My life had become one of monotony, some point after college. But that all changed on a seemingly random Tuesday morning.

It began all the same - wake up only half-way at 6am, to jump up, throw on work clothes, brush my teeth, and maybe have breakfast. Without fail, I always wondered why my crummy retail job required I wear such high-class attire. I bought what I could from the thrift store, what with the spare change I had after rent.

Regardless, I had no better job lined up post-law school, and Kensington Love was in perpetual hiring status, given how terribly they treated their bottom-line employees. Fitting for me, considering I barely passed whilst on academic probation. Working for a Soulmate Industry Company felt especially like a middle finger. I spent all of law school dreaming about helping wounded Soulmates escape from their unwritten contract - specifically, Properties and Servants. Part of my dream came from my own deep-seeded fears. I had taken the Bar with confidence and hopes and dreams and failed by a long run.

So once more I rolled out of bed into my uncomfortable slacks and vest.

Step two. With bleary eyes, I grabbed my toothbrush in the bathroom and held it up to my mouth. Then I noticed it.

My jaw fell agape, and the toothbrush fell out of my limb hands. At last, I had fully woken up.

I rubbed my eyes three, four times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. But no.

Drawn on my upper right chest in permanent marker laid a cat in a bird's cage. Written clearly under was the words -

"Property of Aura Kensington".

I felt myself beginning to pass out. Almost by instinct, I grabbed some soap and water, and desperately tried to wash it off. No matter what I tried, or how hard I scrubbed my skin off, it was to no avail. The Soulmate Mark was plastered permanently.

My world span. I collapsed onto the shower stool and held my head in my hands. No. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. Fear and grief tore through my mind like a bulldozer. My greatest fear, in the first place, was ever getting a Soulmate Mark. Especially a... a D/s - M/s? mark. I reached 25 years old and thought I was safe - most of my friends had gotten theirs years ago. But not me - which was just how I wanted it. I craved solitude, even using most of my salary for rent to live alone. The thought of committing to anyone - for life - terrified me to my core.

The second problem: I knew Aura Kensington. Rather, I knew of her.

Aura Kensington. The CEO and Founder of Kensington Love. A company in the Soulmate Industry, making what could crudely be described as BDSM toys. Rumors circulated about Aura well before when I started working there. She was ruthless, cruel, and nearly sadistic to her subordinates. More specific rumors about swift firings and verbal assaults made me shiver. And, most vitally, she worked in an industry I despised. The Soulmate Industry made my very blood boil.

She was the absolute worst person to be my Soulmate. And by far the worst person to be my owner.

My breath grew heavy. I lost track of the time. Did it matter if I made it to work on time? This was considered a major life event, right? No. I chose to continue living in denial. I swapped my shirt for a black button up, one that would completely cover the mark. I lived in a nightmare. That was the only explanation.

Why would Aura and I be paired together, after all?

Somehow, I made it through the rest of my morning routine and got on the train on time. I forgoed breakfast, but who could blame me?

I hugged myself the entire train ride there, trying to suppress my panic attack. Before long, I had dissociated, and was suddenly on the work floor with a broom and an exceedingly fake smile. Jess worked on the floor alongside me, in which I took solace. Jess was the kind of work friend you could actually rely on, in or out of the building. We’d quickly become friends after we both started working.

Looking excited about my job felt like pretending to be happy about going to hell. Which seemed to be my current situation. I held back hot tears in my eyes. It didn’t work. Everyone could tell how miserable I was - and soon, I was sent into the back room by an angry, impatient manager. I’d be lucky if I wouldn’t get written up. Why would I care at this point? What were they going to do, report me to their CEO?

Jess followed soon after, claiming she needed to go to the bathroom. She walked in on me openly sobbing, succumbing to my panic attack.

“Cassidy, what’s wrong?” she asked in a soft, sweet voice, as she pulled up to sit next to me.

“I-it’s bad, Jess,” I answered with a heavy sob. Jess cocked her head, and I wasted no more time.

Jess’ eyes widened to the size of golf balls as I showed her my Mark. My Mark, deeming me property, of the woman who believed in everything I vehemently hated. We both sat in silence for a long, long time. Jess had no words as I continued to break down further and further into my episode.

“It’s… it’s going to be okay,” Jess whispered. It was more than obvious that she was lying, that her comfort was empty.

“It’s not!” I claimed tearily. “It’s not going to be okay! Where am I going to go?! I’ve… I spent all of law school trying to fight against something like this, and I fucked up that too. I… This is…” My words had long ago become intangible between my cries, but I kept speaking. “This is a mistake, Jess. This has to be a mistake.”

Jess grimaced. “You know how the saying goes—“

“‘Soulmate Marks are never a mistake, only a gift in disguise’?” I answered, venom suddenly peaking in my voice. Jess shrank against my vitriolic tone. “I guess there’s a first for anything! Why would I, the person trying to fight against Soulmate Abuse, be paired with someone working against everything I stand for?”

Jess lowered her head. “I don’t know, Cass.” She put a hand on mine. Of course Jess would say something like that; she and her Soulmate were polar opposites, and after a year, she cheerfully exclaimed that mistakes never happen. Her glee around it was the only thing that gritted against my skin. “I… I don’t know what to say. I’m so, so sorry.”

I stopped, my voice lowering. “My life is over.”

Jess opened her mouth. I knew what she was going to say. ‘No, it’s not! It’s only beginning!’

Maybe it was something on my face, but Jess closed her mouth. Instead, she opted to put a hand on my shoulder, and bring me into a warm embrace. I sank into it, only for a second.

“What if I… ran away?” I asked meekly.

Jess shook her head. “You know the laws better than me, Cass.”

I racked my brain trying to find something, anything, that would stand in court. Every D/s Soulmate lawsuit took the side of the Dominant. Even if we were only partners, my word wouldn’t stand against Aura’s billionaire lawyer and their equally expensive Answer To. Jess was right. I knew the law. It would not work for my benefit.

Betrayal. That was a good word for it.

“I should get back to the floor,” Jess whispered. “Dry yourself up. I’ll ask Stacey if you can work in the back.”

The corners of my lips turned. “Thanks, Jess.” It was the best thing she could offer me in that moment.

I dried myself up, taking two minutes to inhale and exhale. I almost fell into a trance, a state of self-hypnosis I’d be practicing. But every time I slipped in, Aura’s face, her name, that fucking mark, would make its appearance again. Eventually, I gave up.

The cool water hit my face, hiding the last of my tears, and I returned to the lesser of two hells.

Unfortunately, Jess was unable to convince good ol’ Stacey to give me a bit of leeway, and I was stuck once again greeting customers. I wonder how many of them had Soulmate marks. How many of them were bound by the law. A duo came in - clearly a D/s couple - with one on a leash and all fours. I looked away. Would Aura make me look that humiliating? I turned away for a brief moment to distract myself.

And then the door slammed open with vigor.

I whipped around. Sure enough, there she stood. The woman of my nightmares. The face of everything I hated. A rich bitch with a confident smile that I wanted to wipe off.

My Soulmate.

Aura Kensington.

“May I speak to the manager?” She proudly greeted. I hid away, hoping that she wouldn’t notice me. Just arrange the cards, Cassidy. Just arrange the cards and don’t let her see you.

Stacey walked over and raised an eyebrow. “And what might be your concern?”

“I wish to speak with Cassidy Smith. I believe she is on shift today.”

I retreated further into my shell. I wanted to run out the back door. My legs wouldn’t let me. I froze in my task. I felt Stacey’s - and then Aura’s - eyes land on me.

“Who might you be?” Stacey asked, crossing her arms. Come on, Stacey! Do one good thing in your career!

Aura reached into her jacket, and pulled out an ID card. “Aura Kensington,” she proclaimed. “CEO and Founder of Kensington Love.”

My eyes slammed shut. I begged my brain to wake me up from this nightmare.

“Oh,” Stacey said, with a large hint of surprise. “She’s over there. Cassidy?”

I inhaled sharply, and slowly rose to my feet. I did not turn around. I wouldn’t. “Yes?” I said sharply.

“The… CEO wishes to speak with you.” Stacey turned back to Aura. “I apologize. I hadn’t realized you were coming. Please, let me clear out the break room for you two.”

“No need. I would like to take her to a cafe. Cassidy, please come over.”

Finally, I gave in. I turned around. Aura’s eyes landed on me, her hungry, predatory eyes. She looked me up and down, paying attention to every part I dreaded she would. But mostly, she peered into my eyes. “Please. Cassidy, would you come here?” Her voice was more forceful this time, clearer of her intent. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“…Yes,” I finally relented. I walked over to greet Aura. It took every atom in my body to keep my voice steady. “Why might you— ah!”

Aura’s hands worked quickly, shamelessly. I froze as her hands reached out and began undoing the top half of my shirt. “S-stop!” I cried. All eyes were now on me and my public humiliation. “W-what are you doing?”

Aura didn’t reply. Eventually, she pulled my shirt open, exposing my bra to everyone. And exposing something else. I wanted to pull away, to run off far away, but my body betrayed me, too. Fate betrayed me, and it was clear from the first second.

That fucking rich bitch stared at my Mark, cruelly placed on my chest, and smiled.

“Ah,” Aura purred, satisfied. “It’s very nice to meet you… pet.”

I wanted to die right then and there.

~~

The first act of kindness Aura showed me was minimal. She let me button up my shirt and say goodbye to Jess.

Jess pulled me into the tightest hug. She didn’t give me anymore platitudes, anymore unwelcome words of wisdom. She just stood there, and then let me go. I never wanted the moment to end.

I turned around to meet Aura. I hope she’d see the fire in my eyes, the venom on my lips. Maybe that would convince her, too, that this was a mistake. Once more, I was too hopeful.

“Let’s go,” Aura said, tugging me along mentally. I took one last look at my job, and left one bad situation for another. Of course Aura had a fucking cab outside, waiting for us. She wouldn’t want to damage her expensive boots by walking, wouldn’t she?

She opened the door, waiting for me to get in. I paused for a minute, inhaled, and stepped inside. The comfort of the seats did not distract me in the slightest. Angrily, I threw on the seatbelt as my apparent Owner got next to me.

“Cassidy,” she said, “look at me.”

I turned my head, but refused to meet her eyes. I said nothing.

“I suppose it’s a start,” Aura chuckled. “I’m sure you must be very, very confused right now.”

I clutched my pants. “You could say that,” were the first words I said to her.

Aura hummed something incomprehensible. “Let’s lay some ground rules. You will be respectful when speaking to me, and keep your voice and tone level-headed. I’m sure you can do that much.”

Once more, I wanted to slap that smirk off of her. I nodded. That gesture felt like running a sprint.

“You may refer to me as Mistress Aura,” she continued.

Somehow, the word ‘Mistress’ made me crack. 

“This is a mistake,” I claimed firmly.

Aura tilted her head, seeming to humor me. “Is it? Please share more.”

She was… giving me a chance to explain. Maybe she would listen. “I… I do not believe in the Soulmate Industry.”

Aura gave me another one of those awful smiles. “You do not believe in it, even though it exists?”

“Of course not!” I exclaimed. “People being forced to one person even if they’re mistreated? Even if they’re abused? It’s… it isn’t right! And you - and your company - you enable that. All those cages, all those canes and floggers, all those handcuffs; they’re being used to hurt someone, somewhere. Do you even care about that?”

Aura didn’t reply. That just pissed me off further, and I continued, my voice tinged with fury. “Of course you don’t care. You profit off of it! You wouldn’t care. I went to law school to fight against it, to defend the people forced into situations that will hurt them.”

“Like you, hmm?”

I felt like I was going to tear the fabric of my pants open. “Shut up!” I exclaimed through teary eyes. I hadn’t even realized I had begun crying; hell, I didn’t even care. “This is a mistake. A mistake. I cannot be paired with you. I spent my life fighting to defend people - yes - in my exact situation.”

“And you failed.”

My eyes widened, my jaw fell slightly agape. “What… did you just say?”

Aura made a noncommittal shrug. “You failed the Bar. You studied so hard, and yet you failed. Not only that, but law school didn’t seem right for you. Your highest grade on an essay was a 75. Do you realize what that makes you?”

“It was a 76!” God, why the fuck did I say that? Beyond my obvious blunder, I couldn’t even speak. My mind worked at a million miles a minute. How… how did she know all of this?

“Exactly. An idiot,” Aura answered.

All the fury in me broke. I wanted to scream, I wanted to throw punches at her, one after another. I wanted to fight and break loose of this terrible situation. I wanted my life to go to normal, to somehow - any way - convince Aura to let me go.

But instead, I broke down. Heavy sobs came out of my through and hot, large teardrops rolled down my face. I hated myself so much. Everything Aura said was correct. I failed. I failed school, I failed the Bar, I failed my hopes and dreams, and most heartbreakingly, I failed myself.

A small part of me hoped that my crying would convince her. It was the last shred of my hope. And Aura crushed it in an instant.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” Aura said, sending a dagger through my heart. Aura’s hand grabbed my head, held it steady, and a soft handkerchief dried the tears around my eyes. For that brief moment, everything felt okay. Safe.

It was a fake feeling, a feeling her mind fabricated to wrap itself around the absurd situation.

“You no longer have a choice. Once you accept the futility of your situation, things will look up for you. The harder you try to make this for me, the more painful you only make it for yourself.”

“Huh?” Her words were a stark contrast to her soft touches, the warmth of the handkerchief.

And then she slapped me.

It took mine a moment to realize what had happened. Tears shot from my eyes from the strike and stuck to the fine leather seats. “I—“

Aura didn’t give me a chance. She grabbed my head, this time by my brown, silky hair, and held it firmly in place.

“You broke the rules already, pet,” Aura growled, her tone suddenly taking a dark shift. “This is me letting you off easily this time. Next time, I won’t be so kind. Because…”

Aura shifted closer to me, crushing me in her presence. A wide grin crossed her face. “Seeing you cry? It only coaxes me on further. It only makes me want to hurt you more, to make you cry more. It only makes me hotter. Because you see, all those rumors about me being all evil and mean and cruel, they weren’t all lies. So don’t think for a second that your crying will make this stop. This is your new life, whether you like it or not.”

Her words were evil, in a new way. Her sadism showed through clear as a full moon. She stared into my wide, teary eyes, and took joy in my suffering. Something told me nothing would get better from here.

“And, full transparency,” Aura finished, “if you think you’re the only one who needs time to adjust to this situation, you’re even stupider than you look.”

“H-huh?”

“Never mind. We’re here,” Aura said. I looked to the surroundings and found myself out my front door.

“We’re… weren’t we going to a cafe?”

Aura stroked my hair. “Later. Right now, grab all your necessary belongings, and get back in the car. Your new home will be mine.”

The door opened. After a minute of silence, Aura’s impatience came back. “Go! Don’t keep me waiting.”

“I-I’m sorry,” I murmured. I fumbled for my keys and ran out of the car.

As soon as I was inside, I collapsed to my floor, and began crying. I didn’t care about Aura’s rule or her strict command. I let myself cry for as long as I needed to - it might have been hours. Days. Weeks. All of my grief came through my tears. Leave it up to fate to pair me, the weepiest girl ever, with a dacryphilist.

Soon enough, I collected myself, and then my belongings. I left with two suitcases and a handbag, and checked my free will at the door.