Megan Daniels peered outside her tent, the warm sun almost blinding her. She sighed and glanced at her wristwatch. Over an hour had elapsed since Thomas had gone on his morning walk and subsequent quest for ice and although she wasn’t worried, it was strange he hadn’t returned yet. Her husband’s routines were easy to predict and when he was on an errand, he never allowed himself to get distracted, so why was he taking so long?

The twins remained at large as well. It was always tougher for them to be away from the comforts they had grown used to in the big city but they remained good kids, even when they were at each other’s throats. While they were still easily impressionable, they had given none of them any real trouble so far, a testament to both good parenting and their gentle nature at heart.

The camping trip had been Megan’s idea. In fact, pretty much anything that had to do with leisure time in the family came from her. If it were up to Thomas, he’d be working even in his sleep. He had many flaws just like she did, but one couldn’t accuse him of not doing whatever it took to provide for his family. He was dependable, trustworthy, and had no qualms about showing his affections in public. The thing she loved most about him was how sensitive he allowed himself to be without sacrificing his rugged manliness. Around her, he could be as loose as he wanted to be and that spoke volumes about the quality of their relationship. His romantic side was always adorable and his thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze her. She had really hit the jackpot with him and vice versa and nothing or no one could impede their happy ending. Amanda Devereaux had gotten closer than anyone else, though.

When Thomas first came clean about what had transpired between them, Megan didn’t take it well. There was something incredibly off-putting about hearing him talk about her “hypnotic boobs” as if he was looking for a justification for his secret infidelity desires. She lost her temper right as the revelation was brought forth and getting it back proved harder than expected.

“Seriously, Thomas? After all these years, and this is the best you can come up with? Do you think you can play me a fool?” she asked.

“I’m not trying to,” he had replied, sinking in the sofa, head buried between his shoulders. “I know how ridiculous this sounds but I wouldn’t be telling you this if it weren’t true. She messed with my head big time and the things she made me do...”

“So, you didn’t like it one bit?”

“Why would I? I don’t want her attention! I never did. You’re the only one that matters to me and that’s why I had to tell you, but I’m going to fight this, you hear? I’m going after that bitch no matter what! I’ve already made the necessary arrangements to press charges and I will get justice. However, I can’t do it alone. I need you on my side on this one, Megan. Please tell me you believe me!”

“It’s a lot to take in,” she admitted, “It’s not that I don’t want to believe you but even yourself said this sounds absurd. Your boss hypnotized you with her boobs? Who in their right frame of mind hears that and says to themselves, ‘Yeah, surely that’s how things went down?”

“Honestly, I think that’s what she’s counting on. Women such as her play games all the time expecting to win with no real consequence. I’m sure I wasn’t the first she seduced but I sure as hell will be the last. Once I’ve proven my case, the company will have no choice but to deal with her accordingly.”

“Do you even have a case, Thomas, or is that just wishful thinking on your part? I mean, how are you going to prove such accusations in the first place?”

“I’m not sure yet but I’ll make it happen. The question is, are you with me or not? Because if the answer is no, there’s really no point in fighting. You’re my world, Megan. From the moment we met, you’ve been my rock and now I need your support more than ever. Please, Megan! This is already hard enough as it is. I’m not sure I can take it without you.”

It was at this moment she put aside any doubts or misconceptions about the whole ordeal and decided to do the right thing. There was still a lot she didn’t understand, starting with the whole premise of mindfucking a person by flashing tits around, but if she truly believe that’s what had happened, then she had to do the same. For the most part, the twins were kept in the dark about everything, hearing only vague rumors about “work issues” and nothing more. They wouldn’t grasp the severity of the situation even if he had tried to explain it, so it was better that way.

In the weeks that followed, Thomas remembered more and more details about Amanda’s unsolicited advances and shared them all while they were together in bed. Little by little, the accounts became gradually darker, the businesswoman’s mocking words making a travesty of everything she held dear. Every time he opened up, his demeanor changed, embarrassment and rage coexisting in a deadly package. Thomas always tried to avoid violence at all costs so if he said he wanted to choke her until her eyes bled out, it was because things were serious indeed.

With enough time, Megan grew to hate her the same way, for anyone capable of bringing her husband to tears was sure to be a horrible person. In the dead of night, she often imagined what would she say to her if they were ever in the same space together, but she didn’t anticipate getting such an opportunity so soon. 

She had just finished surveying the path Thomas had taken looking for any sign of his impending arrival when she saw a hulking giant dressed in dark gray with a dented scar on the right side of his face staring at her. His eyes were dark and menacing, and so were his callous hands. He talked slowly as if he had a speech impediment, but the dragged syllables didn’t make him any less threatening.

“Mrs. Daniels? I need you to come with me,” he said.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Jonah and I’ve been given explicit instructions by Mrs. Devereaux to take you to her presence immediately. I hope you’ll be kind enough to comply. There’s no need for a scene if we can avoid one.”

“That bitch is here?” Megan’s eyes widened. “Where is she?”

“Come with me and you’ll find out.”

“What about my husband? Is he with her? Because if she tried anything funny with him again, I swear to God I’m going to rip her throat out.”

“Your husband is safe for now but I’d keep my temper in check if you wish for that to continue. Mrs. Devereaux hates when people don’t do as she says.”

“I bet she does. And I hate it when skanks try to come between me and my family. I’ll go with you but I’m taking back Thomas with me.”

“That’s not really up to you, Mrs. Daniels, but whatever makes you feel happy about yourself...” the tall man cracked his knuckles. “This way.”

Megan walked next to him, phone on the ready in case she needed to alert someone. The man moved faster than she expected him to, no doubt motivated by the fear of displeasing her. Having only seen pictures of her and an occasional appearance on TV, Megan wondered just how strong her presence really was and while she couldn’t pretend to know anything about hypnosis or mind fucks as a whole, surely she wasn’t bold enough to try anything of the sort on her, right?

She barely said a word as they walked through the park, only occasionally glancing to the sides to see if Lucas and Valerie were close by. Halfway there, a horrible thought became her only obsession. What if she had gotten to them as well? From what Thomas had confided, Amanda Devereaux was unhinged enough to use any possible weapon as leverage and her children were good enough pawns for such a venture. However, doing that would also prove to be her greatest mistake. The moment she dared touch any of their hairs was also the moment she would die on the spot.

Megan’s dark cogitations accompanied her the rest of the way until she was sitting inside the limo, in the same place where Thomas had tried to defy his inevitable fate. The entranced man was kneeling at the big-breasted woman’s feet, all clothes gone, and salivating like a young rescue puppy madly in love with his owner. He didn’t move when she walked inside and didn’t appear to recognize her, either. The mention of his name fell on deaf ears as if it was an anomaly he couldn’t possibly comprehend.

“Thomas? What are you doing? THOMAS!”

“There’s no need for shouting, Mrs. Daniels - may I call you Megan? - He’s way too deep to hear you now.”

“So, you’re the infamous bitch who’s been making his life miserable! What did you do to him, Mrs. Devereaux?”

“Exactly what he told you I did from the beginning but that’s not something you should concern yourself with for now. I’ve been dying to get to know you for quite some time now, and I hope you feel the same way.”

“No, the feeling is definitely not mutual. I just want my husband back and for you to get out of our lives once and for all. Haven’t you caused enough damage already? Snap him out of whatever spell you used on him and do it fast.”

“You dare enter my vehicle and tell me what to do? Well, It’s nice to know you and your husband have something in common. Or used to at least.”

“What does that mean?”

“Have you taken a good look at him? He’s no longer the man you married and he’ll never be so again unless I decide that way. I had you come here to help me make that decision. Are you going to choose wisely or continue to go on the offensive even though you can’t win?”

“Oh, you want to negotiate? Negotiate what, exactly?”

“I wouldn’t call it a negotiation, more of a declaration of intentions, so here goes. Megan, as you can see, everything he told you about me is true. I did mess with him at the office and now I’ve done it again. I’ve warped his mind in such a way that I can do it whenever I want and however I want. For now, his humiliation is contained in this car, but all it takes is one word from me and he’ll gladly crawl back into the park like this, not a care in the world. Now, I know you don’t want to see this happen and I imagine it would be quite a shock to your children as well if a video of him in this predicament were to become viral in the next twenty-four hours, right? Please note that is not a vain threat. It’s exactly what will happen if we don’t reach an agreement soon.”

“What sort of agreement?” Megan choked at her unbelievable display of ruthlessness.

“I shouldn’t be doing this at all but in the time it took you to get here, I started thinking to myself: I already destroyed his job. Do I really want to do the same to his marriage? Slaves like him are a dime and a dozen but this is all new to you. What if I were to show you how the game is played and you make sure he never harasses me again?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not one to waste my energies when there’s a quicker solution at hand, and you’re it. Thomas may be powerless against my hypnotic triggers at the moment but it’s obvious he still loves you and respects you a lot. It’s easy to run your family to the ground, but it’s also quite petty. You’d be doing us all a favor by taking control of the situation before it escalates any further.”

“Are you seriously asking me to dominate my husband?”

“Yes. Play with him, keep him restrained, and do whatever feels right... I don’t care what it is, just as long as he never tries anything funny again. Breaking them is always fun, but I’d be bored out of my life if I had to keep them all. I’ve got nothing left to prove, and this is a war neither of you can win. I’m offering you an easy way out that benefits everyone or don’t you find the idea of having a servant of your own appealing at all?”

“No, I don’t,” Megan crossed her legs in a defiant position.

“Really?”

“Thomas and I have been partners from the very beginning. That’s the foundation of our relationship. I don’t need him to be my servant nor do I want him to. He deserves to stand proud of all his accomplishments with me by his side and not be trapped in an altered state of mind at the mercy of an egomaniac who thinks the world revolves around her. How dare you shatter our peaceful existence with your deranged antics and come here all high and mighty with an even crazier solution? You live a very sad life if you believed for a second I would ever go along with such an indecent proposal.”

“The only indecency here is saying no to my offer, Megan. I’m being perfectly reasonable here.”

“You call this being reasonable? How does anything of what you said make any sense? You’re sick, Mrs. Devereaux!”

“I’m getting tired of hearing the same old insults repeatedly, Megan,” the businesswoman frowned. “Please consider your next words carefully before I show you how far I can go when I’m truly mad. This is the most cordial offer you’ll ever receive from me. Will you take it or leave it?”

“If you’re still bothering to ask, you haven’t paid attention to anything I said!” Megan fumed. “Of course, I leave it! People are not chess pieces for you to move around on the broken board you have instead of a brain! The answer is and always be no, so if you’re done wasting my time with this nonsense, you’ll snap Thomas out of it before you’re the one who regrets it.”

“Bold words, yet as frivolous as they come. If this is the thanks I get for trying to be magnanimous, then I guess it’s a sign to never do again. It will be a waste to turn you into a slut as well but at least the viral video will become a lot more entertaining. Say goodbye to your free will.”

Amanda Devereaux flashed her boobs once again and her fun began anew.

((to be concluded))