6. GROUND RULES

MAE

I slept alone that night as Isis had gone for 'work', and the next morning, she took me to meet Scar—the woman who managed the strippers and also doubled as the head of the salon and boutique.

The ground floor in total.

"There she is! Thank God, I did not want to go all the way to her office, even if you would have to go there anyway. I have to go back to the room to get some sleep." She said, taking a few steps back, and then forward when I did not let her go.

But then the moment my eyes landed on Scar properly, I walked towards her, damning the consequences. Though mg legs were a bit shaky as I walked. Anyone's legs would be too in that moment.

This woman was an epitome of beauty. She had my shade of green eyes, which was actually very rare, and she had the sexiest body. Her tits were probably too firm to be real, but they were beautiful nonetheless.

Scar looked like a doll, with her coffee brown hair and green eyes, and a doe eye-shape. She looked absolutely irresistible and I could not help but wonder if any guy had yet had the audacity to not fall for this woman's charm when she seduced.

Did she even go out like the other girls? She was probably just like… the richer version of Yuri, I thought to myself.

Isis finally walked away, towards the room and I now stood awkwardly in front of Scar. She gave me a weird look before starting,

"Hello, my name is Scar, short for Scarlet. I assume you are the new girl; Mae Rivera?" She questioned.

"In the flesh. Nice to meet you too." I shot back and she stared at me weird, then gestured at me to follow her as she walked forward.

She ended up leading me to the four walls of… her office.

Someone who took my measurements was provided and he did so, and after he left, Scar asked me to take a seat across her desk.

"You can sit. We have to talk." She said, sounding warm and motherly. I understood why Isis had earlier told me that she was every girl's mom around here.

I did not need babying though, so I hoped she did not do too much with it.

"I got a good amount of information on you yesterday, so I just need a few more things. And I also need to set some things straight." She started.

"Start with where my dad is, please. I just want to know he’s doing fine in the middle of all these." I begged.

Something flashed in her eyes, but before I could place my hands on what exactly it was, she spoke, her expression snapping back to the almost neutral expression, which it had been in from the start.

"Your dad is well-taken care of. You have nothing to worry about. But also… speaking of your dad, you have a good amount of debt to clear for his sake, rubbing into millions. It should take almost all of your earnings, but do not worry, you will be properly fed and sheltered. But everything you earn is ours, even your fattest tips.

Understand this, Mae Rivera, you are here to work and bring forth money for the business. You are not as privileged as the rest of the girls… concerning the way they get to keep their money, you know. You have to make sure you work hard. We have limits where we expect you to reach every night so the process can be quicker."

She frowned, looking down at the documents in her hand with something similar to disappointment.

"The Boss said you do not want to sleep around." She chanced a look at me as if to confirm that she was saying the correct thing. I nodded, swallowing. She scoffed with a small laugh.

"Do you know that you are only prolonging your stay for like, two times more? You could be out of here quicker, or you could start earning your own money after all your debt is paid, but you chose to do this?"

I felt foolish when she put it that way and deep down I knew I would have to break this principle along the line, but not anytime soon.

The last two times I tried selling my body ended badly for me, had me realize that I was not about the life, for real.

But maybe it would get better while I was here. I was no saint, and definitely no virgin, even if I was as inexperienced as they came, so I could definitely handle the whole extra, when it came to that.

But I was not in the mood to promise anything, so I did not tell Scar that.

"You will work in the boutique as a sales attendant for some hours which I would text to you. Then later on, you would switch to cleaning the storage rooms in the club, and also some of the VIP rooms before we get ready for the night." She informed he and my face crumpled as I asked,

"Like, everyday? And I do not get paid at all?"

I really hated cleaning. I did it at home, but I never picked any job that would make me clean, because I just did not like the stress that same with it.

Scar shrugged, pushing away the documents. For a second, I thought I saw some sympathy in her eyes, but I realized I was just dreaming of it afterward, when she sent me out without any emotion in her tone.

I walked out of her office, angry at everything and everyone, including myself. As a result, I lay curled in my bed and cried for a while.

Then I tried to call dad again. I had been trying to call him over and over and he never picked up.

This time, he finally did and I sprang up from bed, "Daddy?"

"Hmm? Do you got some money for me, Mae? What's with the calls?" He slurred, and I realized he was drunk again. I ended the call at once, pushing the phone away from me like it was some virus.

I lay back on the bed, pulling the duvet over my head and trying to sleep without breaking into a second fit of tears.

My phone rang again. I did not pick up, knowing it was dad. But by the time the phone rang the fourth time, I turned to the side with so much force, eager to give him a clear piece of my mind, eager to tell him that I could just end this and let him die if he wanted to.

I could not waste my life here only for him to die of a liver failure.. that would be so fucking unfair.

But it was not dad calling.

Liam's caller ID popped up on the screen, and my hands shook and sweared as I sat up to pick up the call.

"M?"

"Liam! Liam, oh my God, oh my God…" All the tears I had kept locked in since I tried to tell myself to get over Liam's death came pouring, and I could barely even say anything coherent.

He was not dead. My friend wasn't dead, he did not die because of me.

"Calm down, please." He tried a nervous chuckle. "He believes I am dead which is a great distraction. Please keep up with the ruse. He must not know I am alive for the plan to go well."

I was not really interested in any plan right now, I wanted to tell him but he seemed so eager, so I just let it go, listening to all he had to say.

The Do's and Don'ts of the steps to take down the ruthless Mob Boss who we suspected as Owen Powers.

I could not help but fall asleep in the middle of this plan, only realizing it when I woke up hours later. Liam was still on the call with me and he expressed his distaste with my attitude, to which we laughed off.

Maybe I could have fun with this. Lighten up my already sour life a little?