"You're fired!" Raya's boss roared, his eyes blazing with fury, the anger in his voice undeniable.
"What have I done, sir?" Raya asked, confusion flooding her face.
"You really have the nerve to ask me that question, Raya?" Mr. Rowland's nose flared as he glared at her.
"I really don't know, sir," Raya pleaded, her two hands rubbing nervously against each other. For a long time, she had forgotten what pride felt like—since pride couldn't put food on her table.
"Didn't I ask you to accompany Mr. Kess yesterday?" her boss snapped.
"Yes, and I did. But I went to sleep in the room you got for me," Raya explained.
"If you did, how come Mr. Kess never saw you in the room?" Mr. Rowland shot back, making Raya frown in confusion.
"I don't get you, sir. Mr. Kess and I—are we supposed to sleep in the same room?" she asked.
"Yes," Mr. Rowland said flatly.
"Aren't I just supposed to accompany him for drinks?" she asked again, trying to be sure of what she was hearing.
"You're not just supposed to accompany him for a drink—but also accompany him in bed," Mr. Rowland spat.
Before he could add another word, Raya's hand cracked across his cheek.
The slap echoed.
Mr. Rowland staggered back, shocked and confused at the same time, clutching one side of his face. "How dare you, Raya?" he hissed.
"You wanted me to accompany your client with my body? How dare you?" Raya spat back, her veins throbbing at her temple with anger.
Even if she had lost her pride long ago, she would never sell her body.
"You're fired! Get the hell out of my office!" Mr. Rowland shouted.
Raya stormed out. Fired or not, she was done working here. She wouldn't allow anyone—any capitalist—to use her body to please their clients.
The company was just a small entertainment firm anyway, one that only produced D-list, if not F-list, actors at best.
Truth was, Raya wasn't even a real employee. She was there as a cleaner, ever since she dropped out of school to provide for her family which consist of her father and herself, she has been doing different menial jobs. But yesterday, her boss had dangled a promotion in front of her—if she accompanied Mr. Kess for a few drinks.
She had agreed eagerly, desperate for something more stable. She never imagined what he really meant was to make her warm the man's bed.
She'd been so happy, she drank along with Mr. Kess, smiling for his entertainment… Who knew they wanted more?
Now, jobless again, she walked out of the company and sank onto a bench outside.
She hit her forehead lightly. "Raya, try to keep your anger in check…"
But what was she going to do now? How would she pay the bills that never stopped piling up?
Her phone rang, dragging her out of her spiraling thoughts.
"Hey, bestie!" came the cheerful voice on the other end.
Raya tried to sound normal. "How are you doing?"
"What's wrong with you? You sound off today," her best friend asked, concern in her voice.
"Today isn't going well for me," Raya admitted.
"Tell me what's going on," her best friend urged.
"I've been molested," Raya said quietly.
"What do you mean by molested?" her best friend asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"I woke up this morning…" Raya's voice trailed.
"Okay," her best friend prompted.
"I didn't just wake up—I woke up beside a man. Naked," Raya whispered, her voice breaking slightly.
"Just you or both of you?" Anna asked, confused.
"The both of us, Anna! Naked!" Raya burst out, the tears she had been holding back threatening to spill.
"Wait—what?! What happened? Raya, where are you?"
"I don't know… I left the hotel. I'm sitting by the roadside. I got fired this morning, Anna. I slapped my boss. Everything is a mess."
"You slapped Mr. Rowland? Are you crazy?!"
"I don't care, Anna. He wanted me to sleep with that client, Mr. Kess. That's why he got me that room! I thought it was just drinks—I didn't know!"
"The man… was it Mr. Kess?" Anna asked cautiously.
"No. I ended up sleeping with a male escort. I couldn't even pay him well. I just left fifty dollars and ran before he woke up."
"It's okay, babe."
"I don't know what to do now. Where do I find another stable job like the one I just lost? What do I do?" Raya's voice cracked as the tears finally fell.
"Where are you? I'm coming to you right now," Anna said, panic in her voice.
"No, Anna—you're at school. I'll figure it out. I just… I needed to talk to someone. I needed to tell someone what happened. I feel so… ashamed. Used."
"Don't say that, Raya. You didn't do anything wrong. That bastard boss set you up!"
"What do I tell Leon? How do I tell him I lost my virginity after two years of stopping him from touching me?"
Raya had been dating Leon since she was eighteen. The most they'd shared were hand-holding and light pecks on the lips.
"I understand, Raya. Just calm down. Don't do anything stupid. Please tell me you're safe and okay?"
"I'm safe. I'm okay. I'm just… so tired, Anna. I don't know what to do next."
"It's okay. We'll figure it out. I'll come see you after my exams, okay?" Anna assured.
"Okay."
Raya ended the call, wiped her tears, and took a deep breath. She had to get up. She couldn't sit there forever.
---
At the same time…
Adrian sat in his office, staring at the fifty-dollar note on his desk. His jaw clenched.
"Fifty dollars…" he muttered. That woman didn't even think he was worth more? Did she think so little of him?. Despite all the hard work he did that night al he deserves was 50 dollar?.
Not that ge needs the money, but with this little he felt insulted.
He had never lost control like that before. Never. He doesn't even know what she looked like.
He picked up his phone and dialed. "Stephen! Get in here now!" Adrian's voice boomed.
Stephen entered cautiously. "Yes, sir?"
"What about the woman I asked you to find?"
"We're on it, sir," Stephen replied carefully.
"What about the waitress?"
"She's been taken care of," Stephen said.
Being "taken care of" by Stephen meant the woman had been tortured until she confessed.
"What did she say?" Adrian asked, almost bored.
"She mentioned Patrick Blake's name."
"Okay," Adrian said flatly, as though he had expected it. His biological father and his useless stunts means nothing to him anymore.
"Find that woman. I don't care what it takes. I want to know who she is," Adrian ordered, his voice low and dangerous.
"Yes, sir."
As Stephen left, Adrian's gaze darkened.
"Who was she?" he muttered.
Why did she make him feel like this?