Chapter 4 HIS MONSTER SIDE

It's a chilly Friday evening, marking my two-week stay in this goddamned brothel, known as The Well's Club. The only thing I am grateful for these past two weeks is my recovery. I had my bandage removed a few days ago, and the headaches do not come often. They only come when I tend to think a lot.

Unfortunately, my memory is not yet back, and that sucks! Second, at least this monster called Ejay has not introduced me to this thing of random men paying for a lady's nonsense duties or asking me to go swing my almost naked body on stage in the name of entertaining his illegal business partners like ladies here do. I don't blame them, though. They just follow the orders of the high and mighty drug lord, Ejay. Yes, this is not just an ordinary club. It is the dwelling place of all evil.

From the sale of drugs to prostitution, the brothel, and keeping girls against their will, God knows what else I pity the girls. I pity us. I do not know how long I will be privileged, given that I am now okay health-wise, and that scares me to death. Every evening, Ejay comes for me, and we go to the entertainment room to watch naked ladies swing their bodies while useless men cheer them up while they enjoy their drinks.

During entertainment, if you are a lady, either you are on the dance floor or you are in the company of a man. Men who can't keep their hands to themselves but are disrespectful, touchy-touchy with them I am guessing it's also a rule here. Thank God that I am always beside the feared boss, Ejay, because I doubt I can stand someone touching me so disrespectfully in the middle of a crowd. I have estimated the time these girls get to rest to be only about two or three hours during the day. That's after they clean this whole building, including their rooms, and set the stage. They also do the cooking, which is not easy given that they cook for almost twenty goons, known as the protectors of the club. If you ask me, this is torture. Absolute torture. They are Ejay's slaves and money-making machines. I can bet on my life that none of them chose this kind of life.

"The boss asked you to get ready and be down in twenty. He will be waiting in the entertainment center." A voice startles me, making me walk from the closet where I was standing, looking for a dress to wear tonight. On the second day of my arrival here, Ejay bought a lot of clothes for me, all of them dresses, descent dresses, and underwears. I hate it that they are from him. I hate the thought that he knows even the kind and color of my innerwears. I hate that feeling, but I have no choice but to wear them.

"Don't you know how to knock?" I ask the lady. In my whole stay here, I have exchanged a few words with a few ladies, and I can say that I will get along well with them. However, there are others like this one in front of me. Her name is Mayleen. She has black blonde hair, a tall figure, and a slim body with the cutest aqua blue eyes. But her attitude stinks! Her pride, coupled with her temperament, has made everyone not associate with her. But her attitude towards me in the few two or three times we have exchanged words is beyond hate.

"Don't even ever imagine me knocking on your door before coming in." She retorts.

"Why do you seem to hate me so much, Mayleen? Have I offended you in any way?" I ask, because honestly, I can't understand her anger at all.

She inches in closer as if she was waiting for this kind of question, her eyes fixed in mine. "You dare ask me why?" Whoa! It seems like she was waiting for me to ask. "You stay here in your room like princesses while we work our asses to the core! Even meals are ordered to be brought to your room. What is your purpose for being here?" She stands in front of me like a queen, demanding answers from her servant.

I don't want to fight or make enemies, so I give her a very simple and direct answer. "Go ask Ejay."

"Ejay? We all call him, boss! Everybody here, including the bodyguards. Even his most trusted clients and business associates don't dare call him by his name. Even when I was his woman, he never allowed me to address him by his name. Why you, bitch? Have you slept with him already?"

Ah, so that's it? She is jealous! She is probably hoping to get back with him, and I seem like an obstacle to their reunion. And how disgusting is that part about me sleeping with Ejay? That father monster! That will never happen. Not even in a million centuries. Not when I am breathing. Since I don't feel like justifying anything to her, I shake my head and turn to walk back to the closet, but she stops me by grabbing my hand.

"Don't you dare walk out on me while I am talking! Answer me! Are you sleeping with the boss?"

Okay, that's enough now! I am anything but a weakling. I pull my hand away from her. "I do not owe anyone any explanation, most especially not you! I will say it to you again in case you didn't hear me the first time. If you are that bothered, go ask Ejay."

"I definitely will. I am the only one he gets to chat with, in case you don't know." She hisses boldly.

"Oh, really? I haven't seen you two talk since I got here. When exactly do you talk with him?" I challenged her, and her anger rose.

"Don't think that just because he has seen your pants a few times, he will stick to you. He had me. Left me. He had a few days of pleasure with some girls here and left them because they could not satisfy him. I am the only one who gives him a good one. The boss is mine. Only mine! Keep off!"

"It's probably him that you should warn to keep off me, don't you think?" She points a finger to my face, but just when she was about to say something, Ejay walked in and grabs her by the neck. Next is a slap that echoes not only in this room but also on the whole floor, supposedly. He throws her to the floor.

I am shaken, scared, and glued to my spot. Covering my mouth with one hand, I look at the lady who was so confident a while ago, now trembling with fear as she tries to stand up from the floor, holding her neck. As she makes to stand, she receives another slap that makes me scream. As she hits the ground again, she lies flat, groaning with pain. "I hate people talking about me behind my back, especially if they are feeding other people lies about me." Ejay speaks with so much calmness that I have never seen in him since I met him. He bends down on one knee and scoops her by the collar. He then moves his hands to her neck, squeezing life out of her, giving her a devilish look. Her top is wet with tears now, and she is struggling to breathe.

Is he going to kill her? I run to them and take a hold of his hand. "Let her go, Ejay!" I shout, but he doesn't loosen his grip on her. "That's enough!" I shout again, punching him on the chest, but he doesn't budge. What should I do? What should I do? He cannot kill someone in front of me now! How will I live with that? "E...J..a..y!" I shout once more, and he let go of her.

She falls again, and this time, her body looks lifeless. I kneel to listen to her breathing; it's quiet. I feel her pulse; it's so faint. Is she dying? "You killed her, you bastard!" I say, crying, but he does not show any remorse. He presses the red button on the wall, which I was told is an emergency bell, and in no time, his goons come in running to the room.

"Take her to her room." He orders them, and they carry the lifeless body of Mayleen. I try to follow them, but Ejay grabs my hand, pulling me back. "You are not going anywhere! Dress up quick! And remember, nothing happened here!" I pull away from him.

"You monster." I slapped him on the chest, still crying. I raise my hand to slap him again, but he holds it.

"Control your temper, Gia! Next time you raise your hand at me again, you will be so sorry! Get dressed and stop wasting time. I am waiting." He releases my hand and walks to sit on the bed.

How could this monster be this calm after almost killing someone?

"You are not expecting me to change while you are watching, are you?" I speak.

"Ten minutes! I will be outside the door." He says, after looking at me for, I don't know how long.

What kind of a heart does this guy have? He must have a stone heart to have the courage to strangle someone like that without shaking or blinking an eye. Or maybe he doesn't have a heart at all. I get dressed as fast as I can. I do not want to be strangled too. Walking out of my room, I meet Ejay pacing back and forth outside.

The moment he heard the sound of the door closing, he stopped, and his eyes started rummaging through my body. I wish he knew how irritating this is, but clearly, he doesn't, because even after asking him why he is looking at me like that, he doesn't take his eyes off me. I sigh and decide to walk my way down the stairs. I know where we are going anyway.