*Author's note: This one is a bit of a departure from my usual style. Warning, it has noncon (non-consensual) scenes and a fair dose of domination and humiliation. I needed those to move the story forward in this chapter and build towards the next chapter grand finale. Hope you all still appreciate it.
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"What? What? What do you mean? You want to *play* with me," David said, his head spinning at the revelation.
"Oh, you'll see. Just be ready to do anything I ask of you, " she said, giving David his phone back.
David looked at it; Sarah had used his phone to send the dick pick to her own phone, with the following message, again impersonating David: "Like what you see?" was written below the picture.
"So now, shrimp dick, you do what I say when I say. If not, Debra might see a poor little Sarah crying about being harassed by the big ol' mean David. And that with proof!" She dangled her phone, an evil grin on her lips.
"Fuck..." David whispered. A knot formed in his stomach. All the work he put in here... All of that is to be held at the whim of that skinny, blue-eyed sociopath. Even worse, he could handle losing his job, but if this got out... Julie, what would she think?
"Alright... Understood. So what do you want now, Sarah?" David said, defeated.
"Oh, such a good boy." She said, getting closer to David and pinching his cheek.
"Well, it's getting late. I think I'll go home. Why don't you finish that rush job we had by yourself. Brief me on it tomorrow morning. And don't forget to tell Debra I did it all, won't you, my little good boy?" She added in a mocking tone.
"That's all?" David questioned.
"That's all for the moment. Don't worry, we'll do some stuff that is way more fun and naughty in the near future," she winked.
"I can't do that... I have a fiancée!" David pleaded.
"Oh, I know. Doesn't that make it even more fun? Anyway, I'll be on my way for tonight. Toodle-oo, see you tomorrow." She kissed the air sarcastically.
David was left alone and crushed in the dark office. His mind ping-ponged between the panic of the situation and trying to find a solution. But she had him pinned. Eventually, he focused on the current task... That took him several hours and a text to a sad Julie to tell her he'd be very late at home. Later, he stumbled into his bed in the early morning hours next to Julie, who was deep in her sleep.
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The first rays of dawn crept through the bedroom window, painting stripes of pale light across the rumpled duvet. David stirred, a heavy sigh escaping his lips before his eyes fluttered open. The memory of Sarah's words, her predatory grin, and the image of his phone in her hand flooded back instantly, crushing him anew.
He lay still for a moment, the weight of dread pressing down on his chest. Beside him, Julie shifted, her warm body snuggling closer, her arm draped across his waist.
"Morning," she murmured sleepily, her voice soft and slightly husky with sleep.
David forced a weak smile and turned to face her. "Morning, love."
Julie's eyes, still half-closed, were already sharp and observant. She tilted her head slightly, studying his face. "You seem... down. Everything okay?"
David's carefully constructed façade threatened to crumble immediately.
He swallowed hard, trying to sound casual. "Yeah, yeah, just tired. Late night at the office, you know how it is." He even managed a small, strained chuckle.
Julie's brow furrowed slightly. She propped herself up on an elbow, her gaze unwavering. "Tired? You seem more than tired, David. You sighed like the world was ending just now." She knew him too well.
He was a terrible liar, his emotions always flickering across his face despite his best efforts to mask them.
He avoided her gaze, busying himself with adjusting the pillows behind him, anything to avoid her perceptive eyes. "No, really, it's just work. This new project is a beast, and Debra is... well, Debra." He trailed off, hoping the vague explanation would suffice.
Julie remained silent for a moment, her eyes still searching his face. He could feel her scrutiny, her unspoken question hanging in the air. He knew she wasn't entirely buying it. He could practically see the gears turning in her mind, trying to decipher the real reason behind his subdued mood.
He knew he couldn't keep up the charade for long, not with Julie. But the thought of telling her about Sarah, about the blackmail, about the humiliating dick pic... it felt impossible. Shame and fear coiled in his stomach, tightening the knot Sarah had tied there the night before.
"Listen," David said abruptly, pushing himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, effectively breaking Julie's gaze. "I really need to get going. Debra wants me to review some things early before Sarah gets in. Big day, you know." He rushed through the explanation, grabbing for his discarded clothes.
Julie watched him, her expression a mix of concern and suspicion. She didn't press further, not verbally, but her silence was heavy with unspoken questions. He could feel her eyes on his back as he quickly dressed, a silent interrogation almost as unnerving as Sarah's predatory gaze.
He turned back to her, forcing another smile, a brighter, more determined one this time, hoping to project an air of normalcy he was far from feeling. "See you tonight, yeah? Don't forget we have that cake-tasting appointment."
Julie nodded slowly, her expression softening slightly though the worry in her eyes remained. "Yeah, tonight. Have a good day, David."
"You too, love." He leaned down, kissed her quickly on the forehead, and then practically fled the bedroom, the weight of Sarah's threat and Julie's unspoken concern pressing heavily on his shoulders. He needed to get to the office, face Sarah, and somehow figure out a way out of this hell.
The commute to his work was hell. The train was almost empty at this time of day, but his mind was full. His thoughts spun around, not knowing what to do. The towers beside the rail tracks blurred past his window while he looked at the black screen of his closed phone.
