Agreed

Dionne sat with her knees bent on the bed. She was in deep thoughts. Just then she remembered the document Ben gave her before he left. She strutted to her cupboard where she placed the document and retrieved it.

With the document in her hand, she walked to the desk and table in her room. The dim reading lamp was the only source of light in the dark room. She opened the envelope and removed the two A4 paper that was stapled together. 'Slave contract' the heading read.

"How long has he been planning this?" Dionne muttered when she saw how meticulously and carefully thought out the contract was. It didn't seem like something someone just drafted at the spur of the moment.

Dionne further trailed her eyes through the document. The more she read the document, the more confused she was about his motive. The contract stated that she will live with him until the contract expires, she will do menial jobs such as doing his laundry, cleaning his house, washing the dishes, cooking his meals. It also stated that she'll be at his beck and call, anytime, anywhere. If she was to go out or visit anyone, she has to take permission from him. The stipulated expiry date of the contract was one year.

"Argh..." Dionne pulled on her hair frustratingly. She stood up and walked back to her bed, leaving the contract out in the open on the table.

~~~

"Anything bothering you?" Mrs McCurry asked her daughter who was picking on her food.

"Nothing mum."

"You can't tell me nothing is bothering you with how haggard you look. Those dark circles, and eye bags tells me a lot."

"It's really nothing mum."

"Is it Lucas?" Dionne looked up at her mother in surprise. "How did you know?" She asked appalled.

"I saw it. The contract. You left it on the table and I saw it when I came to take out the dirty laundry." Mrs McCurry further explained when she saw the confused look on her daughter's face.

"Oh. You know I've been apologizing to them right?."

"Mm"

"Lucas wants me to be his slave in return for his forgiveness."

"And do you want to do it?" Mrs McCurry asked.

"I don't know. If I do it, I'll be degraded for ever. If I don't don't do it, I'll carry..." Dionne trailed unable to finish her sentence.

"The guilt forever." Her mother completed it for her.

"Do you know what I've been wishing for since that incident? Your peace of mind. That was why we relocated here. We can go to another town after the contract expires or better still, go live abroad. I can't bear to see guilt eat away the rest of your beautiful life."

"What are you trying to say mum?."

"Do it and free your self from every guilt and regret. Do it and start afresh with your dad and I somewhere else. Become his personal maid."

~~~

"I'll do it." Dionne said confidently through the phone.

"There is no going back." Lucas answered on the other end.

"I know."

"Ben will be there shortly." Dionne exhaled loudly when the phone was cut short.

"Are you done packing?" Mrs McCurry yelled from the kitchen.

"Almost." Dionne yelled as well.

"Come to the kitchen after you're done."

Dionne went to the kitchen as per her mother's request immediately she was done packing. "What is it mum?" She asked her mum who was writing something down on a notepad.

"You came just in time, I'm almost done. Here." Dionne collected the notepad from her mum and opened it to see recipes of different foods.

"You've never even made noodles for yourself, how are you going to cope?" Mrs McCurry sighed as she fought tears from escaping.

"I'll be fine. You didn't have to though." Dionne raised the notepad in her hand to show what she meant.

"Just say thank you" Mrs McCurry slapped her butt before walking towards the oven.

"Woah, banana muffins!" Dionne exclaimed when her mum brought out the pan of freshly baked muffins.

"Eat some and give Lucas some. Tell him you're the one who made it. That will earn you some brownie points." Dionne furiously nodded her head as she munched on the muffins. "Hot, hot." She cried out.

"That serves you right. You didn't even wait for it to cool down." Mrs McCurry teased and they laughed.

*Beep, Beep*

"Ben must be here." Dionne ran out of the kitchen to her room to go get her things. She brought her luggages down one by one and left Ben wondering if he should call for a moving truck instead. How can one have so many properties?. Worse was that she kept bringing more.

"I'll tell your dad that you went on a vacation, he'll freak out if he finds out what's going on."

"Yeah. But a vacation just after coming back from abroad? Is there any other thing you could come up with?."

"Think of something if you're so smart." Mrs McCurry sighed.

"Anyone, just makes sure he doesn't come looking for me."

"Let's go miss Dionne" Ben called out after a long time of struggling to fix all those luggages in the car.

"Make sure to call me, if you can visit please do visit. Also eat your meals, try not to go against Lucas and do what he tells you to do so that everything will be settled." Mrs McCurry held Dionne's face as she advised.

"I've heard you mum, I'm no longer a kid!."

"Hmm, my baby is all grown up. Look at her taking responsibility for her mistakes."

"I love you mum" Dionne gave her mum a peck on her cheeks.

"I love you too. Be safe okay."

"I will."

Dionne found it hard to part from her mum but she did. She got into the passenger seat of the car amd kept waving till her mum was out of sight.

"Can we stop at one last place before we go to Lucas's house?" Dionne asked Ben.

"Sure where?"

*D.A.X coffee shop*

"So we won't be seeing each other again?" Mr mask asked as he brewed a coffee.

"Yes" Dionne who was sitting down watching his back as he brewed the coffee answered.

"You'll call right?" He asked

"You bet. I'll call you everyday."

Mr mask walked to the table and dropped a mug of coffee in front of Dionne before taking a seat.

"Ahhh! I'll miss your coffee a lot." Dionne said after taking a long sip from her coffee.

"I can make more if you come back."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Mr mask said and Dionne smiled shyly.

"I'll be going now, I'm sure Ben is already agitated for waiting so long."

"Yeah..." Mr mask paused when Dionne walked up to him and hugged him. Slowly, he raised his hands and hugged her back.

"I'll miss you a lot, Mr mask." Dionne stood on her tippy toes and placed her lips right on his. It would have counted as a kiss if not for the mask that was covering his face.

"Bye," Dionne said and she left. Mr mask was too stunned to move. She just kissed him. He shouldn't have let that happen. She'll surely regret when she finds out who he really is.