"I have never lied to my parents, and I don't see why I would make an exception for my job," Lola insisted while sitting upright on her pink sofa, glancing over at her mother. Sophie (a pseudonym, to preserve her anonymity), a self-employed hairdresser, nodded in agreement. "Lola has always been well-behaved. No alcohol, no cigarettes. Not even a single runaway." She smiled at her daughter: "You never got into trouble, actually."

Their blue eyes met, full of complicity. Lola lives in a small, bright, tidy house with her boyfriend. Once a week, her mother visits, and they work together in the garden. The ring light – a standing lamp used to improve video color quality – stood like a totem in the middle of the living room. Meanwhile, Lola's dog nestled against her legs as she made iced tea.

The family is close-knit. So, when Lola revealed she was starting work as a "dominatrix," the news caused no upheaval at home. With her blond bangs and brown bob, the 23-year-old started this work at 18, during the first lockdown, in her family home's bedroom. At the time, she was studying for a language degree at a university in the Paris suburbs. "The university completely abandoned us. We didn't have a single online class," she recalled.

'It felt strange to me at first'

She first heard on X about "sugar daddies" and "money slaves" – men who enjoy giving money to dominant women, sometimes even supporting them financially. She posted a message on her Twitter account at the time: "I just asked who would buy me my clothing order, support me by becoming 'my submissive.' Immediately, a guy replied: 'I'll pay for anything you want if you insult me.'" Her first virtual exchange: €20, via PayPal. She told her parents right away: "I remember my father laughed. He said, 'Enjoy it, as long as there are people willing to pay for that!'"

You have 83.14% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.