My Boss then My Master

Chapter 7 Grace’s POV

The dreaded day was here. Christmas Day. I was in a refusal with myself to try and not acknowledge it. I will just treat this like any other Saturday off. Except it wasn't Saturday and it wasn't any other day. But if I could do this, I could remain completely oblivious. I wouldn't spiral into a depression hole that I had to claw my way out of , hopefully. So, instead of drowning in bed , I drag my butt up, get on some clothes and head out for a walk.

Ignoring the streets of the horrendous neighbourhood I lived in, and the fact they were for once absent of thugs and wanna-be gangbangers. Living around here wasn't a choice I made lightly. But it was either to live here and be able to still eat and have the occasional night out and grafts. Or live a bit more upscale, not much mind and pretty much just have a roof over my head.

I always try not to draw attention to myself when I actually go for a walk around here. I wore a cap and a hoodie with the hood up. I wore baggy clothes and kept my head down. There were a few ladies of the night around here, let's call them. I definitely didn't want to be confused as one or have anyone try to recruit me as one. Just someone confusing me as one would definitely trigger some dark emotional scars I was trying my best to ignore.

You see, one of the things my father made me do as a teen was earn money. When I asked him how ? He said he didn't care how I did it, I just had to pay my way. So, way back when I stumbled into that line of business out of fear of getting a beating from my father if I didn't do as he said. My father had never touched me sexually , but physically yes.

It was by accident. It even happened the first time. An older boy showed me attention. I had been hanging around in front of a store trying to gain the courage to go steal something so I could sell it. He had come to me and offered an amount of money that was absurd to me to well blow him. I hadn't done anything sexually at that point. So I immediately told him to f**k off. But as he walked away with the fifty he said he'd pay me well, visions of dad's belt crept in.

So I had called him back , it had been awkward, clumsy and I had been a bag of nerves. But I had done it , the boy had turned out to be twenty-four and told me he could help me and make it, so I earned a fortune. He'd written his number out and left me with it and the fifty. When I had given it, dad asked where I got it from. I wouldn't tell him out of embarrassment. So I got the belt anyway. But it was then expected that I would bring that money home to feed his ever growing addictions. By fifteen, I'd found drug pipes around the house.

I often try to look back and remember what he was like before mum passed away. He was still a distant man. He had never really been fatherly to me. But cruel towards me, I had never seen it. So I tried to remember if mom ever had any bruises or anything. If she did , well she hid them. I never saw it. I put it down to becoming an alcoholic and then, when that wasn't enough digging for more. Digging for a darker hole he could crawl into. Eventually, I rang the boy. He taught me s*x to start with , he didn't ask questions of why I needed the money. But he saw the bruises on my bum and the backs of my legs and never said a thing. He would send me home with money though, so I think he knew.

He told me when he sent me out to make big money the bruises would need to stop though. So I eventually told father where the money was coming from. I had hoped he'd put a stop to it. I guess it was my last hope my father would act like a father. But instead he had acted like I had said nothing. Completely ignored it. All he did was stop with the belt and he'd just shove me around and use his words instead.

Tayo , the boy who was teaching me, turned out to be a pimp. I had done it for three years and then ran away. I would hide money , start it right from the off so father wouldn't see a drop in the money I was giving him. I hated it every time , cried every time I got home and scrubbed my body raw. But Tayo said I was prime meat and I earned double more than any of his other girls. I hadn't known that was what he was when he took my virginity or first approached me. But I quickly learned about that world. And quickly knew I needed a way out.

So I stashed the money away. I saw a girl once express to Tayo she was getting out. That was the first time I saw Tayo's true colors too. Turns out he wasn't kind and just trying to help me out. So , I knew I needed to keep it from him too. The girl never got out. She became more and more broken over the time I saw her there. Until one day she was just gone. No one knew what happened.

So , once I had enough money, I ran. I had rented this apartment on the local library's internet and promised to pay cash as soon as I got here. I paid a full year's rent , bought some furniture and new clothes, seeing as I left all mine behind except a small bag. A good thing about renting in this neighbourhood. Landlords didn't tend to ask questions , they didn't pay any mind to the fact I only had a backpack or the fact I was so young. He took his money greedily and went. Then he only came back around when the rent was starting to get due again.

Then I got out and started looking for work , pottering around with other little jobs before landing this one. I still had rainy day money stashed away. But I never touched it. I needed it because if I was to be found. By either my father or Tayo. I would have to split again. The more time went by, the more comfortable I felt I was no longer a thought of theirs, hopefully.

So I kept to myself here. I will not be dumped back into the world I forgot about. Tried to atleast. I take about an hour's walk before returning home. After taking a quick shower, I get back into my pjs and get laid out on the sofa, ready to watch some absolute rubbish on the TV.

I ended up lucking out and there was a decent film on and it wasn't chrismassy. It was half way through watching Miss Congeniality that there was a banging on my door. It makes me yelp and nearly jump myself off of the sofa. I looked at the door like I had all of a sudden gained an X-ray vision. Who the hell could that be on Christmas day?

The banging starts again and I shoot to my feet and quietly make my way to the door. Fear is crawling up my body , no one ever came here. No one. I didn't let the few friends I had made come here. I get on my tip ties and look through the spy hole and see a man in a delivery uniform. My eyebrows scrunched , I hadn't ordered anything. And who delivers today?

I opened the door slightly and the guy looked at me in annoyance. " Grace Holmes ? " he asked. " Yes?" I asked like I had done something wrong. He thrusts a box towards the door , his eyes bouncing down the hallway. " Miss, can you sign for this so I can get back to my van " he says annoyed. " I haven't ordered anything " I tell him opening the door wider. His eyes were stuck down the hall where I knew there was a big window that looked onto the street.

He looks back at me annoyed. " It was sent by special delivery on Christmas day, Miss, my company don't do deliveries today. I'm getting a hefty bonus for delivering this and he said Grace Holmes and this address. So, whoever the guy was, I picked this up off of wanted you to have it ". He thrusts the box at me " So take it ". He gives me no choice but to take it , then he lifts his phone up and, without asking, snaps a picture of me holding it. " Evidence he wanted I did it, Miss".

He looked around, then at me. " Why do you live around here? If you have got a man who lives in the neighborhood, I picked that up from. Pulling in mass favors just to send you a gift ? and shelling out a major coin to send it to you ?" I shrug my shoulders at him " I don't know who this is off " I say, confused. He looks back at the window, mutters f**k and takes off running.

Poking my head out my door, I looked out the window to see some local kids sniffing around the van. The driver goes running across the street and jumps in his van like he was in a race and the wheel spins as the van takes off. Leaving the kids laughing at his antics. Closing the door with the box in my hand, I looked at it like it was an alien as I set it down so I could relock my door. It took me a good ten minutes to pluck up the courage to actually open it.

He said some rich man bought it for me. I didn't know any rich men that would send me a gift. For a fleeting second, I had thoughts that they had found me. Or one of them did. There was only one person I still spoke to from there, who was my old school friend . I only called her and always on withheld. Even with her, who I trusted completely, I was never careless. Our conversations never came to where I was living or doing work. She knows I wouldn't answer.

When I opened the box, a smell so wonderful hit me. The box I realized wasn't an ordinary box. It was foil-lined to keep the heat in.

When I started to remove the contents, I realized it was dinner. One with all the trimmings in separate containers. Then at the bottom was a container with dessert written on the top. Opening it up, I almost cried. Rice pudding that looked absolutely Devine was inside.

I was so overwhelmed with everything it took me a minute to click on who this was off. My hand flew to my mouth , Dominic. It could only be him. A rich man who knew I loved rice pudding. Putting the gorgeous dessert down, I searched the box for a note . Right at the bottom was a piece of paper that simply said ' Enjoy Grace'. In an elegant script. Tears started slowly traveling down my cheeks at his gesture. But why would he do this ?