“That’s it, my dear. Deeper and deeper for my boobs now. You know you can’t resist,” Lucía said, a mischievous twinkle in her dark-brown eyes.

“N-no,” Chiara stammered, her mind getting cloudy as she struggled to remain standing in front of the one she had once called her best friend. “Mom... Dad... please help me,” she begged the two kneeling figures licking Lucía’s feet.

“They can’t hear you, sweetie. And if even they could, it wouldn’t do you any good. They’ve already accepted their rightful place under my control. You’re the only one left. Your mother will make a fine maid and your father will be my personal chauffeur for the rest of his life. As for you, well... that will depend on how much you please me when you finally go under.”

“Please don’t do this,” Chiara whimpered, salty tears threatening to roll down her cheeks and never stop flowing until her free will was obliterated.

“It’s already done, Chiara. The longer you struggle the more painful this will become for everyone. Do you want to see them suffer? Because if I will if you don’t give in.”

“I...” Lucía’s arms hung loose, her muscles turning into jelly. How had they come to this and was there still a chance for redemption?

While an answer to the second question was still up in the air, one could easily understand the first by going back in time. Twenty-five years earlier, Lucía and Chiara were born in the same hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, only a couple of hours apart. Their parents had been friends for a long time and often shared plans together over the weekends and holidays. With their lives so deeply intertwined, it was, therefore, no surprise that both Eva and Martina got pregnant at around the same time and that their babies ‘decided’ to be born on the same day.

The two girls were inseparable for a decade, sleeping at each other’s houses, sharing the same taste in clothes, and constantly making promises to be there for one another no matter what. For a while, both actually believed that to be true.

And then, one day, Lucía left.

Her parents, who had been in the service industry for over fifteen years, realized after yet another financial crisis plaguing Argentina, that if they were to give their only child a good chance in life, they would need to find it elsewhere. And so, they moved to Boston in search of the elusive American dream, and a friendship that was to last an eternity became brittle and started to shatter.

Lucía and Chiara still corresponded for a couple of months but then all communication stopped. It’s unknown who stopped writing first but, once severed, the ties that once bound them, remained broken for another eleven years. Chiara stayed in Buenos Aires, studying to be a nurse, while Lucía was lucky to catch the eye of a known photographer during a basketball match and began a promising model career shortly after, posing for perfume ads, lingerie brands, and even guest-starring on an occasional TV show. The rise of social media platforms contributed to the explosion of her career and when the first paychecks started to come, their parents knew they had made the right choice.

Lucía’s time in the spotlight lasted until the day a tragic car accident deprived her of the only two persons who had always done everything for her. The drunk driver responsible for it was charged with involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison plus a hefty fine, but the justice served never satisfied her. The young woman fell into a depressive pit where alcohol and heavy drugs went hand in hand and for the next twelve months, she was gone from public view and even speculated to have met her end as well. When no one believed anything else other than this, she made a surprising attempt at a comeback by being selected to be the face of a multi-million dollar campaign for a new electric car model. The deal had everything to go forward, yet last-minute demands from one who was in no position to make any, made everything fall apart.

Meanwhile, Chiara’s life was evolving in surprising ways as well. After working like crazy tending a small restaurant while paying for his daughter’s tuition, Fernando Alvarez hit the jackpot by picking the right combination of numbers in the country’s Loto. It was the first time in many years someone had beaten the astronomical odds to take home the coveted prize, but it happened, making them one of the most coveted families in all of South America.

After collecting the prize, the Alvarez suddenly found themselves surrounded by closest relatives, long-distant ones, and countless acquaintances that were out to score a piece of the pie if possible. It was also around the same time that Lucía contacted Chiara, hoping to reconnect. The young nurse student paid no attention to the early warning signs in her words, for she was happy about the possibility of having her old friend back. In retrospect, she should have suspected something was amiss, especially after the first time she mentioned the possibility of returning to Argentina.

“Are you seriously thinking of moving back in?” Chiara had asked over the phone. “Why?”

“Life hasn’t been the same since my parents left this world,” Lucía responded. “Unlike what people think, it’s not always glamor around here. Is it okay if I stay over for a while? I could use some emotional support right now.”

“If you’re looking for some peace of mind, maybe visiting isn’t the best option as we’re constantly being hounded by the press and pretty much everyone else in the city.”

“I understand, and trust me I know what’s like to have people monitoring your every step, but if I don’t leave this god-forsaken city in the next couple of days, I swear I’ll go insane. Please! Just let me come home for a bit and we can finally catch up after all this time.”

“Okay then. I’ll tell my parents. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you. You were almost like a daughter to them and it broke their heart when you left.”

“Awww, I know. I love them too, and I love you, Chiara. We should have never been apart.”

“When are you coming?”

“I’ll tell you after I look up the flights, okay? Thank you, my friend. You’re the best.”

“So are you. I’ll be waiting to hear from you then.”

“Deal.”

Lucía booked the first flight for the next weekend and then the problems began. The first sign that something was off was how she presented herself when she arrived at the Ezeiza Airport. The little girl with crooked teeth and colorful pigtails that dreamed of becoming a goalkeeper had grown into a marvelously voluptuous woman with perfect skin, long nails, and juicy boobs that were the delight of anyone that dared to look at them. She was dressed in a light Summer dress that was more cleavage and slits than anything else, her bright eyes hidden behind a pair of designer glasses. For someone who had claimed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she looked anything but, parading her sexy curves like she owned the world. When Chiara hugged her, she rapidly escaped her embrace and looked at the bags that needed to be carried.

“I did these before leaving,” she pointed at her colorful nails, asymmetrically painted in shades of red and black. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Chiara replied, gently escorting her out of the bustling terminal. For fear of being followed by the paparazzi, the new rich woman was dressed in dull colors, golden hair tied up in a bun. The two quickly headed outside with Lucía bemoaning the fact they would have to take a taxi.

“No private driver, really?”

“I’m trying to keep a low profile here and you’re not exactly helping, dressed like that,” Chiara retorted as she placed her bags in the trunk.

“Sorry, hun, but this is how I am now. I don’t get it. Why are you hiding your fortune?”

“I’m not hiding it but everyone agreed we wouldn’t make a fuss out of it. Yes, we’re worth a lot more zeroes than we did in the past but we’re still the same old persons inside and we want that to continue.”

“Huh? That doesn’t make any sense to me but okay. Please tell me that you at least moved somewhere nicer than our old neighborhood.”

“Yes, we did. We have a nice little villa in Puerto Madero now, one I’m sure you’ll love.”

“Ah, good,” Lucía smiled. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to meet my new place.”

“So, what really happened to you after Eva and Enrique passed away?”

“Well, I was in a terrible place for a while. I wanted the driver to suffer horribly for what he did I even considered hiring someone to take care of him in prison but eventually, I reconsidered. I experimented with a lot of drugs - not my proudest moment! - but when I finally snapped out of it and got myself clean, I realized I wasn’t born to play the helpless victim role and decided to take back control of my life. When the virus swept the world, I took the opportunity to learn things I always wanted to learn, and I can’t wait for you and your parents to see my new skills.”

“What skills are you talking about?”

“Be patient, Chiara. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to go through them once we arrive at my place.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that...”

“What’s that?”

“Your place. That’s the second time you’ve used those words...”

“Is it? Oh, thinking about the old days, I guess. Remember when you used to say your house was my house?”

“Yeah, I do. We had the most amazing sleepovers when we were kids, didn’t we?”

“We sure did, and now we’ll get to have them again. Mark my words, Chiara. My stay here will be a feast for the ages.”

For the first couple of days, nothing significant happened. Both Fernando and Martina Alvarez were thrilled to have her back in the country and made sure to give the newcomer everything she asked for so she could relax and feel herself once more. Lucía loved the attention and although she kept saying she didn’t want to abuse their hospitality, the truth is she never denied herself the opportunity to be pampered. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and what was supposed to be a short stay was risking permanency with every passing second.

“Lucía, we need to talk,” Chiara asked her one day when patience was already beginning to wear thin.

“Do we really?” the big-breasted model replied, lounging by the tear-shaped pool in the back of the house. 

“Yes. So... it’s been almost half a year since you came...”

“And what a wonderful time it has been...” Lucía replied, sipping a strawberry daiquiri.

“Right... but I can’t help but shake the feeling you never want to leave. More than that, lately you’ve been behaving like you own the place and that’s not right. We welcomed you with open arms but we need to know what your plans are going forward.”

“Who’s we? You and your parents?”

“Of course. They don’t dare say it out loud, but they’re worried about you. They think you’re still depressed and that’s why you’ve been behaving so strangely.”

“Did your parents tell you they wanted me to leave?”

“No. That’s not what I’m...”

“I know that’s not what you’re saying because they don’t want me to go. And you’re right, Chiara. If I’ve been acting like I own this villa it’s because, in a way, I already do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s go inside so we can talk,” Lucía stretched in her pool chair. “Be a dear and tell your parents to meet us in the living room, okay?”

“You’re doing it again and I don’t like it.”

“Doing what exactly?”

“Getting all high and mighty telling me what to do. It started at the airport when I went to meet you and it hasn’t stopped ever since. That’s not cool, Lucía.”

“If you say so... Call your parents, please.”

Begrudgingly, Chiara complied. Lucía looked absolutely ravishing that Summer day, her perfect boobs spilling out of a red bikini that left nothing to the imagination. When Fernando and Martina came down to meet them, she undid the top half, snapped her fingers, and said,

“Down for me. Come on, ‘Mom and Dad’. Come lick my feet while your only daughter watches. She still hasn’t realized what’s going on but I think it’s time we put an end to this charade once and for all.”

“What the hell are you talking...?” Chiara couldn’t even finish the sentence. Her jaw slacked when she saw her conservative parents drop to their knees to worship her as if she were a living deity.

“Very good, my pets,” Lucía smirked. “Fernando, take care of the left foot while Martina tends to the right. Be sure to lick every drop of water from my toes.”

“What did you do to them?” Chiara asked, utterly bewildered.

“Oh, nothing special. What you’re seeing is the culmination of months of hard work in the shadows. I’ve been hypnotizing and programming your parents ever since I got here.”

“You’ve been what?”

“Surprise! Remember what I told you in the taxi on our way here?”

“You said something about learning new skills but then you never explained what you meant by that.”

“Oh, I did, just not to you. I knew that if I wanted to keep this luxury for myself and use your money accordingly that I had to start with them. Hypnotizing people is surprisingly easy and so is shaping them to do what we want. Your father couldn’t stop looking at my boobs when I arrived, so that’s what I used. He was the first to succumb to my indoctrination and your mother was almost as easy as him. What do you think? Pretty amazing, huh?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! This can’t be real.”

“Oh, but it is, love. I was bored out of my life back in the U.S. thinking of what to do with my new talents when I heard the news that my good old friend’s family had become rich overnight. It was then I hatched my plan, one that can no longer be stopped.”

“You did all of this for fucking money?”

“Of course, I did. Money makes the world go round and I’ve grown to become a woman with impeccable tastes that need to be sated. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your fortune once you become my obedient thrall, too.”

“That will never happen.”

“That could have been true a while back but I’ve been programming you too, little by little. Are you seriously going to stand there and say you’re not feeling drowsy too? My boobs will have your mind, Chiara. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Never!”

“Keep telling yourself that as you stare at me and your brain begins to slow down. It’s so easy to lose yourself in my boobs and suggestibility is a trait that runs in the family. You will go down. In fact, I dare say you’re already halfway there.”

“I...”

Everything had come full circle, and the time for resistance was now. Chiara gazed at her friend’s flawless bosom, her insidious words awakening a primal desire she had never experienced before. She tried to push the sensual image away only for it to go deeper... and deeper... and deeper...

It’s been ages since the paparazzi have gotten a glimpse of the Alvarez family. The only time they got close was when a silly trespasser took a picture of the new cook that looked surprisingly similar to their daughter Chiara but surely that was just a trick of the light. Lucía and her boobs make all the magazine covers now.