Her Dad's Best Friend

The Temptation

I could still feel the tension in my chest when I thought back to that night—the night I finally left. It had been night ago, but the scars, both visible and hidden, remained. I had barely been out of my parent's house when I met him. He had seemed charming at first, but it didn't take long for his true colors to show.

At first, it was the words. The constant belittling and name calling. Then came the control—where I went, who I saw, what I wore. And then... the bruises. The first time he hit me, it was almost a relief that he's been holding on to. I had spent months tiptoeing around him, waiting for it to happen. But nothing could have prepared me for the fear, the suffocating sense of helplessness.

I tried to leave before. Packed my bags, ready to run. But he always found me before I could make it out the door. He'd drag me back, and the punishments were always worse. The marks always lasted longer... and longer.

But that night was different.

He had stayed out later than usual, probably drinking. I had spent hours rehearsing my plan in my head, the route I'd take, the exact amount of time I had before he might notice I was gone. I had packed and repacked my bags for months, hoping, praying for a window of escape. And finally, it had come.

My hands shook as I threw my bags in the back of her car, heart pounding in my chest. I grabbed extra clothes, more money than I had ever dared take before. The adrenaline fueled me as I raced through the dark, quiet streets, not daring to look back, not daring to hope until I was miles away.

The relief hadn't hit me until i was parked on the side of the road, tears streaming down my face as I realized—I had done it. I had finally escaped...

But even now, years later, with my life put back together, the memories lingered, haunting me like shadows. Trust didn't come easily anymore. Love felt like a dangerous game I wasn't sure i wanted to play again.

Then I snapped back into reality, in my little apartment i have to find a job and get back on my feet. But i can't go out in the open looking the same. No. That's an easy target, I went to the store and got some hair dye and dyed my hair a dark brown. The next morning I'll go job hunting.

It was the next morning and I got up early and picked up some newspapers and some ad flyers I saw. Later I returned home and looked at the job openings and I spotted one that said "NEED DANCERS" I kept reading. It mostly stated the dancers can wear masks and we don't have to use our real names, I have a little experience on the pole and in dancing so I thought this will be a great opportunity.

I planned to go there later that night. The night came and I drove to the place.

As I sat in the car outside the club, my fingers gripping the steering wheel, I couldn't help but wonder—was this really what I wanted? A new name, a mask to hide behind... It felt safe, but also hollow. I was running, not just from him, but from myself.The moment I stepped inside, I was hit by the heavy beat of music pulsing through the floor, the dim lights casting shadows on sleek black tables, and the soft glow of neon signs. It was a far cry from my quiet apartment—loud, alive, and buzzing with energy. It was a world of its own, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I stood out. I could blend in here.Then a strange woman appeared from behind me.

"You must be new," a voice called out from behind me. I turned to see a woman in her mid-thirties, her makeup perfect and her eyes sharp. "I'm Casey, one of the managers. You're here to audition, right?" She looked me over, not unkindly, but with the cool, practiced gaze of someone who had seen it all before. "Yeah, sorry, just a bit nervous". She nodded in agreement. "That's perfectly normal girl, All the dancers were but you'd warm up here." She guided me to the changing room and explained the whole process to me. "Okay so you can dance on the guest or the pole you chose and whatever makes you feel comfortable. No real names, You can't take off your mask. These are all our rules we need our dancers to follow. Understand?" I nodded. "Understood"