She cries and begs as her stepmother pushes her into her tiny room in the attic. 'What did I do to be here?' she asked herself as she pulled herself on her small bed and held her legs crying. Why did she get this? She didn't do anything wrong, she never complained, she did everythingher stepmother and sisters told her to do. She was a pure little soul. But she did that one thing, that one night that got her here. 

Seohyun a pure teenage girl. She lives with her stepmother and older stepsisters Yoona, and Yuri. Her father died when she was at a young age. She thought her step-family would love and take take of her as her father did, but she was wrong. She was mistreated, she was like their personal maid if you would say. Taking orders from others, cooking, cleaning, and doing errands is all she knows. The only thing she wanted was to be loved and find love, and to get out... but it was impossible.

One day when her stepmother asked her to go shopping in the town, she heard something that might change her life. It was a person speaking about a ball. Seohyun got so excited when she heard about it. She thought that she might be able to go if she ask her stepmother. She finished her errands and ran home with alot of faith, hoping she can go. When she got home she put away everything, trying not to displease her stepmother. Or as she may call her miss. See  Seohyun was never treated like family in her so called 'home'. She never felt welcomed there, she felt like a slave. She only puts up for it for her father and his happiness. She never complains because of him, and she is also very thankful. When she finish putting the stuff away for dinner she slowly walked to her stepmother.

"Mother?" she asked the middle- aged lady with a lot of make-up sitting on the couch hesitantly. The old hag stoped what she was doing to look at the scared little girl, with eyes full of disgust. "What did I tell you about calling me mother? Only my real beautiful daughters can call me that." She said very sternly, yelling slightly, scaring Seohyun. "I'm sorry miss." she said quickly aplogizing for her wrong. But what wrong did she do? Even though this women tortured her for over 8 years, she is still nice enough to consider her as a mom and her and her stepsisters as family. "Thats better." She said with a pleased smile, but it soon changed when she saw Seohyun still standing there. "And what do you want?" She said not wanting to talk nor acknowledge her. "Well I was wonder..." She started to trail off with her question. Thinking it was stupid now that she thought about it. She must have trailed off for too long because the mother got angry. "What do you want!" She shouted taking Seohyun out of her thoughts. 'Im in for it' she thought. Usually when she ask to do things or forgets to do things for her stepmother or sisters, she ends up doing chores all night and going to sleep late only to be woken up again. To start another misriable day.

"Well..." She lost thought again. "When I was in the town doing errands I heard about a ball.." She paused waiting for her Mother's reply. She, for the first time , actually looked pleased with what she said. "Really?" she said with much interest. "And where would this ball be?' she asked very concerned about this ball. "Umm... the royal palace" Seohyun said. "Oh really ok. You can go now since you informed me" She said and dimissed Seohyun and went towards her daughters rooms. 'What about my question?' she thought in a paniced voice. While the stepmother was going up the elegant stairs turned around and asked Seohyun "was there anything else you wanted to say?" she sounded kind of irritated, because she just saw Seohyun there in her presance when she dimissed her.

"Umm yes there was Miss." she said in a hushed tone. She could not believe what just came out of . "Well what is it? Spit it out!" She doesn't like waiting for things. Seohyun learned this the hard way. About 2 weeks after her fathers death her mother asked her to make dinner. Seohyun was taking to long for the mother so, after she was done, the mother put her in the attic, which is now her room, for the rest of the night. no dinner no nothing! After that she kept on cleaning everyday, basically the start of her maid days. "I was wondering if Icouldgototheball." She said the last part really fast,hoping her stepmother didn't hear her. "Oh so you want to go to the ball" she sang mockingly. "Yes I would really want to miss." she said everything as politely as she could, so she would not get her stepmother upset.

"Why didn't you just say so." she said very happy. Seohyun was very shocked because this was the first time she thought her mom would say yes. "Okay let me think about it" She put her index finger on her chin indecating she was thinking. Finally Seohyun saw open full of hope, and thinking her stepmom would actually say yes. But it soon faded with what she said next. "Are you crazy! You have to clean and help your other misses get ready to look very pretty for the ball!" she started yelling. she looked very displeased. Seohyun was very sad, not just because she cant go, but she also has to help her stepsisters, and she also has to call them misses, that hurt her also. "But mother." Seohyun said louder than she intended to. Her mother looked back shocked and angry at the same time, she was at the top of the stairs about now. "Oh now our maid has a back bone? Who said you can yell at your boss! You are not going and thats final, and you are helping you miss'!" She yelled. She started walking, but turned back "And to make sure you don't go your cleaning all day and I'm locking you in your room... And go cook, the food is not going to cook itself. She said her hand gestures said for her to go away.

Seohyun felt so hurt. Every word her stepmother said felt like a knife going into her heart. Other then her father her stepmother and sisters were the only thing clostest to family. She considers her mom family too. She just like to talk about it, because her mom dies once she was born. She went to go cook while her mom went to go tell her stepsisters about the ball.

Day of the ball~

Today was the day. The day everybody would go to the royal palace and meet the prince. Yes this ball was for the prince to find his princess, so that means every girl was going, even Seohyun's stepmother. "Seohyun!" her mother called Seohyun, who was upstairs probably reading. Seohyun loved reading. It was the only thing to make her happy, make her forget her misriable life her, and go to another world where great things happen. "Seo Joo Hyun!" her mother yelled. her stepmom does not liked to reapeat herself. Seohyun came running down the stairs. She looked around and saw that the house was a huge mess. "What happened boss?" Yes she called her boss,because her stepmother thought it was to formal to call her Miss. "Well as you can see the house is a mess right?" Seohyun just shook her head yes. "Aish this little girl doesn't even know how to speak, yet she thinks she can yell at me" the old hag muttered under her breath. Seohyun looked down at her feet. "Well you are going to clean all of this up" Yuri spoke very proudly. He mother looked very pleased. "Aww that is my little adorable daughter. Seohyun why can't you be like my daughters?" her stepmother asked. 'Because you never gave me a chance.' Seohyun thought.

Actually all Seohyun wanted was a chance. A chance to see she can be a good daughter. A chance to see she is a relieable sister. Or even a chance for them to see she is more than a maid, she was also a human too, and everybody needs a chance. "Well.." her mother said getting back on the subject. "I want this place spotless when I come back and if I find even one thing not perfect all day tomorrow just clean and in your room. 'that's no different from everyday' Seohyun thought. It was true her life was like that all the time, it's like everyday is a punishment, but the only thing that is different is her books. She has a whole shelf full, but she has read all of them, and re-reads some of them too. And sometimes without anybody know she takes some of the money her dad just left her to buy some when she does errands.

After explaining everything everbody left. So it was just her in the house alone with her to clean everything. She worked and worked, but she didn't mind she was used to it. She felt really left behind today, not because her familt left they always left. It's just how they left without her to something she wanted to go to. She was kind and never rude or asked for anything, this is just one thing she wanted. She was done with half of the house when she finally got tired. She sat on the couch just resting. She sat there thinking about what she would do if she was at the ball, wishing she was there. Unknowingly a tear went down her face onto the floor, and more tears kept on coming. She was like that for about 5 minutes, just sitting there crying silently. until she heard somebody next to her, and a hand around her shoulder.

"Hey don't cry whats wrong?" a lady asked. A lady she didnt know . 'Who are you" she asked scared, but not rude. "Oh sorry. I'm you fairy god mother Kim Taeyeon" she said with a really bright dorky smile. Seohyun didn't know why,but she trusted her and tolder her everything. "I know" Taeyeon said not surprised, but Seohyun was. "What do you mean?" she said. "I mean I know I your Godmother duh" after she said that Seohyun laughed a little, and Taeyeon thought of something. "Okay I got it what about I get you a dress with shoes you go to the ball and I will clean okay?" She suggested. Seohyun was about to say something but Taeyeon interrupted. "You have no choice so go up and get ready." Not wanting to be rude and not take her offer she went up looking back to she if she changed her mind. But she was there infront of her room. She walked and and saw this beautiful thing. A beutiful white dress with little ruffles on the bottom with matching shoes. She was so happy she needed to pinch herself. She had no time, she quickly got ready. She soon walked down the stairs and Taeyeons eyes grew at how beautiful she looked. "You look amazing" Taeyeon said very honestly. Seohyun gave her a very shy smile as she said thank you. 

It was the first time seohyun ever heard that from somebody besides her dad in over 8 years. She felt really happy that tears started to roll down her cheeks. She wiped them off quickly and there was silence between the two. Finally Taeyeon spoke "Okay you should go before its to late, and call me if you need anything okay?" Seohyun shook her head yes, and then she went on her way to the ball.

At the ball~

Seohyun walked in very aware of her stepmother and sisters. She felt like they knew she was here. When she walked up to the door she felt like walking back, but something stopped. The door opened, and the bright light shone on her face. "Hello are you here for the party?" the man said through the door. She wanted to say no and go back, but she knew she has gone to far to go back, and then she remember Taeyeon. She knew she did alot of work for her to be here so she answered yes.

When she went in she was amazed. It was like her house,but more elegant, and bigger. When she came in everybody looked at her. Thinking she was very beautiful. They wondered where she was from, considering she was never outside, unless doing errands, but even then she always had her head down. When walking she had her head down again. She was so used to it because of her family. While looking down, and walking she bunped into somebody. "Sorry!" she said in a paniced voice. She was always like this, always on edge if she thought something she did was wrong. And it was all because of them... "Oh no it's okay. I was just wondering.." he trailed off. She was hoping he was not going to ssay what she think he was. It's not liked she didn't want to dance with him, it's just her family. She knew they would say he is not good enough for her. She also thought that was true, look at him. He has brown medium cut hair with bangs to his sides, his brown doe like eyes, and how he looks in his tux right now, Everything about him was just perfect. "Ummm so yould you?" He asked scratching the back of his head, looking very nervous. Seohyun dozed off that she couldn't hear what he just had said. She didn't want to be rude so she just snwered yes, without knowing what he had just said.

Without notice he took her out to the center of the room where everybody was dancing. When they reached there everybody made room for them. 'Why is everybody moving, he is just a regular guy?' thats what Seohyun thought. They danced Seohyun was shy so she kept her head down, but he noticed. He took his hand and put it on her chin and lifted her head up slowly, making eye contact. Seohyun turned a shade of pink, and she swore her heart stopped when she saw him. "Hey why are you looking down? I want to see your pretty face." He said while giving this boyish smile. Seohyun was done for it she was about to faint, but she stood her grounds and kept dancing. While dancing she noticed something in the coner of her eye, that she almost had a heart attack.

She saw her sister. Not only that,but they were squinting at Seohyun. Seohyun put the thought to the back of her head, only focusing on the guy infront of her. But she couldn't because of what she saw next. She saw Yuri go to her stepmother, tugging at her dress, and brought her over. Right then She saw Yoona point to her, and she swore she heard her name. When she looked back she saw a displeased look on her mothers face. With that she knew that they knew it was her, and with that she left. Just stopping in the middle of the dance, just running where ever her feet took her. AFter minutes of running she stopped, because she was out of brethe and her feet hurt very badly from running and dancing. When she stopped her jaws dropped. It was the most beautiful thing she ever saw.

There was a fountain, with light and flowers everywhere, and she thought it was beautiful. Whike she was admiring it she heard footsteps like somebody running. Fearing it was her family she was getting ready to run,but she heard a voice. A voice that didn't sound like her family at all, but a male's voice screaming for her to stop. When she turned around she saw the same guy she was dancing with a minute ago. When he notice she stopped he started walking to her slowly. "Hey where did you go? I was having a good time. Were you not? Because you could have told me." He sounded calm, but at the same time hurt. Seohyun felt really bad, because she did have a good time, but it was because of them. For the first time she didn't reply back saying 'sorry' or panicing, this time she took th time to find the right words. "No I did have a good time." she stated. After she said that he smied, but she went on. "I really did, but.." She was about to finish her sentence,but then she saw her family leave the palace in a hurry. She knew they would be home soon. She was off in a hurry, but felt something holding on to her wrist. She came to a hault, and looked back and saw him holding her back. "Wait I didn't even get your name." she thought about it and she didn't even get his name either. After all this time she was about to leave without knowing. The only guy that made her feel that way and she didn't even ask. "Let me start my name is Yonghwa, Jung Yonghwa." he said with a bright smile. Seohyun's jaw dropped she dance with the prince! She couldn't believe it. She should have known! She mentally slapped herself, and brought her attention back to him. "ohh that's a nice name." she stated. She always liked the name Jung, and she was hoping it would be her name later on in life. "And my name is.." Yet again she couldn't finish her sentence because she didn't see her sisters or mother and knew there were already on there way home. Without another word said she ran away. "Wait!" Yonghwa shouted, but Seohyun didn't listen. "I didn't get your name!" he shouted again, now running after Seohyun. "I'm sorry, but I hope we can meet again, because I really like you!" Seohyun shouted while running. She couldn't believe what came out of . did she really just confess to him. He didn't even know her name! She was so embarresed that she ran faster.

What she didn't expect was his responce. Yonghwa stopped in his step, happy with what she said. "Good!" He shouted. "Because I like you too!". With that he let her go because he knew they would be together again. He went back to the party in peace, because he found his future wife. On his way back he saw something shiny on the floor. 'A shoe?' He thought and picked it up. He noticed it was her shoe. "So fate is working already?" he said with a smug smile, while walking away whistling.

On the other hand Seohyun was almost home. Just walking up the door, she hoped she made it. She finally made it up to the door. She sighs and wipes off the sweat on her face. 'I made it, I really made it!' she thought and smiled. Just when she was about to turn the doornob she heard a mocking laugh. "Hahaha. So 'Seohyun', you thought you really wouldn't get caught right?' her stepmother said with her daughters behind her taking big steps towards her. "Well you're wrong because we know everything" she stated. "I'm sorry Boss" Seohyun said hanging her head low. She has never been this misbehaved before. She let down her stepmother. She thought her mother had no hope for her, and she would be cleaning and in her room forever. She also feared that that she let the prince down. That they would never see eachother again, and he didn't even get her name. "Okay lets go in the house, and you will clean" the old hag said. "But I already cleaned it" Seohyun sad in a low voice. She knew she didn't finish it, but she hoped Taeyeon had. She had faith in Taeyeon. "Really." her stepsister Yoona said in a sarcastic voice. "Then lets go in the house and see. Lets go omma." Yuri said backing up Yoona dragging her omma in the door.

They opened the door and Seohyun couldn't belive it. The house it was.... Dirty, even dirtier then before, even if it was possible. Everybody looked at Seohyun. "How dare you!" The stepmother started off. "First you diobey my rules, take your sisters shot at meeting the prince, and then you lie about this!" she said walkinng towards Seohyun. She was out of words. 'Was Taeyeon in my imagineation? She couldnn't be! Was I being tricked? Is this a bad dream?!' those questions were going through her head while her stepmother was yelling at her. She finally got out of thought when her stepmother started pulling on her hair. "Ow! Mother please stop!" she begged. "Shut up! Don't you ever call me that!" she screamed at her. Seohyun felt so hurt at that moment. She really felt like she let down everybody, her mother, her stepmother, her sisters, and mostly her father and Yonghwa.

She cries and begs and her stepmother pushes her into her tiny room in the attic. 'What did I do to be here' she aked herself as she pulled herself onto her small bed and held her legs crying.

It's been a few day and Seohyun was just up in her room. No cleaning, no nothing. She was misreable, and hoping yonghwa would come and save her. Again the only this she had was her books. She was reading a new one she got before the ball. While reading she heard the doorbell and was told to get it. 'Finally the first thing I do in a while. She goes downstairs and see's the house is clean. And she hasn't been cleaning, and she knew her family wouldn't. Thats when she saw it a real maid. She was very hurt. Did her family really just replace her. And a maid for all things, is that only what she was usefull for? Finally reaching the door she saw the thing that changed he life. It was Yonghwa. Seohyun looked down immidently not wanting him seeing her like this. She has lost some weight, and looks very tired and beat up from being in there all day. When the stepmother noticed she pushed her out of the way.

"Hello Mr.Jung. What brings you here today?" She asked nicely with a very fake smile. 'Hello. I am here looking for the girl at the dance I feel in love with, I want to see if she lives here." he asked hoping this was the house. He had searched everywhere and this is the last house in the whole town. "And how are you going to do that?" She asked curiously. "You see this shoe here?" he took the shoe from the servant halping. Showing the old hag who looked amused. "Thois is hers and I just want to see if it fits." The lasy got so excited that she calledher two daughters and told Seohyun to go downstairs. Seohyun did what she was told. She wanted to gain her mothers trust, even if it means leaving the prince, because he said fate will bring them together.

She went upstairs and waited. it was about 5 minutes, and all of a sudden the door opened. The slightl ajared door bright some liht to her face. The door opened more slowly showing the persons face. Seohyun was shocked, the person she never ever expeccted to be here was here... It was her stepmother. "Hello Miss" he said as she quickly stood up hid her book and bowed. "Where is it?" she asked. "where is the shoe?" she asked a little impatient. Seohyun put her head down. She didn't want her mother to find it. Because she wanted to be with Yongwa. Just the thought of one of her sisters with him was painful for her heart. "Fine you don't want to tellme I will find it". With that she looked all around her room, but she found it under her bed. "Miss please don't!" Seohyun begged. "No why should I to somebody like you, you dont need or deserve it!" she said and started walking to the door. Seohyun couldn't let this happened. She quickly knelt down infront of her stepmother begging. "Please Miss I beg you please don't do this" she started crying while holing onto the end of her stepmothers dress. But with her being a cruel mother she kicked her onto the floor and went out of the room.

Seohyun tried to catch her again, but she slammed the door. Seohyun was about to open it, but she heard a lock. Now there was nothing she could do, she was trapped. She slowly slidded down her door and cried her eyes out. about 5 minutes of crying she heard cheers. She wanted to go downstairs but couldnt. So instead she looked out her window. She couldnt see that well, since bars were over her window. But what she did see broke he heart. She saw her sister Yoona locking hands with yonghwa walking to his horse carriage. 'It's over,  everything is over' she thought. To her it was, everybody she loved is gone. She couldn't take it anymore. She was done being mistreated. She felt something for the first time that she has never felt towards her family before. Betrayl. With that she destroyed everything. Her books and paper went flying. There were hole in the walls. Everything in her room destroyed.

She stayed by her door. With her holding her legs up to her chest. Heart broken. But she still had one book in her hand. The book that she hated and never read. But now that she thinks about it she should love it. Because it describes her and her life. It's called... Cruel Fairy Tales~

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Done with the first Chapter! I know it is very long. 

So congrats to reading this long one shot! You did it!

This is some kind of intoduction to the book. somewhat.

So comment who you want to see next and what story or be surprised.

And please like I say in my other stories

No Silent Readers! (Please)