It was a normal Friday morning nearing 7:30 am. Jeffrey had been up for about an hour, getting himself ready for the day, and in the kitchen preparing Vivian's breakfast. He looked at the clock and hurried to pour the coffee, place it on a tray, and bring it to Vivian in bed at 7:30 sharp.
Vivian and Jeffrey were in the 10th year of their female-led marriage. Though today this unconventional arrangement is entering the "mainstream," with abundant information about it on the internet, 10 years ago it was mostly unknown, and probably would have been viewed as more kinky than normal.
So Vivian and Jeffrey developed their special relationship mostly on their own. It was when they first met and were getting to know each other that their discussions slowly revealed their mutual yearnings for this lifestyle. They both agreed it was a miracle they had found each other, and that it was a good omen for future success.
They got married before working out the details of how exactly the relationship would work, but knowing in general terms it was what they both earnestly wanted.
It turned out that their marriage would be a very complete and uncompromising wife-controlled one.
Vivian at the time was in her mid-30's, a successful business executive in publishing, still rising in the corporate ranks, with the rising income that came with that.
In Vivian and Jeffrey's marriage, her word would be The Law. She made it clear to him from the beginning that he must obey her always, everywhere, in everything. She would not tolerate the slightest disobedience.
This principle would be the absolute and enduring foundation of their relationship. Vivian declared there would be no protests, no arguments, no complaints. Ever.
Jeffrey was older than Vivian, and he too had a good job. But Vivian decided he would quit his job so he could devote all his time to his duties of keeping house and serving her.
Jeffrey was at first very pleased about this because he assumed being responsible for a house would be a lot easier than holding down a full-time job. Was he in for a surprise! He very quickly found out that Vivian would be very strict about how she wanted Jeffrey to maintain her home.
Vivian carefully prepared a comprehensive list of each and every of the household chores Jeffrey would have to complete on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, depending on the specific task. Not only would his chores have to be done on time, they had to be completed to Vivian's exact standards without fail.
This was the initial framework for Vivian and Jeffrey's exciting new life together.
Over time Vivian added a number of Rules of proper behavior and general etiquette for Jeffrey to follow. For example, he had to ask for her permission to leave the house without her, spend money beyond his household budget, or watch a particular TV show. If Vivian gave Jeffrey permission to go out with his friends at night, he had to be back home by the time she specified, and not a minute later.
Jeffrey worked diligently to follow all of Vivian's demands, in what she called her Three Circles of Control: Obedience to Her Word; Chores; and Rules.
But, inevitably, he would sometimes fall short. And that would inspire Vivian to add a Fourth Circle: Punishment.
One evening during this time Vivian told Jeffrey to be in her study at 8:00 o'clock - naked. The study was Vivian's private space, the one room in the house she cleaned and managed herself, which Jeffrey was forbidden to enter unless she summoned him.
At 8:00 Jeffrey knocked on the door. Vivian told him to come in and the close the door behind him. When he came in Vivian pointed to the floor in front of the chair she was sitting on. Jeffrey kneeled there, naked and vulnerable before her.
Looking up at Vivian's face Jeffrey knew immediately something was seriously wrong, and it must be his fault. She stared down accusingly on him, then spoke, but slowly and calmly, without even raising her voice.
"I found crumbs on the floor under the kitchen table this morning."
Jeffrey was confused and flustered, but then he realized what had happened. He started to explain to Vivian that she had had a late-night snack there after he had finished cleaning the kitchen for the day. But he had gotten only a few words out when Vivian slapped his face, not violently, but firmly enough to deliver a clear message.
Jeffrey was stunned. It was something she had never done before, and it shocked him to silence, and to keen attention to her voice.
"I don't want any excuses," she said. "You are to see to it that the kitchen is spotless before you go to bed at night. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Madam," Jeffrey answered.
Vivian then told Jeffrey that she wouldn't punish him this time, but if it ever happened again he would learn the hard way to be more attentive to her kitchen floor.
"You can begin with that right now," she concluded. "Go to the kitchen and get busy!" And with that she slapped her hands together in front of Jeffrey's face.
Jeffrey leaped up and ran to the kitchen to make sure there wouldn't be a single crumb or a speck of dust there in the morning.
That first experience in Vivian's study made a permanent impression on Jeffrey. He wasn't physically punished, but the pain he felt from Vivian's disapproval was just as great as any from a whipping. Or so he thought.
Jeffrey now understood it wasn't a matter of a few crumbs, but that he had failed to do what Vivian expected of him. Yes, they were Vivian's crumbs. But it was part of the whole meaning of their relationship that he was there to clean up after her, whenever it was, so she wouldn't have to face any sort of mess in the morning.
The experience changed his attitude to all the chores and duties Vivian assigned him. When he vacuumed the living room, or washed the dishes, or scrubbed the toilet, it was because Vivian wouldn't then have to do them. All the time away from her job was hers, to fill however she wanted, whether it was listening to music, talking to friends on the phone, visiting her mother, eating chocolates or taking a nap.
His chores were also meaningful for Jeffrey because they were providing Vivian a home that was always neat, clean, quiet, comfortable and inviting, a home the way she wanted it to be.
Calling Jeffrey to her study to admonish him for his transgressions, and then only threatening a more severe punishment if he didn't correct his ways, was Vivian's preferred method of discipline in those first years of marriage. He was brought to the study nearly always on account of honest mistakes, not deliberate rebellion. Still, reminding him that physical correction was always available if needed worked wonders to keep Jeffrey trying ever harder to please and satisfy Vivian.
But Vivian also knew that after a time the method would need to be reinforced with a more graphic demonstration.
One day Jeffrey provided a situation well suited for such a demonstration. He had gone to the store and forgotten something Vivian had told him to get. He thought it was no big deal, he'd just go back and get it.
But Vivian didn't see it that way. She told him to stay home, and to be in her study at 8:00 o'clock.
Kneeling naked before her once again, Vivian looked down on Jeffrey but didn't say anything. Jeffrey became more and more nervous, and wanted to look down or to one side to avoid Vivian's stare. But in the study he was required to keep his eyes always focused on Vivian's face, ready not to just listen, but to absorb every word she said.
Finally, Vivian began to speak. She told Jeffrey she wouldn't tolerate his sloppy, forgetful attitude toward his chores. That kind of attitude was a sign of disrespect for her, and she was having none of it.
Vivian reached down the side of her chair and picked up something from the floor. As she raised it up before Jeffrey's eyes he recognized what it was: a rattan cane. She tapped the cane on the palm of her hand and said,
"I expect you to carry out your chores exactly as you're supposed to, every day, on time, without fail. Not getting what I told you to get at the store is not only failing to do your chores properly, it is outright disobedience."
Vivian paused to let her words sink in, then continued,
"If I don't see perfect performance from you over the next few days you'll be back here, and you'll learn what this cane feels like when I crack it on your buttocks! Do you understand?"
Jeffrey's voice almost cracked, but he did get out, "Yes, Madam," and was dismissed from Vivian's study.
Again, just the threat of punishment worked wonders for Jeffrey's attitude. He now understood that the slightest deviation from Vivian's expectations for him was an insult to her, and it must never be allowed to happen if he could possibly avoid it.
In addition to his household chores, Jeffrey was required to pamper Vivian as she wished to have her body pampered. For Jeffrey, this wasn't a burden but one of the greatest joys he experienced from their relationship.
His favorite was what became a weekly ritual for Vivian and Jeffrey.
On Sunday nights, unlike her weekday showers Vivian would take a long, warm bath, which Jeffrey always prepared for her. Afterwards, she would sit in the chair in her bedroom, wearing a fluffy bathrobe, a towel wrapping her hair. She placed her feet on a thick cushion Jeffrey had placed for her, and opened up a favorite magazine.
Jeffrey sat, naked, on the floor and carefully filed each of Vivian's toenails to perfection. Then he took a small rack with half a dozen or so nail polish bottles of different shades and held it up above Vivian's feet. He waited, quietly.
After a bit Vivian would look up, take a moment to view the selection, point her toe to her choice, and return to her magazine.
With his hand trembling with excitement, Jeffrey opened the polish Vivian had selected. He struggled to compose himself and concentrate his full attention on his task. He steadied his hand and proceeded with utmost care to cover each toenail completely, without marking any of Vivian's white skin.
When finished, Jeffrey once more waited quietly for Vivian's attention. It might be 30 seconds, or it might be five minutes, but Vivian would always eventually look up and inspect Jeffrey's work. She'd say something like, "Yes, very nice," and go back to her magazine. And Jeffrey would be thrilled beyond measure.
Finally, of course, there were the rules governing Vivian and Jeffrey's sexual relationship.
Vivian's pleasure and satisfaction would be foremost, and it was Jeffrey's responsibility to see that she received both.
Jeffrey's orgasms would be strictly controlled by Vivian. She would decide if and when he ejaculated. Vivian had no set schedule, but it worked out to be on average once every ten days. She never indicated to Jeffrey when they would happen, and there might be a 3-day interval or a 3-week interval, as her whim dictated.
Jeffrey never felt humiliated by his sexual servitude; he was proud of it. He was proud of how he performed the cunnilingus that elicited Vivians's soft moans and whispered sighs, which he worked to extend longer and longer until they culminated in her shuddering orgasm. And as their sexual relationship deepened in commitment and intensity, pleasing Vivian gave Jeffrey more pleasure than his own orgasms.
Over time, Vivian added more rules and guidelines for Jeffrey, but only when they seemed necessary or helpful. One special case, however, involved her new Rule that prohibited Jeffrey from touching his genitals when Vivian wasn't present to supervise him.
There was no indication that this had been a problem. But Vivian understood that the temptation was just too great, especially with Jeffrey home alone all day. Moreover, even inadvertent or absent-minded contact could easily escalate to something far more serious. So enacting a formal prohibition seemed a reasonable precaution.
Most recently, Vivian made a significant change in her household regimen.
Vivian greatly enjoyed the authority she wielded in her home. It had from the start been liberating for her, both practically and emotionally. But with that authority came the ultimate responsibility for the success of the marriage.
As Vivian took on increasing responsibilities at work as she advanced in the company, her need to constantly monitor, instruct, encourage, admonish and discipline Jeffrey became a burden to her. And she was becoming increasingly resentful toward him for it.
As Vivian was the one with all the obvious advantages, blaming Jeffrey would seem irrational to her. So she repressed her resentment, and went ahead as if everything was normal.
Inevitably, however, that resentment expressed itself. She would snap at Jeffrey for no reason, and chastise him for things that weren't his fault. Or often just walk away and ignore him.
