Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
"Baby, will you be there when the mornin' comes? Just give me time, just give me time, to fix my life, to fix my life. Baby, will you be there when I open my eyes? After all the time I've spent wishing you. Baby you set me. Baby you set me. Set adrift on memory's bliss of you. Baby you set me. Baby you set me. Set adrift on memory's bliss of you"- Backstreet Boys
Ella sat there and sobbed for awhile as she leaned against her locked bedroom door. She felt useless. She felt like a slave. This was ridiculous! People don’t do this to people that they loved. Suzzette never loved her or her father. She loved her father’s money and once he was gone, she decided to do whatever she wanted with it and with her. She wasn’t an object to be toyed with. She wasn’t the help. She was supposed to be family. But she wasn’t. They never treated her as such. Only when her father was around, they would attempt to fake it. They were great fakers. Fake bitches. She couldn’t be a part of this fake reality anymore. She’d rather be in a fantasy than have this become her real life. She had to go. If this wasn’t a sign, she didn’t know what was.
She wiped her tears and found a couple of suitcases and fit everything she could in them as quickly as she could. Once she was packed, she stood there and stared at the door. Oh, that. She wasn’t thinking straight. What was the point in packing when she couldn’t get out. ‘I have to get out!’, her mind screamed. She tried throwing all of her weight into the door. Soon she just got bruised. She tried to break the knob off but ended up breaking the tools she used first. Then an idea sprung up in her mind. Her cousin, on her mother’s side, was quite a thief and knew how to unlock doors with her bobby pins. Ella found a few and went to work…..
*
Thaddeus adjusted his three piece gray tuxedo. He fiddled with the matching cane that he bought along with it. He bought it because Ella laughed for 10 minutes at him dancing with it. He loved her laugh, he loved her smile. She then told him to buy it and he said no, that he would look too goofy. “It would make you look sexy, in an old fashioned way, like Fred Astaire”he remembered her saying. She didn’t know that Fred Astaire was his childhood idol, that he sometimes still strives to dance at his caliber. So he bought it. Not only for himself but for her. He knew that she would be working tonight and there was no way out of it and he didn’t know of a way to get her out of it and still be his date. He knew that when he showed up and she saw him with the cane, that she would smile that beautiful smile of hers. Her cute little dimples will form and her dark eyes will shine so bright. “Damn”he said to himself. He had it bad. He had to tell her. Tonight.
However, she was nowhere to be found.
“Wow, a cane? Isn't that a bit much?”he heard someone ask. He turned around and saw a girl in a beautiful silver gown. She had a mask to match and had long blond hair.
“I think its just fine”he said,”And you are?”
“Damn, you don’t even recognize me?”
“The mask makes it hard…..Serena”he said, finally realizing who she was from the last comment. He has learned that when Serena was disappointed, her voice went up one octave.
“Well when are you going to dance with me, loverboy?”she asked him
“Later, when I'm not so busy”he said to her as he looked around for Ella.
“But your just standing there, how are you busy-“
“Suzzette! A quick word with you”Thaddeus said with relief when he saw her through the crowd and ran to her.
“I was just looking for you. Esmee is on in 10. I want you to say a few words before she begins since she’s your little protégé and all”Suzzette said. She looked stunning in a coral gown. He would go for someone like her, if it was 4 years ago and he was the same dumb boy he used to be. He was no longer attracted to bossy, spoiled bitches. He only worked with them because they knew how to get things done.
“That’s fine”Thaddeus said as he looked around. He was about to ask where Ella was and he turned to Suzzette but she was already gone. The club was getting packed. He gave up and went backstage to see how Esmee and Justin were doing.
*
“Yes!”Ella said as she heard a click and opened her bedroom door. She smiled for the first time in hours and gathered her bags and left the house in a hurry. She put her bags in the small trunk of her car and sped off without looking back. She approached a red light and then sighed. She needed to stop doing this. She needed to think about what her next step was going to be. Where was she going to go now? She inched forward in traffic and realized she was a block from the nightclub. Her mind was on auto-pilot and her instincts took her straight to the club just like any other day. This was another sign. She found a parking spot on the street and got out and walked toward the nightclub. She was going to walk in and quit. She was going to tell them that she hated them and that she was leaving them. And then what?, she asked herself. She stopped as she stared at the nightclub from across the street. She saw a lot of people waiting in a line that wrapped around the building. Everyone was wearing evening gowns, tuxedos and masks. She could hear the music blaring. Thaddeus was in there…but so were they. She panicked and turned around. Forget it, they didn’t deserve a goodbye. Thaddeus would understand. She would text him later when she knew what she was doing with herself.
“Hey, where are you going?”a familiar voice asked her
There was Belle wearing a hot pink, sequined gown. She looked marvelous! “I….I cant….”was all Ella could say and then she started to cry. Belle was startled and she hugged her close to her.
“Its alright”Belle comforted her,”Everything’s going to be alright”
*
"Right now my body's trembling. It's so damn hard to kick this feeling. Your heart is so cold and now I'm freezing. Wish you could feel the pain. I would arrange it, yeah yeah yeah"Esmee Denters sang as the crowd cheered, danced and sang along with her. Thaddeus was backstage with Justin Bieber, watching her, and so very proud of her. The night was going perfectly. She and Justin rode in on a horse drawn carriage while screaming fans threw flowers and rice and then they were rushed backstage to prepare for the show.
"Why aren't you dancing?"Justin asked him
"No one to dance with"Thaddeus said as he watch Esmee perform in a shorter and more sparkly version of her ball gown.
"Um, hello? There are a million huney's out there....I would go for them but....Esmee..."
"Will have your head for it, I know"Thaddeus said with a smile. Those two were cute, trying to keep their relationship a secret even though the tabloids talked about it everyday. He remembered those times, with a certain someone, but that was all over now.
"So that's my excuse. What's yours?"Justin asked him
"There's no one to dance with"Thaddeus said again, more seriously this time. "The one I want to dance with isn't here"
"Where is she?"Justin asked
"I have no idea"Thaddeus said as he looked at his watch. It was 10:30. He was getting worried. "It's time that I found out"he said as he walked away. He saw Sasha and finally asked,"Where is Ella?"
"No clue, but Serena has been looking for you"
"I found Serena. Where did you last see Ella?"
"Dude, whats your deal? Why do you care?"
"Why don't you care?"he asked her. She was hiding something and it was pissing him off. He was almost 30, a grown ass man and he did not like being treated like he was stupid.
Sasha stared at him wide eyed. He has never seen her so wide eyed.....due to the shit she was always smoking or inhaling. He was ruining her high and he didn't give a shit. "Ask....mom...."she almost stuttered, not knowing how to deal with him
"Fine, thanks for nothing"he said as he ventured off to find Suzzette.
*
"This is domestic violence, huney, and you have to fight back if you want any type of freedom"Belle said to her as she gave Ella a cup of tea. Belle took her back to her apartment which was a couple blocks from the nightclub to help her calm down. Ella then told her everything and Belle sat there and actually took notes.
"Oh no....they have never hit me"Ella said
"Well then you don't know what domestic violence is. Its not just physical. Its also emotional, verbal, sexual and what some people don't think about is economic abuse"Belle explained as she sat next to her. "It seems like you are going through verbal, emotional and economic abuse from those three"
"Economic abuse?"Ella asked
"Its a number of things. In your case, she is controlling your finances, jeopardizing employment through anyone else, taking money without your permission, denying you access and knowledge of your funds and putting your credit in jeopardy"Belle said
Ella nodded sadly,"Tha'ts exactly what is happening"
"You'll stay with me for a few days. I can give you all the information you need to get back on your feet"Belle said as she patted Ella's knee. "I was once in your shoes and I'm here to help. I cant watch Suzzette do this to you any longer and if I knew this was happening I would have kicked her ass myself"
"Thank you"Ella said,"The same thing happened to you?"
"I was abused, yes, then I ran away and came here and I have been better ever since"Belle said proudly. "But, we can talk about that later. Now its time for revenge"she said as she got up. "Ooooh this is making my head itch"she said and took her wig off. Ella gasped loudly. "Huney, honestly, what is up with you?"
Ella stared at Belle and finally realized. "Your a man?"
"No, I'm not"Belle said with attitude. "I had one operation to make sure of that. But yes, I used to be. That was Ben. Now, I'm Belle"she said as she put her wig back on and readjusted it. "Honestly, Ella, I didn't know you were so naive. How long have you known me?"she asked her
"We just started talking to each other a couple of weeks ago-"
"Oh calm down, I'll take it as a compliment, that means the transformation is working"Belle said. "Now revenge"she said as she pulled her into the bedroom. "Your loverboy is in there and we are going to blow his mind.....the PG way"she said and winked
*
Thaddeus was pissed off. No one was giving him a straight answer and Ella was nowhere to be found. He should be happy. The show was a success. It was sold out. Esmee was performing better than she has ever performed before. Justin's impromptu concert also brought the house down. However, at midnight, Esmee's show was ending and he wanted Ella to see what she helped create. It was 11:55. He was pissed off and worried sick. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He walked outside and took out his cell phone and found the contact in his list that he wanted to speak to and pressed 'talk'. "Hey, sorry to call you so late.....oh shit, Cali time....I forgot....so scratch that.....so um.....please tell me that you found them?"
*
"I'm going to sing one more song"Esmee said as the crowd cheered and booed (since she was announcing that this was the last song she was singing). "Its almost midnight so grab that special someone. I'm going to sing a cover of one of my favorite songs. It got more than 6 1/2 million hits on YouTube so I guess you all liked it too. Here is 'No One' by Alicia Keys"Esmee said and cued the band.
Thaddeus sighed,"Fucking shit"he muttered to himself as couples went out on the dance floor and the singles scrambled off to the bar or to find a dance partner. He saw Belle and half smiled at her and then all of a sudden Belle pushed a girl in a baby blue sequined dress into his arms. "I'm not dancing tonight!"he said to her
"Trust me!"Belle said and disappeared into the crowd
"Fine, but I don't want to be rude"Thaddeus said to the girl. "In all honesty, I'm kinda spoken for so don't get your hopes up"he said as he looked at the girl. Her mask covered her whole face except for her cheeks and lips. "I was waiting on someone to come here and I'm really worried...."he said and then stopped talking,"But you don't care"
"I do care. I care about you Thaddeus"the girl said. He barely heard her over the music but then she smiled. He saw those dimples. That gorgeous smile.
"Ella?!"
"I'm here"she said and he hugged her close
"Where have you been? Ive been-"
"No, lemme tell you later. Just hold me because it wont last long-"
"What do you mean? No one can stop me-"
"No one, no one, no one. Can get in the way of what I'm feeling"Esmee sang. "No one, no one, no one. Can get in the way of what I feel for you. You, you, you you. Cant get get in the way of what I feel for you"
"Mom! Its Ella! How did she get out!"Serena whined to Suzzette,"She's ruining everything! She's dancing with Thaddeus!"
Esmee ended her song. Sasha started to play music but kept the romantic feel going by playing "Set Adrift On Memory's Bliss" Thaddeus took the mask off of himself and then off of Ella. "I have been wanting to do this for weeks"he said as he leaned closer to her
"ELLA! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!"Suzzette shouted
Ella gasped and ran out of the nightclub. She tripped as she ran through the door and left a shoe behind. She couldn't do it yet. She couldn't confront her yet. She cried as she ran back to Belle's apartment.
"You should be ashamed of yourself"Belle said to Suzzette as Thaddeus picked up Ella's shoe. "Ella told me everything. You are the definition of abuse, chick, and if I weren't a classy lady, I would beat your ass right here. Ella is no longer working for you and she is no longer going to be locked in your home!"
"Classy lady!? You!? Your just an old drag queen who has to pay for what I have!"Suzzette hissed at her
Belle slapped Suzzette across the face. "Fine I may not be classy but I'm more of a woman than you'll ever be. You'll be hearing from Ella's lawyers soon"she said and sashayed out of the nightclub as if it were a runway.
"Lawyers!? What lawyers!!!!!?"Suzzette shouted after her. Belle didn't answer. She saw Thaddeus holding Ella's shoe. "Thaddeus, this isn't what it looks like-"
"Save it for someone who cares"Thaddeus said coldly to her. "We'll talk about re-negotiating our contract on Monday"he said and walked out of the nightclub. He sent a text message to his assistants to take care of Esmee and Justin and the rest of the evening. He had more important things to attend to.
*
Ella let herself in with Belle's extra key and threw herself on the couch and cried. Where was her fucking backbone!? Why wasn't she born with one? Why did Suzzette scare her to death!? She calmed herself down as Belle walked in. "Are you alright?"she asked her. Ella shook her head no. "You will be. You forgot something"she said and nodded her head towards the door as Thaddeus walked in.
"Thad...."she said weakly and he walked over to her and held her. Belle went into her bedroom and left the two alone. "It was horrible"
"I know it was. Belle gave me the gist of it as we walked over here"Thaddeus said. "She said that she knew lawyers and I know some too. Ive been making a lot of phone calls"
"Can we not talk about my future right now? Its been a long day"Ella said. "I just want you to hold me"she said and Thad smiled and held her close.
"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah. I know this much is true"played softly in the next room. The two of them laughed at Belle's attempt of making this moment romantic.
"Oh, I think this belongs to you"Thaddeus said as he got on his knee and lifted Ella's left leg so that it rested on his knee and slipped the shoe on her foot. "Its a perfect fit. You know what that means?"he asked her with a smile
"What does that mean?"Ella asked coyly
"We are a perfect fit"he said to her and helped her up. "And that you owe me a dance"he said as he pulled her close to him.
"You owe me a kiss"Ella said to him. Thaddeus smiled and then caressed her hair, caressed her face, he stared into her dark brown eyes and his fingers traced her dimple as she smiled. She was shaking in anticipation. Her mind was screaming,"KISS ME DAMN IT!" He then cupped her face in his hands gently and kissed her passionately and Ella clung to him like her hunger was fulfilled.
"Aww, that is so sweet"Belle whispered as she talked to GiGi on the phone. "Girl you should have been there and now I have a Disney reenactment in my living room"she said as she closed her door
"I love you, Thad"Ella whispered against his soft lips
"I love you too, Ella"he said and kissed her once more, leading to more.
*