"How did I let it come to this?"
This is the question that fills my thoughts as I find myself in my current predicament. It is the question I reflect on to try to take my thoughts away from the pain emanating from my bare nipples, which are being harshly pinched by the clamps of a skirt hanger. I'm sure I would be a sight to behold, naked, my clamped nipples hanging from the bar in this closet, my arms tied behind my back, my legs tied at the knees and ankles, balancing on two softballs beneath my feet, my entire weight supported solely by my nipples. My legs and arms ache. And yet my mind wanders.
"It's all his fault."
Yes, my late husband is to blame for this. When he died six months ago, I stood to receive his vast estate, or so I thought. I remember my shock when I found out that in order to receive my share of the estate, I would have to earn it by working as a secretary for the president of my late husband's company. Not only that, but I had to remain employed for a period of no less than a year to receive 50% of the estate, with the remainder coming in 10% increments for every year of employment after that. But my anger turned to humiliation when the final stipulation in his will was that I had to remain celibate the entire time I was employed by his company.
My feet begin to go numb, and I fight to maintain my balance, my nipples protesting in pain as the softballs beneath my feet begin to shift slightly. Trying to ignore the pain, I refocus my thoughts to the events of the last 48 hours. Two nights ago, I was invited to a dinner party by the new president of the company and two of the top sales executives. The evening was fairly uneventful and the conversation was boring in all honesty. In fact, my only significant memory was of feeling surprisingly lightheaded after a few glasses of wine. When I woke hours later, I was being driven home by Anita, the president of the company. She told me that I had passed out, and that they agreed it was best to let me sleep it off. When I begin to regain consciousness, Anita felt it was safe to take me home. I was very grateful for the ride as the pounding headache that I had would likely have made it impossible for me to drive myself.
"How long have I been hanging here?"
It feels like hours, though I know it has only been twenty or thirty minutes. The pain is almost unbearable. The sharp teeth of the clamps almost piercing my nipples. My breath is ragged at this point. I think back to earlier in the day, to when my fate was sealed.