Scarlet secret

Do well to scrub the floors properly, we're having guests tomorrow " Matilda ordered as I continued cleaning. "Yes, Matilda" I replied. "Excuse me? Who's Matilda? You should address me the exact way you address my parents," she said. "I'm sorry ma" I replied. "You missed a spot," she said pointing at the floor. "I already cleaned that ma....did you just drop this?" I asked. "You're paid to clean aren't you?...so do it numbskull" she shouted. For someone who could easily pass as my younger sibling, Matilda was unnecessarily rude. I could hit a mop over her head but then who will pay for Ken's tuition or Jake's debts? I could have sworn I had cleaned that exact spot twice already. Then again, it was just Matilda being, well, Matilda. She would keep littering places I had already cleaned and deliberately make things I had already cleaned dirty, and whenever I complained, it was either always "You're paid to clean right, do it " or "My parents practically feed you, so mind your words." But then she wasn't the one to blame. "Matilda, what problem do you have with the maid this morning?" I heard Mr. Russo call out. "Dad, she just daydreams instead of working and when she does work, she doesn't clean properly " she answered. "You there!!" He turned to me. "You're on thin ice...Next time Matilda reports or has a problem with you, you'll be officially fired from here" he continued. "But sir..." "Don't piss me off, I am not the cause of your misfortune, I only took you in as a maid here not because you're qualified but because your parents died and you're helpless, so don't piss me off" he interrupted as headed to the dining table for breakfast... "I'm sorry sir" I called out, tears almost blocking my speech. "Just bring me breakfast numbskull" he responded... "And me too," Matilda said as she followed. And yes this was how a typical morning went. For me. I'd come to work to clean, Matilda makes a complaint, to her father, sometimes to her mum, they'd then talk about how I wouldn’t be alive without them, or how I would have died of hunger if they didn't employ me. Rarely they'd talk about my dead parents and that's how my life went every day. I was a slave in Russon mansion and not a maid. The Russo family were all at the dining table having breakfast, the clicking of expensive silverware filled the air...while I continued scrubbing the floors. "Dad I don't understand why we hire people like her, we can do a lot better with our help dad, it's not like we can't afford it, Dad." Matilda started a conversation and I just knew it was about me " “ Matilda as long as the floors are clean I don't care who scrubs them," her dad said while letting out a laugh. "Exactly the point" Mrs. Russo added as they all laughed. The sounds of their laughter made me sad, it made me tear up, not because of how they treated me but then because I remember being that happy. Yes, I was once a happy rich young daughter of a billionaire, everything was perfect, my life was going great, I had a family, a Mom who loved me, a dad who cherished me, and most of all my little brother Ken. But that all changed 7 years ago..... I was just 16 years and Ken was 10. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, we had just finished breakfast and I was showing Mum, Dad, and Ken, the dancing skills I had just learned. I had always wanted to be a graceful ballerina, nothing more...and I had parents to support that dream. I remember Dad saying I danced gracefully, "You dance like a Swan my princess" I remember Mum adding. And that was it, in just an instant, my life changed. "Crazy how one's life can turn quite upside down," they say, but that was exactly what happened to me... the last thing I remember was Mum saying "You dance like a Swan my princess" and the next instant all I heard was sirens, smoke coming from the house I remember and that was it.. everyone was hospitalized but mum and dad didn't come out alive. ************ The road to the club seemed like my only place of escape, from Matilda's nagging, Mr Russon's unending hurtful words, Mrs Russon's annoying laugh, and the ambiance of my prison, the Russon's mansion. _Beep Beep, I heard my phone ring, and my heart dropped as I looked to see who it was.... it was Jake. Jake's call once made me giggle, it once made me happy, but now all it did was bring me pain. "Where are you, woman?" Jake asked as I picked up the call. "I.......I'm on my way to the cl.....cl...job, my job " I answered my heart racing. "What Job?.... you mean the club?" He said as he laughed callously. "Ye.....yes " I replied. "Remember, there's a lot of money you have left to pay, and also if anyone touches you, you and that person will both lose your lives," he said as he disconnected the call. I missed when calls from Jake brought me nothing but excitement, but now it was either he wanted to ask for money for his drugs, tell me how much he despised me, or tell me how much debt I still had to pay on his behalf. The club seemed different today, it had more people today. The scent of expensive oud perfumes filled the air. Neon lights flickering in the colors red and blue, the loud music gave the exact vibe a club should have on a Friday night. Dancers moved to the tune of every music played... Elites from all professions were right there, waiting patiently for the star of the night. "Are you ready for her?" I heard the club showman say to the audience. "Yes!" I heard the crowd echo back. Backstage seemed quite busy, strippers and Dancers getting changed, wearing new clothes, grabbing all they were going to need for their performance. "Why aren't you all dressed yet, why are you only on your mask?" the manager shouted. "I'd be there soon sir" I responded, my hands shaking. This is not the life I chose, not the life I wanted to give but then at least it paid the bills. As I took the most important part of my outfit "the red mask", I felt the familiar weight of unease I felt every night, to the audience, the mask was to add suspense and mystery to my character to captivate their imagination but not!! It is because I am ashamed, and embarrassed at the type of job I do at night. How ironic, right?... a helpless maid by day and the captivating stripper at night "Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready ?" I heard the entertainer backstage. "It is time" my manager approached me. "She moves like a dream, behind her mask lies a world of untold stories, desires, and forbidden fantasies. She dances like an angel but is as dangerous as the devil. She doesn't just perform, she captivates, ladies and gentlemen she is art, tonight you're not just an audience, you are witnesses to her art... Scarlet Veil everyone " the entertainer said as the lights dimmed, and music played. It was time to perform. Every movement I made, step I took, a reminder that I was not supposed to be here, but if what it takes for Ken to be in school, then so be it. My dances are as graceful as they come, my red mask glittering under the spotlight, eyes fixed on me. "Isn't she amazing ladies and gentlemen?" the entertainer said as I finished the performance. The audience applause was resounding, whilst some gave flowers as soon as I finished my performance. I would have just felt better if it was applause for an actual dance performance. "Good job, this night's performance was quite captivating, do better and you'd earn a bonus," the manager said approaching me after the show. "Thank you sir" I replied as I hurriedly left. It was dawn already and I had to be at the Russon mansion soon or else I'd get caught.