"I never wanted to buy this trouble in the first place. Haider had been like this for three days now—absolute ruin. First, that crafty one drove me mad, and now this. A stick snapped through the air with a crack! and struck Heather . His life was extinguished before my eyes. His sobs—those dreadful, stifled cries—were too much for that old hag to bear. Then, taking even more money from me, she threw that little duck into the river…!"
She gave her a sharp slap, pressing Heather's face down as she hissed, "If you know nothing, shut your beak!" Once the little girl collapsed to the ground, she stopped crying.At the door stood three more girls, having overheard the commotion. Biba, her voice suddenly gentle, spoke up: "That's enough, Biba."
Clinging to the door frame was a twenty‑year‑old girl who had just arrived at the sound of the stick. Behind her appeared a plump, short man—the cook—muttering, "Today, she simply must work…"Just then, Siru, one of the other girls, said, "Oh! I remembered—I too came to summon Biba; they must have arrived already."
Biba stepped forward, excited, and signaled to the cook. Everyone else departed—only the cook and Heather remained. "Now, come on," she added. The cook strode ahead with Heather following closely behind. The ground floor was quite large, lined with numerous rooms. They passed from one corridor to another until they reached a filthy area. The floor was soaked with water everywhere, and puddles gleamed underfoot. Leftover food was scattered all over the kitchen. Two other boys were busy working there.
"Alright, clean this mess now," the cook said, glancing at Heather. "Ha ha ha, does he even know what he's doing?" One lad sneered while looking at Heather. The cook frowned and responded, "You'll teach her that until Milu and I finish the rest of the job..."
"Why?!" Lilu shouted in anger.
"Because you burned the chicken breast," the cook snapped, twisting his mouth in disapproval. With that, he stomped off to start cooking, leaving Heather to sweep up the mess.
"Okay, now take the broom over there," Lilu barked, tossing the broom aside. Heather slowly began clearing the trash.
"Quickly, move your hands, come on!" Lilu urged, impatient. He didn't bother to clean thoroughly but rushed through the task and stepped out. Heather continued cleaning.
"I've done this before," she thought. She knew well how to tidy up; nothing here was entirely unfamiliar.
Meanwhile, the sitting room had been splendidly decorated: yellow and pink walls adorned with blue and red flowers, their stems draped with garlands. The cushions on the divan and the velvet orange sheets covering the seats were neatly arranged. Queen‑colored pillows were carefully placed all around. In the center stood a table bearing beautiful white roses. The entire arrangement gave the impression of a separate space meant for just five guests. At the door, the mistress stood waiting, accompanied by six other girls who were there to assist with hospitality.
"They should be arriving any moment now..."
"This is the first time I've seen them come in the morning."
Clients usually came under the cover of night. All the deals, all the games in the brothel — followed the rules of darkness. That's why the old madam was restless today.But there was a strange smile on her face."Whoever it is, I won't let them go so easily this time... hee hee hee!"
She called out loudly, "Joone!"Then added, "Lirly, Karu, Anish!"Within moments, three girls stepped out one by one. Anish was already standing silently in the corner, her eyes lowered.Then…
From the hills came the sound of tires skidding against stone.
The rumble of a car engine pierced through the air.A long, black luxury car came to a halt in front of the large gate. Four more cars followed behind it.From the first car, a driver stepped out and opened the door. A young man emerged, around 22 years old.As soon as he stepped out, all the servants and women bowed their heads in greeting.
He walked forward with regal arrogance, his friends following closely behind.
But the old madam stood tall, chest forward, unshaken.
She smiled slyly like a fox and said,
"Today, you must treat my friends very well."
The young man smirked and replied,
"Then today your pockets are going to be emptied."
The madam smiled too, though caution flickered in her eyes."I could buy this entire brothel if I wanted to," he laughed loudly and walked past.No one dared stop him — because he wasn't just any customer. He was Cooper Jr., a spoiled rich boy,
who used his father's money to toy with the innocence of underage girls. The girls he chose... were never the same again. Inside, everyone had already settled in. Refreshments were served. Drinks poured. The usual greetings exchanged.
The old woman asked quietly,
"What kind of girl are you looking for, Mr. Cooper?"
Cooper gestured to one of his men. A slim suitcase was placed in front of them. Opening it, Cooper said casually, "This should be enough."The madam's eyes briefly flashed with irritation, but she smiled as if unfazed."No sir... girls are very expensive these days."
"Rich families pay high prices — sometimes taking 15 or 20 girls in one go."Cooper scowled. "Do you think I can't afford that?"She didn't answer — only gave a signal with her hand. Everyone stepped aside. A servant walked down the hallway toward the rooms and signaled the girls.He grumbled to himself,
"Ugh... this trouble again." He didn't enter. Instead, five girls stepped out and lined up in front of the guests. Among the four men seated, whispers began: "She looks old..."
"Must be at least 30..."
"Not very attractive either..."
"Yeah, exactly."
Cooper was furious this time.
Every time he came, he demanded only virgin girls —but today, for the first time, he brought a large group with him.The girls were terrified, afraid he might kill them. Some refused to even appear in front of him.
Many stuffed garlic in their mouths so no one would pick them. Others faked menstrual cycles to avoid selection. Even then, Cooper didn't force anyone against their will — but the old madam had suffered too many financial losses in recent years. So now, she was cautious."This is just the beginning," she thought to herself.
"The rest are getting ready for you."
Night was approaching. The kitchen was still buzzing with activity — guests kept demanding food, and their requests just wouldn't stop.The cook, who had been working since morning, was furious — aggressively stirring dishes that were already fully cooked. The girls had grown tired after dancing non-stop — some had already returned to their rooms, but a few men were still in the hall, drunk and dancing.Heather had been cleaning since morning. Even though she had been scolded 2–3 times, she didn't give up — this time, she stood her ground.
The old madam, pacing through the corridor, walked out and directly addressed Cooper:
"Mister, are you and your guests staying the night?"
"We need to know — preparations must be made."Cooper, high on alcohol, smoke, and opium, barely responded. But the old woman knew — this was the perfect time to line her pockets.
There was a girl sitting in Cooper's lap. She gently moved and asked him,
"Are you staying here tonight?" He laughed lazily and said,
"Of course, darling... I'm here all night!" The intoxication had taken over.
No one was fully conscious — even those in the rooms were deep into their drunken pleasures.The old madam walked straight through the corridor
and entered the kitchen, checking what was going on there…
The entire kitchen was a mess — food scattered everywhere, plates and liquor bottles lying around. There were three or four servants present, but with constant demands and orders, it had become nearly impossible to maintain cleanliness. Something new was being cooked every moment.
The old woman screamed at the top of her lungs,
"Cook! Where the hell are you? Come out!"
The cook, who was chopping vegetables, stepped forward with a spoon in his hand and said tiredly,
"Now you want something too? Just tell me and I'll make it."
His voice was heavy with exhaustion. He didn't have the strength to argue anymore.The old woman held a small white pouch in her hand. She grinned and held it up. The cook smiled for a second, then snatched the pouch from her and returned to his station without another word. Meanwhile, Heather was still sweeping the floor, silently gathering the trash. The old woman looked at her and snapped,
"Only after getting beaten do you work properly, huh? If you'd done this earlier, I wouldn't have had to beat you! Stupid little duck!"
Another woman was washing dishes in the kitchen. Seeing Heather just sweeping, she slammed the utensils hard in anger — though she was careful not to break anything, fearing the old woman's wrath. She marched over and slapped Heather hard, yelling,
"You've been ignoring me this whole time! My hands are aching — and you're just loitering around?"
Heather stood frozen, unable to respond. The woman continued angrily,
"Because of you, I'm stuck washing all the dishes. My hands are ruined — look at them!" Her hands, having been in cold water for too long, were pale and bruised. Enraged, she snatched the broom from Heather's hand, pushed her roughly, and shouted,
"Go wash the dishes now! I'm done!"
Without a word, Heather slowly got up and moved toward the sink. She had no other choice. She didn't know how to properly wash dishes, but she tried. Her small hands slipped over the wet utensils. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks and fell onto the dishes. Despite the pain, shame, and exhaustion — she wiped her own tears and kept washing, one dish at a time.
An hour later, when the old woman returns to the main hall, she sees that everyone is still there — dancing, laughing, drinking. She loudly announces,
"It's time to eat, everyone — get ready!"But no one listens to her.She then gestures to the girls sitting near the guests. Quietly understanding the signal, they rise and walk down the corridor toward the kitchen. The old woman follows behind. Just as she reaches the kitchen door, a servant steps out suddenly. They nearly collide, but he quickly says, "Everything's ready, madam!" Upon hearing that, the old woman claps loudly — and the rest of the servants jump into action. Some head into the kitchen to fetch the food, others carry special wine glasses.
The plates were filled with a variety of rich, flavorful dishes. But there was no water served — only wine, and that too, laced with the old woman's special drug. The girls, following the silent command they were given, now begin to serve the food and wine to each guest — slowly, one by one. Despite the celebration, the old woman remained tense. Two men were still upstairs with three women. Worried, she turns to a servant and instructs him to go check what's going on in those rooms.