Written By: Mimoza Lekperi
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a large corporation in the city’s heart called Fairy Industries. It was so big that it even had its own zip code! Among its hundreds of employees was a young woman named Cindy, who worked in the HR department. Her coworkers loved her so much that they even started a fan club for her, complete with t-shirts and matching bracelets.
Cindy’s life was like a rollercoaster ride, but not the nice new rollercoasters, but the rickety old ones like the Cyclone in Coney Island. She was raised by her stepmother Olga, who made the evil stepmother from Snow White look like Mother Theresa. Olga was always complaining about something, and her daughters, Agnes and Ethel, were just as bad. They were always gossiping, snickering about their coworkers, and making fun of their clothes.
Cindy’s stepmother was so cruel that she would make Cindy work late into the night, even on weekends, and not budget her cab fare to return home. Many late nights, she would ride the subway with the homeless, the drunk, and the rats, but because she gave off such positive energy with her megawatt smile, no one ever bothered her. Olga made Cindy do everything from employee relations to payroll and always gave her impossible tasks to complete. But Cindy never gave up. She was determined to do her job well and help her coworkers, even if it meant staying up all night or canceling her requests for vacation time.
One day, Fairy Industries announced a grand event to celebrate its success of the previous quarter, and Olga insisted that Cindy attend the event to help her stepsisters look their best. Cindy was thrilled at the thought of being amongst the brightest and best of the beau monde, but her excitement quickly faded when Olga made her wear an off-the-rack beige pantsuit from PJ Flaxx, and worse, one that still had the security tag attached. Cindy perked up, anyway, donned the outfit, even though she felt like a walking store display and was afraid that the tag, which looked like a giant growth under the fabric, would set off the alarms.
Cindy dashed out of the building and headed to the bus stop. She was nervously waiting for the bus because she was running late. The bus, however, seemed to have other plans and drove right past her stop, splashing her with the remains of yesterday’s puddle. She finally got on the next bus and made her way to the venue, only to have an issue with the doorman. She was never added to the guest list!
Cindy was astounded by the luxurious site Olga had chosen and the guests’ haute couture gowns. Everyone was adorned in Givenshy, Chancel and with perfectly quaffed hair. Her stepsisters and stepmother flaunted thmosteir wealth. However, Cindy remained grounded and humble, as she always did. Being the supportive colleague, she knew there might be some fashion faux pas or wardrobe malfunction, so she came prepared. In her bucket bag, she carried emergency items she felt someone might need, like mascara, Band-Aids, powder, and boob tape for strapless gowns. Her survival kit contained everything, even a little tube of Insanely Adhesive Glue in case someone’s heel came off and an old-school can opener, just in case!
As it would turn out, this was the high point for Fairy Industries. Shortly after, they were raided by the Feds for publishing inflated sales and earnings to inflate their stock price in anticipation of being acquired. With the company bankrupt, Cindy’s stepmother and stepsisters were left penniless. They threw poor Cindy out at the first sign of trouble. But, little did they know, this is exactly what she needed to strike out on her own. She thought she was onto something with her wardrobe malfunction kit, and started to assemble them, sourcing her items from the dollar store on the ground floor of the building where she was renting a room. She miniaturized everything and swapped the bucket bag for a compact drawstring pouch that could fit in a clutch. She started selling her emergency kits next to the vendors of knockoff designer bags, but they were so popular that she soon moved up to farmers markets, and was featured in a segment of the evening news on New Squawkers and their hustle. Soon enough, she secured funding from the city’s Small Business, Big Dreams agency to start her own company. Always the caring type, she personally donated some of her stock to women’s shelters and programs to help mothers return to the workforce.
It was during one such delivery that Cindy saw three figures who looked oddly familiar all huddling together at the intake desk at Werquin Wemmenz. She knew them in an instant, and went over full of joy, s,lies, and determined to help them. Olga could not believe her eyes! Cindy in Stella McQueen! Sniffing success, she poured on the charm, the smiles, and the waterworks, and Agnes and Ethel were too shocked to do otherwise. Cindy invited them to a “Dress for Success” event that her company was hosting. Olga, Agnes and Ethel were hesitant to attend, saying that they did not deserve such generosity, but they eventually agreed, for Cindy’s sake.
At the event, Cindy’s stepmother and stepsisters were surprised to see that everyone was kind and welcoming. They were even more surprised when they were offered jobs! Cindy’s former coworkers recognized them and knew exactly how best to put their talents to work, offering them positions in the women’s charities helping clients with their wardrobes, hair and makeovers for job interviews. They were grateful for the kindness shown to them by Cindy and her team and vowed to pay it forward by being kind and fair in their new roles.
In the end, Cindy’s company continued to thrive, and she became known as the champion of employee rights. She even started a charity to help employees in need and called “Cindy’s Survival Kit.” Her charity provided everything from food to clothes to those in need. And Cindy? Well, she was the talk of the town, hailed by all as the city’s fairy godmother, of course! She helped so many people, including her stepmother and stepsisters, and lived happily ever after. The end!
