Chapter 5 Rebellious days

As good as that moment of peak rebellion was, I came to regret it not too long after. It first started with the rumours, the crazy paparazzi with their mikes and cameras surrounding my house. I was the gist of the town - the heiress who couldn't last a day - was the topic on every gossip channel or social media platform in Delta.

Though I easily ignored this, I had grown up surrounded by rumours, sometimes I even created mine - all the people needed was some new crazy event to take their mind off my matter, yet I was sure the nickname had stuck on me.

What I couldn't easily ignore though was the call from my Father about what a useless daughter I was and how the company was going to collapse due to my recklessness. Hearing my mother begging my Father from the background just broke my heart into tiny pieces. My Father had changed a lot ever since the company started going through its crises. It was like something broke within him, turning him bitter. But with the company on the verge of collapse and a massive loan on his neck, I guess anybody would break in that situation... After all, he had always placed the company above family.

My Father ended the call, but not before telling me to pack my things and return to the Crams to beg them. My mind went blank at that statement and it took a while for me to realise that he had cut the call. Tears threatened to fall down my cheeks but looking at the little bundle of joy on my laps, I was able to calm myself down as I kissed my one year old son's cheek as he slept.

I never had a previous marriage, instead Andrea was the product of a one night stand I had during my more rebellious days. Having a child out of wedlock as the daughter of Ramon Rivers was the gist of the city a year ago, which was why I was so used to the whole situation I was going through now.

I was staying in Mira's private condo while waiting for the whole situation to die down. I'd give it a week or two for the paparazzi waiting outside my house to get tired and focus on the next big thing, like Jayla Crown's divorce or something. All I needed to do was to clear my head and relax on the soft sofa as I drifted through my memories.

....

It was just days before the end of my life as an undergraduate. I had always been the prim and proper daughter and heiress to the Rivers company, with a strict father and everyone's eyes on me, I had to always be perfect... which I hated. I had the money, the comfort, the fame and not to mention the body, but not the slightest bit of freedom so I took matters into my own hands. I couldn't end a part of my Life without actually living it...

So I did what any normal, freedom deprived teenager with only a few days to go before graduating University and joining my Father in the Family business would do - I joined a strip club. It was a spur of the moment idea that just sounded better and better as the thought grew in my head until I left home one night to the best one in Delta - Euphoria.

I signed up as a masked pole dancer under the name, 'masked swan', as no matter how crazy I was, I knew my Father was never meant to find out about what I was doing. The club didn't give a damn about your identity as long as you weren't here to cause a ruckus so my signing up was successful. I swore to myself that it would be for only that night, not knowing that only a night was needed to turn my life upside down - in a good but sour way though.

The Club was not big, but it was definitely not small either and with the dark lighting, you could hardly see anyone except the pole dancers on quite a few spinning rings and poles. The dark lighting helped to calm my nerves, and I was about to take to the stage when a man in the club uniform came up to me.

"Lady swan, you haven't set your service fee for the night." He said as he held up a piece of document. Seeing the obvious look of confusion, even with the red butterfly mask I had on, he continued; "The club has a prohibition on customers touching the dancers or strippers without their consent. But if you find a suitable person that you wish to spend the night with, then they will have to pay the fee you set. Of course you will get a room and your cut of the amount paid."

A look of realisation dawned upon me as It took some moments to understand his words. I pushed the document back to the man's chest as I refused;

"Thanks but no thanks, I am just here to dance - no Man is touching me tonight". But the man just smiled before pushing the document to me again, "I would have to insist you do, it's club policy, ma'am."

Ma'am?Did he just roast me?, I asked myself as I looked at the man closely for the first time... he was quite tall but lean. He had a snarky smile that showed that he knew what he did and I gave him a smile of my own as I took the document and wrote down a million dollars, then signed. Pushing the document back to his chest, I looked at his shocked expression with a hidden glee in my heart as I walked away to the stage.

I had heard stories of people feeling different, more free and reckless when their identity was hidden, and the feeling the mask gave me was quite mysterious. I felt like I was a new being, no longer Prim and proper, but instead powerful and free to do whatever I wanted, whatever I desired.

The stage was a small raised circular platform, with a pole in the middle. As I took hold of the pole, I felt like a daredevil and the feeling took me like a drug I couldn't get enough of. I had a few drinks and maybe sniffed a bit before entering the club for extra courage, so after a few spins I was feeling a little dizzy.

I didn't fail to notice the stares I was getting from the audience as I twirled on the pole. But the music and lightheadedness allowed me to ignore them until a drop dead handsome Man with a devilish smile that I would come to both love and hate, walked up to my stage.