Chapter 99
David's eyes flickered with a touch of sadness, but he quickly masked it. "Don't bring her up again. I don't want to hear about her."
Calliope was thrilled by his words and grabbed an apple to peel for him.
Every moment with David made Calliope feel over the moon, and time just seemed to fly by.
As night rolled in, she headed to the underground gathering at the hotel as planned. Bella's makeup was even more striking, and she shot a disdainful look at Calliope's outfit. "Calliope, you're not even trying. Look at everyone else, dressed to the nines. You're in a white shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Seriously, go change."
Calliope smirked. "I’ve got a pretty face. I don’t need flashy clothes to stand out. Believe it or not?"
She never wore revealing clothes.
Bella rolled her eyes, looking exasperated, and pulled out a prized dress, practically forcing Calliope to put it on. She even did Calliope's makeup herself. After the makeover, Calliope looked like a little beauty.
Calliope barely recognized herself in the mirror. The outfit was something she’d never tried before, making her feel a bit uneasy, but it also added a touch of softness.
"See, how gorgeous!" Bella looked her up and down, grinning with satisfaction. The other hostesses gathered around, some with envy in their eyes, while others flaunted their own looks.
No doubt, Calliope looked even more stunning with makeup.
"So what if she's pretty? In the end, she's just like us, destined to be a hostess. In this job, it's not just about looks; it's also about luck," said a flamboyantly dressed woman, staring directly at Calliope in the mirror.
Bella shot her a look to stop, and the woman snorted, swaying her hips as she walked away.
"She's always like that. Don't mind her," Bella whispered to Calliope, signaling her to let it go.
"I don't care," Calliope replied. She had seen plenty of people like that. If she got mad every time, she would have died of rage long ago.
It wasn't the busiest time yet. The peak hours started after 8 PM. Before that, they were all pretty idle. The hostesses chatted in small groups, and Calliope saw Rose gesturing animatedly in the distance. She didn’t go over; whenever she and Rose met, they argued. She didn’t want to waste words with Rose.
Rose glanced at her, glared, and continued her conversation.
Calliope had no friends and fiddled with her phone alone.
When guests arrived, Bella would lead them over, and whoever was chosen would serve them.
Bella clapped her hands. "Ladies, we’ve got business. Let’s go."
Calliope was at the end of the line, tall and striking in both figure and appearance. A fat man with a greasy face and a protruding belly locked his greedy eyes on Calliope.
These were obviously nouveau riche, mostly middle-aged men in their forties and fifties, the only ones with such leisure.
Most eyes were on Calliope. She was too dazzling in the crowd, making her stand out. The guy with the gold chain looked annoyed and frowned at Bella. "Why didn't you tell me about this beauty? If we hadn't come early, someone else might've snatched her up."
Bella gave an awkward smile. "She's new here, still young."
Seeing the crowd's interest in Calliope, she naturally upped the price.
Standing in front of Calliope, she pointed at her. "Look at this face. Have you ever seen such beauty? Even if you have, it's probably from a plastic surgery clinic. But this one is all-natural. I watched her grow up. And that figure, it's truly enviable."
The crowd didn't want to hear Bella's spiel and urged, "Just name a price. Money's not an issue."
Calliope found the scene amusing. She become a commodity to be auctioned off.
Bella, feeling smug, said, "Fifteen thousand dollars. Who wants her?"
"That's not cheap," said Paul, the man with the gold chain. Though he fancied Calliope, the price was steep.
"Paul, I'm telling you, she's worth every penny. You're so wealthy, why worry about a little money?" Bella aimed to make a hefty profit from these nouveau riche.
"Ten thousand dollars, just ten thousand," Paul pondered for a moment, frowning.
Bella pretended to hesitate. Ten thousand dollars was a lot for a newcomer, but she wanted to push it higher.
After a while, she smiled. "Make it fifteen thousand dollars! I know you can afford it. Our girl is still young, so please take good care of her, okay?"
Paul hesitated but didn't argue further. Fifteen thousand dollars it was.
The others congratulated Paul. Though they also wanted such a beauty, they couldn't jeopardize their friendship over a woman.
Calliope walked towards Paul as instructed, forcing a smile.
Paul insisted she drink with him. Inside, she felt a surge of disgust, wishing she could kick this greasy man to the moon. But outwardly, she played the pitiful role, weaving a story. "I'm very sensitive to alcohol. I understand the rules here, but if I drink, the consequences could be dire. I'm here to raise money for my brother's medical bills. He's in the ICU right now. My mom, gravely ill, didn't want to burden us and drowned herself the other day. My dad picked up bad habits, and I'm the only one supporting the family."
Rose's mouth twitched subtly. She had cancer and was already dead? How could Calliope say such things? And wasn't she involved with Sylvester? Why was she here?
The crowd, seasoned in business, scrutinized Calliope with skepticism.
At this point, Bella stepped in to help. "That's right, this child has had a tough life. At an age when she should be in school, her brother had a heart attack, and she had to drop out to work."
Seeing Bella's sincere expression, the crowd's doubts lessened. Calliope hadn't entirely lied; most of it was true, with some embellishments.
Some were chosen, each looking pleased, while those who didn't were downcast.
Afterward, Bella said to Rose, "Your daughter is really clever, coming up with that story."
Rose, smoking, glanced disdainfully at the private room. "Clever? She's cursing me, wishing I'd die soon. And she got you to help with this act. It's really strange."
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