She Is Running From her heart

— "Let us live, since we must die!"

Vanessa heard the defiant proclamation for the first time from a girl in the brothel, uttered with ferocity.

She had been working in this environment for over twenty years, where many girls were either forced into the trade or fell into the trap of procurers.

While some were coerced, others were lured by financial desperation. Very few intentionally sought out this life. Over her two decades of experience, Vanessa had ascended to the role of the brothel's Madam.

She controlled everything, having inherited the position five years prior when the previous madam succumbed to HIV.

Vanessa had heard the cries and screams of girls pleading for mercy, yearning to return to their former lives.

She had callously ignored them all until today. The girl standing defiantly before her did not weep but screamed with all her might, spitting in disgust at Vanessa's feet, her heart seething with hatred.

The commotion drew other women from their rooms, though those currently with clients paid little heed.

Vanessa stood illuminated in the brightness, her skin gleaming like diamonds, her features striking—sharp nose, pale complexion, long lashes framing intense eyes.

There was a coldness about her that pierced the hearts of onlookers.

The girl, not older than twenty, wore a vintage dark dress, an angelic appearance with a voice that carried the weight of a devil.

Every prostitute wondered who this audacious girl was, unafraid to confront Vanessa.

With a calm but dangerous expression, Vanessa posed a question that stunned everyone,

— "What's your name, girl?"

This act of defiance was unprecedented, challenging Vanessa's authority. The black-haired girl, named Oddeliah, responded in a gentler tone,

— "Oddeliah! But why are you asking?"

Vanessa reclined on the sofa, legs crossed, observing Oddeliah with narrowed eyes. She adjusted her hair, revealing her alluring form in a retro red dress.

Vanessa's beauty was undeniable, captivating even to Oddeliah. Oddeliah couldn't help but be captivated by Vanessa's beauty, though she knew better than to trust appearances.

Vanessa, accustomed to admiration, noted Oddeliah's fascination with a sense of detached amusement.

Vanessa maintained her composure despite Oddeliah's pointed comments.

— "I just want to know, who is the girl who recently passed me a motivation while she is merely a 20 years old girl who hasn't experienced much: whose life hasn't even properly begun."

Oddeliah met Vanessa's gaze with determination.

— "You are a woman of at least thirty, I believe, and you have more experiences than I do; more struggles, more pain, more secrets. But I also know you've endured the hardships of being a prostitute in this brothel. You've faced heartbreak and despair."

Oddeliah's words furrowed Vanessa's eyebrows. Rising from her reclining position, Vanessa sat up, her expression a mix of confusion and frustration.

— "What are you trying to say?"

— "I mean, perhaps I lack the life experience you have, but I possess the power to protect myself from this brothel. I can fight to escape it. Maybe you couldn't protect yourself, but I can."

Oddeliah paused, taking a deep breath and scanning her surroundings. Then she continued.

— "We may have less life experience, but we all possess the power to protest and reclaim the freedom stolen by brutal individuals. We can save ourselves from any danger. Maybe you couldn't fix your life, but I refuse to live with the regrets you endure."

— "How do you know about me and my regrets?"

After Oddeliah finished speaking, Vanessa didn't hesitate to ask. Oddeliah spoke with unabashed pride, as if she knew Vanessa's life story before Vanessa herself did.

— "Being a prostitute, nobody will escape regret; it's impossible! Even you, who I know isn't an exception. Everyone regrets it eventually. They think about every man who touched them after struggling, then they accept their fate. They regret it."

Oddeliah paused and examined Vanessa's expression closely. Vanessa appeared stunned and confused. Failing to get a response, Oddeliah asked more politely this time, her voice devoid of its previous boldness.

— "Don't you?"

Vanessa fixed her cold gaze on Oddeliah. A mere 20-year-old girl was evoking feelings of abandonment and loss within herself.

In this world, there always exists someone who can see through us, who can uncover our secrets and regrets, even those we aren't fully aware of ourselves.

When they do, everything around us seems to come to a halt. People often hide things even from themselves, but when exposed, they experience those feelings once again.

Vanessa didn't feel like she had ruined herself, but she felt numb in the face of the truths being revealed by a stranger. Rising from the sofa, Vanessa addressed the women around her.

— "Leave the girl!"

The prostitutes and onlookers were bewildered by Vanessa's unexpected behavior. This wasn't the Vanessa they knew! How could she release an untouched girl without exploiting her?

Oddeliah's eyes widened in astonishment. Vanessa's single command had left everyone speechless.

Without making eye contact with anyone but Oddeliah, Vanessa walked purposefully toward the main door. Midway, she paused at Oddeliah's sudden question.

— "Are you trying to escape from your reality and regrets?"

The brothel fell into stunned silence at Oddeliah's question. Everyone held their breath.

The slow tick-tock of the clock filled the thick air as Vanessa took a deep breath and turned to respond. Her voice was thick yet resolute, with a hint of underlying sadness.

— "It's easier to try to escape than to drown in regret."

Oddeliah was struck by the profoundness of Vanessa's words. How could a prostitute articulate such sentiments so perfectly?

This moment would remain etched in Oddeliah's memory as a testament to the complexity of human experience.

The impact of those words reverberated through every heart present. In that room, where silence often drowned the depths of emotion, the utterance resonated like a profound revelation.

As the Madam of the brothel, Vanessa seldom unveiled her inner thoughts, leaving others curious and intrigued by her rare glimpses of wisdom.

Oddeliah, in particular, found herself astounded. How could a woman from such a misunderstood profession speak with such eloquence and insight?

The juxtaposition of Vanessa's role and her profound words left Oddeliah spellbound, contemplating the complexities hidden beneath societal labels.

Yet, amid the lingering resonance of Vanessa's words, Oddeliah's reverie was abruptly halted by the collective attention fixated on the doorway.

All eyes scanned the threshold through which Vanessa had disappeared just moments before.

The air thickened with anticipation, a palpable tension underscoring the unspoken question that hung in the room.