Once Upon a Paycheck: A 21st-Century Cinderella Story

…a free adaptation by The Creative Advocate.

Once upon a time, a girl named Cinderella was born. She was named after the fairy-tale princess because her mother wanted her to be one.

From a young age, whenever there was a party, she was dressed as a princess.

Things changed in high school, teenagers are mean, and she was constantly teased for her name. Luckily, university was better. She studied law, met her future husband, and life felt normal again.

Their wedding was beautiful, the honeymoon on a dreamy island, and soon, two children arrived.

Cinderella was a modern woman. After graduation, she landed a job at a top law firm and worked at the Finance department, sitting at the same desk for decades. She was only ever absent for her honeymoon, two maternity leaves (which she, of course, kept to the legal minimum), her yearly vacation, and a single week, right after her husband left her because he "needed to find himself." In reality, he had found a younger woman but wasn’t brave enough to tell her. When she finally learned the truth, well…she had that little breakdown.

She endured the pandemic alone, with both her children already away at university. She kept working long hours from home, always being the one with her camera on during Zoom meetings. But suddenly, she had a lot of free time. So, she joined a book club, and that’s where she discovered Virginia Woolf. At first, Woolf’s writing felt difficult to follow, but being in a group of women helped. A lot. She also kept up with exercise. A big fan of Pilates, she easily adapted to online classes.

She lived in a small flat, bought with the money she received as part of the divorce settlement. They had agreed to sell the family house and used the funds to buy an apartment for each of their children. The remaining money was split equally between her and her ex-husband. With her share, she managed to pay the down payment for a one-bedroom apartment, taking out a mortgage to cover the rest. Her ex-husband, however, was able to purchase a large apartment without needing a mortgage. He told the children that his new wife had contributed half the money. She never questioned this version of events. Not until one session at the book club.

That night, as she walked into her tiny apartment, a thought hit her: Why had he managed the money during their marriage, when she was the financial expert? Could he have hidden money from her? Of course, he could have. If he had managed to keep a whole woman hidden, money would have been even easier.

After the pandemic, she went back to work but kept going to the book club. Somehow, her desk didn’t feel as comfortable anymore. Twenty-five years at the same desk, in an office with no windows, this wasn’t exactly the life she had imagined. Year after year, she watched her male colleagues climb the ladder while she stayed in place. She was the only woman in the Finance Department; most of the other women worked in family law or human resources. That’s where all the female partners were, too. A few years ago, the director of Family Law, the only woman in leadership, was finally made a board member.

She loved finance. She really did. But sometimes, she wondered… had she chosen the wrong path?

After the divorce, she had a few dates, but to her mother’s despair, none of the relationships lasted.

Last December, she left the office early to get ready for the firm's end-of-year party. She hated parties, but this one was mandatory.

As she approached the door of her small flat, she heard voices inside.

Her children? Not possible, Christmas holidays were still a week away.

When she opened the door, her house was full of people. She panicked, and she was about to scream when an extravagantly dressed old lady appeared. She recognized her instantly, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. She looked exactly like the lady from her childhood storybook, right down to the magic wand in her hand.

"Hello, dear," the old woman said, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I am so happy to finally meet you."

Cinderella was in shock. She managed to ask, "What is all this? Who are all these people?"

The Fairy Godmother smiled. "That man over there is the ultimate beauty and makeup artist. That lady is the best facial massage expert. Those two girls will take care of your hair. And…she gestured dramatically toward the most breathtaking gown Cinderella had ever seen, this is the haute couture dress you’ll wear to the party tonight, paired with Manolos. And the best part? She held up a stunning blue box, inside is the diamond necklace."

Cinderella stared in disbelief, "Why? Why today? And why haven’t we met before?"

The Fairy Godmother giggled, "Because you never needed me. But tonight is THE night. The founder and CEO of your law firm, newly divorced, will be at the party. Rumor has it, he’s choosing his next wife. And with my help, you’ll be the most beautiful woman there." She leaned in with a wink. "Lucky for you, the party is tonight, just hours before your fiftieth birthday. Because once you turn fifty… forget it."

Cinderella sat down, taking it all in. Then she asked, "How much does all of this cost?"

The Fairy Godmother started mumbling numbers, counting on her fingers. "The beauty treatments, the facial, the hair, the shoes, the dress, the jewelry… hmm…thousands.”

Cinderella asked, "Enough to pay off my mortgage?"

"Of course! And more…”

"Okay, so here’s what I want: pay off my mortgage, and transfer the rest into my bank account."

The Fairy Godmother gasped. "What?? But what will you wear to the party? You’re supposed to be the most beautiful woman there, so he chooses you!"

Cinderella laughed. "I don’t want to be chosen. I want to choose! And for that, I need my own money. Haven’t you read Virginia Woolf? Aren’t you subscribed to The Creative Advocate? The only real freedom for a woman is financial freedom.”

The Fairy Godmother hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"I’ve never been more sure in my life."

With a flick of her wand, the Godmother made it happen. Cinderella watched in amazement as her mortgage was paid off, and her bank account filled with enough money to truly be free.

A sudden fear overwhelmed her. "Will my freedom disappear at midnight?"

The Fairy Godmother smiled. "No, dear. I made your wish come true. But now it’s your turn to keep it real."

Cinderella couldn’t sleep that night. For the first time in her life, she realized that being Cinderella was a privilege, and that it was her mission to help other women achieve the same autonomy. She handed her resignation, cleared up the desk that got her trapped for twenty-five years, and launched her own consultancy to help other women become financially independent.

One of her first clients? The Fairy Godmother.

Her business was struggling. "All the girls are manifesting and making vision boards now," she complained. "Nobody needs me anymore! And at my age, who’s going to hire me?"

Cinderella smiled. "Your wisdom is unique. Your age is proof of your experience. No amount of manifesting or vision boards can replace your magic. But times change. So let’s change with them."

With Cinderella’s help, the Fairy Godmother launched The Magic Vision Board Workshop, which sold out within minutes. Then, they built a website where she now sells workshops and vision board templates. She has never been busier.

Women empowering women, that is when the magic happens. For real.