The display on Sophie's ringing phone showed that it was the woman calling.
Well, technically it said "hell bitch" because, after the woman's previous visit, Sophie had got herself very drunk and changed the contact name on both of their phones.
"I'll get it" said Michael.
"No, she's calling me. I should answer it."
Ignoring her, Michael grabbed the phone. "Look, please stop hurting Sophie. I know you don't believe that I didn't mean to hurt your daughter, but I really am a good guy and I will prove it to you. But please stop punishing Sophie for my mistake."
"Michael..." The woman's voice was the complete opposite of Michael's. Calm, and as cold as ice.
Determined to get his point across Michael continued.
"OK, I get it. You want to punish me. But leave her out of it."
As he paused for breath woman started to talk in a calm, measured tone.
"Michael, you really don't get it do you? Sophie being abused by all those strangers IS your punishment. You will watch helplessly as she is forced to let them use her body for their pleasure and you will know that it is your fault. You will listen to her moans of ecstasy and pain as they take their pleasure with your sweet young bride knowing that you can do nothing to stop it."
"But..."
"Even if, one day, I have a change of heart, you will still need to live for the rest of your life with the knowledge that her suffering was as a direct result of you."
"But I..."
"Of course, by then she will have grown to hate you for what you made her go through and the thought of making love, or even talking to you will be repulsive to her."
"I..."
"THAT, my dear Michael, is your punishment. Now, hand the phone to Sophie and leave the room. Oh, and Michael, the next time I call her phone I expect to speak to her, not you."
Shocked, Michael handed the phone to Sophie.
"Michael, what did she say? Where are you going."
"Sophie, my dear. I asked Michael to give us a little privacy so that we could have a little chat."
"But he was close to tears. What did you say to him?"
"I just reminded him that your suffering was all his fault. For a monster, he's actually quite a sensitive guy."
"He is NOT a monster."
"We'll see if you still think that way after you've been doing this for a while."
"I love my husband and always will. I will not allow myself to turn into a poisonous psychopathic bitch like you."
"Now then Sophie, is that any way to speak to the person who quite literally holds your lives in her hands? I think you should apologise."
Sophie hesitated, fighting her anger, then spoke.
"I... I'm sorry." Sophie said, not entirely convincingly
"Oh no dear. It's not me you should be apologising to. Michael is the one who'll need your apology. Insincere as it is. After all, he is the one who is going to be suffering the consequences of that little outburst."
"But that's not fair. You can't..."
"I think I've already demonstrated quite clearly that I can... and will."
"I've had enough! Post your revenge porn. I don't care. I'm not going on with this and you can't make me."
"The videos were just an 'encouragement'. I have other tools at my disposal. For example, it would be terrible if one of you were to get mugged or have a little accident."
"You'd never get away with it."
"I don't know, people get mugged all the time. Or, maybe, if you really piss me off, I'll have one you sent to prison for molesting children. A few incriminating photos on your phone or laptop is all it would take, and they are so easy to fake these days."
"You bitch! Don't you dare."
"Or what? You're not exactly in any position to be making threats."
Sophie was boiling with rage but forced herself to hold her tongue as the woman continued.
"Anyway, I can't waste any more time explaining the obvious to you. We have work to do."
"Work?"
"Yes, a client will visit you at eight o'clock this evening.
He recently found out his wife is having an affair and has developed a cuckold fetish as a result."
"I don't understand. Does he want Michael to sleep with his wife as well?"
"God no!" Sophie could hear the amusement in her voice, "He needs revenge. He wants to do to someone else what his wife did to him, so he wants you to seduce him and let him fuck you in front of your husband."
"I... I can do that." said Sophie, feeling decidedly less than confident about it than her words suggested.
"It's vitally important that you are utterly convincing, and you are not to tell Michael anything other than that you are entertaining a client tonight and that he is to be involved."
"But couldn't I just tell him..."
"I said no. And don't be tempted to do it behind my back. I've had a few cameras hidden around your house so I will know if you do."
"How? When?"
Ignoring her, the woman continued "That conversation in bed the other night was particularly touching, but I have to tell you that running away to South America would be a very bad idea. The law there can be even more corrupt than it is here."
"You heard that?"
"And a lot more. So forget any ideas about double crossing me."
"We just..."
"I know what you 'just'. But it's not going to happen, so forget it. Your lives are mine now."
"Please, we..."
"If you want to 'please me' then follow my instructions, and be nice and convincing for the client tonight. A package will be coming with the clothes I want you to wear, detailed instructions, and some other... 'items' that you will need."
"'items'?" Sophie didn't like the way the woman had stressed that word, or the way she ignored her question and carried on.
"Open it whilst Michael's showering. I want it to be nice a surprise for him."
Sophie was getting even more anxious now. The woman's idea of 'nice' was invariably completely the opposite.
"What items? And why can't I wear my own clothes?"
But the line was dead as the woman had disconnected.
She rushed out to Michael and flung herself into his arms.
"What did she want?"
"Oh Michael, it's horrible. There's a client coming round tonight, and she wants me to..." She stopped herself just in time.
"He's what? What's so terrible?"
"She says I can't tell you anything else about it, and she's put cameras all over the house, so she'll know if I do."
Looking around Michael said, angrily, "Well I don't care. I'm not putting up with this. So what if you do tell me?"
"Pleeese Michael! Don't. She's threatened to do things to us if we annoy her - terrible things."
"What sort of things? She can't hear everything and if we know she's after us we can..."
His phone beeped as a text message came in from an anonymous number.
It said "I hear they do terrible things to child molesters in prison Michael..."
The shocked silence that ensued was shattered by the doorbell.
"That will be a package for me. You can't see what's inside it so go and take a shower."
"What, with that woman watching?"
"It's not like she hasn't seen you naked before. Besides, what choice do we have?"
Making a rude gesture to the unseen camera he headed up the stairs as Sophie answered the door to the waiting courier.
Upon opening the package, the first thing she saw was the dress.
It had a front that could be unbuttoned to give a plunging neckline, a low cut back and a slit up one leg.
It looked as if it had been quite expensive but had seen better days. Someone's party frock that hadn't been worn in a while.
Sophie noticed that the split had been deliberately extended by tearing it so that would reveal a lot more of her thigh than it should have done.
It was also at least a size too small, maybe two, so it was really going to emphasize her curves.
There was some gaudy makeup as well as some cheap perfume that could, at best, be described as 'enthusiastic'. The bed was going to reek of it for weeks.
The underwear that accompanied it, in contrast, looked high quality, expensive, and very sexy.
It had a lacy trim complementing sheer panelling that left just enough to the imagination to be highly tantalising.
The matching stockings were of a similarly high quality - sheer, black and silky smooth to the touch.
Sophie made a mental note to shave her legs and pussy when she showered, this underwear was not going to be forgiving.
Beneath the clothing was a powerful vibrator, a pair of handcuffs, some small keys and box with a note taped to it headed "Michael's surprise - destroy this note after reading".