OLIVIA’S P.O.V

“I have my own dresses you know,” I said politely even though I was irritated. I was irritated with everything, the very pretty bracelet that I had to wear which was actually a tracker, the rules of Stermytina, the fact that I had to wear an evening gown with flats because heels were not allowed on the marble floors. “Well, this is what Mr. Austin Hunter wants you to wear,” Grace said holding up a Barbie pink evening gown. “Well I hate that color and I would not wear that dress! It looks cheap! Did he get it from the dollar store?” I asked, my arms folded against my chest. “I don’t think that Mr. Austin Hunter would be very happy about that,” she said, holding the dress forward, suggesting that I take it from her. “Well, breaking news Grace! My happiness is far more important than his and I would not let him tell me what to wear” I said. “Very well Madam, I just hope that he does not punish you too severely,” she said, leaving my room, closing the door behind her.

I unpacked all my clothes and set the room to my preference. I put on a red evening dress, put my hair up in a bun, finished off my look with some mascara and red lipstick. It was a quarter to 6 when I heard a knock on the door. Opening it, I was surprised to see Austin. He looked dashing in his tight-fitted suit. “Hi,” I said, softly, my palm on the door handle became sweaty as I couldn’t ignore his intense gaze. “So it’s true, you refused to follow my order,” he said, coldly. “I- er- I- didn’t think that the color suited me” I explained. “Meet me in my room after dinner,” he said and walked away.

………

I sat on the small white leather couch which was in my room, for the next few minutes I thought about what he had said. Why would he want me to meet him in his room? Is he really going to punish me? What will he do to me? All these thoughts were running through my mind. Then came the awful feeling in my stomach but I didn’t worry too much about it because I knew that it was due to my nervousness. What I did worry about though was sitting at a family dinner with the entire Hunter family. I hoped that the parents are not like Austin, on the other hand, there must be someone that he has inherited his awful personality from, slowly I made my way through the hallway leading to the staircase.

“Aren’t you looking lovely?” Keith startled me. “A bit overdressed, don’t you think?” I asked. “Not at all. At a Hunter family dinner, all the men wear suits and the women wear…well what you are wearing. I really don’t know the difference between all these dresses that you woman wear, luckily I am a man, or else you would have seen me dress in a sleep shirt, thinking I look appropriate enough for a family dinner” Keith made me laugh as he accompanied me to dinner, making me feel a little better. As we entered the dining room and they all stopped and stared at me. Like what is with these people? Do I look like an alien or something? Do I have horns or a halo? This Hunter family really did not know how to make someone feel welcome! Well except to Keith, maybe he is adopted or something.

“Hi” I smiled, breaking the stares and the silence. “So is this her?” an older man asked, I assumed that he is their father. He looked wise, scary and kind all at the same time. He had a good built for an old man, black hair which I assume he dyed and Egyptian-blue eyes like Austin. The lady next to him seemed to be a little younger than him, but her dressing gave it away that she is their mother. Her hair in a bun like mine, her eyes green like Keith’s and Jake’s, her skin wrinkled- free. They looked quite young to have three sons who were over 30 years old. Next to Jake sat a girl who looked a little older than I was, she had black hair and red lipstick, her dress was embarrassingly short but she didn’t seem to care. I suppose that she was his ‘mate’, I understand that ‘mate’ is a common term for a friend in Australia, I have no idea why this girl is referred to as Jake’s mate when we are in Europe. Maybe Jake likes that word so they use it when speaking about his friends. “Over here” Austin gestured to me to sit next to him, Keith took a seat on my left.

“So, is this her?” Their father asked, referring to me. “Yes,” Austin replied. “But she is-” Austin cut his father off. “Yes, I am aware,” he said. I was confused…what were they talking about? I am what? “Honey, does she know she knows about us?” his mother asked. I was really starting to hate that they were talking about me as if I wasn’t here or as if I was deaf or something. “No” Austin answered. Why were they talking in riddles? What were they hiding? “I can’t accept this Austin! You need a strong mate with you! You can’t have her as your mate! You need someone else” Austin’s father said. What the f***? Could they be any more hurtful? Am I not good enough to be his friend? Besides I am not even his ‘mate’ friend to begin with! I don’t know why they are getting the wrong idea. “I am his secretary,” I said. “Pardon?” the father, focused his attention on me, making me nervous again. “I am not his friend, I am his secretary,” I think that I made myself quite clear. “But Hunny, we never said that you are his friend,” said the mother. “You said that he needs a better mate, which means he needs a better friend. I am only here as his secretary” I explained. At first, they all looked at me in shock and the next moment they all burst out in laughter. “Okay, she definitely needs to be replaced,” his father said through his laughter. I was never so embarrassed in my life. In New York, I was given respect, but here, I am nothing. They laugh at everything I say. I am really starting to regret my decision and hate this life that I had chosen for myself.

I remained quiet for the rest of the dinner. I ate my steak slowly, finding it hard to digest when everyone around me had bloody steaks, it didn’t even look rare, it looked completely uncooked. I was glad to be excused after dinner was over. Going to my room, I had a warm shower and put on grey track pants with a white long-sleeved camisole. I turned on the heater and opened one of the books which I have been reading.

I was quite indulged in my book when I heard a knock on the door. Putting my book down, I went to open the door. My mouth went completely dry when I saw Austin on the other side, I completely forgot about my after-dinner punishment but I guess he didn’t. “Come on,” he called me to his room.

Entering it, I was bewildered. His room was twice the size of the one given to me, his walls were designed with grey bricks, his fireplace was electronic and he had a full view of the town from his glass wall on the other side of the room.

“What will be my punishment?” I asked. “So eager, are we?” he smirked, unbuttoning his shirt. A lump formed in my throat but I couldn’t peel my eyes as they waited to see his definite abs. Unfortunately for me and my eyes, Austin went into his walk-in closet coming out in a loose grey T-shirt and black track pants. I stood in the middle of the room, watching him move around. “I said that I would punish you, didn’t I?” he said, lying on his bed, his arm muscle popped out as he used his arm to support himself. “Yes,” I said nervously. “I pity you,” he said, coldly. “Why?” I asked with curiosity, I didn’t expect him to say that. “You suffered a lot during dinner, didn’t you?” he asked. “You knew?” I was surprised, I wasn’t used to people reading me so easily. “My dear, the future is already a punishment for both you and me,” he said. “What do you mean?” I asked, not understanding why he would be punished too. “You will see. I’m going to let you go, it’s the first time that you didn’t follow my order but do it for a second time and I removed the skin from your back! Is that understood?” he asked, his eyes telling me that he was not joking about it. Nodding my head in fear, I hurried out of the room…