IA'

orite girl. The job was simple; he'd dress me up, pay me cash, then I would provide him company at so

we pulled up near my apartment, the gentle hum of Mr. Lee's luxurious SUV faded into the background, his

r my hand, planting a soft kiss on it before flashing his signature toothy smile. This 71-year-old Chinese man may have been short

s old age. "It's always a pleasure, Mr. Lee," I replied with w

nted you to have a good time

," I c

r, who handed him a white envelope.

replied, accepting the env

have a job... uh, tomo

booked my services just so I could talk to him in English. Since English was the Philippines' second language, his business associates spoke to him in

ir. "Take care, my old man. Wǎn'ān." Which meant 'good night'. He chuckled, kissed me on the cheek,

rable, as though it were suffocating me. Or may

mmering gold body-con dress, along with the sleek stilettos on my feet, had been bought with my escort earnings. For some, it wasn't the kind of job a decent w

websites, exclusive word-of-mouth, or discreet social media networks. Some catered strictly to high-end companionship, offering arm candy for businessmen and pol

. I only worked for five hours per contract. If my time with a client went beyond that, he would have to pay additional fees and a tip. It wasn't a perfect system, but in a city where opportunities were scarce for someone without a degree, it was one of the few ways I could m

ame wrapped in gold silk and six-inch heels. Heaving a sigh, I crouched and

n at this hour, distant laughter, honking cars, and muffled karaoke drifted from neighboring streets, indicating that the city was alive. But inside the apartment building, all

hone buzzed. I answered without

go with Mr. Lee?" cam

st the nickname. "It went fine

e quipped. "Did the old Chinese

I laughed despite myself. "You k

ncy had the same p

your agency and wo

r you to say! You're

responded, slightl

, our pep talk helping in the sm

shoot another Get Ready With Me TikTok, especially

it became a stage where ordinary people could become stars overnight. And influencers weren't just influencers anymore; they were brands. What started as random beauty tutorials, daily vlogs, and comedic skits soon turned into full-blown careers. Even A-list celebrities who were once exclusive to television a

xhaled, staring at the ring light sitting on my tiny desk. Maybe I should indeed film something. The algorithm didn't

one. It's 1:05 AM. Who could it be? Heart pounding, I grabbed the nearest

," said a famil

ion. "Mr. Donato, it's late. What do you want?" Knowing about

ou're just getting home now," he

rent, but barely. Nothing left to send home. "I-I'll pay tomorrow

slick with suggestion, "we can work

cut him off sharply. "I'm exh

le, just enough for my heart to d

rrow,

, but it didn't mean I was for sale. Feeling a little discouraged, I got up to st

that had reached out months ago when my social media following started to grow. Out of habi

taurant. I have a job proposition. Meet me tomorro

e embarrassing encounter at t

tion, he still sounded like the same arrog