Anastasia Pov

I can't believe it. I actually snuck out the house. I'm at dunkin donuts right now eating. I haven't eaten in so long. I couldn't eat to fast or I would have belched. When it was 8:45, I crossed the street and entered the building. When I entered the building, I marveled at the beautiful paintings hanging all over, along with the sweet classical music playing softly in the background. "Excuse me Ms, how can I help you?" I was brought back to reality when I saw a short blonde girl sitting at the desk. I smoothed out my clothing and walked over to the desk. "Hi, my name is Nicole, how may I help you?" I realized it was the Nicole I was talking to yesterday over the phone. "Yes, we spoke yesterday, I'm Anastasia-" she cut me off. "Oh yeah, your here for your interview with Mr.Jackson!" I nodded my head and she giggled. "Okay you can have a seat and I'll tell Mr. Jackson your here." She said. I replied with a okay.

After 20 minutes, Nicole calls my name. She stands up from behind the desk and guides me over to a room, with the door closed. She knocked on the door softly. "Mr. Jackson, Ms. Hynemik is here." She looked to me to see if she pronounced my last name right. I nodded. "Let her in." He replied. As she opened the door, she mouthed "good look" I mouthed "thank you" and entered, after she closed the door behind me. I turned around to see a man looking out his window. A gorgeous man matter of fact. I saw his black curls fall to his shoulders, with his light toned skin that revealed his chiseled jawline. I saw his brown eyes gleam in the window. I cleared my throat and he averted his eyes to me. He walked to his desk and he motioned me over. I walked at a fast pace to his desk. I shook his hand firmly and he told me to sit down. "Hello, ms. Hynemik, I'm mr. Jackson... How are you?" He asked me. "Im fine, how are you?" I asked him. "I'm good." He started typing on his computer and after a while he turned it off and stared at me. I looked in every direction instead of his face. I felt his stare as it was burn holes in my skin. My cheeks started to warm up. His stare was intimidating. I finally got the courage to look him in the eye and he gently smiled. I slightly returned the smile as he began the interview.

"So, tell me some things about you!" He starts off. "Personally or-. "both!" He said as he leaned back in his chair. "Okay, I like the color black, and white, my birthday is in December, I really love art, I mean the expression and the application of human creativity, skill and imagination, in forms like paintings or sculptures creates-" I immediately stopped talking, because he was staring deeply at me. He frowned when I stopped. "Why did you stop?" He asked me softly. "I didn't mean to babble off like that... I'm sorry." He looked at me and chuckled while shaking his head. "There is no need to apologize about what your passionate about, now, who's your favorite artist?" A smile quickly grew on my lips and so did his. "MichaelAngelo, sir." He nodded his head. "Favorite painting?" He questioned. "The creation of Adam."

"Well, that was fun now back to business!" I chuckled loudly. By this time, I was grinning really hard. We began talking about what the company is really about and all that stuff, most of the time, I zoned out. I was too focused on the movements of his lips and his angelic voice along with it. After what seemed like forever, we started talking about more of my life. Of course I only scratched the surface of my life, would I have went any deeper I would have begun to cry. I told him funny stories from high school and he was laughing so hard, he started tearing up a little. I laughed at some of the memories I recalled like when my friend Daryll pulled up inappropriate pictures during his presentation in English class.

"We've been talking about me the while" I started. "Tell me things about you!" I say. He looks at me and smirks. "Curious, aren't we ms. Hynemik?" He teased. I nodded my head as I bit my lip and all his attention was un dividedly given to to it. He stared at it seductively. "I- uh, I um-" he was stuttering as if I made him nervous. "I was born in Gary Indiana, my birthday is in August, my favorite colors are black and red..." After that, we've had a full blown conversation out of nothing... Literally nothing.

Moments later, Nicole walked through the door. "Mr Jackson, your next meetin-" "Cancel it!" His voice all of a sudden went serious and it shocked me because his voice went deep. "Right away Mr.Jackson." She winked at me and left the room. "Mr. Jackson, you didn't have to, I'll jus-" I said walking my way to his door "No!" His voice shook me as I turned my attention back to him. His face softened and he sat down. "Please stay, I don't want you to go just...please, stay." I sighed and sat in the chair. He began to stare at me again. Once I caught his stare, I started wiping my face. "Is there something on my face?" I asked him. He shook his head and giggled.

I grabbed a wipe from my purse and abrasively started rubbing my face, little did I know the makeup was coming off. His face turned upside down and quickly rushed to my side of the desk. He held my face in between his hand softly, I flinched from his touch. "Darling, why is your face all bruised up?" He asked me. "Um, I fell off my bed and landed face first." I chuckled trying to lighten the mood. That didn't seem to cut it, he kept examining the bruises on my face. He went behind his desk and grabbed what looked to be neosporin and walked back over to me. He squeezed some of the product on his fingers and he gently rubbed it on my face. "I'm fine Mr. Jack-" he cut me off. "Call me Michael, Ms. Hynemik." "Well, my name is Anastasia, but call me asia." I said. "Asia, that's nice." I smiled and said thank you, when he was done. I stared at him as he put it in his desk and sat down next to me, staring at me.

"Your very beautiful, asia." I immediately put my head down, embarrassed. He lifted my chin up with his index finger and shook his other finger at me. "Don't do that again." He says mildly. Once he removes his hand, my face slightly falls forward, longing his touch. "I want you to be my assistant." He blurted out. I went to shock after he said it. "You start tomorrow, be here by 8:00." I stand up and hug him out of excitement. He laughs and strongly hugs me back. I groan at the pain and he quickly lets go. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He asks panicked. "It's fine, don't worry." I smiled and shook my head. "I'll see you tomorrow Mr- I mean Michael." He smiled, but before I left, he turned me around and said "you know, you can talk to me about anything right?" I knew he was referring to the bruises on my face. "I'm fine Michael, I just fell, I'll see you tomorrow." He blew me a kiss and I closed the door. As I passed Nicole's desk, she started squealing in excitement. "You got the job! You got the job!" She grabbed my hands and we were both jumping in joy. I even began to laugh out loud. "What's your first name?" Nicole asked. "Oh, my name is Anastasia but you can call me asia." She smiled and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow asia." "Okay, see you later." And with that, I was out the door.

Michaels Pov

What just happened to me. I was attracted to her like a magnet. Her dark hair and light brown eyes. Her tiny frame and beautiful body. It pained me to see that she didn't see herself as beautiful... Because that was an understatement. It made me angry to see those bruises on her face. I knew damn well she didn't "fall off the bed" because I knew what was happening to her, she was being abused. I would know because in my child and adolescent life, my father did the same thing to me. She avoided eye contact at all cost and she was ashamed of the way she looked. And that tore me apart.

I sat in my chair emailing Mr. Endmorse on re scheduling our meeting. I explained that I was busy and got lost in my meeting before that. That was partially the truth because I knew what I was doing. I couldn't stop thinking about her for some reason. Her face was plastered all over my brain. Her sweet smile would pleasure me, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Anastasia Pov

I drove back home with a big smile on my face. Aside that I got the job, I thought of Michael. How perfect he was. His... Everything just wooed me. Soon, my smile gradually faded into a frown. I knew he could never be mine and I would only be foolish to imagine such a thing. I'm pathetic and he's everything, the two didn't mix. And that put me in a depressed state, knowing that I couldn't have what I wanted so desperately.

As I pulled up in the driveway, I snuck through the back of the house. I slowly tip toes throughout the house and peered my head into the kitchen. When the sight of my parents in a deep slumber were there, my stomach dropped. As I stumbled backward, I bumped into a hard body. I turned around and it was my 6 foot tall father in front of me, with his eyes blaring at me. He grabbed me by my neck and threw me against the wall. "Where the fuck did you go?!" He screamed. His eyes raged of fury and I was truly petrified. "Huh?!" He threw me to the tile floor and kicked me in my stomach. "Answer me!" He yelled. "I went on a job interview" I started. "And I got the job..." I weakly stated. I felt blows all over my body. I begged for mercy and pleaded him to stop. That only made him angrier. He stepped on my throat to where I was nearly out of breath, sure that I was going to die. I felt everything shut down, I felt my soul about to leave my body, but, he instantly lifted his foot.

He smirked and rubbed the stub on his chin. "Next time, you'll think twice about leaving and not telling me." He said that right before he spit on my face, but he didn't leave without kicking me in the stomach a few more times. He then disappeared from my sight, leaving me all alone. I was no longer gasping for air, but coughing up blood. I knew this was going to leave bruises all over my face and I had to hide it for the sake of my job. I heard loud footsteps make their way toward the bathroom again. "By the way" he started while smirking. "Your going to wanna cover that mess you call a face up, for your "job" he said with air quotations. I was there for a while.

Michael Pov

I'm still at work, cleaning up a room for anas- asia. I know what she's going through and I want to help, but she keeps denying that she needs help. I can't even think straight by this time, thinking about what she may be going through at this very moment.

Anastasia Pov

Once I had the strength to stand up, I mad my way upstairs. I didn't know whether to be happy that my father is okay with me having a job, or if I'm sad that I have to keep the charades that everything is okay, when it's not. I took a warm bath, and the open cuts stung at the soap. Once out, I brush my teeth and put my pajamas on. Before I go to bed, I took the bible out of my dresser and began to read Psalm 71: 14-16.

14 But I will keep hope alive,
    and my praise to You will grow exponentially.
15 I will bear witness to Your merciful acts;
    throughout the day I will speak of all the ways You deliver,
    although, I admit, I do not know the entirety of either.
16 I will come with stories of Your great acts, my Lord, the Eternal.
    I will remind them of Your justice, only Yours.

From that moment, I knew God was watching me, because I'm taking the very first step towards my new future. "Thank you lord." I said while grinning. I made my way under the comforter and drifted off to sleep.
The very first step.