Shadowing Practice: Cinderella Story For Adults - Learn English Speaking with Video
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In Grimm's version of the fairy tale, apparently my sister and I weren't even worth naming.
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But at least we were rightly described as beautiful.
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In Disney's version, our names are mentioned, but can you recall them?
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No. I bet all you can remember are two pugnose sisters with terrible hair, the nasolabial fold of a 70 -year -old,
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annoying voices, and very big feet.
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The thing is, we really weren't ugly.
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Especially me.
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Honestly, I was kind of a looker from the right angle.
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No, no, move to the left.
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That side is prettier.
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Like, sure, I could have benefited from a nose job if it was a thing back then.
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But I've got great hair, a banging body, and deep eyes that look like dark pools you could drown in.
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Or so I've been told.
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No, the problem wasn't us.
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The problem was her because next to her, anyone would look like a gnarly potato.
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You know how one day you feel you're looking really good, the skin is skinning, the hair is herring,
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the outfit's outfitting, and then you see some celebrity on Instagram
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and feel like you two can't even be creatures from the same planet?
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Yeah, that's what the Cinderella effect was, making everyone around her look like E .T.
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And you know what the biggest joke is?
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She was never a victim or forced to be our maid.
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She was very OCD, so scrubbing everything like a maniac all the time is entirely on her.
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No one asked her to do that.
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I guess she didn't love being a nobody, because slowly, very slowly, she started spinning her story.
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And before we knew it, we were the villains.
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She was the poor mistreated servant girl, and I was the bitter hag trying to steal her man.
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But he was my man first.
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My name is Drizella, and I'm here from the dead to tell you the true
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story of how Cinderella pulled off one of the greatest cons in history.
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She got the name, the ball, the prince, the animated pigeons, the march, the eternal adoration.
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And it's built on lies.
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All of it.
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Well, except for the part about me having really big feet.
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Like, I was told most of my life to shop from the men's section of the shoe store.
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I bet that's half the reason I've ended up being a villain in every version.
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Because how dare I imagine myself as a worthy princess with my US size 11 feet?
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I digress.
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I must stay on track.
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And even though my version of events is no charming fairy tale, I must begin the story the right way.
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Once upon a time, there was a man with a family, a fortune, and a functioning household.
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So naturally, he had a midlife crisis and ran for the hills.
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Gone to figure myself out.
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Don't wait for me.
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And tell your mother, it's not me, it's her.
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I hope I figure out you suck big time.
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Yeah, I wasn't shocked because honestly we'd be idiots if we hadn't seen this coming.
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I crave adventure.
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This provincial family life is suffocating my soul.
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Someday I'll leave to seek my higher purpose.
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Marriage and fatherhood can't be it.
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I have to find myself and I really don't think I can do it while married to you specifically.
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But Mother was still blindsided, shocked, bamboozled.
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Why had he left?
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Was it because she wasn't pretty enough or young enough or hadn't plucked her eyebrows properly since 1823?
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Maybe her elbows were too pointy.
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Maybe her eyes lacked emotional depth.
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I tried to explain that it was more about him being a spineless lizard running away from adult responsibility.
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But she just kept sinking in the depths of her despair.
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And the couch.
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And without a husband around, she went into full damsel -in -distress mode.
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Oh, how I crave pickles.
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If only I had a man with strong arms to open this jar for me.
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Never mind that she had servants to open all the jars in the world and two perfectly decent daughters.
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Okay, fine.
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She had one decent daughter.
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Because the other one was Anastasia.
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Let's just say that we didn't know back then that excessive glue sniffing causes brain damage.
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And that kid always had her head stuck in a pot of glue.
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Anastasia, focus!
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With father gone and mother officially losing her mind, you and I have to run this household.
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Mother has plenty of money.
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But we need to start budgeting!
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Why?
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Mother is always telling me to stop budgeting when I'm around horses, because it makes them nervous.
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Like, hello lady, I'm the nervous one here, I'm the one who got kicked by a horse in the head!
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No, she's telling you to stop fidgeting!
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Those are two completely unrelated things!
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Are you sure?
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They sound a little related.
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They're not!
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Look, budgeting just means that we need to keep track of our expenses.
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For instance, how much do we spend on candles per week?
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Oh, candles?
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At least eleven.
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Eleven what?
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Candles.
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I meant money.
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What about it?
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How much money do we spend on candles?
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We spend money on them?
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No, Anastasia.
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They just grow on trees and we pluck them like fruit.
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Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
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Candles are free.
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What's the next item on your fidgeting list?
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Yep, this was my partner in responsibility.
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Her loyalty was unwavering, as was her misunderstanding of absolutely everything.
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She had a heart of gold and the usefulness of a fork in a soup bowl.
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Okay, okay, I'll stop roasting my poor sister now.
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Despite all her flaws, she was my rock.
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Heavy, useless, and mostly in the way.
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Hahaha, bazinga!
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But we soon had a much bigger problem at hand.
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Mother was dying for attention from men.
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And word of her wealth and desperation spread fast, sending every gold -digging bachelor within a hundred miles our way.
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And I figured out how to get rid of them fast.
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Of course, my sister slowed me down.
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Okay, Anastasia, are we ready for afternoon tea?
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Absolutely!
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I ordered those fancy pastries Mother loves, fresh lilacs, lemon curd...
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No, Anastasia, not the actual tea!
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The plan!
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Are we ready for the plan?
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Oh, the plan.
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Right, right.
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Let me just quickly cancel the musicians.
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You ordered musicians?
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This isn't an actual date, it's an ambush!
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Do you remember the strategy or not?
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Not really, but I'll think of something on the spot.
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You know I'm very quick on my, uh, you know, my...
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Did you just forget the word feet?
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Quick on my feet?
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No, that doesn't make sense.
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You know I run slower than a duck.
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I have yet to beat a duck in a race.
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Oh my god, focus on the tea!
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Fine!
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I'll spill tea on his thighs.
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No, that's not what we...
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Actually, you know what?
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You do that.
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Leave the rest to me.
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Great.
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And afterwards, we can eat the pastries.
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Yes, we can eat the pastries.
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And the lemon curd?
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Yes, fine.
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The lemon curd, too.
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I had discovered that the fastest method to drive off unwanted suitors was to casually mention Dad,
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and then watch Mother spiral into all five stages of grief.
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Well, four.
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Acceptance was off the table.
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Mother, you look lovely today.
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Isn't this the dress you were wearing the day Father left?
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No, that was the lavender one.
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Oh, yes.
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The one Father said made you look washed out.
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He.. he said what?
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Madam, you look absolutely radiant today.
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I cannot understand why any man would leave you.
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Of course he didn't leave me.
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He just relocated temporarily.
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I'm sure at this very moment he's thinking about how much he misses me, and he's making his way back home.
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Oh, I didn't think this was something temporary.
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You're right.
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I'm such a fool.
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Because honestly, what is there to miss?
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Just the woman who gave him the best years of her life.
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I held this family together, I cooked, I cleaned… When you ironed a napkin once, and I'm the one who holds anything together.
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But if he'd just communicated properly, I could've changed.
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I could have sent my daughters to finishing school and gone with him to find himself and slept under the stars.
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I could have been free -spirited and spontaneous.
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Do you think if he knew this, he'd come back?
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I really can't say, madam.
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Oh, there's no point thinking about it.
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He's gone now.
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But you're here to mend the pieces of my broken heart, right?
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You have good, strong shoulders to cry on.
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I'm going to cry on them so much.
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Ah, it's getting kind of late for my horse's dinner.
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This has been lovely.
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Are you running away from me too?
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No, I mean, yes.
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But it's not you, it's me.
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He was leaving anyway, genius.
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Tea is expensive.
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You're all crazy.
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As he ran off and Mother sobbed into the tablecloth, we high -fived.
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I thought I was so smart.
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Chasing off mom's suitors and taking charge of the household. But then...
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I made the biggest mistake of my life.
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Yeah, bigger than letting Anastasia give me a haircut once.
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I hired a gardener.
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Ma 'am, thank you for the position.
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If it pleases you, my daughter Ella will also be staying with me in the servants' quarters.
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I'm sure she can make herself useful to you.
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A girl my age emerged from behind him and I will never forget the first time I saw her.
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Her hair was like honey catching sunlight,
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her skin like porcelain, and her patched -up linen dress looked better than any silk I owned.
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Her eyes were the kind of blue that would make painters cry into their palettes trying to replicate it.
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Every feature on her face was in perfect harmony.
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And then she smiled.
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We didn't know it yet, but the entire trajectory of our lives was rewritten at that moment.
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Oh my.
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Just look at you, child.
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Like something out of a dream.
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You're perfect.
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You're too kind, ma 'am.
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I'm so grateful to you for letting me stay.
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She's glowing.
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Should people glow?
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Do you use some kind of special shampoo made from unicorn tears and fairy dust?
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Haha, you're funny.
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I like you.
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Did you hear that, Drizella?
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She likes me!
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As mother led her father away to show him their living quarters, and...
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I don't know, Anastasia went after a butterfly, Cinderella stayed back and looked directly at me.
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Drizella, isn't it?
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Yes. And you're...
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Ella?
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Yes.
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But my late mother nicknamed me Cinderella, because I'd always sleep by the fireplace and get covered in ashes.
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You know how nicknames stick.
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You don't have one?
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No, but you can call me Miss.
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You hired my father, Miss.
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That means you changed my life.
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And I'll be sure to return the favor.
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I felt a chill down my spine that had nothing to do with the weather.
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As she walked away, I just knew I disliked her intensely.
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Part of me thought it was because I was jealous, and yeah, of course I was.
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But I just had a feeling that beneath that flawless facade was someone calculating and dangerous.
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And oh, how I wish I wasn't right for once.
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At first, she just helped.
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She polished the silver, dusted the bookshelves, organized the pantry.
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But then she started having ideas for everything.
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She rearranged the furniture, suggested new colors for the curtains, and started embroidering tablecloths and crocheting bedspreads.
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It's like watching angels knit.
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Even I couldn't deny her taste was impeccable.
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And soon, Mother wanted her opinion on everything.
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And then, she was suddenly instructing all the maids, the butlers, and even the cook.
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The cook!
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That toad never listened to anything I said.
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The house sparkled, the cutlery gleamed, the food actually had flavor, and I could see my reflection in the floors now.
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How could I complain about that?
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But I couldn't help being bothered by how she had Mother and Anastasia wrapped around her little finger.
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She would make them face masks and hair oils, play the piano for them like she was Mozart's daughter, and sing like a nightingale.
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And then there was the dancing.
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There was a celebration as always at the end of the harvest season.
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And as the servants gathered to dance, Cinderella joined them.
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She didn't dance like a girl raised in servant quarters.
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She danced like the air was conspiring to hold her up.
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Like the music was written just for her.
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Like she'd spent her whole life rehearsing her steps to perfection.
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Everyone was mesmerized.
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She's so graceful.
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Not like my girls.
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That was the first time I heard her say it.
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Not like my girls.
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But it wasn't the last.
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Soon, Mother was drawing comparisons between her and us all the time, telling us how we could try to be more like her.
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And I swear, I would have given up and accepted her perfection and superiority if it wasn't for the bird incident.
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Come here, Gisela, look!
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A robin's nest right outside Ella's window.
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Isn't it sweet?
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It's gonna have babies soon.
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Yes, lovely.
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But I bet it won't be so sweet when they're all screeching at dawn.
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The two of them continued to look utterly enchanted, and I lost interest soon and left.
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But the next morning, I ran outside to Anastasia screaming.
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I found her standing under the tree, and the nest lay on the ground completely destroyed.
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The eggs and the robin were gone.
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Anastasia cried half the day, wondering if it was the work of an evil squirrel, or an evil raccoon, or an evil eagle.
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Later that evening, Cinderella walked into the living room, holding something behind her back.
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Mother, I made you a gift.
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Mother?
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Since when did she...
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Then I saw the gift, and my blood ran cold.
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It was a delicate comb, woven with tiny blue -gray feathers twisted through gold thread.
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Oh my dear, it's exquisite.
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Mother kissed her on the cheek.
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Anastasia clapped, while I just stared, stunned.
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This couldn't just be my imagination running away with me, right?
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Still feeling uneasy.
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I was going up to my room for the night, when I found Cinderella polishing the stairs' banister vigorously.
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Still cleaning?
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You really love it, don't you?
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Oh yes, it really helps me think.
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And all the work makes me sleep soundly at night.
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You should be sleeping well tonight anyway.
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You know, without all that chirping right outside your window.
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Yes, such a noisy little thing that Robin was.
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I wonder what happened to it.
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And we both know it wasn't an evil squirrel.
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Cinderella straightened and met my gaze, smiling.
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Please, Drizella, do I look like the kind of girl who murders birds?
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No, but looks can be very deceiving.
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People only see what they want to see.
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Luckily for me, they always want to see an angel.
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Without a shadow of a doubt then, I knew this girl was a psychopath.
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I just stayed away from her as much as possible.
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I was also glad that Mother was spending less time with her since she'd recently found gardening
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and spent hours outside taking interest in dirt and compost.
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I was happy she had a healthy hobby.
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Until I walked into the living room one afternoon to find her and Cinderella's father sipping tea and holding hands.
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Uh, what's going on here?
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What does it look like?
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I'm hoping he's about to flip your palm over and read your future because no other explanation will make much sense.
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Drizella, I know it's been hard on you since your father left and you miss him.
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Nope, not even a little, not even at all.
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Speak for yourself.
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Honey, a woman needs a man in her life.
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His companionship, his strong hands, his opinions.
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What I'm trying to say is, Mr. Rivers and I, we're...
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No, no, no, no, no, no, no. If your next words are, in love, I'm throwing myself out the window.
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Will you just let me finish?
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Fine. In love.
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Great.
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Fantastic!
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Open the window with your strong hands, Mr. Rivers, so I can throw myself out!
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Why would you be so upset, Drizella?
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And then, to always make things worse, Cinderella walked in!
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It's a beautiful thing for two lonely widowers to find love again.
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My father isn't dead.
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We don't know that.
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Oh my god, had she found a way to get rid of him too?
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No, she was just saying things to irk me.
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Cinderella put her hand on my arm.
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We're like family already.
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This just feels like it was meant to be.
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I really thought I might gouge Cinderella's blue eyes out with a fork.
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So I stormed off, grabbed a horse, and rode furiously, not even sure where I was headed.
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I just had to get away.
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I remembered an old estate on the hill that had burned down decades ago.
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It had never been rebuilt, but the library had survived.
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I'd sneaked in there a few times before, and I definitely needed abandoned ruins to rage in right now.
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I pushed open the creaky library door, grabbed a book randomly from the shelves, and plopped myself onto the couch next to a pile of dusty blankets.
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But then the pile moved.
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I turned around, terrified, to see a boy emerge from under the blankets.
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Oh, wow, it's just one girl.
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I thought an army of banshees had descended upon me.
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H -Are you.. a ghost?
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No, but that scream should have woken all dead people within a five -mile radius.
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Ow!
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What was that for?
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If it had passed through you, it would have meant you're a ghost.
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I was just checking.
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Did you miss the part where I specifically said no to that question?
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Why would I expect a ghost to tell the truth?
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Then why even ask?
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Okay, fair point.
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What are you doing here, blending into the furniture?
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Exactly that.
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I just wanted to disappear for a while.
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What about yourself?
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This isn't the most obvious hangout spot for a girl like you.
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A girl like me?
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Well, you don't look homeless in your silk gown.
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You're not exactly some local goat farmer yourself.
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How dare you!
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I'll have you know I milked a goat.. once.
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It ran away crying, but still.
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My name's Henry.
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Henry what?
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Just Henry.
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First name, Just.
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Okay then.
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Just Henry.
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Countess Dracula.
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Charmed to make your acquaintance.
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Now, is there any chance we could both disappear here together for a while?
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We don't have to talk about what we're running away from.
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I like the sound of that.
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And somehow, after that, Henry and I started meeting at the old estate.
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Not often, maybe once every week.
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We didn't ask why the other was there.
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We didn't even ask real names.
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Of course, a part of me was growing curious, but not knowing also felt weirdly nice.
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Like we were two fugitives, hiding out here and talking about books, ideas, the world.
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Anything but ourselves.
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But one afternoon, as I rode back home after meeting him, I came upon a scene of chaos.
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Mother was wailing like someone had died, Anastasia was blocking out the sound with pastries, and Cinderella was on the floor at Mother's feet.
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A picture of despair.
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It turned out that Mr. Riffers was a greasy rat who had run off with Mother's jewels.
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And he'd left Cinderella behind.
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Man, I would have given him the jewels myself if he'd just taken her.
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He took advantage of me.
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He played with my heart and threw dirt in my eyes.
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I will never forgive him.
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I will tear out every flower he planted with my bare hands.
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For a moment, I felt hope.
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Surely, Mother would toss Cinderella out after this.
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She would be a constant reminder of his betrayal.
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Please don't send me away.
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Please don't send me away.
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This is the only place I've ever felt safe.
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I will do whatever you ask of me.
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Please.
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I love you.
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I love our home mother.
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Ugh.
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Oh, my poor precious child.
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How could I hate you?
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You're betrayed and abandoned just like me.
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Of course you will stay here and we will heal together.
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Anastasia and I were abandoned too, and Mother never paid attention to OUR healing.
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As Cinderella sobbed into Mother's lap, she shot me a sideways glance that clearly said, Checkmate!
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Mr. River's betrayal just cemented Cinderella's place in her home more firmly.
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Now she wasn't just beautiful, she was tragic too.
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She needed love and care and everyone from the servants to the house cat wanted to give it to her.
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Mother now referred to her as my precious girl, while Anastasia and I were quietly downgraded to the other two.
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And I just found being around Cinderella unbearable.
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It's not like I was even needed around the house anymore.
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So I started slipping away more often to Henry.
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One afternoon, we decided to explore the woods near the estate.
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And barely 20 minutes in, there was a loud snap,
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a startled yelp, and I turned around to see Henry dangling upside down from a tree in a hunter's trap.
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I couldn't help laughing as he flailed around, trying to reach up and unhook himself.
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Oh, a little help before I pass out, maybe?
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I was just waiting for you to ask.
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I started tugging at the trap rope, but Henry kept giving the instructions non -stop.
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You're doing it wrong!
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Step to your left, pull tighter, then twist.
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No, not like that.
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Oh, you'll break it!
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Do you think I'm a helpless little girl who can't possibly figure out a rope trap for herself?
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Have you ever seen a rope trap before in your life?
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Of course not, because all I do is embroider cushions and sigh dramatically.
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I bet you don't even know how to embroider.
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You're right.
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I hate it.
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My threads get so tangled up that I want to poke someone in the eye with my needle.
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Violent and unladylike.
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You're a real catch.
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I yanked hard at the rope, and his face swung towards mine.
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Suddenly, we were too close, and his lashes were longer than any boy's head had a right to be.
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Your eyes are really pretty.
430
Flattery isn't going to make me help you faster.
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No, really.
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They're dark and deep like pools one could drown in.
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That's just the blood rushing to your head.
434
I quickly move to brace the rope again, when suddenly I noticed his shirt had slipped to reveal his belt, which had a silver crest.
435
The royal crest?
436
Wait, are you from the palace?
437
Define from.
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Define it before I drop you straight on your head.
439
Technically, yes.
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Are you the court jester?
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The guy who polishes the king's shoes?
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Something like that.
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Yeah, I'm gonna need better answers before I help you.
444
I pushed him hard and sent him swinging like a pendulum.
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Oh, come on, Lady Dracula, just let me down.
446
That's when I heard boots thundering through the woods.
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And before I could react, a pair of soldiers in armor grabbed me roughly by the arms.
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Another two swooped in, expertly cutting Henry down and catching him before he face -planted into the dirt.
449
Endangering the crown prince is a punishable offense, girl.
450
Endangering the who now?
451
Stand down, men.
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She's harmless.
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Unless she has a needle and thread in her hands.
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I just gaped at him.
455
You're the Crown Prince?
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Yes, first name, crown, second name, Prince.
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You told me just Henry!
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Well, I am just Henry sometimes.
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You never asked follow -up questions.
460
You will say nothing of this to anyone, men.
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Same as you.
462
Keep quiet about my visits here.
463
Is that understood?
464
Yes, your highness.
465
Your highness?
466
Your highness?
467
Your highness?
468
You look like you're both spiraling and want to murder me.
469
No, that's just my normal expression.
470
Now, since we're being honest and going for full disclosure...
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Uh, you're a liar who got forced into telling the truth.
472
How about you tell me your real name, too?
473
Drizella.
474
That's pretty.
475
Dracula suits you better.
476
Lots of names are coming to my mind for you, but I shall refrain from using them since I know who you are now.
477
Good day, your highness.
478
Hey, don't let this change things between us.
479
But I kept walking without turning to reply.
480
How could it not change things between us?
481
The boy I'd been sneaking off to meet, regularly insulted, hit a couple of times, and maybe, possibly, definitely liked,
482
was the freaking Crown Prince.
483
I didn't go back to the estate for days, still finding the truth about him too overwhelming.
484
But eventually, I cracked, so I wrote back to the old estate one afternoon, and my heart skipped a beat to find him already there,
485
throwing pebbles into a broken fountain.
486
Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.
487
I was beginning to think you died, or got married.
488
Sorry to disappoint you, but still alive and unwed.
489
You know, I was this close to going around town
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and knocking on random doors to inquire after a girl with violent tendencies and great hair.
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I just rolled my eyes.
492
But inside, I was smiling stupidly.
493
We just sat in silence for a while.
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I come here sometimes because it's all just too much.
495
The title, the expectations, the spotlight.
496
I don't even get along with my father mostly.
497
I know I'm gonna sound like an ungrateful brat, but sometimes I just don't want to be the prince.
498
I come here for quite the opposite reason, I suppose.
499
I feel invisible in my own house, completely replaced by my stepsister.
500
My pride wouldn't let me say the gardener's daughter.
501
She's perfect.
502
Everyone admires and adores her.
503
It's not hard to see why.
504
Come on, no one's perfect.
505
Oh no, she really is.
506
I'm sure this sounds like some petty sister jealousy, and it doesn't compare to your royal problems.
507
But honestly, they don't sound so bad.
508
No one expects anything from me.
509
Well, except maybe being more ladylike so I can marry some stuffy lord one day.
510
But you could do so much with your life, Henry.
511
And people expect things from you because you're important.
512
Because you matter.
513
Henry reached across the space between us and slipped his fingers through mine.
514
You matter to me.
515
As my heart tripped over itself, he leaned in and kissed me.
516
It was clumsy at first.
517
Our noses bumped, my hair got stuck in his stupid jacket, and we started laughing.
518
But it was so sweet and real.
519
And for a while, I forgot Cinderella.
520
I forgot he was royalty.
521
I forgot about everything.
522
It was just.. me and Henry.
523
I floated through the next few weeks like some lovesick idiot.
524
Of course, like any self -respecting lady, I didn't show it.
525
You're grinning like you've got a clothes hanger stuck in your mouth.
526
What is so funny about my art?
527
Ahem, uh, I wasn't grinning.
528
And what art?
529
The one you're staring at, my masterpiece.
530
I made this cat sculpture from old socks and glue.
531
Ah, that art.
532
The one cleverly disguised as garbage.
533
It's the loveliest duck I've ever seen.
534
Cat.
535
It's a cat.
536
Yes, that's what I said.
537
It was the happiest I'd ever felt in my entire stupid life.
538
Which naturally meant the universe had to kick me in the teeth soon.
539
One afternoon at the estate, Henry sat me down with a serious look.
540
I didn't like one bit.
541
I have to leave for a while.
542
What, running away to join the circus?
543
No. Father is sending me across the sea for an official royal delegation.
544
It could be months, even a year maybe.
545
I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds.
546
Grisilla, you made me realize that I need to take my position and privilege more seriously instead of whining about it.
547
So, yeah, I'm really trying.
548
I'm really proud of you, Henry and I just know you're gonna be brilliant.
549
But a small, selfish part of me wanted to scream, don't go, just stay.
550
We promised to write regularly, no matter what, and for a while, his letters were the only thing keeping me sane.
551
Of course, I always picked them up from the post office.
552
I didn't want to draw anyone's attention to our correspondence.
553
Dearest Countess Dracula, you will be thrilled to know that the local delicacy here is fermented fish eyeballs.
554
Guess who had to eat three?
555
Smiling all the while.
556
I cannot sleep at night because I keep imagining those eyeballs swimming around my gut winking at each other.
557
Send help!
558
Dearest one -time goat milker, I regret to inform you that my life is way more exciting than yours.
559
Just today, Cinderella invented chamomile soap and taught her cat to fetch her ribbons.
560
Anastasia lost an intense staring match to a goat.
561
Mother tried flirting with the milkman, and he fled on the aforementioned goat.
562
I am so close to faking my own death.
563
P .S.
564
I miss your face and your insults.
565
Mostly your insults.
566
Fine, also your face.
567
P .S.
568
I miss insulting you two.
569
I'm forced to practice my skills on vendors at the market, but it's not the same.
570
They cry too easily.
571
Of course, it wasn't ideal, but every letter kept him close, and for now, it was enough.
572
But then, the letter stopped coming.
573
At first, I told myself it was all fine, there could be a million reasons for delays.
574
But when two months passed by with no word, I started to feel a bit crazy.
575
Still nothing for you, same as earlier this afternoon.
576
You want me to save you a trip and scream no at you from across the street every morning?
577
You might consider picking up a hobby.
578
How about embroidery?
579
I wasn't getting any letters, but I didn't stop sending them.
580
Pages filled with jokes, questions, news, bad drawings.
581
But weeks and weeks went by, and still, there was no reply.
582
By now, my heart was filled with dread.
583
What if something had happened to him?
584
But if that was the case, the news would be everywhere.
585
And then finally, finally, a letter arrived one morning.
586
My hands were trembling so much, I almost ripped the letter trying to open the envelope.
587
Dear Drizella
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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze spreekles op niveau B2 is gebaseerd op de video “Cinderella Story For Adults”. Deze video bevat 587 zinnen en 5110 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 33:07. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 154 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. Slechts 78% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden, dus de woordenschat is pittig.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| servant zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈsɝvənt/ | hulp, hulpje |
| candle zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈkæn.dəl/ | kaars |
| goat zelfstandig naamwoord | /ɡoʊt/ | geit, bok |
| rope zelfstandig naamwoord | /ɹoʊp/ | touw |
| pastry zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈpeɪstɹi/ | gebak, banket |
| scream werkwoord | /skɹiːm/ | schreeuwen |
| curd zelfstandig naamwoord | /kɜː(ɹ)d/ | wrongel |
| glue zelfstandig naamwoord | /ɡlu/ | lijm |
| abandon werkwoord | /əˈbæn.dən/ | opgeven, prijsgeven |
| lemon zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈlɛmən/ | citroen |
| crave werkwoord | /kɹeɪv/ | verlangen |
| embroider werkwoord | /ɪmˈbɹɔɪdɚ/ | borduren |
| endanger werkwoord | /ɛnˈdeɪnd͡ʒɚ/ | in gevaar brengen |
| eyeball zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈaɪ.bɔl/ | oogappel |
| fidget werkwoord | /ˈfɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/ | friemelen, de kriebels hebben |
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
| Woord | Betekenis |
|---|---|
| figure out werkwoord | uitvogelen, er achter komen |
| burn down werkwoord | platbranden, afbranden |
| come back werkwoord | terugkomen |
| drive off werkwoord | verjagen |
| end up werkwoord | belanden, terechtkomen |
| give up werkwoord | zich overgeven |
| pick up werkwoord | oppakken, optillen |
| run away werkwoord | vluchten, weglopen |
Zinnen om te herhalen
Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:
- How much money do we spend on candles?
- We spend money on them?
- What's the next item on your fidgeting list?
- Are we ready for the plan?
- You really love it, don't you?
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Voorwaardelijke zinnen if + zin, will/would + werkwoord — een voorwaarde en het gevolg | if he knew this, he'd come |
| Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet | are mentioned · I've been told · was told |
| Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt | I've been told · I've ended · has been |
| Betrekkelijke bijzinnen who / which + zin — extra informatie over een persoon of ding | one who got · woman who gave · one who holds |
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 142 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals I'm, you're, don't. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: perfection /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/, musician /mjuˈzɪʃən/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, reflection /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/
Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:
- Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: curd /kɜː(ɹ)d/, crave /kɹeɪv/, sob /sɑb/, emerge /ɪˈmɝd͡ʒ/, excessive /ɪkˈsɛsɪv/
- /æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: candle /ˈkæn.dəl/, abandon /əˈbæn.dən/, madam /ˈmædəm/, blanket /ˈblæŋ.kɪt/, react /ɹiːˈækt/
- /g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: goat /ɡoʊt/, glue /ɡlu/, grin /ɡɹɪn/, eagle /ˈiːɡəl/, garbage /ˈɡɑɹ.bɪd͡ʒ/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als servant, candle, goat.
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.