A Blind Gamble

Have you ever heard of this secret, mysterious cruise?

On a cruise ship that traverses the expansive ocean on New Year's Eve, rows of beautiful yet blind masseuses wait to be selected.

To search for my sister, I pretend to be blind and think of a way to sneak onboard that cruise ship. A bigwig selects me and takes me back to his suite.

He tilts my jaw and waves a hand before my eyes. "Are you really blind? Let's try something different, then…"

"Are you really a blind masseuse? Then use your hand to feel this. What is it?"

Upon hearing the recruiter's request, I could only extend a quivering hand. All I could feel was…

…

My name was Faye Winters. Three years ago, when I was still studying at university, my older sister, Savannah Winters, called me on the phone. She had grown up blind.

Apparently, she had gotten hired as a masseuse for Oceanica Cruise.

A day's paycheck working on the cruise was worth ten thousand dollars. If she were to work there for a year or two, she'd be able to earn enough money for us to buy a house of our own in Seatrice City.

But Savannah never came back to me.

Three years later, I was able to gather information through certain sources that Oceanica Cruise was hiring new blood once again.

I put on a pair of shades to pretend that I was a blind masseuse. Then, I felt my way to the upper floors of a five-star hotel.

The moment the elevator doors slid open, I heard weird sounds coming from one of the rooms ahead of me.

They were enticing murmurs, hinting at a steamy encounter. Those who heard them could be easily affected.

I felt a weird reaction being triggered in my body. Almost instinctively, I squeezed my thighs together.

There were a few women wearing shades waiting outside the hotel room. Their cheeks were deeply flushed. Some tilted their heads back, breathing heavily.

I heard that blind people had extremely sharp hearing since they lost their sight. They most likely could hear better than me.

At that moment, a shrill scream pierced through the air.

The women and I were shocked by the scream. While they couldn't see what happened, I could.

A disheveled woman was dragged out of the hotel room. She was still bleeding from her forehead.

"How dare you pretend to be blind! Men, take her away! Let her know what the consequences are!"

Someone could be heard cursing at the woman. She kept struggling wildly against her captors. At one point, she even grabbed the hem of my dress and gazed up at me through my shades.

"Save me! I don't wanna die! Please save me!"

I shivered in fright, though I quickly pretended not to notice the woman's desperate and pleading look. I just let two men drag that woman away.

"Next up, Faye Winters."

When I heard my name getting called out all of a sudden, I gripped my walking stick tightly before entering the room.

A man could be seen sitting on a wide couch. He openly ogled me the whole time. Maybe he thought I couldn't see him, for he kept staring at me lecherously. I could feel myself starting to feel uneasy under his gaze.

"How long have you been working in this industry?"

"Three years."

"Go to the bed. Let's test your skill out," the man said, walking to the bed before patting the mattress.

I pretended not to be able to see the bed. Slowly, I began feeling my way toward it.

However, the man grabbed me immediately. He used his other hand to unbuckle his belt.

I was inwardly shocked, but I dared not show it on my face. I just pretended that I couldn't see a single thing.

"Sir, please lie down."

When the man noticed my lack of reaction, he finally released his grip on me. "Come here!"

I let out a small breath of relief before moving to kneel on the bed skillfully. Then, I began massaging the man's shoulders.

"Put more back into it." The man didn't seem satisfied at all.

He frowned. "How are you going to massage me if you're sitting on your side?"

I pretended to tilt my head in confusion.

The man said mockingly, "Why are you pretending to be innocent? Don't tell me you don't know what sort of job you're applying for!"

"I'm… I'm applying for a job to become a masseuse at Oceanica Cruise…"

"Hmph! It's good that you know that! Not anyone is permitted to board the cruise, you know! Not to mention, the wages paid to you are three times the usual wages because of the New Year celebration!

"Tons of people are lining up outside waiting to snag a job! If you don't want it, you can get lost right now!"

I gritted my teeth, soon recalling Savannah's face.

In the end, I decided to bite the bullet and straddle the man. Then, I began massaging him with all my might.

I massaged his shoulders to his hips, exerting the perfect amount of strength in every knead. Before I applied for this job, I had trained myself in the art of massaging for half a year.

As expected, the man was a lot more satisfied with my performance. He began grunting in pleasure.

Just as I heaved a sigh of relief, the man suddenly got up and flipped around. I was almost bucked off his back. But that was when he dragged me back onto the bed.

This time, I was stuck in an embarrassing position. The man kept a firm grip on my waist. His iron-clad grip made it impossible for me to move.

"You should know that you don't get to receive such lucrative wages without putting in hard work. I've already witnessed your skill in massaging. Now, let's look at what other skills you have to offer."

"I… I don't know any other skills…"

Just as my quivering voice fell, I could feel the man pinching me forcefully. My body jolted in pain right away.

The man's expression darkened. "In that case, then get lost! There are other people hoping to get a position onboard!"

"I… I'll do it…"

For Savannah's sake, I had to follow the man's instructions, though I kept shaking like a leaf. Soon, the sounds of a zipper being pulled could be heard in the previously silent room.

I wasn't actually blind—my cheeks were aflame as I stared at the scene. A weird sensation washed over my entire body.

But at that moment, I caught sight of another man walking out from behind the curtains from the corner of my eyes. He was wielding a gun, and the gun barrel was pointed right in the direction of my temple.