Chapter Two

The pungent aroma of cigarette smoke permeated the room, while spilled liquor adorned the table. Fay knew that these were the sacrifices she had to make to attain her desires. Tonight, she was meeting a new client, a wealthy man who appeared willing to pay any price for his desires. Fay was not concerned about his impatience; all she cared about was the money and the opportunity to finally leave the country to start a better life.

As her new client attempted to kiss her, Fay insisted on finalizing their agreement before granting him access.

"Baby, I'm already in the mood. Come, take me to heaven," he pleaded, removing his belt and leaving only his boxers on.

"We haven't finalized the payment yet," Fay replied, concealing her disinterest in him. Becoming a prostitute was never part of her plans, but life had not been fair to her, forcing her into this profession she despised.

"How much are we talking about?" he asked impatiently, his lavish lifestyle indicating his wealth.

"₦300,000," Fay confidently stated.

"Are you kidding me?" the young man exclaimed, taken aback by the amount.

"No, I'm not kidding. If you're not willing to pay, I can easily find someone else who is," Fay firmly replied. With her unparalleled beauty and sexual appeal, she knew she was worth every penny. Her irresistible allure made it impossible for men to resist her. It would take immense self-control to behold Fay at her best and not admire God's skillful creation of angels in human form. She truly embodied beauty in its purest form, blessed with both physical grace and enticing curves.

Reluctantly, the young man gave in, unable to resist Fay's charm and the desire that had already consumed him.

"Should I provide you with my account number so you can make the transfer before we begin?" Fay inquired, maintaining her firmness.

"Do I really have to make the transfer before we start?" the young man grumbled in frustration.

"Do you want me to take you to heaven or not? If the answer is yes, then you'll make the transfer, and then you can have me all to yourself tonight," Fay stated resolutely.

Left with no other choice, the man requested her account details and proceeded to make the transfer. Fay patiently waited to receive the alert before anything else could happen. The fact that the young man agreed to pay the requested amount filled her with relief. With his payment, she had gathered enough funds to complete her visa processing. This would be her last night selling her body; she vowed to leave behind this unsavory lifestyle.

Engulfed in a whirlwind of passion, the young man exerted himself fully, aided by the sex enhancement drugs he had taken to prolong his pleasure. In exchange for the significant sum he had paid, he demanded nothing less than complete satisfaction. Exhausted, he succumbed to a deep slumber.

Taking advantage of his sleep, Fay reached for his wallet and carefully opened it. Inside, she discovered a few dollar bills and an aged photograph of two young boys appearing to be around the same age. Intuitively, she recognized one of them as the young man lying asleep before her, but she couldn't determine if he was the older or younger sibling. Returning the wallet to its place, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Resolute in her decision to never return to the brothel, she crossed paths with Gina, who had been desperately trying to reach her.

"It seems like you struck a major deal last night. You refused to come out early," Gina teased.

"Yes, girl. I charged him 300k, and the guy paid instantly," Fay responded with a smile.

"Are you kidding me? 300k? How did you do it?" Gina asked incredulously.

Fay proudly displayed the alert on her phone as proof of her success. "Baby girl, you're amazing. You truly hit the jackpot last night," Gina exclaimed.

"And what about you? How much did your client pay?" Fay asked, curious about Gina's own experience.

"Only 80k, and he almost wore me out for that amount. Some men are nothing but animals. Even though I was tired, he still wanted more. I was tempted to punch him, but I had to maintain my composure and ensure he got his satisfaction," Gina revealed, causing Fay to burst into laughter.

"Babe, I think it's time to quit. We have enough money to process our visas and leave this country. Let's bring an end to this sordid lifestyle and start afresh," Fay suggested, forcing a smile onto her face.

"You're right, Fay. We don't need to sell our bodies anymore. It's time to start anew and create better lives for ourselves. Tomorrow morning, we'll head to the embassy to get our international passports and have our visas approved. We're leaving this country for good, never to suffer again," Gina declared, offering words of encouragement.

By the time the young man woke up, Fay had already left.

"Where is the girl who stayed with me overnight?" he inquired from the housekeeper who came to clean the room.

"She has already left, sir," the young lady replied.

"Does she come here often?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, she practically comes every night," the housekeeper answered.

"Very well, thank you," the young man responded.

"Are you from around here?" he continued, engaging the housekeeper in conversation.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"Do you know where Richmond's Guest House is located?" he queried further.

"Yes, it's about two kilometers away from here. It's not far," she informed him.

"Alright, thank you," the young man dismissed the housekeeper, wanting to freshen up and depart as well.

Meanwhile, Fay and Gina resumed their work at the guest house early, ensuring their names were recorded in the register before the manager arrived. Mr. Sam's unexpected smile caught everyone off guard. He typically wore a stoic expression, often the aftermath of a fight with his wife. As a notorious womanizer, their marital troubles were a common occurrence. Fay had even turned down his offer to become his mistress, despite his promise to send her to school. Being a prostitute was already a burden she bore; she did not want to add more curses to her life.

"Good morning, everyone," Mr. Sam greeted, his deep voice reverberating throughout the room.

"Good morning, sir," the workers chorused.

"We have a new employee joining us today. His name is Christopher, and he'll be the head of the sanitation department. The following individuals will be reporting directly to him: Miss Fayoke Adewale, Miss Georgina Akinyemi, and Miss Beautrice Dunsin. Ladies, meet Mr. Christopher Jaiyola, your new supervisor," Mr. Sam introduced, bringing in the young man.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Christopher, and I'm delighted to be a part of this team. Thank you for welcoming me," Christopher greeted warmly.

"Why does he expect us to care?" Gina muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Mr. Sam inquired, catching Gina's words.

Gina quickly denied, "No, sir."

"Alright, ladies, please proceed to your assigned rooms. Ensure they are thoroughly cleaned before our guests arrive," Mr. Sam instructed before escorting Christopher to his office.

"Thank goodness this is our last week here. I can't wait to stop working in this place," Gina expressed as she retrieved her cleaning tools.

"I completely agree, but let's give it our best and ensure we have no issues before we leave," Fay advised, emphasizing the importance of maintaining professionalism.

They had only completed half of their tasks in the first room when a fellow worker approached Fay, informing her that the new supervisor wanted to see her.

"I hope nothing is wrong," Fay commented, surprised by the request.

"I don't know. He simply asked me to find the girl with braids, and you're the only one with braids here," the colleague explained.

Fay swiftly set aside her cleaning tools and followed her colleague to meet with the supervisor.

"Come in," Mr. Christopher beckoned, aware of the knock on his door.

"You sent for me, sir," Fay said as she entered the office with her colleague.

"Thank you, Bola. You can leave us now," Mr. Christopher dismissed the colleague, gesturing for Fay to take a seat.

"What was your name again?" he questioned, attempting to put Fay at ease.

"My name is Fayoke, sir, but my friends call me Fay," she responded.

"Pleasure to meet you, Fayoke. I'm Christopher, but my friends prefer to call me 'Opher'," he said, causing Fay to smile at the amusing nickname.

"That sounds rather peculiar," Fay managed to say, attempting to avoid stealing glances at him.

"Do you think so? Well, I was just joking. Just call me Chris," he said, maintaining his calm demeanor.

Fay couldn't help but wonder about his motives for choosing her as his tour guide. She found it suspicious, considering the circumstances.

"I hope you're not mistaken about me, sir, because it certainly seems that way," Fay replied skeptically, questioning why Mr. Chris had singled her out for this role.

"Leave that to me. Can I count on you?" Mr. Chris asked, seeking her commitment.

Fay hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing to be his tour guide. Unsettled by the prospect of spending time alone with him in his office, she wanted to leave before any rumors started circulating.

Once Fay had departed, Mr. Chris retrieved his phone and dialed his brother Alex, who was currently in Asuma for a business summit. Aware of Alex's reputation as a flirt, who believed that money could buy any woman and satisfy his desires, Mr. Chris hoped to challenge his views.

"Chris, what's up?" Alex greeted.

"I'm doing well, bro. How about you?" Mr. Chris responded.

"I should be asking you that. How's your new life going? I considered visiting your workplace, but I changed my mind," Alex confessed.

"It's going fine. It's refreshing to be a worker after years of being a boss. I want nobody to know my true identity here, so it's better you didn't come. Living like an ordinary person feels great. No bodyguards, no entourage, no servants. It's truly liberating. I hope to find a woman who will love me for who I am, not my wealth," Mr. Chris shared.

"Forget about love. Just enjoy life. Women are merely objects of pleasure; I've told you this many times. Pay them handsomely, and enjoy their company. That's how it's done," Alex advised confidently.

"When will your attitude towards women change? They're more than mere objects of desire. They possess depth and complexity," Mr. Chris reasoned.

"Stop deceiving yourself. Just last night, I met this stunning woman who charged me 300k for a night with her. What do you make of that? I paid a hefty sum, and it was worth every penny. She was absolutely incredible. I wish I could have her for another night," Alex boasted.

"Brother, this is not the life we should be living. It's time for you to settle down and find a wife. You're not getting any younger," Mr. Chris urged, concerned for his brother's future.

"I might consider it, but for now, let me enjoy myself," Alex retorted, refusing to let go of his hedonistic lifestyle.

"Take care of yourself," Mr. Chris concluded.

"Same to you. And don't blow your cover, Prince Christopher Walken Amanze," Alex playfully taunted.

"Here, I'm known as Christopher Jaiyola," Mr. Chris replied before ending the call.

Mr. Chris couldn't help but feel disappointed that Alex was still unwilling to change. Both he and his brother were sons of King Walken Amanze, the wealthy monarch of Nuru Kingdom, located far away from Asuma City. King Walken possessed immense wealth that could sustain their family for several generations. He had only two sons and had adopted Princess Clarissa when she was just a baby.

Chris, as the eldest son and the crown prince, had found Clarissa abandoned near a gutter. Moved by compassion, he took her in and reported the incident to the police. When no one claimed the child, he became her guardian, providing her with the best education and care. Everyone, especially King Walken, adored her. Princess Clarissa brought great joy to the royal family, as King Walken had never expected to have a grandchild during his lifetime.

However, Queen Dora longed for her own biological grandchildren but seemed to face countless obstacles. Alex showed no signs of settling down, and Chris had faced challenges in his past relationships. He had dated three women, all of whom were more interested in his wealth and status than in him as a person. Driven by his desire to find genuine love, he embarked on this new journey in disguise, hoping to discover a woman who would love him for who he truly was, rather than his riches or the throne he would inherit.

Chris doubted his chances of finding such a woman in Asuma, where women were often objectified and treated as mere playthings. However, Fayoke's presence at the guest house had sparked a glimmer of hope within him. It was enough to convince him that the woman of his dreams could be found there. He remembered the bet he made with his mother, giving himself one year to find a wife. If he failed, he would return and marry whoever the council of chiefs selected as his wife. But within that year, he was confident he would find a loving wife and a caring mother for his beloved daughter, Clarissa.