Maid-Servant

I opened the shower hoping that the sound of running water would take the mind of my recent situation. I sat down on the floor curling my head within my legs. I couldn't help but cry. I couldn't believe that I let that happen. If I didn't stop him today who knew what could have happened, and no one could say that I got raped because I let that happen. Everything was so jumbled up in my head. Why did he seem to be more caring than the last time?

Nope.

I can't just trust him. He is literally keeping me here without my consent. That obviously makes him my kidnapper.

A knock on the door gave me the jump scare of my life.

"Are you going to come out or are you going to sleep there?" He asked from the other side of the door.

I chose not to answer. It felt like my lips were zipped, I couldn't even utter a word.

"Great,.." He sounded a bit distressed.

"Whenever you're ready you can come out. Just to let you know I have work tomorrow so I'm going to be smart about it and actually go to sleep." after a few moments there was silence. He probably did go to sleep. Nevertheless my only option tonight was to sleep in the bathroom. Maybe Mother Lu would come and get me by tomorrow.

Speaking of which, because of my stupidity, the floral dress I was wearing was now soaked and my hair was damp. How was I meant to sleep in that? I got up trying to put everything at the back of my mind and focus on getting myself to sleep. I took off my dress and wore a bathrobe that was folded neatly in an open cupboard. I used another towel to dry my hair and platting it so that it wouldn't be messy by next morning.

At first, I had no idea how I was going to sleep on this hard floor but I thought of something brilliant instead. I took all the folded towels in the open cupboard and placed it in neat rows on the floor enough for me to sleep in. I went to put the light off and realised that the switch was on the outside. Whatever the case may be, There was no way I was opening this bathroom until the next day. After hours of recollecting what just happened, I was slowly drifting to sleep.

My eyes were closed but I could vaguely tell it was morning. My body felt way more comfortable than where I slept last night.

I scrunched my forehead as I heard his voice. It sounded like he was on a phone call. But something felt really weird about it, his voice sounded closer than him being on the other side of the room. I rolled to my side and opened my eyes.

My vision went from blurry to clear. I was definitely sleeping on something higher than where I was sleeping last night. It was spongier and comfortable. It also had pillows that my head was currently laying on. I quickly sat up confused about my situation. There, right in front of me he was talking on the phone whilst doing his tie. At my confused state, I looked at my surroundings making sure to double-check that I was definitely not mistaking. I was in his room on his bed. Wearing PJs that I clearly wasn't wearing yesterday. I quickly jumped off the bed taking a step back.

"Why..? How did I get here?" I finally took the courage demanding for answers. He turned around looking at me with an expression that told me he really wasn't baffled. I asked again this time with a stern and firm voice.

"I'll see you in a bit, Sara, make sure everything is prepared before I get there." He hung up and turned around facing me. I took another step back not knowing what to predict.

"We are late hurry up and get dressed," He said walking towards me.

I tried moving away from any direction he was headed towards. Which is when I realised he was well dressed and suited up. "We!? Hold up... What do you mean we? I am not going anywhere with you. I am waiting here for Mother Lu."

"Oh, we will see about that." He said approaching me even more. I was now trapped in the corner as he closed the gap so I had nowhere to go.

"What are you going to do?" With the way he was looking at me, there was definitely nothing innocent going through his mind. I could just tell.

"I don't know. What am I supposed to do if my wife refuses to get dressed? I mean I did do a pretty decent job last night." He said mischievously grazing the tip of his fingers along the string of my PJ vest. I quickly slapped his hand away not liking the feeling it gave to me. "What do you say, Ms Elly, Should I let you do it or should I take the honours to do it myself again." He added smirking disgustingly.

I held my clothes tightly together in response to his animalistic words. "I'll do it. Don't ever do that or touch me again." I said as strongly as I could.

"Oh, I can't promise that to you. I mean what's a husband and wife supposed to do. Just sit there and stare at each other?" He said nonchalantly walking away.

"I'd appreciate it if that was the case between us." I replied hoping he would actually take my words seriously. "And please stop calling me Ms Elly. My name's Elayne. Get it right"

"It's good you admit to being my wife. You are doing quite well pumpkin." I immediately cringed as he said those words. I was honestly about to throw up.

He took out an outfit from his cupboard handing it to me with a smile on his face. He pinched my cheeks and laughed away. "Oh you are going to love today" He laughed excitedly as he disappeared into the living room.

What was that supposed to mean? I didn't know whether to take it literally or sarcastically.

I quickly wore the navy blue buissness dress that stopped right below my knees. I freshened up and brushed my teeth, taking the braids off from last night and used a brush I found in the bathroom to brush it down neatly. I wondered if I should wear the sneakers I wore yesterday. It wouldn't really match what I was wearing but I didn't really have much of a choice either.

I walked into the living room looking for him. He was sat on the couch on his phone. His neck tie was wrapped around his neck undone. It looked like he struggled to do it a few times with failure. I sniggered at the fact that he couldn't do a tie. All of a sudden I remembered my brother. He couldn't do his tie either. I used to help him do it everytime he went for work. He would have rather let mum do it but she couldn't do it either. A few tears urged to come out but I pushed them back.

"I thought you said we were late why are you sat down." I won his attention away from his phone. He quickly put his phone off and hid it in his pocket clearing his throat.

"Are you ready?" He asked flushed continuing to clear his throat. whatever it was, something he saw on his phone was making him act really weird. My best guess was he was watching porn. Early in the morning as well. He never really did fail to surprise me.

He approached me and reached out his hands towards my hair. All of a sudden, my face was only a cm away from his chest and he was definitely doing something to my hair. The tension from last night was oozing out again. I quickly pushed myself away reasonably.

His eyes were fixated towards me. It almost looked like he was calculating something. I felt my hair confused at what he was doing earlier, only to know that my hair was in a ponytail and he looked like he regretted doing that. I started questioning how ugly I must have looked with the way he was looking at me.

"What?...." His gaze was starting to make me feel uncomfortable.

"Urm.. nothing," he replied muffling my hair straight afterwards. He held my hand and we both walked out of the hotel. I tried freeing my hands away from his clasp but it got tightened further the more I tried.

This time we used the normal exit. There were a lot of people around but looking up he didn't seem to be worried that I would shout for help. My mind was now adapted to all this confusion. I must have gone crazy.

Till this day I keep asking myself why I didn't shout for help. Who knew maybe that was my only way out of his grip. I kept telling myself I followed him because I wanted to see Mother Lu.

He opened the door for me and off he drove stopping at a gigantic building. Right in the centre 'XUHAN Corp' was written boldly with an extravagant font. A guard eventually opened the door for us. I on the other hand was so immersed into the massive building that I wasn't looking where I was going.

With my clumsiness, I bumped into one of the guards and we both swayed onto the floor. Thankfully I didn't take the hit, the guard I was laying on, took it the most.

He got up grunting in pain. "Are you alright ma'am?" He asked

"Yeah I'm fine, are you?" I asked back as he held my hand helping me up.

"....yeah... me...too.." He answered. but this time around he was acting weird. he looked dazed and distracted. Was there something on my face? Is that why Sherman was looking at me weirdly earlier in the hotel too?

"Nice to meet you ma'am. The name's Dustin." He said still holding onto my hand. I slowly slid my hand away from his, feeling the awkwardness.

"Hey man.. I don't think that was needed." The guard standing next to him tried whispering to him. I could tell he did that out fear for his fellow co-worker.

"No no, that's fine... My name is Elayne nice to meet you too." I said smiling. It actually made me feel good to speak to someone without feeling trapped. 2 days already felt like 2 weeks.

"Do I have to keep waiting?" That absolute goat opened his mouth before Dustin could utter his next words.

I turned to him cursing at the fact that he actually still exists. "Why am I even here? When am I going to see Mother Lu?." I asked in front of everyone on purpose. His expression turned colder than it already was.

The awkward silence was broken when Sara suddenly walked out the building. "Welcome, Mr Lu. Everything has been prepared as ordered and this is your schedule for today." Sara was acting more distant than she was back in the forest house.

Sherman took the tablet from Sara and walked straight towards me with his cheeks sucked in. I could tell he was angry. He harshly held my arm and dragged me with him. Before I could react we were already in the building. We walked into a bunch of people in office wear, bowing in front of us leaving a pathway. They were definitely bowing at him. He, on the other hand, had no reaction and kept walking straight through

With every step we took. "Welcome Mr CEO." was heard. I, who was getting dragged was so spoilt in the scenario of power right in front of me I couldn't care less of what he was doing to me.

"Sara... Fire him. Right, this second!" He roared.

"Yes sir. Right away sir." Sara said and started to walk away.

"Wait, wait, wait," I said taking my hands off him in return stopping both him and Sara

"Who are we talking about here," I asked actually begging that it wasn't who I thought it was.

"It's got nothing to do with you." He answered still looking frustrated.

"It's not Dustin is it. You are not actually going to fire him, are you? What did he do wrong, it was me that bumped into him." I was shaken. How could he? I couldn't think of any other reasons but that. It was his first time coming to the company therefore the first time seeing Dustin. What other reason could there be?

"You are calling his name as if you guys were the closest thing on earth and defending him like you've known him forever. You just met him for Pete's sake." His words were going in from one ear and going out from the other.

"So the one you are firing really is him?" I sarcastically laughed at the ridiculous situation I was encountering. "I thought I was making a stupid assumption but you really are abiding to that stupid assumption. May I know the reason why you are firing him?" I asked. There was only one thought in mind and I hoped for it not to be true.

At first, he was silent but in a moment he closed the distance between us I could literally feel the heat exulting from him. I couldn't really question his anger at that point. "You just met him, he hasn't done shit for you. Why are you being nice to him?... Why are you letting him touch you?... Was it that nice to.. to.."

"To what?!" I was getting frustrated. He looked at me triggered. Not being able to answer my question, he sighed and turned around looking frustrated.

All of a sudden he started nodding. "Fine.. Cancel it." He said to a Sara flickering his hands to her as a gesture. A sigh of relief with a smile was activated from me. The realisation of someone being fired because of a silly mistake that was in fact mine was suffocating enough.

"You.. come with me." He glared at me and started walking away. I didn't really believe I had to follow him. At that rate of him walking away, I could have had the chance to run away. Unfortunately, when I turned around to do just that, the 2 guards from last night were right behind me. He was well prepared for any situation. That must have been the reason why I didn't try to escape in the hotel this morning.

I followed him all the way to an office that seemed to be his, from this day forward. I walked straight and He sat on his chair as if he was at home. He clasped his hands together facing me and gestured for me to sit down. A moment or two of awkward stares from him got me wanting to jump out the window.

" Come in>" He called out through the telecom. In a short while, Sara walked in with neatly folded clothes in her hands. I couldn't quite tell what type it was though.

"As you may already know I can't really communicate with this girl so go ahead and have a go at explaining it to her." He said to her. Whatever he said I know for a fact that it was somewhat meant to insult me. I didn't even try to figure out what they were saying. My brain was already piled up with confusion. I couldn't handle it anymore.

"Yes sir. So, Elayne, we have met before in the forest house. I will be assisting through your job untill you get things right. After that, your job is yours, not for me to confide in."

"I'm sorry what? What job? Can you elaborate on everything you just said because I am clearly feeling a bit confused."

No, I was feeling very confused.

"So Elayne. You have kindly been offered a job here at XUHAN corp. You will be Mr. Lu's personal maid allocated only at his office. You are to do whatever you are told by Mr.Lu and myself at all costs. You may stop listening to my orders once I am done assisting you but your heedfulness to Mr.Lu shall remain. That is all."

I had never laughed so sarcastically in my life. It almost felt real. "I'm sorry... did I just hear you say 'His maid? I don't know I feel like my ears have been fooling me today." I couldn't help but bust a joke out in return to their hilarious joke.

"That is correct you will be a maid allocated to his office." She answered so literally.

"And why do I have to do this job I have not even asked for? I don't really remember agreeing to all of this" I didn't know who they thought they were to be forcing me into a job however they wished.

"Thank you Sara. I'll take it from here." He ordered. She left the clothes on the couch in the office and walked out right after that. She honestly reminded me of an AI robot.

"Elayne..." He stopped like he was taking a breather. "Your mum,... You do care about her right?"

"What Is that question suppose to mean?" Whatever he was planning to say. It felt like my heart was being drenched all over again

"As far as I'm concerned, you do care about your mum, therefore I would suggest you take this job without any further issues for her own sake. You do know what I'm capable of right." For some reason I understood what he meant straight away. I was honestly so gutted.

"If you dare touch my mum, i'l..." He stopped me before I could finish threatening him. My legs were shaking at the thought of hearing my mum come out from his mouth. I know the things he has done to other people. I couldn't bare to see my mum fall victim to that

"That depends on how well you do. Don't take my words for granted." I did really believe he was capable of disastrous things. I just wasn't willing to risk it on my mum. She didn't really treat me as I wanted but I really did love and care for her. This maybe something he wants but I could also use it to an advantage for me.

"All you want for me to be is a maid, right? Fine... I'll do just that. But I will earn pay just like any other employee and I want it to be sent to my mum with my own written letter to tell her that I'm fine." At first, he was quiet and it looked like he wasn't willing to do it. But then he nodded. At least one weight out of the hundreds of the other weights on me was lifted from my shoulders.

Day by day this particular man always found a way to make my life a living hell. I had no choice, no freedom at all. I went from living within the steam to living inside the boiling water. Life, as we know it for me, is a dead end.