Haven And Chaos

24) Humiliation and salvation

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3RD POV
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*Knock-knock*
Maya's head lifted, her concentration being torn from the words she had been putting down. "Come in!" She yelled staring at the door with only one person in mind... Lisa. No other servant had come to her other than Lisa. Which was saddening but more liberating, saving her the hassle of social interactions.

The door swung in, giving way to a small figure carrying a large black box. She scurried into the room like a frightened kitten, hastily placing the box on my bed and jumping away from it.
"L-Lady Lori o...ordered you to...to prepare," she stammered with her eyes avoiding mine to be glued on the lifeless floor.

Maya couldn't help but frown. Where did Lori want her to go?! She wondered.
"Why?" She asked, putting the pen down.

"A ball Miss Maya."

"Who's hosting?"

She pushed my body off the chair and walked over to the bed. Without any gentleness, Maya opened the lid of the box and laid her eyes on the black gown.
"Countess Slivia of House Slivia," the maid answered truthfully. One could hear how her fear had subsided after the first statement she made.

Huh! A countess had invited Lori? How troublesome. Now what was she expected to do at such a grand event? She hated all these high-class nobles always walking around with their noses fixed in the air. Their pride was sickening. Which was why she had grown a deep affection for Cindy.
The daughter of the most powerful man in the state, yet she never wore her nobility on her head like them and just seamlessly blended in with the crowd. She was the personification of life itself, brimming with cheer and such positivity that sometimes Maya felt like the villain without ever being one.

Sighing mentally, she lifted the gown to observe it and was left in both shock and awe. Its bodice had a low neckline that would have her cleavage spilling. Its waist was a little too small that would have her intestines screaming with every step she made in that gown.
The skirt was beautiful. The only part of the gown that made sense.

"I'm supposed to wear this?" Maya mumbled to herself indifferently. She was well aware by now that the mother-daughter pair didn't wish her well. Which was why she had to tread carefully around them. Facing the maid, Maya asked, "Does Gale know I'm going?"

The tensed female shook her head, expressing her share of fear for Maya's safety. "I wo-wouldn't know. Lady Lori just told me to bring this. She said the car will be ready in twenty minutes and you should hurry unless you want to be punished."

"Gah!" Maya groaned, mentally exhausted by all these threats from these nobles. She was insignificant, so why were they so clingy?

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MAYA'S POV
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Grateful for my experience in the strip club, I managed to loosen up the waistline to my size and added a red lace on the chest area in under ten minutes. The rest were spent bathing and dressing up.
Now that the gown was on, it looked so attractive, especially the red lace that matched my hair.
If Lori had planned on humiliating me, she'd be in for a rude awakening.

The plain flat shoes felt rather comfortable than I thought. Looking at their design, they had been bought from a thrift store just so I'd look out of place while in such an event.
Gawd! I wanted to curse and slap every one of the people I was living with so badly.  But I had to pull through the night.

Before leaving, I dropped off the essay in Gale's room. Getting my phone was just as important as surviving. Maybe someone like Nikolai could help me.

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House Slivia.
They were more than their political title. They owned an influential underground market, or so I had once heard from my mother when I was young. I remember her trying to form a friendship with the current countess just to elevate our status. Who knew I'd be meeting her before Mom did? The irony of life.

The estate driveway was lit with neon lights that made the place look magical. As the car approached the Slivia mansion, bubbles of tension began filling my stomach. It had been too long since I attended any gathering with more than ten people. Of course I was freaking out just a little imagining the faces I'd meet and the fake smiles I'd have to look at.

"We're here, Miss," the driver announced respectfully as he brought the car in front of the blue carpet laid out leading into the mansion. Two burly men and two lean-built women stood outside the closed doors. The air around them was thick and intimidating. I just wanted to ask the driver to drive me back or run away. But that was impossible. Not as long as I had no powerful backer.

"Here's your invitation card."

"Oh, thanks!"

I stepped out of the car and the driver wasted no time driving it off to the area designated as tonight's parking lot.

Carefully, I made my way to the large pillars where the entrance awaited me. Without them asking for it, I swiftly handed the card and paused for half a minute.
One of the women quickly ran the weapon scanner all over me before stepping aside.
"Please, you may proceed."

I gave a short nod and headed for the doors which were now being pushed open by the two men. Like the curtains being drawn, I walked into the plastic world that awaited me greedily.

The second I stepped foot in the humongous lounge, I became very aware of Lori's plot. Of course, the color code tonight wasn't black, I had somehow felt this coming. While the majority of the attendees were glowing in red outfits, I and a handful of others were slaying in black. But even so, we looked so out of place.
She had dressed me as a servant and ordered me to attend this ball. How cliche.

The voices conversing, the murmurs, the gossip, the laughs...they all made my stomach churn before I could even down anything. The sharp stares didn't help either as they wondered who the hell was this redhead and which family was she serving.
I inwardly rolled my eyes at them and walked amongst them since I couldn't leave.

With the social rules among the nobles, no one would be willing to serve me a drink and I had no idea what they'd do to me if I walked to the table and picked one. 'Should I go for it? No! I'm in no mood for chaos tonight. Let's just play servant and go home in one piece.'

"Maya?!"
That voice...so damn familiar.
My gaze turned to the source, only to see my big brother, Daniel, staring at me through shocked eyes. Beside him was Stella, his twin, and our sister. One could read the anxiety on their beautiful faces from a mile away. And so could they see the surprise painted on mine.

"Danny? Stella?"

They wanted no time rushing over to where I stood, their eyes raking over me thoroughly. "What is this? Why are you wearing this?" Danny questioned. "How much more do you plan on embarrassing our family? Do you not know who you are?"

Why, why was he saying such hurtful things?
"Danny? What is all of-"

"I'm so disappointed in you Maya. Why would you lower yourself as such and still attend the same event as us? After working in a strip club, now you're a servant? How much are you getting paid, Danny will double it!" Stella hissed looking like a wounded lion. The bitterness in her eyes was terrifying. It made me want to cower from the face of the earth.

Lori had gone too far with this attack. I was certain she had pulled strings to have these two in this ball just so they could see me like this. While they weren't the most warm family to exist, they at least spoiled me enough to give me the freedom I wanted when I wanted. So I completely understood their disappointment seeing me like this.

They were still scolding me, but my mind had drifted off. My vision dulled as a thin layer of wetness covered my eyeballs.
So blurry that I failed to notice the person who came to stand next to me. Only the feel on of the hand placed on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

The wetness rolled out as drops, clearing my vision.

I immediately noticed the bows and curtsies raining from every single person in sight, including my siblings. They were all directed at the person whose hand was rested casually on my shoulder with his arm on my arm as if side-hugging me.

Even the music had ceased.
There could only be one person who would bring about such a dramatic silence in all of Alabama...Gale Grayson.