Rescued By Fire

Acceptance

Chapter 3 –

                Millie –

I wandered around the large house aimlessly after I left the library, mostly just trying to memorize the floor plan. Shelia had instructed me that I needed to help with breakfast in the morning and the cleanup, in the afternoon I would clean the library and study, I would then have a few hours off, after dinner I would be responsible for cleaning the dinning room five times a week, those other two days I would be off work after my afternoon cleaning. I was also given paperwork to fill out for my payment schedule and given a house credit card to put my grocery bills on. I finally found my way down the basement again.

“Mr. Sheila, I was wondering where my clothes were?” I looked down at the clothes I had on, the pants were held on by a belt that we had to cut a new hole in for my tiny waist and the shirt was massive and draped on my small frame.

Sheila peered around the corner at me “Oh honey, I hope you don’t mind I threw them away. I thought you and I could go out and buy you some new ones today. We can take it out of your first paycheck. Does that sound okay?”

I was shocked “I-I would love that! No one has ever bought me brand new clothes!” I squealed in delight. “When can we go!”

Sheila looked shocked, “Lets go now!”. Sheila walked towards me and slipped on some shoes. We walked up the basement stairs and towards the front door.

“Where are you going?” a loud voice boomed at us from upstairs. I turned quickly, I could tell it came from upstairs and knew it was Easton, I just couldn’t see him.

“Out to buy Millie some new clothes, we are going to take it out from her first paycheck” Sheila replied as she dug through the umbrella rack looking for an umbrella big enough for both of us.

“Don’t… please just put it on the credit card, I will pay off the clothes. Let her buy whatever she wants” Easton said. I could hear his footsteps walking farther away now.

“Wow, I’ve never had a master buy me anything!” I was so delighted and taken back by the master I now serve. Sheila looked up at me and handed me a coat. I could tell by the look on her face that she was still uneasy with the fact that I call Easton master. It’s just a hard habit to break after you’ve been trained.

We arrived at a department store not long after we left the house, I didn’t realize this master let his servant’s drive. I had never been in the front of a car with windows to look out. If we were permitted to go out if was only in the back of a windowless van.

Sheila and I walked around the department store, we bought tee shirts and leggings for me to work in, we also bought two outfits for me to look nice in when I go out and two pairs of shoes.

“All of this must be so expensive; I can’t believe the master would spend money on me like this.”

“You mentioned that you worked as a maid before, was the household not financially able to support you and pay you?” Sheila asked.

“No, no, my previous masters were very wealthy. They just told us we were property and property doesn’t get paid” I said. I looked over at Sheila who was still staring at me. “We were accustomed to working for 16 hours straight, we also had regular beatings to keep us weak enough not to escape. I just figured that was how women lived.” I just shrugged my shoulders, the thought that I could be living any different never once crossed my mind while I worked there.

“Lets get you back” Sheila said. She put her arm around me and rushed me to the car. The whole car ride back she was uneasy and silent.

                Did I say something wrong? I don’t want to lose the only friend I have.

We arrived back home and she helped me carry all my things into my room. I glanced at her.

“Mrs. Sheila, did I do something wrong? You wont talk to me now” I asked her nervously.

“What? Oh heavens no! I was just so sad to hear about your past work. I can’t believe you lived like that and didn’t expect any different out of life” she said with a sad smile. “Easton won’t treat you like that you know.”

I shrugged; I didn’t know he wouldn’t treat me any different for sure. I was just hoping it wasn’t as bad as before. Sheila left me alone for the rest of the night while I made myself some dinner and put my new clothes away. When it was finally time for bed I snuggled in and was oddly at peace. I realized I had never felt so at easy. I knew I could eat if I became hungry, I knew I had clean clothes and I wasn’t abused.

                What a strange new world to be a part of.

                Easton –

I woke up at 6 AM, my normal time. I laid in bed covering myself up with the silk sheets and thought about the past couple days. It had been a few days sense our new maid, Millie, had joined the team and was making an exceptional name for herself. I often found myself in the study when she came in to clean. I always ran to the nearest shelf and hid so I could talk to her in confidence, we talked about her past masters and I seethed at the thought of someone laying a hand on her. Her remaining outlook on life was wonderful, she continued to smile and laugh like she was never hurt. I smiled a little in bed thinking about all the times her sweet laugh filled the study with joy.

“Easton! Easton Sharp!” someone shouted outside my door. I was still lost in thought as the door violently opened and Lesile came pouting in. She stood in the door way barley looking at me sticking her lip out as far as it could go.

                Who knew someone had so much lip.

I c****d my head sideways trying to figure out if her lip would ever stop protruding, her sharp voice finally broke my stare.

“Easton!” she whined.

“What is it Leslie” I said in a huff as I struggled to get out of bed.

“You didn’t fill up my debit card and I found these really cute shoes and I couldn’t even buy them because of you” her voice got squeakier with every word.

“Why didn’t you use your own debit card, you have money from payroll right? And by the way it’s nice to see you too, I’m glad you had a nice trip.” I said sarcastically. I began fiddling around the room trying to put together an outfit, her eyes on me made me uneasy.

“You’re surely joking right!” she began to shout at me. “You want me to use my money all of the sudden, after all I’ve put up with. You ungrateful little s**t! You can’t even buy me one thing!” she began furiously stomping her feet at me, like a child throwing at tantrum.

“Jesus! Just find the shoes online and I’ll pay for them!” I shouted at her in a demanding voice. I was tired of this, tired of her, but who else would want someone like me.

“Thanks sweet-ums” she said sweetly as she made her was over to me. She kissed my cheek and ran her hands down my cheek feeling all the scars. “Your makeup artist is coming today right?” she asked.

“N-no, I don’t have them scheduled to come until next month before my public gala” I replied. I knew she couldn’t stand my face without makeup, but I hated walking around with that paint plastered to me. I started to walk out of the room, but I could still hear her huff at the thought of spending all that time with me with no makeup on.

After breakfast I made my way to the study so I could work on my business in peace. I was still feeling defeated from my talk with Leslie this morning. I could not wrap my mind around why she continued to pursue a relationship with someone like me. When we first got together, I felt like the luckiest man in the world to have someone like her beside me. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be in a normal relationship, and I felt the need to shower her in gifts to make up for the shortcomings of my appearance. I should have realized when she would never share a room with me that the gifts that were all that she wanted. I heard a familiar knock on the door and got up to take my place among the shelves before Millie entered.

“Mr. Easton, are you okay?” she asked standing in the doorway.

“Am I okay? That’s odd to ask, usually you ask if it’s a good time for the cleaning.” I chuckled at her.

“Oh yeah, I just heard arguing this morning and Sheila told me Leslie came home and she often argues with you” she softly said while looking towards the ground. I cleared my throat before I replied.

“Yes, I’m okay. Leslie was just being difficult this morning, she isn’t always like that. She can actually be very sweet” I said. I found myself defending a woman I know longer loved and it physically hurt my body to do so. I didn’t want to lie to Millie.

“Oh, okay” she said as she began to spray down the furniture and polish them. We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before I finally broke it.

“If you were in a relationship with someone you hated, would you leave, even if it was the best you could ever do?” I asked. She paused before looking up towards my direction.

“I would do everything in my power to leave” she finally replied. I just shook my head knowing she couldn’t see me and once again there was a silent void filling the study.

“You should know Mr. Easton, I was once married, to someone I hated very much” she said softly. I stood in shock as I watched her tiny figure clean around the room. I couldn’t picture her as a wife to anyone, how could someone treat their own wife like that.

“What do you mean you were married, to who? Your old master?” I could hear the discontent in my own voice.

“Yes, when I was young, I lived with a bunch of other young girls. We were trained together to become servants to the masters we were sold to. When my time came to be auctioned off I went for a much higher price than the other girls, I wasn’t aware of it at the time but I was sold to be a wife. They felt my looks put me ahead of the other girls and I would be worth more.” She paused and let out a soft chuckle before continuing. “When I arrived at my new home I found out about my true duties, I tried everything to get out of marrying the old man but they beat me down. I eventually was forced into a union with him, everyday I spent cleaning like all the other girls and every night I spent in this bedroom, being a test subject to his demonic thoughts.” She sighed. “He finally died, after his death I was auctioned off again and put into a van to go to my new masters estate, but thankfully I feel from the van and you rescued me” she said looking towards my direction.

“I have never been able to thank savior face to face though.” She finally added, continuing to stare towards the shelves.

“You want to see the true me?” I asked.

“More than anything Mr. Easton” she said with hope in her voice.

“I’m no grand sight to see though-“

“I know! I know what they say, but I don’t believe them. I’m covered in scars too you know” she said cutting me off. I could tell she was getting frustrated with all the negative talk about my appearance. I sat and thought a moment, there was no harm in letting her see. She would have to see sooner or later being a maid to me.

“Fine, but stand there I’ll come out” I said with a shaky voice. She stood still by the coffee table just as I instructed, I was shaking thinking about the reaction I was about to face. I slowly crept out from behind the shelves and let the light wash over me. I slowly raised my eyes to see her blue eyes sparkling back at me, this was the first time I got to see her up close. She was gorgeous, she was still thin but not as thin as the first night, and her once matted brown hair was now cascading down her shoulders in waves and the tips grazed her hips. I felt embarrassed for letting such a beautiful person see me and all my imperfections.

“You, you are perfect.” Her small voice broke through all the negativity in my head. She began walking towards me, she was finally close enough to lift her small hand to my cheek and caress it. I could feel the warmth of her fingertips like sparks, igniting my cheeks. I let my head slightly rest into the warmth she provided; I knew she was touching the scaring but I didn’t mind in the moment.  

“Your freckles are to die for” she finally said with a smile playing at her lips. No one had ever looked past the scars and noticed my freckles before, I smiled back at her. I finally felt accepted in that moment, accepted for my scars and all.