Hermione Lee

Cinderella wants revenge. Cyndi Osmond, nicknamed Cinderella by her cruel stepsisters, is dismayed when she realizes what she thought was her happy ending was only a dream. Worse, her stepsister Charlotte, who has just returned from the royal ball, won Prince Xavier's hand and will marry him. When Charlotte becomes the princess, she forces Cyndi to move to the palace with her as her maid and plans to make her life miserable.
Cyndi meets Prince Xavier one day and secretly develops an infatuation with him, although she is aware that she cannot marry him. However, she soon discovers a scandalous affair between Charlotte and the Grand Duke. With the secret weighing on her, Cyndi makes a decision that will change her destiny and embarks on a journey of revenge.