Many reincarnated women end up living the dream as one of the younger characters from a novel—but not Mildred Vans, the newly widowed 37-year-old mother of three. She appears to be none other than the wicked stepmother from the famous Cinderella tale, an irredeemable and despised villain. With no servants to speak of and a shoestring budget, all Mildred wishes is for her three daughters—Iris, Lily, and the future princess Ashley—to marry well and live comfortably.

As the fateful ball approaches, Mildred plans to ensure her adorable Ashley meets the prince and to find adequate husbands for her strong-willed Iris and creative Lily. By chance, Mildred encounters Daniel Wilford, a mysterious young baron oddly fond of Mildred and kind to her daughters. Although Mildred is decidedly done with romance and preoccupied with her children, Daniel never fails to extend a helping hand, patiently waiting for the day she will be ready to love again.