“The daughter of that family is a prostitute.”
That is what the villagers say. The rumor spreads from mouth to mouth, word by word. The story that passes from person to person is not exaggerated.
Every night, after the sun sets, the young woman—beautiful like a heroine from classic literature—puts on her makeup, fixes her hair, and walks out of the house wearing tight-fitting clothes.
Even though she is stunningly beautiful, she is simply known as Miss, an ordinary woman. Yet with the label of “prostitute”—a nickname forced upon her by others—her worth is painfully diminished.
Her beauty means nothing in the eyes of the people around her. To them, she stands at the very bottom. Even though she has never robbed or killed anyone and earns her living honestly, she is still hated—for reasons she does not understand.
Even those who see her as a star admire only her appearance. They want to reach for her only under the cover of night. She has value only then—desired for a single night to satisfy the endless desires of people who never seem to know when enough is enough.
For Panapsorn, or Pan, she knows very well that she will probably never meet someone who truly cares for her or accepts her for who she is.
Someone like her is not considered suitable or good enough for anyone.
Even the men who claimed to love her and spoke of marriage wanted her only as a mistress—a secret kept in the shadows—even as they pursued her relentlessly, night after night.
“Let me take care of you, Pan.”
It is a sentence she has heard so often that she has become numb to it. Yet Panapsorn has never accepted that offer.
•
“What kind of car do you want, Pan?”
“I want you to stay with me.”
“I’ll buy you a house.”
“My wife understands.”
•
Countless promises of a better life are whispered into Panapsorn’s ears every day. Even so, she still clings to the dignity and pride that others believe she barely possesses—or perhaps believe she has none at all.
But no matter how much people look down on her, within this lounge club, she stands at the very top. She surpasses everyone in beauty and sex appeal, and she is known for commanding the highest price.
She is not someone ordinary people can easily touch, hold hands with, or even look in the eyes. If your wallet is not thick enough, you cannot even get close enough to catch the faint scent of her perfume.
“Pan, your customer is waiting.”
The owner of the famous luxury lounge club called for Panapsorn as soon as she gracefully walked into the staff lounge. The beautiful woman gave a slight nod to show she understood without saying a word.
She then turned to the mirror to check her appearance, preparing herself for the VIP guest who had requested her for the night.
Everyone knew that Panapsorn was difficult to win over. For whatever reason, she never made herself easily available to the many customers who sought her out. Because of that, the value of the woman named Panapsorn had risen to the very top of the lounge club.
She might even be the reason behind the saying:
“Spend a hundred thousand, and you still can’t even hold her arm.”
Even so, many people were still willing to empty their wallets and bank accounts just to satisfy their desire. Simply seeing her face, talking with her, or having her accidentally let them touch her ever so slightly—just enough to refresh their hearts—was enough.
Feeling the softness of her skin for only a brief moment was enough to give them sweet dreams and peaceful sleep for the next few nights. Then they would return to work for months, save up their money, and spend it all on her again.
Panapsorn was known for emptying the pockets of wealthy customers. Anyone who carelessly fell under her spell might be left with nothing but an empty wallet and years of debt.
Anyone who wanted to become the Top Spender for this woman needed very deep pockets.
She never tricked or deceived anyone. Still, it could not be denied that her beauty—everything that made her who she was—was a powerful tool that attracted customers, whether she intended it or not.
Another thing everyone knew was that Panapsorn never went out alone with customers after work. Even inside the private rooms, she never did anything beyond drinking and chatting to keep them company. But sometimes, men’s desires were so overwhelming that they pushed the boundaries.
Her slender hand gently slipped free from the grasp of a man who was almost old enough to be considered elderly. A beautiful smile appeared on her face as she lowered her eyes shyly, like an innocent young woman.
Panapsorn knew how to protect herself without diminishing the satisfaction of her wealthy guests. Besides, the man sitting in front of her was a regular. She knew he would not be angry if she politely refused him.
Tonight, a strong alcoholic drink had been ordered for the young woman.
“I can only drink a little more.”
“Are you getting drunk already? I was planning to buy you ten more drinks.”
“I really can’t drink anymore.”
“For someone like you, Pan, I thought you could hold your liquor better than that.”
The teasing words came with eyes that seemed to devour her. No matter how uncomfortable they made her feel, all she could do was return a small smile.
“Are you still not going to soften your heart today?”
It was a question with an answer both of them already knew.
Mr. Sia Thot, who had been pursuing Panapsorn for a long time, asked with a weary sigh.
No matter how much he tried to persuade her, the young woman never gave in. Even so, he never gave up. Whenever he was able to reserve her time, he came to see Panapsorn almost every night.
Mr. Sia Thot arrived as soon as the lounge club opened and usually stayed until around two in the morning. Each visit, he spent no less than a hundred thousand on Panapsorn alone.
•
•
“P’Pan, P’Som is calling for you.”
Mameaw, the Chinese-Thai girl who worked at the front desk, welcoming guests and managing reservations, stopped Panapsorn just after she had seen Mr. Sia Thot home.
Panapsorn nodded in acknowledgment before walking to the staff area to meet the person who had called for her.
She knocked on the door two or three times before the voice inside granted her permission to enter.
“P’Som, why did you call me?”
“Sit down first.”
Som waited until Panapsorn followed her instruction. Once the slender woman sat in the chair across from her, Som looked at her face and let out a sigh.
“Pan, I’ll be honest with you. Khun Thot is a good man. His wife passed away a long time ago, and he has no children. If you’re thinking about getting serious with someone, I’d recommend him.”
Som spoke out of genuine concern. She knew all about the men who pursued Panapsorn. It wasn’t as though Panapsorn lacked attention. With beauty like hers, anyone could see there was always a line of men waiting for a chance.
It was just that Panapsorn never seemed interested in anyone—or perhaps she already had someone in her heart.
“I’ve told you many times about this, P’Som.”
Som sighed again as she looked at the stubbornly beautiful face before her. It was true that if Panapsorn left, the lounge club’s income might decline. But Som had known her for a long time and cared for her like a daughter or niece, so she wanted the young woman to have a better life.
At the very least, if Panapsorn married someone who could take care of her, then perhaps one day she could escape being the target of the villagers’ gossip, who loved to label her a prostitute.
That was how Som saw it, but Panapsorn felt differently.
No matter how much time passed, or even if she eventually married and settled down, the accusations that she had used her body to earn money would never disappear. Those words would stay with her until the day she died.
No matter what happened, she would always be seen as a prostitute.
At best, people might call her a high-class prostitute.
The owner of the lounge club watched the slender figure leave the room with concern. She was certain that Panapsorn had never slept with any customer.
But that certainty began to waver after last month, when Panapsorn went out with a wealthy socialite—the third-generation heir to a famous department store empire.
After that day, Panapsorn changed. Recently, a luxury car had been coming to pick her up around eight in the evening. She would leave with it and not return to the lounge club until the following day—her next working night.
•
•
“P’Pan, if you keep going out this often, don’t blame me if your earnings drop.”
Mameaw teased her coworker as soon as she saw Panapsorn picking up a small purse, clearly preparing to leave the lounge club.
“Then I’ll leave the customers to you.”
The beautiful woman replied half-jokingly, half-seriously. She did not seem bothered by the possibility of someone else taking her place as the untouchable star of the lounge club.
She gave one last smile before walking away. When she glanced at the clock on the wall, she realized she was already almost five minutes late for her appointment.
The moment she noticed the time, she quickened her pace. She had to leave before that person arrived because that person disliked waiting. Panapsorn would be scolded every time she was late.
Whether it was five minutes or even a single minute, it was as though the other person measured time down to the exact second.
•
•
“What were you doing? I’m not your driver. I don’t have time to sit here waiting for you.”
“I’m sorry. I just—”
“Forget it.”
The lips painted with beautiful lipstick closed immediately. The young woman lowered her head and sat quietly, looking down at her hands folded neatly in her lap.
She had no right to argue or even explain. If the person beside her said she was wrong, then she was wrong. And if that person did not want to listen, she had no right to speak.
Keep quiet.
That was the reminder Panapsorn repeated to herself over and over.
“Once this job is finished, I’ll pay you the rest.”
Once again, Panapsorn sat beside the beautiful socialite while she negotiated a business deal. She knew very well what her role was.
This was the third time.
The first two times, she had arrived and left together with the woman who had hired her. But this time was different, because the other party had made his intentions very clear.
•
•
“I’ve received offers several times higher than what Phim is offering. But since we know each other, I might consider it… if the beautiful woman beside you agrees to have dinner with me just once.”
Everyone at the table understood exactly what he meant. He was only drawing out the moment.
His long-winded proposal carried a very simple meaning.
Panapsorn glanced at the woman who had hired her. Her expression remained calm, but it was easy to tell that she wanted to accept the offer. Otherwise, she would not have looked at Panapsorn like that.
Panapsorn should have said what she always said in situations like this. She had done it many times before. But when she saw the beautiful woman’s serious expression, filled with hope, the words caught in her throat. Suddenly, she found herself unable to speak.
Even though it was not something she needed to concern herself with, seeing how desperately this woman wanted the deal to succeed made her unable to refuse.
“Do you agree?”
Their eyes met for the second time. The woman’s gaze remained unreadable as she waited for an answer.
“I’ll pay you double.”
The whisper came from the sweet-voiced woman as she leaned closer. The faint fragrance surrounding her did nothing to distract Panapsorn from the tension of the moment.
Deep down, she wanted to refuse. She did not want to accompany Phakinee’s client. But if she declined, the important deal before them might fall apart. Something Phakinee had hoped for over a long period of time would disappear. The fate of that dream now rested in the hands of someone as insignificant as her.
“…Okay. I agree.”
Panapsorn had always understood her role. From the very beginning, Phakinee’s expectations had been clear: satisfy this man, no matter what.
It started with small things—a sweet smile, a friendly yet slightly shy gaze. The next step would be a luxurious dinner alone with the important client, this time without the woman who had hired her.
It would not be wrong to say that Phakinee had hired her as bait to win someone else’s favor. Panapsorn understood exactly what was happening. Even though she had never worked in business, situations like this had appeared in her life many times before.
Acting as a go-between in business negotiations that had nothing to do with her was something Panapsorn usually refused, because jobs like these often ended in bed.
She always chose carefully, evaluating each situation on its own. Every role and every boundary had to be clearly established. Whatever she agreed to was exactly what she would do—nothing more.
She always made it clear to the person hiring her that nothing would happen in bed under any circumstances. But it seemed Phakinee did not know that, because Panapsorn had never told her.
And tonight, Panapsorn chose to accompany Phakinee’s client, just as she had been asked.
She glanced one last time at the woman who remained seated quietly after everything had been settled. Then she stood and walked beside the older man who often referred to himself as uncle whenever he spoke to Phakinee. Together, they left for a luxurious dinner, alone.
There was no point in asking whether she was willing or not. No matter what she felt or thought, Panapsorn could only keep it to herself and continue smiling.
Whatever her true feelings about the situation were, the outcome would not change.
Because this was her job.
