In “Cinderella’s Secret Dream”, the intrusive narrator provides a unique perspective that casts both Cleis, as Cinderella, and the billionaire, as the prince, in a new light. As the narrator, Regan portrays Cleis positively, highlighting her beauty and tenacity, while constantly criticizing her mother, her sister Lotta, and even herself. Cleis, whose character is traditionally submissive⁠—mostly accepting how she is treated and only passively dreaming of a better future⁠—now actively works towards her “one-way train ticket” (2) to a new life. Likewise, the millionaire is no Prince Charming; rather, he assaults Cleis and murders Lotta⁠.

In this version of the story, the stepmother’s cruelty becomes part of the backstory and the role of the antagonist is shifted to the millionaire, yet unlike in typical fairy tales, he faces virtually no consequences. Cleis, at least, stands up for herself and is able to escape the town and begin a career elsewhere, but little attention is paid to Lotta’s suffering. Only two paragraphs are dedicated to explaining her death, which, on a whole, is brushed aside casually. In contrast to Cleis’s success, Lotta’s murder is never truly avenged (though the millionaire later dies in a helicopter accident, this is an unrelated incident and does not bring a sense of justice being served). Even more unnerving is Regan’s description of her own sister’s death, with which she holds the same attitude that she has towards her sister’s murderer.

Despite Cleis’s unconventional happy ending subverting genre expectations, the narrative ultimately stays within the confines of a society that has normalized the existence of femicides and gender-based violence. The exploration of these topics within a typically lighter genre, and the way they are integrated so as to unsettle readers without taking away from the focus of the Cinderella plot, leaves a stronger impact on the audience.