The Billionaire's Enslaved

Paula's Betrayal

Melissa couldn't get the image of Jordan out of her mind: those dark eyes and sultry lips with those black curls that fell over his face, giving him some dark lascivious aura.

He had been on her mind ever since she returned from the farm and every attempt of hers to stop thinking about him proved futile. But could she blame herself?

She had just found out that Louis was only a guard, his chief bodyguard in Paula's voice, but that didn't change the fact that he was just a servant like everyone else and that meant only one thing: It had been Jordan's idea for her to be trapped here.

Melissa had never had a guard before neither had she had the luxury of servants serving her but she had enough sense to know that a servant never did anything without his boss' permission. Therefore, there was no way Louis would have come up with this silly idea of keeping her here if Jordan hadn't ordered him to.

It all made sense now why he had that stupid smirk on his face when she had first seen him. She was sure it was then he had cooked up the plan to capture her. Was that why he had said he wanted her? Of course, he would have been the one to utter such slander. It looked like something he would do.

Melissa wondered if she should ask him why he wanted her; if she should ask him why he had brought her to work for him? Did she look like a toy to him? Something that could be wanted and discarded at any point in time?

Did . . .

Melissa couldn't go further in her thought because someone had just poured cold water on her face. Melissa gasped, a shriek escaping her lips as she jumped to her feet.

The room had now erupted into a bout of laughter and all eyes were on her.

"No." Melissa heard Paula jump down from her bed but she remained still, staring at her now wet bed instead.

She tore her eyes away from the bed and stared down at her blue dress which was soaked with water and she gasped again, in surprise and anger. She looked up through the water trickling down her cheek and dripping from her hair to see who had done such to her. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Ivy holding a bowl, a goofy grin on her face.

"What did you do that for?" She asked the crimson-haired lady but the lady only shrugged, like it hadn't been a big deal. Paula was now wiping her body with a small towel but Melissa pushed her hand away, her gaze fixated on Ivy.

"You looked lost so I decided to bring you back," Ivy replied with another shrug and then the room exploded with another bout of laughter.

"You shouldn't do this, Ai," Paula murmured, more to herself than to anyone but Melissa heard it. However, she didn't make any comment on it, instead, she kept her gaze on Ivy.

"I can't remember asking for help," Melissa replied, trying to remain cool even when every part of her was screaming fire.

"Don't mind her. Come let me — " Paula was saying but Melissa lifted a hand to silence her and she kept shut.

"You don't need to ask for help. Just take it as a gift." Ivy smiled and Melissa watched as her girls giggled behind her.

"I don't appreciate such help," Melissa seethed, finding it very difficult to control her anger. It would have been much easier if Ivy looked a bit sorry but the girl had a smug look on her face and it greatly irritated Melissa. She wanted to wipe it off immediately.

"Too bad!" Ivy shrugged for the third time, provoking Melissa in more anger.

"I need you to apologise. You've just ruined my dress and my bed."

"Why will I? It's not like your dress looks any good. It is high time you changed it, don't you think so?" Ivy asked with a sneer on her lips and derision in her eyes.

Melissa knew that the redhead was not saying this out of concern but out of derision and it was even more infuriating because she was right. Melissa had been wearing the same dress she had been dragged with and had not changed because the green dress she had been given was too tight and didn't fit.

There was nothing else to change into since they had forced her into this hellhole without giving her the chance to pack her load. She had absolutely nothing with her.

"Apologise now!" Melissa's nose flared and her knuckles balled into a fist.

"And if I don't? What will you do?" Ivy raised a perfectly carved brow, blowing the bubble gum she had in her mouth.

The room was now very quiet; it was obvious everyone was interested in seeing how this would end.

"Please, let it go," Paula was whispering to Melissa.

"What are you gonna — "

Ivy couldn't complete her statement because a heavy slap had now landed on her face, stopping her from speaking further. Her head fell to the side from the impact of the slap and her mouth fell open in surprise. Gasps filled the air and the room grew even quieter, a pin would have been heard if it fell.

"That's what I'll do," Melissa pronounced, her eyes twitching with anger.

"You b***h!" Ivy spat out, advancing to attack Melissa.

But Melissa had already taken her stance, ready for her attack so when she came rushing at her, Melissa ducked, making the redhead lose her balance.

This only succeeded in making Ivy more annoyed, so she tried attacking again, this time, grabbing a lock of Melissa's ginger hair and pulling with all her might. Melissa shrieked at the pain, wishing that Ivy's hair was just as long so she could pull them too.

Seeing that she had to do something to get away from Ivy's grip, Melissa resulted to biting her by the wrist. Ivy screamed, immediately letting go.

Melissa, using this to her advantage, launched forward but before she could go any further in hitting the redhead, Ivy already brought a knife.

The girls who had been silently watching the two ladies fight began to murmur the moment Ivy brought out a knife. It was a penknife and she had brought it out from inside her black trouser where she had hidden it

"Will you girls stop?" Paula's voice was strained with emotion, her heart pounding in her chest at the knife in Ivy's hand.

"Come closer." Ivy ignored Paul. "You wanna fight right?" There was a fiendish grin on her face and Melissa took a step back, her eyes fixated on the knife in Ivy's hand.

"Oh! You wanna back away now? I'm sorry, love, but it's too late. I'm gonna batter you like some f*****g vegetable." Ivy growled, launching forward but the door flew open and Madam Riela walked in, accompanied by a head maid and a young girl Melissa had come to know as her roommate.

They were so many in the room that it was impossible to know everyone but Melissa had noticed this one because she was always by herself. Then her eyes colour, they were crystal coloured and they looked so beautiful. Melissa had never seen such shade before.

"What is going on here?" Madam Riela roared in anger and the ladies in the room, who had paused whatever they had been doing to watch the fight, returned to what they were doing, refusing to act like they knew anything.

"I asked a question." Madam Riela screamed and everyone exchanged furtive glances at each other.

"It's Melissa!" Ivy began. "She just came at me for nothing. I was sitting on my bed when she slapped me."

"What?" Melissa couldn't believe her ears. "I did what?"

"You slapped me. Look at your hands on my cheek." Ivy prompted. A welt had now formed on her fair cheek.

"I did that because you refused to apologise after ruining my bed with water." Melissa defended.

"I did no such thing. You are wrongly accusing me." Ivy's eyes were beginning to water and Melissa's eyes widened in shock.

"You came at me for no reason. Is that not true?" The redhead turned to look at her minions and the girls nodded robotically like a button had been pressed in their heads.

"Liars!" Melissa yelled. "You poured water on me. Here is the bowl." She bent to pick the purple bowl that was lying on the floor. "And you won't apologise. Like that wasn't enough, you brought a knife out of your trousers. What's a knife doing with you?"

"I have no knife. I don't know what you're talking about. Everyone knows you caused this. She caused it! " Ivy turned to Madam Riela who had been watching them quietly with a glare on her face. Her face was coated with make-up as usual and her lips were blazing red. But now, with her brows furrowing in anger, she looked quite funny . . .like a puppet.

"I didn't. Isn't that true, Paula?" Melissa turned to Paula but Paula's eyes were dropped to the ground. She wouldn't look at her.

"Is that true, Paula?" Madam Riela asked. "Who is at fault?"

"Melissa." Paula softly stated and Melissa's jaw dropped, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"What!"

"You see it, ma. This lady is trouble." Ivy blurted out.

"It hasn't been seventy two hours since you came here yet you are making trouble." Madam Riela snapped at Melissa, but Melissa had her eyes on Paula, still unable to believe what had happened. "I knew from the very first time I saw you that you will be trouble."

"I did nothing wrong." Melissa finally spoke. "Ivy is the one at fault but everyone is defending her and refusing to speak out because they know she will unleash her terror on them if they do so."

"Shut up and stop lying. Just admit what you did."

"I did nothing. You're the one judging wrongly."

"Shut up!" Madam Riela raised her arm and smacked Melissa across the face.

Everyone gasped because Madam Riela wasn't to hit anyone but when the woman spoke, the girls understood why she had done that.

"You talk too much for a slave! Have you forgotten who you are? Is it because I let you stay here with the workers? Louis told me all about you and how you are nothing but a filthy slave. You should mind your tone when talking because you're the lowest. You're just a rag to be stepped upon."

"No wonder she looks like one." Ivy chipped in and the room roared in laughter.

Right that moment, Melissa felt like crying. She felt the floor should open up and swallow her so this shame would end. She felt so used; she felt like the filthy rag they said she was. Why then should she be treated this way if she wasn't one?

"Now follow me! I'm gonna teach you a lesson for starting up a fight." Madam Riela instructed, immediately walking out of the room with the head maid.

With her head lowered with shame, Melissa walked out of the room, but not without hearing Ivy say,

"Keep going. Slave!"

The room erupted with laughter as usual and Melissa felt her eyes sting with tears. Her jaw was clenched and her hands were balled but even with that, she felt helpless, because she knew there was nothing she could do.