Maid For Me

HEATHER “I beg you in the name of whatever you hold dear, madam. Don't send me to jail. I'm too old, I won't survive!” Dad tendered a heartfelt plea to the woman whose only response was a revolting gaze I stood at a far corner and watched in pain as the man I called my father groveled shamefully before Madam Estelle, his boss. “You should have thought about that before you tried to steal from me, senseless old fool!” She spat out at him untouched. Her quirky voice rang through the pristine hallway. Before this day I had never encountered such luxury. I fought hard to keep my eyes away from the elegant decorations adorned with gold and sophisticated upholstery. I had a more serious issue than all of the grandeur I was surrounded in My eyes traveled down to the gold diamond necklace sprawled out of the floor. The same necklace dad had tried to steal My heart broke into a million pieces as I watched dad lowered to his knees, his shoulders shaking with a violent sob. I clenched my fists in fury. The man had never acted like a father to me, but he was all I had. Madam Estelle was rumored to have the heart of stone. A soul blacker than coal She could give a man nightmares with her malevolent gaze. Her venomous tongue did little to vindicate her of such accusations. Today made it my second time meeting her in person in the twenty years dad had been working for the Sullivan's. Madam Estelle beckoned on a girl whom I presumed to be a maid in her uniform, with a finger and the maid anxiously scurried to her side with no hesitation Just like the sight of lightning and the sound of thunder, Madam Estelle planted her hand on the maids face. I jumped in fright and watched in awe as a tooth covered in thick blood flew out of her mouth “How dare you call my attention to this riff raff of a man? Next time anybody comes looking for me, make sure it is an actual human and not a hopeless animal! Now crawl out!” She furiously instructed the girl who was weeping bitterly on the floor Just as Madam Estelle had asked, the poor girl crawled out of the room pitifully. “Antonio! Carter! You know what to do with this i***t” Her cold voice called out and in no time, two men dressed in black suits appeared, ready to take dad away. I launched forward with my heart in my mouth, prepared for the worst. If they think they can take my father without a fight, they were very wrong! “Wait!” Dad's gruff voice came out as a silent plea and I stopped in my steps. “What if I make you a proposal?” What on earth could this old man possibly have to offer this heartless woman? Madam Estelle didn't as much at flinch as fathers words just as the bodyguards didn't stop to listen to him. Not until dad dropped the bomb. “I know about your son's illness!” Madam Estelle reverted in her steps faster than a cheetah and hurried to the other side of the room where father was being bundled like a sack of hay I was terrified that she would dash another slap across his face. But something else happened “How dare you mention my son you scoundrel! How do you know anything about his health condition, bloody ingrate!” She fired questions at him like a loaded gun. Her blood shot eyes were proof that dad had hit a nerve “Please listen to me! I know he is terribly sick. I also know that he has managed to chase every caregiver away. You can take my daughter here. She's very good at taking care of people” Madam Estelle's cold gaze followed in the direction of his finger pointed at me. I left my mouth open in utter disbelief at my fathers betrayal! Just when I thought he could not go any farther in being the douchebag he already is! “Dad!” I called out to him in disbelief, pain etched deep in my voice What kind of a father gives out his daughter in his place? For a crime he committed! “Shut up, god dammit!” He snapped at me “You can take her for as long as you want. I don't care if I never have to see her again, just don't send me to jail!” His last word sunk deep into my ears He was a selfish bastard that only cared about his ass! “She has been volunteering in hospitals since she was sixteen-” “Oh shut up!” She ordered, cutting off his words Her eyes rested on me jarringly like she had just noticed my presence in the room The sound of her heels clicking against the luxurious marble filled the room, each step slower than the last Her fierce gaze pierced deeply into me, and she made my skin crawl. The sight of her was one to behold. Standing right in front of me, I noticed the fine lines on her forehead. Her beautiful blonde hair with scattered gray lines was neatly slicked back in a bun which only spoke elegance. Her small nose complimented her long face, and her poise was firm, filled with aura. “For as long as I want, you say?” She asked in a low tone with a sinister smile stretched over her face “She is of no use to me anyways. I just don't want to go to jail” Dad spoke positively, encouraged by this ray of hope at his freedom His words were like a dagger to my chest One thing was certain now. I was cursed. My mother ran away when she had me. And now my father was giving me away to this woman. The two people who gave me life did not want me. I was definitely cursed “Boys! Get my lawyer to draw me a contract this instant. I can't have this clown messing things up later” Madam Estelle turned away from me, ordering the bodyguards who hurried out to do her bidding “You are never to see her again, never to communicate with her through whatever means” Dad nodded assertively without think twice “Lastly, not a soul hears about my son's health. If you do that, it will be a breach of our contract and you know I don't waste time in getting rid of pigs like yourself. She belongs to Christopher now” Madam Estelle continued with a hint of finality in her tone Her sudden turn in my direction sent my head snapping up, my heart racing in surprise. “Celia!” She called out and an elderly maid appeared almost immediately My feet seemed rooted to the spot as her words hung in the air. “Have her ready for the wedding in an hour. And let Christopher know I've found him a bride” The room around me melted away, leaving only the echoes her utterance