Ella lives with her cruel stepmother Eva and stepsisters Anosmia and Drusilla after losing her parents. They treat Ella like a servant, forcing her to do all the housework while giving her no friends or freedom. One day, Eva accuses Ella of sneaking off to a ball the night before instead of going shopping. Ella denies it while her stepsisters try to blame Ella for the family's horses being repossessed, falsely claiming Ella spent all their money on strippers. Eva is unsure of which story is true.