Chapter 1

### At Madam Alora's Brothel

“Come on, Lara, let’s go inside,” Janet urged.

“No, Janet. You didn’t tell me we were going to a hotel,” Lara replied.

Janet frowned as she stood at the entrance of her madam's brothel. She had traveled to her village specifically to bring Lara back, wanting to help her escape poverty.

"Lara, I can't keep standing out here with you. If you don’t want to go inside, that's fine. You can continue to stand here alone while I tend to my responsibilities. My madam has been calling for me since this morning," Janet replied.

Lara frowned. As a light-skinned beauty, she was aware of her attractiveness and was not foolish enough to ignore where Janet had brought her.

Although Janet’s parents were poor and lived in the village, the beautiful clothes she wore made Lara admire her even more, as she mostly wore rags.

"I need to go back home to the village. I cannot go in there with you," Lara insisted.

Madam Alora stepped outside and saw Janet standing by the gate. She recalled that Janet had received permission to travel to the village to bring her best friend to the city, and Janet had even promised Alora that her friend was exceptionally attractive.

It was 6:30 PM, and soon most of her regular customers would arrive. Currently, only four ladies were on duty: Janet, Sophia, Edith, and Mimi. Madam Alora didn't accept older ladies as they tended to be more difficult to manage and wanted to know her secrets. She typically catered to young men visiting her brothel.

“What’s going on there, Janet?” Madam Alora asked.

“Good evening, ma. It’s my friend I told you about. She doesn’t want to come inside and has been standing by the gate since we arrived,” Janet explained.

Madam Alora sighed. “Hmph. It’s alright. You go inside; I’ll come shortly,” she replied, walking out in a black short gown that barely reached her knees, revealing her dark thighs. She wore red slippers and walked gracefully toward the gate. Her eyes widened as she saw the beautiful girl standing next to her gate, carrying a tattered travel bag from the village.

“Good evening, ma,” Lara greeted.

“Yes, welcome. Why are you standing out here by the gate? Come inside,” Madam Alora invited.

“No, ma. Is this not a hotel?” Lara responded.

Madam Alora frowned but forced a smile. “No, my dear. What makes you think this is a hotel? Have you ever been to one?”

“No, ma, but…” Lara peered inside and noticed some ladies dressed in revealing outfits. She gulped and shook her head, “Please, ma, call Janet for me. I need to go back home to the village. I cannot go in there.”

Lara began to cry, and Madam Alora narrowed her eyes at her.

Madam Alora had been receiving requests from wealthy men seeking beautiful young ladies to warm their beds. Seeing the lovely girl standing outside with no makeup, she shook her head and asked, “Do you have your transport fare to return to the village?”

Lara sniffed as she looked up at Madam Alora.

“No, ma,” Lara replied.

“Then you will have to work for it. Are you coming inside or not? And mind you, this is not a hotel. I actually gave Janet money to travel to your village and bring you here, as she mentioned you wanted to come to the city. Now you just got here and want to return home? How ungrateful to come to my establishment and insult me without even thanking me!” Madam Alora scolded.

Lara held her travel bag and apologized, “I’m sorry, ma.”

“Keep your apologies to yourself and come inside now! Before I ask my guards to lock the gate,” Madam Alora snapped.

Lara stood there, speechless for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally, she pushed the gate open and walked in. She could hear faint music coming from the beautiful mansion in front of her, and she followed Madam Alora, who walked majestically toward the house.

Once inside the grand living room, Madam Alora called, “Janet!”

“Yes, Madam,” Janet replied.

“Show your friend to her room and prepare her,” Madam Alora instructed.

“No… I refuse,” Lara said firmly.

“What do you mean by ‘no’? Aren’t you going back to the village? I don’t have time to waste. Be quick and go with Janet, or I’ll call my guards to throw you out right now!” Madam Alora threatened.

Lara gulped and stared at the other young ladies in the beautifully decorated living room with golden chandeliers and curtains. Janet urged her again, “Come on, Lara. Let’s go.”

Hesitating, Lara finally followed Janet, realizing that the beautiful woman was serious about throwing her out.

They entered a room painted in pink. Janet kindly took Lara’s tattered travel bag from her hands and said, “Lara, I know you find it hard to believe what I do here in the city, but this is not prostitution.”

“Liar! You’re lying to me! You should have told me earlier. I told you I don’t want to sleep with any man for money. I don’t want to lose my virginity until I’m married!” Lara retorted.

“I’m sorry, Lara, but what’s the point of keeping it?” Janet replied. “You, your sister, brother, and mother can barely feed yourselves. Your father is old, and your mother knew this when she married him. Did she think about her virginity or about you children when she brought you into this world?”

“Shut up! Don’t you dare insult my mother!” Lara yelled.

“I’m not trying to, Lara. I’m just being honest with you. Look, I have the latest iPhone and a car here. Do you think I have all of that by keeping my virginity?” 

“Shut up, Janet! That’s you, not me. If you had told me this was prostitution, I wouldn’t have followed you here. And now your madam says I have to work off my transportation fare to go back to the village. How am I supposed to work for it? If it involves my virginity, I refuse to sleep with a man for money. Just lend me the money so I can go home tonight.”

Janet burst out laughing. “No, Lara. You’re not going anywhere. I wish I could lend you my money for free, but you see, my madam takes 70% of any money I earn when I go out; I only get 30%, which is barely enough for me to take care of myself, much less give to you.”

“You should have told me before! Why didn’t you?” Lara asked.

Lara began to sob.

“I’m sorry, Lara. Let’s hurry up and bathe before it’s 8 PM so we can eat and have time to prepare before we leave,” Janet said.

“Leave me alone! I’m not eating or getting ready to go anywhere with you, you wicked person!” Lara shouted.

Janet smiled and walked past Lara to take a shower in her own bathroom. Since Lara was new, Madam Alora hadn’t assigned her a room in the executive mansion yet.

Lara continued to sob. A few minutes later, Janet stepped out, wrapping a white towel around her chest, water dripping from her body.

“It’s your turn now. Go in and bathe,” Janet said.

“No, leave me alone! I’m not going anywhere with you,” Lara responded defiantly.

“What has gotten into you, Lara? If you don’t hurry, be prepared to leave because my madam has a short temper!” Janet yelled.

Lara sniffed. With no other options, she walked toward the bathroom door and stood by it.

“Where’s the towel I’ll use?” she asked.

“There are about five clean towels in there. I hardly use them. Although we have dry cleaners who wash our clothes, I’m sure they’re still clean,” Janet replied.

Lara stomped her foot in frustration and angrily walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

The bathroom was beautiful compared to the outdoor bathrooms in her village. They had always been very poor since her mother had married a man who was already married with grown children.

Lara had step-siblings, but they weren’t close. Her mother was very fair, almost white-skinned, which had affected Lara’s complexion as well. Her younger sister, Esther, took after their father and was dark-skinned, while her younger brother, Amos, shared a lighter appearance like Lara.

In the village, they could barely afford to eat, as her mother later resorted to selling fruits in the village square. Her aged father no longer cared for them and only used her mother for his own desires, even leading to their unfortunate circumstances.

Lara knew Janet was right, but she vowed not to sleep with any man until she got married.