Chapter 1| The Prostitute

Angela's POV

I was doing my job tonight. Pleasuring my client that made him say vulgar and nasty words. Even if I tried to be deaf to the obscene voices coming out of his dirty mouth, I still couldn't escape the fact that he owns me at this time.

My hair almost stood up as he applied roughly his nasty thought. He screamed and cursed at the pleasure he was feeling right now. With that, he became even more aggressive toward me which made me feel sick.

I could do nothing but reciprocate what he was doing to me even if it was against my will. Someone like me had no room to complain in this kind of world. I chose this for my siblings. I chose this to keep us alive.

After a minute, he stopped and sat on the bed and so did I. He smiled at me devilishly while eyeing me from head to toe. This rich old man's eyes were full of lust and hunger. My body shivered at that sight.

I held the bed sheet tightly out of fear. He started to come over and do his next move which makes me dumbfounded for a second.

My body froze at what he wanted me to do to him. The disgusting words that came out on his lips are giving me a chill in every strand of my muscle which turns my stomach upside down.

I'm doing this kind of job for over a year.

Why am I still not getting used to it?

Why do I still feel disgusted every time?

Why I can't be numb in this kind of situation and just do what the client wants?

I still feel new.

The dark ambiance, the feeling of nowhere to run, the feeling of being a slave by the hands of the sinner man who only wants to devour me. This heavy feeling. I'm tired of carrying this burden but I have nothing to do about it. It was the only way I can afford food and education for my siblings. I had to sacrifice for them—for their future.

He bursts into anger when I didn't follow immediately his command—on what he wanted me to do to him— just because of making him wait.

I swallowed hard. I started to do what he commanded. My tears started to pool—feeling degraded.

He kept on cursing, saying nasty, and perverted words in my ears. He kept on doing it but stops when I unfortunately did something that I think he couldn't forgive.

"Ouch! G*d d*mn it! F**k!" he gasped and immediately pulled away from me.

He looked at me in rage and greeted his teeth. I trembled with fear after seeing it. I bowed my head immediately and couldn't even look him in the eye out of fear.

"You, motherf***er! Why did you bite it?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs and the next time I knew, he slaps my face pretty hard.

I was almost deafened for a second by the force. I could feel my cheek heated and thickened at the same time. He annoyingly grabbed my hair and pulled it. I quickly held his hand to ease the pressure given on my scalp.

"I'm s—sorry." I tremblingly apologize. Wishing he will forgive me for what happened lately.

"F**k you! After you bit it you just only apologize?!" he scoffed and sarcastically puffs out of breath coming inside of his mouth.

He immediately stood up and dragged me away from the bed. I could do nothing but hold his wrist to regain my balance while he was dragging me. He slammed me against the glass wall and it creates a tug sound.

I winced and writhed in pain but it seems he was still not satisfied. He slapped me again from left to right. He grabbed my right arm tightly and turned me to face the wall. He started doing nasty things to me for the second time around behind my back but this time, he did it in a rude and ruthless way.

I shut my eyes in pain as I placed my two palms against the glass wall and silently prayed that this night would be over soon.

"Save me, Clark..." I whispered as a tear dropped from my left eye. I sadly stared outside the window.

What a rainy night...

* * * *

"Now, what? Your client last night is a demon, isn't he? " my best friend, Bel, asked. Looks like it was not a question. It was more likely a statement.

Bel doesn’t get away from me either. She was also a prostitute. We're living in a cruel world.

"Yeah," I answered sparingly while brewing coffee. I placed my hand on my right cheek and winced. I got bruises on it because of what happened last night.

"That old man is stupid!" she hissed while shaking her head as if she was very disappointed in that man.

"Big sister! Big sister!" Maymay shouted. She's my younger sister. She was approaching my direction.

"Here is the pandesal you told me to buy from a bakery." she cutely said and smiled at me sweetly.

Pandesal is a kind of bread.

I reached for what she was carrying and bent slightly to make eye level with her.

"Good girl!" I complimented while ruffling her hair then squeezed her cheek. The little one pouted her lips because I ruined her hair and it made me laugh.

"It's okay! Come on! Go ahead! Wake up your older brother and prepare for school," I said and she immediately complied.

Afterward, I headed to the kitchen, and there, I saw a small table and four chairs made of pieces of old wood. My bestfriend was prettily sitting there.

"Wow! Pandesal! Give me some!" she excitedly exclaimed like a child as her eyes shone looking at the food I was carrying. I shook my head and smirked. I took a plate and transferred the food onto it. After that, I looked in her direction.

"You don't have a penny to buy your breakfast, do you?" I asked and crossed my arms. She winced and gave me a forced smile. She made a sign of peace as if she was excusing herself for being caught about her agenda.

I sat down and sipped my coffee.

She was still staring at me in her seat while doing puppy eyes. I sighed and set the cup down on the table. I barely nod to her. Meaning, I agreed that she could take bread on the plate.

"Yes!" she yelled in joy and immediately picked up the bread.

"Hey! Take three pieces only!" I reminded. She just nodded and immediately put the bread inside her mouth.

"Oh! Kokoy! Maymay! Come here! Have breakfast so you got some energy in school," I called my two siblings when I saw them in the living room.

Kokoy is twelve years old while Maymay is eight. They both attended public school. We were completely orphans. My mother was in heaven while my father was with another woman. I supported my siblings alone in terms of finances. I supported our lives in a dirty way.

After eating breakfast, they arranged their belongings that they'll be going to use in school.

"Be careful, huh? Study hard!" I yelled from the kitchen.

"Yes, big sister!" the two answered back in unison and left the house.

I turned my gaze to Bel who was using the coffee as a mouthwash inside her mouth. I winced in disgust.

"Why are you still here?" I asked while picking up the plate and mugs. I put it down in the sink.

"Feels like you don't want to see me, huh?" she singingly answered and chuckled. I threw a plastic cup in her direction and laugh too.

"Seriously, why are you still here?" I asked once again and started cleaning the plates.

Usually, after she ate breakfast, she immediately left the house so that she could start doing her bad habit.

This woman was a drug user.

"Do you know Marie? She has laundry today and I offered if you can do it for her and give you a penny in exchange. Do you want to take the laundry?" she replied and put her feet on the top of the table.

"Of course, Bel! Big help! Thank you!"

"Come on! Small thing! I know you have a family need to feed," she said. Her voice was filled with concern.

"Yeah. Where is Marie's house? " I asked after I finished washing the dishes. I wiped my hand on the hem of my old shirt and then faces Bel's direction.

"I'll accompany you. Hurry and get dressed." she offered. I immediately left her in the kitchen and go to the room to change.

I wore a white t-shirt that I partnered with an old long skirt that almost reaches my toes. I went out of the room only to find her scratching her leg and killing the mosquitoes that landed on her skin.

"Let's go..." I asked while adjusting the t-shirt.

"Wow, friend! Why your outfit looks like that during the day? You look like an old lady or a nun but at night you only wore two pieces of thin cloth—"

"Stop!" I cut her off on what she was going to say. She quickly shut her mouth and then scratch her head.

Of course, I know what she meant for.

Every night, my soul and dignity were worn out and taken away from me because of my job. But, that doesn't mean I was still the same person in the morning.

Even in the moment of escape, I want to feel on my own that I am still a woman, that I am rightful to be respected. But, when the night comes, my world was turning upside down.

"Come on! Let's go to Marie's house," I said just to break the silence. She nodded at me as a reply and we left the house together.