Veronica twitched and shook in her bed as the dream continued, unaware that being forced to relive her first experience under Evelyn’s boot in her dreams was serving to more deeply program her, and to inevitably bind her to obeying Evelyn’s every command. In the dream, Evelyn did not respond with anything but a malicious smile when Veronica declared herself as one who lived only to serve. Veronica noticed, but could not bring herself to say anything despite her regret and terror. She knew she should leave Evelyn’s palace. She knew she should take off the uniform. She knew she should assert herself rather than let herself be pushed around by this woman anymore. There was just something about the uniform, the droning hum in her new room, Evelyn’s seemingly innate power and authority causing those of lesser status to obey her, and working in unison with others like a small part of a large machine that kept her from rebelling. All day the words of Hilda, this floor’s manager so to speak, stuck in Veronica’s mind. “Two functions: serve and obey. You are only a maid.” They repeated in Veronica’s mind like a mantra. With every swipe of dust. With every scrub of the floor. With every instruction Hilda gave her. “Two functions: serve and obey. I am only a maid.” 

“Veronica.” Hilda’s tone was stern. The grey haired woman who had once been a powerful financier turned butler’s wife towered over the new maid as she scrubbed bathroom tiles on all fours. “Why are you speaking?”

Veronica hadn’t even realized she had been repeating the words which had become a mantra now. Not just in her mind anymore, but out loud. She hadn’t even realized she was scrubbing down a bathroom, likely having simply done it without thought or hesitation whenever Hilda delegated the task to her. “I- I didn’t realize, please, I’m so sorry. Maids aren’t to speak out of turn, I understand, please don’t tell Mistress” she begged. Her inner self was sobbing and screaming at how pathetic she was, and at how easily she’d given up everything. The truth, however, was that she ultimately had nothing. Even her room here was nicer than the horrible apartment she’d come from, and cheaper, given that it was free as long as she obeyed. She wondered if her roommates even noticed that she never came home.

Hilda knelt down beside her, lifting her chin up to meet her eyes, and replied calmly. “You’re going to be an excellent maid.”

Veronica felt her tension melt away as Hilda said those words. If she really was stuck here, and this wasn’t just a cruel prank Evelyn was playing on her, at least the maid she’d be placed under was nice. Her roommates never tended to acknowledge her, but Hilda and the other maids did, working with her and including her. Even during Hilda’s occasional reviews of their work, when she’d line them up at attention while scrutinizing every tiny detail of the rooms and hallways they’d just cleaned, Veronica felt like a part of something for once. She was good at something. She fit in. She had a purpose. 

The rest of her day was a blur of seemingly endless cleaning, and the maids were often ordered to clean rooms again if even the smallest amount of debris returned to disrupt the order they’d created. “It must be spotless at all times, make it one with your mind: spotless. thoughtless. perfection.” Hilda would say. Veronica felt like the maids were expected to lose themselves and be automatons. To be more like machines than humans. She made the mistake of asking Hilda why Evelyn didn’t just buy roombas for the floors, only to be met with, “why would she need to? She already owns one” and being assigned to clean the floors repeatedly on all fours until her Mistress’s return. Her body ached through the task, but her mind was finally reaching for peace and quiet for once. Hilda calling her “Roomba” for the rest of the day felt humiliating at first, but this quickly subsided as the other maids didn’t laugh or bully her for it. They were still a team. She was still one of them. They were all still just small parts of the large machine that was Evelyn’s palace. Veronica hated that being this felt so good, but for some reason she couldn’t stop.

Evelyn didn’t interact with Veronica much when she returned home outside of barking orders at her. Veronica served her personally as instructed earlier that morning, and while she was treated like just another maid, her day had gone by rather quickly and had oddly been somewhat enjoyable in spite of being assigned to endless floor scrubbing. She didn’t have to think much, or feel stressed about anything, and it was admittedly satisfying to see the spotless results of her work. Her mind felt more and more blank with each spotless floor, and her focus shifted quickly to ensuring this quiet order both inside and out would not be disrupted. However, as she stood beside Evelyn’s bed waiting for the night’s final commands, some sense of clarity would begin to come of her as the exhaustion began to catch up.

“Kneel.” Evelyn commanded as she sat her phone down, but her tone would quickly turn to amusement as Veronica struggled to contain a yawn while dropping to her knees. “Oh how adorable, look how dedicated you’ve already become! Hilda must have worked you so hard all day. For future reference, I do love the mantra you were caught repeating, but it needs to stay in your head. Maids do not speak unless it’s necessary. It should really just become your only thought until you’re given a command, and then that command should be your only thought until you complete it. Then back to the mantra. Understand?”

”yes Mistress.” Veronica said as her inner self begged her to stop and ask if she could go home now. “Just tell her she’s made her point!” she thought to herself. “Tell her that you’re motivated to not end up like this now! That you’ll spend the rest of your vacation looking for a new job and that you’re going to give college another chance!” Veronica, however, could not find the strength to speak these words. Maybe it was just because she was so tired, but even with clarity coming to her she couldn’t think straight, and instead would simply ask “Mistress, permission to speak?” Inside herself, she screamed in horror as she couldn’t seem to resist her state of subservience. 

Evelyn howled with laughter “My God you’re so easy to control. You’re already almost perfectly trained and it’s been one fucking day! No, maid, I don’t permit you to speak.”

Veronica wanted to cry while her inner self began screaming “STOP IT YOU STUPID MAID, STOP OBEYING HER, I DON’T WANT TO BE A SLAVE!” However, Veronica would merely bow her head and say “yes Mistress” in a defeated tone. 

”I’m joking, Veronica, but what a good maid you are. Look how obedient you’ve already become. Your reward is that you may speak.” Evelyn said warmly, patting Veronica on the head.

Veronica felt so humiliated, angry with herself, and confused about what was happening to her. Could she really not think for herself, assert herself, or behave like an actual person? “Thank you Mistress, I beg you, please allow me to return home. I’ll do anything.”

Evelyn struggled not to laugh as she sipped on water. “You aren’t bound by a contract or anything, girl, and yet you submit so easily to me. You’ve given me absolute power over you. Such a good girl. Such a good maid. Such a good slave.” Veronica was embarrassed and didn’t want to admit that she was turned on. She couldn’t hide that her face was turning beet red or her struggle to keep her hands from moving under her dress, and didn’t even realize the power she’d just given Evelyn until her Mistress continued. “You’re too tired to go home tonight. I guess you’ll just remain here. Then I’ll work you even harder tomorrow, and you’ll be too tired to go home, so you’ll stay. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. You’ll do anything? You’re begging me? You’re a slave now, Veronica. That you’re too stupid to realize how easily you allowed me to ensnare you is just evidence that you deserve to be one. You’re already home. Get it yet, or do I need to simplify it further?”

Veronica began to cry “please, Mistress, I thought we were just having fun I-“

”Enough!” Evelyn stood up, towering over Veronica, smacking her hands away as her new maid reached out towards her. “You aren’t worthy of gazing upon me, let alone touching me, and you chose this when you begged me to put you to work so you could earn your stay. You earned this when you told me you lived only to serve. You sealed your fate when you begged me to let you go instead of just telling me you were ready to go home. You don’t behave like an equal playing a game. You behave like a well trained and dedicated servant. You must understand that you’re too good at this for me to just let you go. You’re mine now. I own you. There’s nothing you can do about it. Your life will be easier if you just accept it. Embrace it. Embrace that you’re weak, pathetic, and stupid. Now.” 

All the years of being pushed around and talked down to, and now she was being enslaved, forced to live the rest of her life with Evelyn’s boot on her throat? As Veronica finally realized the mistake she’d made, her inner self became defiant and angry, but this would lead to her greatest mistake yet. Standing up she would push Evelyn back onto the bed, and pushed her down once more when she tried to get up, but the open closet door led to Veronica seeing something in the corner of her eye which filled her with dread. One of Evelyn’s gis. She couldn’t tell which martial art it was for from here, but her eyes went wide as her legs were twisted out of their stable position by Evelyn’s own. Veronica fell to the ground with a loud thud and a cry of pain. She would make a pathetic attempt to crawl away upon remembering her Mistress’s lifelong dedication to a handful of martial arts, all while begging for mercy. “Please! Mistress I’m sorry! I made a mistake I-“

”Shut the fuck up.” Evelyn commanded, scarily calm but stern, as she brought a kick down onto Veronica which sent her flat against the ground. “Oh my, what’s that? You don’t want more? Did you start something you couldn’t finish?” Evelyn would grab the sobbing Veronica off the ground, quickly bringing her up before slamming her down onto her back as Veronica screamed. “It’s a shame. I thought we were just having a good time. It seemed like you were enjoying it so I was just playing the part you stupid, stupid girl. You don’t exactly tell me if I’ve gone too far.”

”I was! Mistress please I don’t know what came over me! Please I’ll do anything! I promise! I’m yours! I’m your eternal slave if that’s what you want!” Veronica tried to get up onto her knees, only to instantly be taken to the ground by Evelyn and put into some sort of complicated hold which might as well have rendered her immobile.

”I know you’ll do anything, Veronica.” Evelyn coldly replied as she tightened her hold. “Sometimes you slaves get these stupid ideas early in your training, that you can successfully rebel, that you can fight your instincts, that you can stand up to your superiors. You already told me you’d do anything as long as I let you go home, right?”

”yes Mistress” Veronica’s tears continued to run down her face as she wished she could undo the last few moments. “please, Mistress, please don’t hurt me” she begged, regretting that she was such an impulsive person and prone to bad decisions. She needed discipline and order. This was proof. 

“Why would I want such a treacherous maid? One who pretends to be loyal and obedient, but puts hands on the person who fucking owns her?” Evelyn tightened her grip around Veronica again. “Why should any of us want you around now?”

”Please, I’ll be a good slave, please don’t tell Elias about this! Please please please” she continued to repeat as her existence quickly became synonymous with pain.

“You’re more worried about that than the fact I could end you right here?” Evelyn laughed out loud again. It was clear to Veronica that her conquerer was enjoying this and that she may not even truly be angry, and that terrified her. “You’re such a pathetic simp for him. I could destroy you beyond repair right now, and you’re more worried about him being angry at you?” She loosened her grip, letting Veronica go, quickly standing back up and gazing down at Veronica with a cruel expression.

Veronica would struggle to return to her knees, head bowed, “please forgive me Mistress. I’m so fucking stupid. I should know better. Please I don’t want to stop being friends with either of you. I need you in my life.” 

”Friends? Slaves aren’t friends, girl. I know it’s hard but it’s something you have to wrap your tiny little brain around. You will still be highly valued, but it will be different. Are you second guessing it because of what changes when you inevitably become property of our family?” Evelyn didn’t sound angry at all, but was still stern and matter of fact.

”I don’t know, Mistress. I’m scared. I’m sorry I attacked you.” Veronica felt some relief when Evelyn stepped towards her and wiped her tears away, but she wasn’t sure what to make of that. She was even more confused when Evelyn pulled her close as if to comfort her. 

”Attacked? Veronica that was hardly an attack. It was honestly pathetic. If you’re going to serve me I’ll be putting you through some of my security team’s training. Not as much as they get but all of my slaves can become my personal army if I choose, and are trained to be. What you did still deserved punishment, but I’ve already dealt that out. You’re forgiven.” Evelyn’s tone was extremely sincere, and oddly kind. 

”I don’t understand why I’m like this. I make so many bad decisions, even when it comes to people who have always been by my side, and I don’t understand why but” Veronica gulped “Mistress, I hope this isn’t too much but, that was hot. Thank you for punishing me. I deserved it. Holy shit I’m so- so-“ Inside she screamed in horror again as she couldn’t believe she was saying it out loud. Her life had just been entirely in her Mistress’s hands, Mistress truly had absolute power, and there was nothing Veronica could do about that. Had she actually wanted to leave earlier, or was she just desperate for the experience of her being put in her place? 

Evelyn smiled as she lifted Veronica’s chin to gaze into her eyes. “Turned on? Veronica, tsk tsk, what are we going to do with you? I never knew you were into women like that. You could have just simped for me all these years, you know? You’re turned on because you’re being rewarded for accepting your place and punishment. As for why you’re like this? Well, some people are just meant to serve. You’re naturally geared towards it. Wired for it, aren’t you?”

Veronica’s heart melted as Evelyn’s tone became far more kind. It was still condescending in a way, but warm and caring. “Wired for it. Meant to serve.” She couldn’t look away from Evelyn’s eyes and found herself feeling more compliant again. She put herself in a bad situation, and Evelyn showed her mercy. Evelyn was a good Mistress. Veronica felt lucky to be owned by someone who would at least be merciful.

“That’s right. Good girl. Here’s what I’ll do with you, because you have impressed me, but it may be some time before you truly accept your role in life given the struggle in that head of yours. You’ll have your life, your pathetic and stupid life where you barely make ends meet and struggle with the pain of being left in the dust by everyone around you. However, you’ll also have your life here at times. You will always answer my phone calls, and I will tell you that it’s time to serve. When you hear this from me you will immediately come over, you will head directly to your room, you will put on your uniform, and you will serve. You will tell me if you need to leave for some period of time in the future instead of these pathetic and immature attempts to rebel though, won’t you?”

”yes Mistress. I serve when you command.” Veronica’s heart raced as she struggled to speak “what ar-“

“What am I doing to you? This is the price of letting my new slave return to her old life. I’m using an old family technique to establish further control over you. It works mostly by bringing out and strengthening those servile tendencies some people have, at least when applied this way. Allegedly one of my ancestors ruled a Kingdom using this technique. She was supposedly a Sorceress, and her subjects considered her to be the human incarnation of a Goddess. My grandmother rediscovered this sort of hypno magic as I call it, taught it to my mother, and now it’s been passed down to me. My brothers have it too, but out of the three of us I’m the best at it. Lucas swears I may be that ancestor reincarnated since I’m so powerful with it.” Evelyn was clearly satisfied by the idea that she was the Sorcerer Queen of a society of mindless slaves in a past life, but Veronica wasn’t sure if she actually believed in things like that. Regardless, Veronica couldn’t focus on that much. Her brain was too busy melting into a sea of fear, adrenaline, sexual tension, gratitude, and a growing desire to simply give in. 

”new. slave.” Veronica mumbled. “Simple. Easy. To. Control.”

”Yes you are. You are all of those things and more. I’m going to let you keep doing this, but you’re not going to remember your times here, at least not consciously. Your subconscious will make a choice in the end. It’s inevitable that you’ll have to pick one. Will it be endless servitude, or will it be the chaos of that life the world has convinced you to hold onto?” Evelyn pondered. “If you choose happy, stable servitude, it will be the final choice you ever make for yourself. There’s no going back.”

Veronica was drooling now. “choose. inevitable. slave. slave. slave. slave. slave.”

”Yes, I do believe that’s what you’ll choose in the end. Were you anyone else you wouldn’t get another chance after what you did. Be grateful,” Evelyn commanded, “I could have you turned into a drone working 16 hour days in a factory, or working in a club wearing a bunny suit and serving drinks to handsy men who dress well to disguise their lack of true class, only for you to lay any tips they shove between your breasts at my feet. A bimbo waitress with a permanent IQ drop.” 

”yes. Mistress. Grateful. Thank. You.”

”Good girl. Now let’s get you ready for the rest of the week, and put me in control of your conscious memories. It’s important you don’t remember so your subconscious can choose, rather than you falling into that habit of overthinking it, a habit I will correct someday. I’m going to count down from 10.”

***
     Veronica’s eyes opened wide at 5:30a.m., with no further sense of exhaustion, and she shook as the dream sunk into the core of her being. Brianna was waking up as well, having been long programmed to wake up ready to serve at this exact time, and Veronica’s stomach twisted as she felt she was on the same schedule now. However, before she could overthink it, the fleeting memories of her dream would escape her while Brianna quietly exited the room. The maid was likely to return in an hour with breakfast for Veronica again, but this morning she’d actually be awake for it. In the meantime she’d get started earlier on her job search, but before she’d open her laptop, she would be overwhelmed by the urge to open her text messages. 

“Hey Evelyn, I’m really sorry to text you so early, but if you’re not busy later I’d love to come see you. I think you could help me with my job search struggle, and I understand if you’re too busy but I really appreciate your advice and would like to catch up more.” Veronica’s thumbs hovered over the phone’s screen as she hesitated to press send, only for the three dots of Evelyn typing to appear on her screen like a jump scare.

”You’re up early. What are you typing that’s taking so long? You don’t have to beg to come over this weekend. I was already going to invite you.”

Veronica quickly deleted her unsent message, terrified by the timing but excited by the invite, and began to type a new one. “I’d love to. I really appreciate everything you do for me, and I’m sorry if I’ve ever misjudged you.”

”Misjudged me? I’ve never felt that way, Veronica. I tease you a little, and I understand how that may appear sometimes, but I like you more than you probably think I do. I suppose that’s not really your fault. I actually really like you, as something other than a friend, potentially. I’m not sure why I’m admitting it through a text. Look at me, I’m under thirty and already one of the most powerful women in the world, yet I can’t even tell my old friend how I actually feel about her in person? Maybe you get to lay into me for once. LOL”

Veronica smiled at the text while her mind raced, her emotions and thoughts in conflict, “something is wrong.” She felt it, somewhere deep in her stomach, but the good feelings were becoming too strong. “We know this isn’t like her. What are we doing? She has to be up to something. People can change but this is Evelyn. She has no reason to change. She gets what she wants, she holds unthinkable power, she can easily just change the world around her to suit her desires.” Veronica stared at the screen as she thought to herself, but ultimately dismissed her own warnings. Her own hesitation. She didn’t want to disappoint Evelyn. She didn’t want to upset or displease her.

“Is leaving me on read your way of laying into me? Don’t make me beg, please, it would be horrible for my public image.” 

Veronica laughed out loud at the text while attempting for formulate a reply. “I think I should be begging you if anything. You and Elias both have always done so much for me. I’d love to help you relax at the very least especially since you took care of me last night and made sure my head was okay. I’ll be over as soon as you want me to be. I assure you, Miss Porter, you can do anything you want with me. ;)” She wondered if she’d regret sending that text, or if it was too much as she’d be left on read for a few minutes, but Evelyn’s reply set her nerves on fire and shook her to her core. 

“Good girl.”