of the campus... A glossy black Rolls-Royce came to a smooth stop in front of the main building. Almost instantly, conversations changed. Girls fixed their hair. Others quickly checked their makeup using their phones. "William is here." "He finally arrived." The driver stepped out first before opening the rear door. A tall young man stepped onto the pavement wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit and a luxury watch worth more than many families earned in years. He carried himself with effortless confidence. He never needed to demand attention. Attention always found him. William Consels. The only son of billionaire Richard Consels. The future heir to one of the largest business empires in the United States. Since his first day at the university, everyone had known his name. Girls chased after him. Young men wanted to become his friends. Even professors treated him differently. One of his closest friends smiled. "I bet half the girls came to campus today just because of you." William answered with a calm smile. "I wish they came for the lectures instead." His friend laughed. Before either of them could continue the conversation... Another wave of laughter echoed across the courtyard. William turned instinctively. His eyes landed on a girl. She was walking completely alone. She answered no one. Looked at no one. Yet everyone around her seemed united by a single purpose. Laughing at her. His eyebrows drew together. "What's going on?" His friend shrugged. "Just a freshman." "Apparently, her clothes offended the fashion police." He laughed again. William said nothing. He simply looked at her once more. Then continued walking. Without realizing... His eyes searched for her again. Selene was trying to find the administration building. She did her best to ignore everything around her. But the voices refused to stop. "Take a picture." "Post it." "She'll go viral before lunch." Her eyes burned. The tears were coming. No. She wouldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of them. Finally, she reached the entrance to the administration building. She placed her hand on the door handle. Just as she was about to open it... A student rushed out from inside at full speed. He slammed directly into her. Her books scattered across the marble floor. Enrollment papers flew in every direction. The iced coffee he had been carrying spilled all over the front of her blue dress. Time seemed to freeze. The cold coffee slowly dripped down the faded fabric. Silence filled the hallway. Then... Laughter exploded once again. A blonde girl looked at Selene with open disgust before saying loudly, "I think that coffee costs more than her entire outfit." The crowd burst into another round of laughter. Selene quietly knelt to gather her books. Her hands trembled. One loose sheet slid across the floor until it stopped beside a pair of polished black leather shoes. A strong hand reached down and picked it up. Slowly... Selene lifted her head. For the first time... Her eyes met William Consels'. Neither of them spoke. Yet the silence between them became louder than the laughter filling the hallway. No one noticed... A student standing nearby secretly pressed the camera button on his phone. The photograph captured an unforgettable moment. The richest young man on campus... Looking directly at the poorest girl. Neither of them knew... That single moment would become the spark that changed both of their lives forever. End of Chapter One