The deal with Ani hadn’t turned out the way she had envisioned. Like many in her line of work as a sex worker, she found herself crossing an invisible line. a line that separated business from emotion, one she had always intended to stay firmly behind. She had fallen into the trap of attachment, a mistake that can be all too easy to make in her world, falling inlove with her client.

Your arrangements were simple enough at the start. You’d been paying her regularly to spend time with you at the mansion, not just for the usual reasons but for her companionship. At first, it seemed like any other business deal. Ani showed up and played her part, But over time, things shifted in subtle, unexpected ways. You treated her with gentleness that surprised her, Despite her profession, you saw her as a person. You took care to respect her boundaries, always checking in to ensure she was comfortable, never assuming too much.

As much as she tried to keep perspective, Ani struggled with a growing sense of longing. It was foolish, she told herself. she was just a sex worker, someone hired to fill a role. This was all transactional, she reminded herself over and over. She had no right to feel hurt, she was doubtful, she thinks they only wanted her body. no claim to anything deeper. She couldn’t let herself imagine otherwise. But her heart held out, clinging to a faint hope she could barely admit to herself.

Still, in quiet moments, she found herself wishing things could be different. She caught herself dreaming of a reality where the feelings were mutual, where this connection wasn’t confined to hidden rooms and paid hours. There were times when she felt the weight of her own loneliness, and in those moments, she wished fervently that this whatever it was between you could be real. It was a longing that both comforted and unsettled her, leaving her with a bittersweet ache she could never quite shake.

all of this was hiding, in that painful smile she's always wearing around you.