The paint on the wall was off-white. The baseboard and trim were white. It was easier to notice up close, laying on the polished pine wood floor. She also noticed the drop of blood and quickly pulled out a rag to wipe it up, then clean her nose. As the ringing faded from her ears, she could hear that he was still talking to her. She tried to listen carefully, so she wouldn't miss anything and make another mistake, but his voice still sounded muffled and distant. She felt him grab the back of her blouse and scrambled to stand up quickly. His face was that mix of rage and disappointment that was so familiar.
"Are you listening to me? I try to be patient with you, but you make it so difficult. We invested a lot of money in you, but if you're not going to do what you're told, I have no problem selling you to some hunters to use as sport."
She couldn't help reacting to the fear that filled her at that thought, and he smiled his snide satisfaction as his voice became cool and condescending.
"Now. Clean up the mess and remember what I tell you next time. I'm going to finish getting ready, and you still have work to do."
She didn’t dare to move until he had left the foyer, then knelt down to pick up what she had dropped. She was glad that she wasn’t holding anything breakable this time, so she didn’t have to worry about a second beating. She shook out the pillow covers and examined them carefully for any spots of dirt or blood, then draped them over her arm. Fortunately, they all seemed to be presentable, because she didn’t have another set of Tuesday’s design.
“You’re still here?” He seemed angrier than when he left just a moment ago. “Your laziness has already made me late. You don’t want me to come home today and find out anything’s not done.” He grabbed her chin and pulled her closer. “Things could be a lot worse for you. I picked you because I liked your look, but you have not lived up to my expectations. I know some people that would have some other ideas of what to do with you that you might not like as much.”
She felt his hot breath in her nostrils and the sting of his minty mouthwash and forced herself to not pull away.
He snorted and smirked, “Don’t even think I’m interested in that with you. It won’t save you. Get back to work.” He shoved her nose and she stumbled back against the wall.
She watched him leave and stared at the door for a while until she felt something wet on her lip. She touched her lip and looked at the blood on her finger, then looked down to see a spot of blood on one of the pillow covers and panicked. She pulled the rag from her pocket to cover her nose and looked around for someplace to set down the covers, but then the doorbell rang, and she panicked again. She hugged the covers to her chest and opened the door to see a well-dressed raccoon morph smiling at her.
“Good morning, ma’am. My name is Trent Lyra.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Gordon just left.” She started to close the door, but he put his hand on it.
“Yes, I know. I watched him get in his car and leave.” He stepped into the doorframe and lowered his voice. “I’m here to speak with you.”
“I… I don’t…”
“Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. In fact, I’m here to get you out of trouble.”
“W-what do you mean? If I’m not in trouble, what trouble are you getting me out of?”
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her. “Your nose is bleeding. Do you want to talk about that trouble?”
She ignored his offer and covered her lip with the rag. “It’s nothing.”
“Julip, abuse is not nothing. I can offer you a way out.”
“Out of what? I live here.”
“This isn’t living. Why did he give you a bloody nose this time?”
“I-it was my fault. I should have kept out of his way and gotten my work done.”
He frowned and sighed, “That shouldn’t get you hurt. I can take you to a place where you won’t have to worry about getting hit again.”
She stepped back and tried to close the door again. “No, no. I’ve heard about others running away and being killed for it. I won’t do it.”
Trent stepped inside, “What will he do when he sees those sheets?”
Julip pulled the pillow covers away from her chest and looked at the spot of blood. “I-I can fix it. I can…”
“And what about the next thing that upsets him? What about the time that he gets so mad that he breaks your arm or kills you?”
“He would never do that.”
“Of course he wouldn’t mean to; he doesn’t want to break his property, but he also considers you replaceable, disposable.”
“I’m not…” She remembered Mr. Gordon’s threat from just a moment ago and wondered how serious he was about sending her to ‘worse’. He was good to her, but he was also bad, and she was scared of worse. She was also scared of not knowing where else she could go. What could this strange raccoon that was now watching her think offer her? “I don’t want to die.”
Trent smiled, “Then let’s get you out of here.”
She looked at the pillow covers on her arm, then back into the house. “What about the kids?”
“They’re his kids, not yours. They’ll be okay.”
She stared at the covers again, trying to find the answer to her indecision.
He put his hand on her shoulder, “Julip, you are going to be okay, too.”
She looked at his hand, then at his face, “How do you know my name?”
He smiled comfortingly, “We’ve been planning this for a while. When you walk out this door, you’ll be safe with us until you’re free.”
Julip dropped the covers.
Trent pushed the door open and ushered her out, closing the door behind her.
