Chapter 288 Secret Sideline (2/2)

”One day...a lady neighbor took pity on me and ask me if I wanted to earn some money. I told her yes, I am desperate for money. She revealed to me that she was a part-time prostitute who sells her body for sex. If I will accept, she can send some customers my way, I don't have to go out to find work, the customer will come to me. Even if I don't like the job she was offering to me, I had no choice, I also can't find anything that would allow me to work from home while at the same time taking care of my son that's why I had accepted the job reluctantly. She told me that she will have to relocate me to a place where there are not many gossipmonger people who will crucify me behind my back. She brought me and my son in this place where there aren't many noisy neighbors around. From that moment on forward, men would come and go to my rented house using me for sex and they will pay me with hourly rate...”

Jessy choked the lump on her throat, feeling extreme pity for the woman in front of her. ”Please continue Olivia...” she said.

Olivia released a deep sigh as if telling her life story to Jessy requires all her strength to keep going on.

”It's okay if you don't want to continue Olivia, it must be very hard for you to reveal your secret. I just want to ask you this...did those men treat you right? I mean, they didn't harm you... like hurt you physically?” she asked.

Olivia shook her head. ”No...I have to thank God because the men he sent my way are all gentlemen and they just want sex...no one hurt me physically. I'm really afraid of sadistic men, thankfully I haven't met one and I'm praying I will never meet one,” she said.

Jessy took a deep breath.

”D-do you think I'm a dirty woman, Jess?” Olivia suddenly asked the younger woman feeling ashamed of herself.

”Huh?” Jessy shook her head vigorously. ”No, of course not. I understand why you have to do it. You just don't have many options left to choose from. You are desperate to earn money at the same time take care of your son, your situation is very hard. I didn't blame you for doing what you have done. If you have money to sustain your living condition I bet you will never enter that kind of profession. You just want to survive and any human being would do everything to survive and provide food and shelter for their loved ones. Trust me, I understand where you coming from and you don't have to be ashamed of yourself,” she said.

To make her point clear and comfort Olivia's heart, she hugged her. ”Shh...your secret is safe with me, you don't have to feel ashamed of yourself, you can cry on my shoulder...go on.”

Olivia's tears that she was trying to keep at bay stream down her face in torrents. This time she never holds back. It's the first time that a stranger offered her a shoulder to cry on. She's been trying to stay strong all her life, especially for her son. She rarely cries, she refused to cry. It's nice to have someone to listen to your life story without being judged harshly in return.

Jessy let Olivia cry on her shoulder.

Olivia's body trembled with long-buried emotions resurfacing in her consciousness, fueling more tears emerging from her eyes.

For thirty minutes, Olivia poured her heart out on this one-lifetime chance to cry without interruption. And it's a sweet release as if her heart was being cleansed from within.

”Thank you so much, Jess, for allowing me to cry on your shoulder, it's a big relief for me,” Olivia said while wiping tears from her eyes.

Jessy wore a bright smile on her face. ”Don't lose hope, keep the faith, stay strong and keep loving your son. That's all I ever ask from you, and I promised you I will do everything in my power to help you, okay?”

”Okay,” Olivia answered, trusting the younger woman's words.

”I wonder how is your son doing nowadays, while you've been missing all this time?” Jessy asked.