Liang Mei realized Zhang Yichan had bought her a real maid's uniform. The straight skirt even came down to her knees. Nobody would mistake this plain style for a sexy costume, so it wouldn't be that embarrassing to be seen in it by her classmates at Zhang Yichan's party. She could pass it off as a real job. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. With her curves covered up and her hair in a ponytail, she looked less like her blonde bombshell mother. Without any makeup, she was fresh-faced, with only her baby blue eyes drawing attention with their vivid color. Her mother didn't even look up from her phone to notice that she was wearing a uniform as she walked past her. As usual, her dad was the only one who questioned where she was going.
"When did you get a job?" he asked.
"I'm just starting today," she replied, inching toward the door.
"Where are you working?"
"It's a catering company," she lied. "They do parties, and I'll be serving appetizers."
"What's the name of the company?"
"I forgot. My friend's mom does it out of her house, and we're working for her. I've really gotta go. I don't want to be late on my first day. Thanks for letting me borrow your car," she said as she rushed out the door. She mostly loved the fact that he took such an interest in her life. He had become the father she'd never had, and she adored him. Until now, she'd had no reason to keep secrets from him. She hated lying to him, but she couldn't tell him about Zhang Yichan blackmailing her. The last person in the world she wanted to disappoint was her dad. She shouldn't have been drinking at all, let alone enough to blackout. She vowed she would never get drunk again. No alcohol would pass her lips tonight, that was for sure. The irony was that she had often wished she could go to one of these parties. Unlike Linja, she had never desired popularity, but she didn't like being shunned either. Everyone had started ignoring her after Zhang Yichan began bullying anyone who tried to be friends with her. Since he was popular, he got all his buddies to back him up. No one wanted to be targeted by them because of her, so she was left out of everything. That was why she was so grateful to finally have a friend, and why she was so desperate to keep her that she had gone along with everything Linja suggested the previous evening. Linja had urged her to keep drinking, so she did. Since Linja hadn't been as smashed as she was, Liang Mei could only assume she had pretended to keep drinking with her. Linja was at Zhang Yichan's house when Liang Mei arrived, and she wasn't happy to see her.
"What the hell, Zhang Yichan? Why is she here?"
Linja apparently wasn't bothering to address Liang Mei directly anymore, which reinforced the realization that she had been faking her friendship. Being friendless again hurt worse than before. Zhang Yichan had wounded her more by giving her a false friend than by denying her friends altogether. She felt the loss more acutely.
Blinking away the tears from her eyes, Liang Mei reminded herself that Linja wasn't worth it. Linja was one of them now—the shallow people who only cared about themselves. The people Zhang Yichan surrounded himself with. The people who were just like him.
"Because I told her to be here," Zhang Yichan snapped at Linja. "She does what I tell her to do."
"It's just… I thought you got what you—"
"Are you stupid? Do you really think she wants to be here? As a maid?"
"Guys think that's sexy. I bet she'll get hit on all night," Linja remarked flatly.
Zhang Yichan eyed Liang Mei with displeasure, seemingly disliking that prospect as much as Linja did. He had chased away all her potential boyfriends from the first day of high school, making sure she had no social life. She should have realized it was a trick when he allowed her to socialize with Linja.
"Don't talk to anyone," he told her. "You're not here to flirt. Just give them their drinks. Got it?"
She nodded, but that didn't satisfy him.
"Answer me," he demanded.
"Yes, I've got it," she said.
"What did I tell you were the only two words you—"
"Sir?" Linja questioned, her voice rising in indignation. "You're having her call you sir? I knew this was some kinky sex thing. Otherwise, you would have had her doing your homework and stuff like that instead of dressing up as your sex slave. I would have let you tie me up if I knew you were into that. You didn't need to blackmail her into doing it. I thought you hated her!"
"I don't need any help with my homework. And I sure as hell don't need to tie a girl down to make her my sex slave."
"So, you're admitting you had sex with her," Linja accused, looking like she was either about to lose her temper or cry.
"I don't have sex with my maid!" he yelled, startling her out of her meltdown. "She's beneath me. Do you understand? That's what this whole thing is about. She is here as a servant, and she will know her place."
Liang Mei wanted to tell him he was full of it, but she held her tongue. Mollified at last, Linja directed a mocking smile at Liang Mei. "You better remember your place, Liang Mei."
"Yes ma'am," Liang Mei retorted. "Serving your boyfriend. All day, and all night." A small smirk played over her lips as she gazed at Linja with a wicked expression. "He likes when I'm beneath him."
Linja's smile withered, while cold fury emanated from Zhang Yichan. Liang Mei could sense it without looking at him. It chilled her even as her pulse spiked with the fight-or-flight response. She held her ground, fueled by the satisfaction of striking at Linja's jealousy.
"Get to your station."
Zhang Yichan's tight, terse voice snapped her out of the stare-down.
"Yes sir," she replied, injecting saucy, flirty enthusiasm into the words. "Where do you want me?" she asked with unmistakable sexual innuendo.
His glare hardened into the cold stare of a predator. "On your knees," he commanded with icy calmness.
Her stomach twisted with dread, but she didn't dare defy him.
"Get on your knees," he repeated.
She obeyed, sinking down slowly. Shame burned through her at being in such a subservient position, his crotch at eye level. Her gaze lifted to his in horrified realization he would expose her naked picture to everyone if she didn't obey.
"Respect," he warned. "The next time you start playing games with me, I'll call your bluff. Got it?"
"Yes sir," she answered, her voice trembling with relief.
"Get up," he ordered.
She did, stepping back from him.
"I'll take care of you, Zhang Yichan," Linja offered, moving toward him.
Liang Mei looked away when Linja boldly placed her hand on his crotch. Her cheeks burned as Linja offered to go upstairs with him.
"I have guests arriving soon," he said, seemingly unaffected.
"I'll get you off fast," Linja promised.
"No," he stated flatly. "Come here, maid."
Liang Mei cringed at Linja's rejection as Zhang Yichan pointed toward the kitchen. "Your station is in there."