An Exit Without Goodbye

By day, I was a maid in Chester Graham's household. By night, I was nothing more than a way for him to satisfy his desires.

After one encounter, he dragged me from the bed, indifferent to my pain.

"You don't have to come back," he said flatly.

I collapsed to the floor in terror. "Did I do something wrong? Please don't send me away."

The man who had murmured comforts to me only moments earlier now gazed down with icy detachment.

"Wendy has agreed to marry me.

"She's afraid of pain. You were nothing more than a tool for me to practice on. Once used, you're thrown away.

"You've always been obedient. You know what you're supposed to do."

I was still reeling from the bombshell that Chester Graham was tying the knot.

Chester shot me a look, his brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Aren't you going to hurry up?"

I hung my head, flustered, and scrambled to gather my ripped clothes. "Got it, Mr. Graham."

I said, slowly rising to my feet and gingerly dressing in my tattered outfit.

As I was about to leave, limping from the pain in my legs, Chester's voice stopped me.

"Wait."

I spun around, a spark of hope igniting within me.

However, before I could get a good look at him, a coat landed over my head.

"Your clothes are a mess. Wear this coat outside.

"And don't forget your birth control."

His words were like an icy shower, dousing any lingering expectations I had.

I walked out, my steps rigid, and gently shut the door behind me.

I should have known better than to harbor any feelings for him after all those years.

Back in my room, I fought back tears and dug out the birth control pill from my dresser, swallowing it without a second thought.

That was my reality for the past three years.

I pulled out a mirror to fix myself up before heading to work.

As I touched the marks on my neck, I was briefly reminded of their lingering warmth.

My story with Chester started by sheer chance.

At a party one year, a rival of the Graham family spiked Chester's drink, which I accidentally drank in its entirety.

Since I was always expected to be Chester's shadow, I was the only one there when the drug hit.

Overwhelmed by its effects, I collapsed, crying out for him to help me.

Chester, ever the straight arrow, found himself caught up in my turmoil, unable to break free.

In moments of distress, he would haul me onto the bed and forcefully rid me of the drug's lingering effects.

When my eyes fluttered open, still dazed, the Graham parents were already upon me, their hands delivering sharp slaps.

"For eighteen years, we've taken care of you, and you repay us by drugging and tempting our son!"

Before I could even grab my clothes, the Grahams' guards yanked me down to the basement for a daily dose of their cruel punishment.