How much do you charge for an hour?" That night, women in revealing outfits turned to look back just as a man in a silver suit posed the question.
"Excuse me?" a woman, perhaps hard of hearing due to the loud music, replied. The man eyed her flowing black hair and the short white dress paired with high heels she was wearing.
"You offer services to accompany men, don't you?" he asked politely.
The woman appeared anxious, her body trembling slightly as she stammered, "Y-yes, I-I forgot."
"Still new to this?" the man asked, seemingly understanding her nervousness. She nodded stiffly in response.
"How much for five months?"
"What?" The woman's surprise was evident.
The man extended his hand, introducing himself. "I'm Viren. I want to discuss a business opportunity with you." With some confusion, the woman, now known as Sheira, accepted Viren's handshake.
"I'm Sheira. What kind of cooperation are you talking about?"
Viren scanned the bustling club. "It's too noisy here. How about we talk at that restaurant across the street?" Sheira, a petite and attractive woman, didn't quite grasp the man's implications. This was her first night working at a club. Feeling desperate for money after struggling with her father's hospital bills and operation costs due to kidney failure, she found herself here. She had been trying to save her father's life, but her part-time job wasn't enough, and a friend had suggested this avenue. To her surprise, she was being approached by a potential client offering a unique proposition, the complexity of which she didn't fully understand.
"So, what do you say, Sheira?" Viren prompted, awaiting her response.
"Huh? Y-yes," she replied, hesitant but curious.
"Then let's go!" he urged, and although she was wary, her intrigue compelled her to follow him.
-//-
Seated in a luxurious restaurant, this was a first for Sheira. As she sampled what she assumed was steak, she was more captivated by the ambiance and her curiosity about Viren's intentions. He sat across from her, clearing his throat to begin the important conversation.
"Let's get to the point, Sheira," he said. She nodded while instinctively chewing her food.
"I'm a personal assistant tasked with finding an alluring woman. What I'm offering is for you to seduce my boss's rival and destabilize his marriage," he explained.
"What?!" Sheira's eyes widened in shock. "I don't understand. Can you clarify?"
"After observing you, it's clear you're stunning and seem very close to my boss's rival. You're young—how old are you?" He glanced at her, contemplating her age.
"23," Sheira answered quickly.
"Perfect. I'll give you five months. If you succeed in making him divorce his wife, there's a substantial bonus for you. If you don't, that's alright, but I won't be able to pay you as much," Viren declared, his enthusiasm palpable.
"So, you want me to destroy someone's family?" Sheira questioned after absorbing his lengthy explanation.
"Exactly," Viren replied with a smile.
"No!" Sheira exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't want to ruin anyone's life! I'm inexperienced—today's my first day doing this because I'm desperate for money. But I can't betray anyone like that!"
"I'm sorry, I need to go," she stood up to leave, but Viren's voice stopped her.
"Would two billion be enough?" Sheira froze, stunned by the amount—money she had never dreamed of. Her mouth fell open in shock.
"And remember, if you succeed, there's an even larger bonus of five billion from my boss. What do you think?" Viren's offer grew increasingly compelling, and Sheira found her resolve wavering.
"Wait, that's a total of seven billion… Oh my God," she thought, realizing that kind of money could cover her father's medical expenses.
"Isn't that what you said you needed? I can provide an advance, just think it over," Viren urged, sensing her hesitation. Sheira took a deep breath and slowly released it, her eyes closing as her father's image flooded her mind. The doctor had said she needed at least 350 million to proceed with his surgery. Where else could she find that kind of money? Maybe this was divine intervention. Could she really afford to say no? She couldn't bear the thought of losing the most important person in her life—her father. Seeing her contemplation, Viren smiled, confident that she was beginning to see the value in his offer.
"So, Sheira, have you made up your mind?" he asked. She exhaled sharply before turning to him,
"Okay, I'll agree to it." A broad smile spread across Viren's face at her decision.
-//-
Viren then informed her that his boss was the CEO of a major company, who had a history with the rival's wife. Their relationship had ended due to the rival's forced matchmaking. Now, Viren's boss was intent on reclaiming what once was lost. Today marked Sheira's first day as the woman set to disrupt someone else's marriage. She had initially intended to apply for a position at the rival company, given the recent job opening. No wonder Viren had been so actively searching for a charming woman; there was genuine opportunity at stake.
"But I haven't finished my studies, will I be accepted?" Sheira murmured, lacking confidence in her chances. How could she approach the CEO of the Heroic Company if she wasn't even hired? Seeing her distress, Viren reassured her that she wouldn't be alone, that someone named Zeny would assist her.
"Hi, you must be Sheira, right?