It's Not Okay.

"River?" Candy called, snapping Rivera out of her thoughts.

“I'm sorry." Rivera silently took off her clothes and then placed them on the floor.

"Get into the bathtub." Candy gently smiled after adding sweet-smelling bath essentials into the tub.

Rivera nodded and entered, a sweet scent and refreshing warmth engulfing her whole body.

Except her heart, which currently harbored hatred and pain toward the Sylvester family, who sold her off with no hesitation.

Rivera closed her eyes. Even if she wasn't their blood, she had lived with them all her life, didn't they have any… any…

Rivera's heart hurt so much. It felt like a hand wrapped around it, squeezing and digging into it so tightly—suffocating and hurting her at the same time.

"Vera baby, don't cry." Candy stretched her hand and gently wiped the tears away. She whispered, "It's okay. It's okay."

“It's not okay. Not okay at all. I didn't deserve this. I don't, so why? Why did they do this to me? I paid the bills, I paid the rent, I fed the family, I paid the medical fees. I went on hunger stretches. I did whatever they wanted. Yet they... They... He gambled and owed the casino debt, why should I be the one to pay for it? He should. He should…”

Candy sighed and wrapped her hands around Rivera's shoulders, gently comforting her until she relaxed.

Rivera's face flushed red, and she lowered her head. "Candy, I'm sorry..."

Candy sat on the dry floor. "No. It's good that you let it out."

She squeezed Rivera's hand. “Life had to go on. The best way to help yourself was to move on, obey the rules, and get out of here… alive."

Rivera folded her legs in the tub and whispered, "How did you get here?"

Candy shrugged casually. "My stepmom sold me to some men. Apparently, she found me an eyesore after my father's death and wanted all the wealth to herself. After two months, I got lucky and ended up here.”

A dark smile appeared on her face. “After I got my freedom, I repaid her. I made her watch the scene of her two children being fucked for a week. And I let her get gangbanged by 10 men with STDs and other diseases. I can't be the only one to suffer this trauma."

Rivera sucked in a cold breath. Ruthless! But then it occurred to her. "You were able to leave?"

Candy nodded nonchalantly and explained, "Yeah, you can leave. But when you're used to this type of life, normal life becomes boring. Soon you will understand."

Rivera lowered her head. She disagreed. This place was too inhumane, there was no way she could get used to it.

Candace stood up and walked to the door.

"Candy, where are you going?" Rivera called out instinctively.

Candy cracked the door open, pausing to look back over her shoulder. "I have to call the professional staff. They'll be the ones to clean, prepare, and make you dazzle for the night." Candy then slipped out and pulled the door shut behind her.

Not long after Candy left, three staff members came in, their eyes calm and their faces indifferent.

Rivera looked at the door and whispered, "Excuse me, where's Candy?”

The staff looked at Rivera deeply as if inspecting a product. None of them responded.

Rivera's stomach dropped and cold dread sank into her chest.

Their treatment forcefully dragged her back and reminded her of her current situation, the real underworld without Harvey and Candy.

They walked away and each pulled the drawer of a sleek black cabinet built into the alcoves of the wall and took out an array of products.

For the first time, Rivera went through the experience she had only heard girls talk about in the restaurant, but with a more grueling regime of treatments—intense scrubbing, exfoliation, moisturizing, and meticulous hair treatment.

It seemed like a 5-star treatment, except that she had no control over what they did to her. Every inch of her skin was ruthlessly checked to ensure she was flawless.

Then they dried her off and wrapped her in a heavy, plush silk robe and led her back to the room she left.

They led her to a makeup section where two staff members were already waiting.

The hairstylist and makeup staff were indifferent to her, turning her head around and treating her just like a product.

The hairstylist grabbed a comb and tugged it through her hair aggressively while the makeup artist glared at her with a hostile and impatient look.

Rivera stared into the mirror—her oval-shaped face with its smooth and delicate proportions.

Lightly dusted freckles spread across her nose and cheeks; a tiny heart-shaped mole sitting just right above her left eye.

Her striking electric blue eyes stared back, heavily framed by thick, long, and dark eyelashes.

She had a straight button-like nose with full and plump, naturally red lips.

Her long, dark, straight hair now fell smoothly across her face and down her back.

As Rivera stared into the mirror, she watched her true self slowly disappear beneath the layers of expensive makeup.

Step-by-step, she was transformed into a seductress bred for tonight's auction.

After the complete makeover, Rivera was led through a side door into a massive wardrobe vault.

It looked like an elite boutique, lined with rows of garment bags, racks of designer couture, and a velvet-lined jewelry case under glass.

The wardrobe staff was already waiting. She glanced at her tablet before walking toward a specific dress. “This."

The gown was a floor-length masterpiece made of heavy, liquid-like champagne silk.

While the front looked elegant, the back was a completely different world.

The back was completely non-existent, plunging past the waist to the absolute base of the spine.

A sharp slit ran up the side of her dress, starting high up the thigh. A plunging neckline with delicate spaghetti straps.

Rivera shook her head and cast a pleading gaze at them. "No. I can't. I can't wear this. Can I... Can I get something else, please?”

If it was up to her, she would have chosen something that would make her appear hideous for the night, but this…

Every step she took would reveal her entire leg and almost her privates. And then there were the plunging neckline and straps...

"Doesn't she know the rules or something? I already had a busy day today, please. Take her away.” The girl looked down at her tablet.

Rivera stepped forward, her pleading eyes locking onto the girl. "Anything else. I'm begging you. Please."

The girl folded her hands and arched her eyebrow. “Look, this was matched by the algorithm. Unless you can plead your case to the algorithm, I can't do anything to help you.” Her voice dripped with rudeness and impatience.

“Let's go," the makeup staff commanded and pulled Rivera into the dressing room to help her with the dress.

Hot tears pooled in her eyes. She had never felt so humiliated and worthless as she had today.

Through the mirror, she could see all the whip marks on her back.

Each step she took revealed her entire leg and almost her private area. The dress was already worse, yet they still denied her underwear.

The straps of her dress felt so thin as if they would snap. Her hands clung to them to hold them down.

The makeup staff frowned. "Don't ruin the makeup. I can't go through that work again. Follow me.”

Rivera followed the makeup staff. The makeup staff smiled at the staff in charge of the wardrobe. “I do think the algorithm has great taste. See you around."

With that, they stepped out of the wardrobe vault and returned to the makeup section.

Candy stopped in front of Rivera and looked at her from head to toe. She had to say Rivera was very beautiful.

Especially with the silk dress, which was a contrast against her pale skin. The clients would fight for her tonight.

It's a wonder how Rivera hadn't been snagged up by some man before all this happened.

News had reached her, and the girl was a virgin. How the hell had she managed that?

“It's almost time.” Candy looked at Rivera again.

For someone who had gone through a hard life, her skin was very pale, flawless, and soft.

Even with her whip marks, she looked so beautiful and… collected.

If it were other girls, they would have broken down. Even she would have.