A Friend

From then on, Mary would often give food and things to Ashley. She was older than her, so Ashley felt she gained a second mother and an older sister. On the other hand, her true elder sister treated her like a toy and a slave. The Countess would still whip Ashley whenever she felt like it while her daughter watched her mother. When she turned 11, Ashley started locking herself in her room. Every time the Countess wanted to whip her, Ashley would lock her room and put a chair on the knob.

Eventually, Elizabeth lost interest in torturing Ashley, so she stopped coming and toying with her. But she would still look at Ashley with disgust whenever she saw her.

Time passed, and Ashley turned sixteen. She is still thin, full of bruises and whip scars from the abuse. But she looks healthier in her current state than when Mary first saw her.

"Eat all the bread. Don't worry about your lunch and dinner. I'll bring it to you." Mary said as she watched Ashley eat her bread bit by bit.

Ashley shook her head. "No. I will save this bread, so you don't have to give me your food."

Mary's eyes widened upon hearing Ashley's remark. She would often skip lunch and dinner and give them to Ashley. She never thought that Ashley knew about it.

"H-how? No, never mind it. I'll bring you food later. No, buts." Mary poured another glass of water again and gave it to Ashley. "Here, drink some more."

Ashley was still drinking when someone forcefully knocked on the door.

"Ashley, open this door. NOW!" The Countess shouted as she knocked.

Ashley shivered in fear upon hearing the Countess's voice. Mary hugged her tight and covered her ears. Ashley would feel like a child again whenever Mary did this to her. But this time, it made her feel safe and secure. The knocking on the door continued as the Countess shouted.

"You won't open the door?! Guards, break this door." The Countess ordered.

The noises from the door turned from knocking to slamming. Soon, the door started to break. Every time the knights would slam her door, Ashley's heartbeat quickened. The knights were able to break the door in a short time because of their strength.

A mean-looking, middle-aged woman with curly black hair tied in a bun and blazing brown eyes came in. She wore a long-sleeved, tight, pointed bodice and a full-skirted hazelnut dress with a whip in her left hand. Followed by her three maids, the Countess entered the room while the knights stood outside.

The Countess saw Mary shielding Ashley.

"Out of the way," she ordered.

But Mary wouldn't budge, so she shouted again.

"Out of the way." But still, she won't budge from her position.

"My Lady, please spare her," Mary said as she covered Ashley with her body.

The Countess signaled the knights to drag Mary away. The glass fell from Ashley's hand and broke into pieces on the floor.

"Mary!" Ashley cried as she tried not to let go of Mary. But the knights were so strong that it took just one pull to drag Mary out of the room.

"You wench. You want to die, Huh?" The Countess yelled as she started her torture on Ashley again.

She whipped Ashley reluctantly while the girl tried to cover herself with her thin arms. Every time the whip landed on her skin, the sound of the whip echoed throughout the room. Her sobs and pleas mix with the sound of the whip.

"Please…ah… stop… ah…forgive…me…" Ashley pleads with the Countess as she whips the girl non-stop, but the Countess acts deaf.

As she got whipped, the shards of the broken glass on the floor she was lying on, her body started to bleed.

The maids couldn't bear to watch and just closed their eyes. They are crying deep inside because they can't do anything to help this young girl. The knights outside the room gritted their teeth as the whipping sound continued.

Afternoon came, and the Countess got satisfied with her tortures. She looked at the girl, lying on the ground helplessly, and couldn't even move anymore.

"As you grow up, you look more and more like your mother." She said, then handed her whip, covered in blood, to one of her maids and left the room. The maids looked at the pitiful Ashley and muttered "Sorry" before leaving.

The maids of this mansion can't even help her because they can never go against their masters. Even the knights weren't able to help poor Ashley. They whispered, "Sorry," as they left Ashley's room.

When they all left, a silhouette came in. Lying on the ground, Ashley tried to open her eyes. She heard a soft cry as gentle, trembling hands touched her.

"I'm sorry, Ashley. I couldn't protect you." Mary said in between her sobs.

Ashley tried to smile and speak. "It's...okay."

"I'm happy... that you are fine."

Mary cried again as she tried to lift Ashley's injured body. Ashley groaned due to the pain after Mary lifted her; she fainted.

Mary's dress on the back side has some holes from the whip. Her back stings as her blood mixes with her sweat while she tends to the passed-out Ashley. But she didn't mind it, for she wanted to take care of Ashley first.

After that, Mary fixed the door in Ashley's room and replaced the knob lock. Then she stayed by her side all night.

Days passed, and the Count came home from his business trip in the West. The Countess didn't hurt nor meet Ashley again. On the other hand, Mary took good care of her and tried many ways to heal her wounds. Ashley recovered, and her health improved.

It is the sixth night now after the Countess's invasion. Ashley is sitting in her bed while Mary is tending to her.

"*sigh* I don't know how to remove the whip marks. Oh! Poor skin." Mary whined as she put some medicine on her fair, white skin, full of whip marks.

"It's okay. No one can see it anyway." Ashley responded.

"You silly girl. Even if the Countess hurt you physically and verbally, you need to stand up for yourself. Don't let her trample on you."

"But I'll be in this hell until I die anyway," Ashley murmured.

"Look at me!" Ashley turned around to face Mary. "Life can sometimes be painful and full of sacrifices. But it won't last long. Happiness and love will come after." Mary smiled.

"How can you be sure of that? I've been living here for nine years. And I'm still living in the depths of hell."

Mary sighed, "Good things will happen. Just keep your faith and hope alive until the end." Then she hugged Ashley.

"Ouch," Ashley growled. Mary forgot Ashley's wounds.

"Oops! Sorry!" And the two giggled.

Two weeks passed, and Ashley's open wounds started to close. By the time Ashley's health had fully recovered, Mrs. Lana, the head housekeeper of the Harriston Mansion, came to her room and told her to go to work. Whenever the Count is at home, the Countess can't torture Ashley. But she would make her work as a maid without paying her.

"Wipe the windows upstairs, Mary." She ordered Mary, then looked at Ashley. "And you, do the laundry."

"Yes, ma'am." They both responded. Mary left first, and as soon as she was gone, Mrs. Lana stopped Ashley.

"How are your wounds?" She asked as she changed her mean face to a concerned one. "If you can't still work, just tell me."

Ashley shook her head. "I'm okay now, ma'am." Mary tended to me. "

The head maid sighed. "I couldn't help your mother back then, and yet I still can't even help you. I'm sorry."

Ashley stared at her as she observed the woman in front of her. Mrs. Lana is a big, middle-aged woman with short, straight brown hair in a bun that she hides with a maid's cap and always wears a long-neck black dress with puffy sleeves. She would often tell her that she was her mother's friend when she was still a maid.

"It's alright, Ma'am. I understand." Then she smiled at Mrs. Lana and walked away towards the laundry room. When she got there, the other maids saw her and surrounded her.

"Are you fit to work now, Ash?" one of the maids asked.

Ashley nodded and smiled slightly.

"We are sorry that we can't help you." The maids started to shed tears. "We fear they will whip us too and then fire us."

"It's okay. I understand," Ashley assured them.

"Oh my! Poor hands. I still have the ointment that can help heal scars. I'll give it to you." One of the maids offered.

"Thank you," Ashley said before approaching the laundry baskets.

"What are you doing standing there, doing nothing?" Mrs. Lana yelled loudly that all the maids scatter to get back to their work. And so is Ashley.