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Draped in a mask, Charlotte cautiously stepped onto the stage of the crowded club. As soon as the bright lights illuminated the area, she couldn't help but feel a heavy weight settle in her chest.
Anxiety coursed through her veins, intensifying with each passing moment, as the voices of the crowd echoed in her ears.
Just like her very first day on the job as a stripper, anxiety had always been her constant companion whenever she found herself standing on this stage. To her, the stage which was for stripping has transformed into a battlefield.
Charlotte struggled to catch her breath as she gazed out at the sea of faces in the audience. These faces belonged to men hungry for her body, stripping her down with their leering gazes and raucous laughter.
Disgust seeped into her being as she thought of the loathing she held for these men, a feeling that far surpassed her distaste for her job. But she had no choice. She needed to pay for her father's life-saving surgery.
Ever since her father was diagnosed with a blocked artery in his heart, Charlotte had worked tirelessly to fund her father's treatment, even if it meant sacrificing her dignity.
Coupled with the mounting debt from her father's loss of income, the burden to provide fell solely on her shoulders, and she was slowly fading away under the weight of it all.
It was her last night at the club. Her aunt had secured her a cleaning job at a prominent company in the city, and she was set to start the next morning. The pay would not be nearly as much, but it was a way out of the never-ending cycle of objectification and degradation she endured as a stripper.
With a shiver running down her spine, she whispered to herself, "Just one more time, this is my last performance." She took a deep breath, steadying herself for what was to come.
As the music started, Charlotte gracefully made her way to the pole, moving her body in sync with the seductive beat. Her skin glistened under the lights as she climbed the pole, swaying her body in a mesmerizing manner.
The sole means by which she had persevered this long was by entering a state of numbness induced by a drink every time she was prepared to take the stage.
"Fuck! I desire you!", the men echoed in the background, rooting for her as she moved.
"You are a seductive bitch!", another man echoed as he tossed money at her.
One man stealthily approached the pole, eager to touch her as he salivated, consumed by a desperate desire to claim her for himself.
"Take all of my money, bitch! I just want to have you all to myself", the man pleaded.
Her performance left the audience in a state of ecstasy, each man lusting after her movements and willing to do anything to possess her.
***
In the VIP section of the club, Lucas and his friends reveled and caroused while the women vied for his attention. However, he was not interested in any of them, considering them to be 'cheap'. Women had always been mere playthings for him.
Amidst his enjoyment, a girl stormed up to him with anger blazing in her eyes.
"Lucas! You are here partying while I've been trying to reach you for days. Did you block me?" she demanded.
Ignoring her as though she were not even there, Lucas continued sipping his drink. His friends erupted into loud laughter, causing the girl's face to flush with embarrassment.
Simon, one of Lucas's friends, remarked, "Dude, where do you even find all these bitches?" He laughed, glancing at Lucas.
"You know that women always crave me. I can't help it," Lucas nonchalantly shrugged.
He was accustomed to women flocking to him because of his wealth and handsome face. Yet, he had no interest in any of them.
He used them to satiate his sexual desires, paid them off, and demanded that they never return. However, like this woman, most of them believed that they could change him, and make him fall in love with them. They were simply delusional and seeking financial gain.
Despite her embarrassment, the girl persisted. "I'm talking to you, Lucas. I thought you cared about me. Were those sweet words merely lies?" she demanded, her frustration threatening to bring her to tears.
Her words only served to irk Lucas, and he could no longer hold his tongue. "Are you stupid? I'm done with you, bitch! And how dare you stand there and question me. Leave, before I show you how wicked I can truly be."
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