CHAPTER 10 – ALTHEA

“Ow Althea I’m glad you are early today, remember what I text you this morning? Can you believe, that person came here so early and wait for you? I think his already wasted.” She was instantly greeted by the leader of the syndicate with the news eagerly.

Mr. Tony is what they call him, they are glad that the said man has the respect that includes his men to the women under his wings.

But Glaiza called the man Uncle Tony who by the way insisted by the former. Mr. Tony admires the young woman, he grew to have a fondness of her like seeing Glaiza as his daughter that he couldn’t have.

The young woman never fails to show respect towards him especially when she sees him.

Glaiza was thankful enough because they never mistreated them or take advantage of them.

Unlike other organizations on which they treat their woman as a slave or even worst, like rubbish and they even raped them.

That's why Lolita, her friend, the mother of her three adopted children, stayed with them so long.

It's just that Mr. Tony is very greedy for money, but she’s okay with it since he considered them as family, moreover they are protected by abusive customers.

When Mr. Tony found out what happened to Lolita, he was so devastated that he almost killed the man who abuses the woman, gladly they were able to stop him from doing so, if not without a doubt the man will be found in the cemetery.

“Good evening Uncle Tony.” Smiled the young prostitute to the man, reaching the back of his hand to touch on her forehead, that’s how she gave respect to the old man.

The old man smiles and shakes his head……….Althea as he knows her……..Glaiza is different from her girls, she saw how sophisticated the young woman is, how she carries herself, and the way she converses eloquently.

If he didn’t know that the young woman is working for him, he might say that Althea is an educated woman and a very refined one added to that.

He seen and witness how Althea was far more different than being a sex slave, he saw an educated woman ……when one time he had a huge problem in her bar with a very wealthy customer, a foreigner who speaks only English, where Mr. Tony barely speak……..Glaiza was the sole person who rescued and defend him.

The foreigner barely talks and defends himself because Althea was beating him right through it with very valid reasoning………… while others who were watching speechless even the young woman’s co-prostitute was in awe.

That’s why Mr. Tony is very grateful to Glaiza because if it wasn't for the girl, her bar might have been closed and he would have been locked up.

“Bless you, my child, now go make me rich.” Ushering the woman playfully to where the her customer is waiting.

They didn’t know that Mr. Tony is a very sentimental person, every time Althea would greet him and asked his hand for respect…… he would easily get tear up, wishing in different circumstances that they didn’t meet in this kind of state.

He treated the young woman like his daughter.

“Aye aye captain!” Gesturing a hand salute making the old man laugh heartily.

The old man just shakes his head at how playful the girl is, not noticing a teardrop cascading on his face.

He wipes it discretely, not wanting his men to see him as a sensitive person.

Althea is now walking to the customer that Mr. Tony said, she finally sees him.

While she is nearing her said customer, she suddenly feels someone is watching her, she halts abruptly and trying to search who it was.

But she failed to find whoever was looking at her because the bar was a bit dark, so the girl just shrugged her shoulders and continued to walk again to her prospective customer tonight, with her secret medicine in her secret pocket.

“Hi!” She energetically greeted the old man.

“Oh, finally the gorgeous Althea is here in the flesh…….it is true what I heard about you, your beauty can be compared to the goddesses.” Shocked was evident on the old man’s face.

“Thank you, but I beg to disagree……..I’m just a mere mortal, who just have a common face, so please sir don’t compare me to the goddesses.” With modest and a timid smile the young woman answered him back.

The old man's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, he encounters countless women who work for sex but they never retorted back like how this woman responded to him.

“Are you really a prostitute Althea, you are very well-spoken and so refine? Now I know why many men want you….you’re different, there is something special about you.” Admiration is evident in the old man’s face.

Their chitchat was cut short when suddenly a young man interferes in their conversation.

“Hi, Althea care to seat with me?” He rudely butted in without remorse.

"Sorry, Manuel but I’m with this handsome man over here, so if you’ll excuse us?” Even though she’s quite irritated with this man, disturbing her work but still she needs to face him calmly.

She knew that the man is educated and it would not create trouble if she just talked to him properly.

Glaiza’s irritation to the young man is over the roof, he never stops pestering her every day.

Manuel even offers Mr. Tony a Million Pesos just to have one night with her, gladly he gives the final decision still to her.

This is also what the girl and the leader of the syndicate agree upon…………and Mr. Tony is a man of his word, he may be greedy but he is a very principled man.

Suddenly the young man forcedly holds the girl’s arm……… the former jump in surprise, never did Manuel did this to her only just now, for the longest time the young man pursuing her, this is the first time Manuel shows force.

No one ever holds or touches her, even her customer…….she would give a fair distance between her and her client, so their skin will not touch.

That’s why she's surprised at what the young man just did.

“Let me go Manuel…..please.” Still talking to the man calmly, true to herself she wants to punch this guy.

She studied Martial Art, just to protect herself, Glaiza knows Manila is a very dangerous city, and the kind of work she had, you need to know how to defend yourself.

But this guy is so hard-headed……..she’s starting to get irritated and pissed and she knew it’s showing in her face since she feels her face is warming up and she can’t hide her frustration to this man anymore.

Glaiza whispers something to her customer and the old man smiled while nodding, indicating that he agreed with whatever the young woman whispered……..he is even flushed.

Glaiza then looks at the man who is still holding her firmly.

“Okay…okay..….. I will come with you, but can you please let go of my elbow, it is hurting me and it starts to show some marks.” Still with her calm tone.

The guy smiled widely and removing his hold to Althea.

Once she was freed…… she hurriedly runs away from the young man.

Manuel was trying to catch up with her, but he’s too late…… because of the huge crowd dancing in the middle of the dance floor.

While Glaiza on the other hand is trying to look at her back, making sure that Manuel wasn’t able to follow her.

She saw him in the middle of the dance floor, stuck and still searching for her.

Suddenly Glaiza was surprised when she bumps into somebody.

She saw how the woman falls on her bum from the impact.

“I’m so sorry!” Glaiza uttered with tremor showed on her face, crouching herself to help the woman she collided to stand.

When Glaiza reached to the woman’s hands, the latter froze looking directly at her.

‘And her voice…….that alluring voice’, the woman thought……she closed her eyes to savor the sound of Glaiza’s voice.

Glaiza is looking at her back, checking if the man she ran away from is still following her.

When she notices that the young man is out of her sight she feels relief.

She heaves a deep sigh when she is sure that the man was not able to follow her anymore.

Then she notices that she is holding someone, she suddenly turns her head again realizing she’s still holding the woman’s hand that she bumps with ……….ow, she’s wrong, she was not the one holding the woman’s hand it was another way around.

“I’m so sorry again I was kind of a hurry Miss, my deepest apology.” Glaiza again asked for understanding.

Then again the woman in front of her is looking at her keenly.

“Miss? Are you sure you are okay?” Waving her hand in front of the woman’s face.

The woman then blinks her eyes rapidly, when she notice a shadow in front of her face, when she realizes it was the hand of the woman waving, trying to get her attention.

‘What happened to her and what was that when the young woman holds her when she’s helping her to stand?

And wait, is this woman a prostitute? The way she talks, move and even her attitude is quite opposite to a usual person who exchange pleasure for cash.’

She thought.