She was commanded to act as if she liked it, but it wasn’t an act. She loved it. She felt alive, powerful. She wanted more. And with each yes, she got it. It was magical.
This was the trick Monica learned to survive in Citadel. Monica shared that discovery with her friends showing them how to make real money. She provided them the means to get out of the dirty laundry. Instead of cleaning it, they could be messing it. Betty smiled to herself. She was fucking a king and she loved it!
Night after night Betty returned to Razzles. If she showed up, she made money. All she had to do was hang on a wealthy man's arms and words, and perform. Even though it was like dating, she understood that she was an employee and it was business. But it still felt special.
As a janitor Betty’s father, Randall, was struggling. He performed a lifetime of hard work, but as much as he hated to admit it, he was wearing out. After each night shift he would discover a new ache or pain inside him. He knew was lucky to have the job. It didn’t pay much, but he didn’t want to complain. He just couldn’t seem to get ahead, let alone save anything. Returning to the farm was starting to feel more unlikely. To distract those thoughts, he began whistling old tunes while he worked. It insulated him from his dilemma, somewhat.
Betty’s mother had a nervous breakdown. Her mental state had deteriorated and she was slipping further. The hospital that had helped the McDougals survive wasn’t equipped to care for her type of illness. She needed to be transferred to a state run mental facility, but Randall couldn’t afford it. He was stuck and looked for any options to help her. One of the admittance advisers at the facility offered a potential solution. He explained to Randall that if he divorced his wife, in her diminished capacity, she would become the property of the state. Then the facility could admit her and the state would pick up the tab for her care.
The advisor said, “I know it sounds bad, but it’s cheaper if you dump her. It doesn’t mean you don’t love her. In fact it’s the opposite. You’re acting in the patient’s best interest.”
Randall had no other choice.
Her mother was taken away on the day Betty graduated from high school. Randall was surprised at how excepting Betty was of the circumstance. He hadn’t realized how quickly his only daughter was growing up. She was serious and understanding. He was proud of his little girl.
To her it was just business. She knew that being poor was destroying her family.
He assured the young woman that the situation was only temporary. His plan was to save up enough money to retrieve his wife, buy back the farm and return home. To assure that commitment he began to work longer and longer hours. So did Betty.
She knew he would never make enough the money to get them home, but she knew she could. With the cash she was raking in at Razzles she could buy back the family farm on her own some day. She would do anything to get out of Citadel. She would do anything to save her family.
Betty and her father each worked a late shift, so it was easy for her to hide the fact that she wasn’t in the shelter each night. When she wanted out, it was easy to sneak past the nuns. They were so trusting. At Razzles, Betty was surprised how simple it was for her to slip into the role of a prostitute. She didn’t feel plucked or violated. She felt empowered. A voice inside her suggested that she should feel guilty or ashamed but she didn’t. She felt liberated. She needed lots of money and this was the quickest way she could get it. Besides, sex felt good. She must have been good at her job too, because she was competing with a lot of other Razzle Girls. And Betty may not have been the first picked on any given night. But she was always picked.
She was developing a talent for acting. Sometimes guys asked her to play games. They got their kicks and she got their cash. She would be whoever they wanted her to be. That was the deal. She met a lot of people on the job. Each wanted something different, but they all wanted something from her, even the most powerful men in Citadel.
Betty’s first encounter with Doctor Lacross was as unpleasant as any girl could imagine. He arrived like he was ready to work and left like he late for an appointment. His presence was one sided. There was no room for conversation or question. He was either lecturing, issuing orders or ignoring. He knew what he knew and what he had to do. He was all business. Lacross was the doctor and advisor of the Citadel elite. His oath bound him to act to benefit the health and well being of his powerful clientele. He took his oath seriously and went to great lengths to protect them.