A Twist of Fate

Author's Note: This is a very slow-burn story, and there's nothing really sexual in this first chapter. I want to try and lay the groundwork and see if there's even any interest in a story like this. I know chapters are supposed to be longer, but I just wanted to get something out there. Please let me know your thoughts, good or bad.

Warning: This is a story that will eventually involve infidelity, cuckoldry, and things of the like. I absolutely accept if it's not your vibe and hope to write something that will be soon enough.

You never know how long somebody can hold on to a grudge.

That is something that holds true for most of us.

Nathan, a 31-year-old bank teller in and from quaint Saugatuck, Michigan, was going about his new routine at Saugatuck Bank. After years of college and working a customer service role at the company, he was finally offered the position of being a full-time bank teller and loan officer. Months into his new role, Nathan had found a stride in his work. His boss was happy, his coworkers enjoyed his presence, and things were fantastic at home. Nathan proudly displayed many photos of him and his fiancée, Vanessa, all on his desk. He couldn't ask for more.

On an otherwise ordinary day, while Nathan was on the phone with a client, mid-conversation, there was a soft knock on the glass door of his office. "Sir...?" He looked over to see his receptionist, an older lady named Nancy, concerned, trying to get his attention. "Mr. Chale, I hate to interrupt you, but may I place you on hold for a brief pause? Thanks, I'll be right back." Taking his headset off of his head, he turned his attention back to Nancy to see her still holding open the door but looking behind her, scared.

Without warning, a dishevelled bearded man with a matted beard burst into Nathan's office, seemingly extremely agitated. "Devil!" the homeless man shouted, pointing his finger at Nathan, seemingly livid at him while also petrified of him. "IhateyouIhateyouIhateyouIhateyou", he repeated, as Nathan tried his best to calm the man without approaching. No matter what Nathan said, the man didn't seem to listen at all, pacing back and forth. Finally, out of patience and worry, Nathan briefly snapped. "Hey man, what's your fucking problem? Get the fuck out of here."

This set the strange man off. Not in any violent fashion, but almost briefly, for a moment, the man seemed to catch himself, almost settling his brain correctly for the first time in a long time. "You know what you did, you heathen. I have looked for you for years, and YEARS! You are the reason I'm this way... you fucking..." the man yelled, grabbing his hair while yelling in anger. Nathan, trying to diffuse the situation at any cost, asked what he did specifically, but the man just seemed to angrily babble to himself. Nathan walked a step towards the man and calmly said, "Listen, sir, I don't know what I did... But if I had anything to do with... anything, I'm sorry." And once again, this set the man off. "You don't get to just say sorry! It's been twenty years! I will get my revenge. I will ruin your life, Nathan Lifler. Just like you did mine." He said, staring at the photos of Nathan and his wife.

Just as Nathan went to speak, Nancy returned; this time armed with security, who quickly grabbed and pulled the strange man out of the office. As he was being pulled out, he incoherently yelled about a curse. Nathan was gobsmacked, shocked at the entire situation, tried to catch himself and calm Nancy down, and assured her that it was just a drug-fueled homeless person.

As the security pulls him out by his tattered clothing and ruffled clothes, the homeless man, once a bright-eyed kid full of hope named Davey, felt the weight of everything bearing down on him. His mind, clouded by anger and pain, seemed to clear for a minute. He caught a final glimpse of Nathan, consoling Nancy with almost a smug smile, and a surge of bitterness coursed through the homeless man.

Davey's mind raced, flooded with memories that have led him down this path from the beginning. Every day of Davey's childhood, from the beginning of school, Davey was plagued with a bully that made his life a living hell every single day. Davey thought of himself as a young boy, so eager and hopeful of his future, and the reality of where he is now, and it makes anger and hatred bubble through his veins.

Davey remembered the constant humiliations, the nicknames, the beatings, and the constant fear no matter where he was. From the hallway to the playground, nowhere felt safe for Davey, and it was all because of one kid. A boy who seemed to genuinely thrive off of seeing how much further he could push Davey. That boy's name was Nathan Lifler.

As the heavy doors of the bank closed behind him as he was shoved out the door, Davey fell to the ground, just to look up at the bank, his gaze locking onto Nathan's office window. A new determination in him ignited; Davey finally knew what his purpose was: he was going to get revenge on Nathan, no matter what.

Over the next few days, Davey's anger did not lessen. If anything, his determination grew stronger, fueled by memories of his past treatment. He spent most of his night in a forgotten floor of an abandoned building, being able to dress it up lightly with things he's kept over the years. It was cold, empty, and far too familiar for Davey. But amidst all of this, Davey had a secret, a shot in the dark to get the revenge he's sought out for so long.

One night a few weeks ago, Davey was troubled and restless, so he went for a night walk away from the building. Getting lost in the calm of the night, Davey accidentally walked too far away; that's when he noticed a clearing in the forested walkway up ahead with what seemed to be a warm light peeking through the leaves. He found himself drawn to the light and followed it through the brush.

He followed the light to a small caravan and camp setup, the kind you would see hundreds of years ago at makeshift camps. At the centre of the camp, sat beside the fire, sat a weathered old woman, wearing a plethora of colourful handmade fabrics, her eyes reflecting the fire as she stared into it deeply.

As Davey approached slowly and cautiously, the old woman looked up from the fire at him, giving him a subtle nod, before returning her gaze back to the flames. She seemed to have some sort of concoction or potion cooking in a pot set upon the rocks in the fire.

"What brings you here, lost soul?" the older woman asked, her voice shaky and worn from over the years.

"I'm looking for a way to get back at somebody..." Davey replied, his voice a whisper. "Somebody who has ruined my life."

The old woman looked at him for a long moment, almost studying him, her eyes piercing into Davey's soul. "Revenge, then. A dangerous path, one that most do not return from."

Davey quickly responded. "I've been on a dangerous path my entire life. Even if I don't come back, it would all be worth it."

With a sigh, the older woman reached into a leather pouch that was strung at her side. She loosened the drawstrings and carefully emptied something into her hand. In her hand, Davey saw a crystal stone, reflecting the firelight across the camp.

"This... is a relic of great power," she said very seriously. "It can bind souls, swap fates. The exchange must be between two different balances of power, and once the pact is sealed, the swap will last exactly one year. The lives entwined by this will be forever changed."

Davey's eyes stared straight into the crystal, its beauty masking the possible darkness of its purpose. "I understand," he said, trying to not swallow his words or back down.

"You must be certain," the old woman warned. "This magic is not to be taken lightly. It will consume you if you allow it."

But Davey's mind was made up. This was all he had ever dreamed of. He had nothing more left to lose. "I'm certain," he says, his hand stretching out his palm.

The old woman drops the stone into Davey's outstretched hand, and a weird feeling shoots straight through Davey's body. The stone was truly his. The old woman walked him through on how to use it, writing down a foreign text to recite, which should help activate the crystal.

"Be wise, if you use it," she warned one final time. "And remember, you now control two paths. Make sure you know what you will do for both."

Davey thanked her, a mixture of legitimate gratitude and trepidation building within him. He turned away from the fire, the crystal safely tucked away, and vanished back into the dark, heading back home.

Davey returned home, and the realization set in quickly, all becoming very real. He had to figure out his next move, and he wanted to figure it out fast.

"Fuck... what the hell am I going to do?" Davey said, talking to the empty room, his voice breaking through the silence. He started pacing and mumbling out loud, trying to work through all of his options. "Maybe I can cook the books at his work and really fuck him over?" He contemplated it before quickly realizing he'd get in police trouble and have to live through that as him.

Davey ran his fingers through his hair and long beard, ideas bouncing around in his head, all cruel and all over the place, trying to find just the perfect fit for revenge.

Then he remembered that photo of Nathan and his wife on Nathan's desk. They looked so damn happy, it made Davey extremely envious and his stomach churn. But it also triggered an idea, one that would play into an interest and kink that Davey has secretly already held for years and would finally get to try out.

A slow smirk appeared across Davey's face as his plan started to formulate in his head. "Imagine if I were to change her opinion on Nathan fully. What if I were to secretly confide in her, as Nathan, that I actually would love it if she cheated on me, cuckolded me, and see how far it can go in one year?"

Davey slowed himself down and told himself he has to be careful. "I'll start slow," he thought, laying out his plan in his head. "Make her think Nathan's hiding something, that he's got... desires he's never acted on. I want to make sure I'm respectful while still slowly leaving breadcrumbs."

Davey's mind raced with possibilities. "I'll try and make her as comfortable with the idea as possible, dropping hints here and there. By the end of it, I will fully convince her that it's Nathan's true desire to be cuckolded and cheated on, and I'll get to enjoy it the whole way."

He could almost see it playing out, the slow approach to doing more and more, the gradual buildup to the actual act of her cheating or fucking another man. Davey leaned back, a cold, calculating smile slowly spreading across his face. "It's perfect. It's not just about making her cheat; it's about making her want to cheat, about making her think it's all Nathan's idea. And by the time the year is up, I will have had my fill; I will have set money aside to claim for myself that will last me forever, and Nathan will either have to live the rest of his life this way or ruin his relationship. His life will be in ruins, and he will have no idea it was me."

With his plan finally in place, Davey felt a surge of excitement. He was normally never cruel or angry, but something awoke inside of him. Finally getting to live out a fantasy of his while wearing the mask of the man he hates and getting revenge was more than he could have ever dreamed of. The crystal stone pulsed with an eerie glow, reminding him of just how dire this all truly is.

"One year. I got one year to plan for." Davey said, his voice determined.

The next day, Davey actually woke up with a sense of purpose, something he hadn't had in years. He knew what he had to do to put his plan into motion. His first order of business was to try and secure funds that he would need to disappear without a trace.

He made his way to a bank on the outskirts of town, one that he had never been to before. With a deep breath to steady his nerves, Davey stepped inside. He asked to speak to a loan officer, and when called over, was eyed down skeptically as he approached the desk. His bushy beard and messy hair were not doing him any favours.

"Hello, sir..." Davey started, trying to sound professional and normal. "I need a loan," he said, his voice steady despite the gaze from the loan officer. "It's important."

The loan officer did not look amused and raised his eyebrow doubtfully as Davey spoke. "And what collateral do you have to secure this loan?" he asked, fully expecting Davey to have nothing of value to offer other than wasting his time.

With a deep breath, Davey produced the ace up his sleeve--he produced a stack of documents from his knapsack, outlining the expected inheritance from his elderly parents' estate. "My parents aren't in great health," Davey explained, his voice still steady. "When they pass, I inherit a considerable sum. I'm offering some of that as collateral for the loan."

The loan officer's eyebrow, still raised in suspicion as he leafed through the paperwork, seemed a bit conflicted. The anticipated inheritance was substantial, and while it was an unusual form of collateral, it was not without precedent. How cruel that Davey had so much money waiting for him, but being separated from his parents and having no financial help has been rough for him. After some consideration and back and forth with a superior, the loan officer nodded. "We can work with this," the officer said, his tone now carrying a little respect. "We'll draft up the paperwork to secure the loan against your future inheritance."

Davey wanted to buckle with relief and worry as the officer began preparing everything that was necessary. This was all he had left in his life, his entire future, now on the line. The loan would provide him with the funds needed to set his plan in motion, to disappear to Alaska, leaving Nathan stranded in a place where he will be safe but unable to do anything other than live his new day-to-day.

With the loan approved, Davey wasted no time in making the necessary arrangements. He found a remote, small village and wasted no time booking his ticket. After the longest flights and a lifetime on Taylor Highway in a truck, he finally arrived. He had secured a one-year lease ahead of time online on a small log cabin-type home outside of the village and quickly moved things in. There was nobody around except a few signs pointing to where the small city was. Not having any internet access out there is rough, as well. On the way to the village, Davey had stopped a few towns earlier and purchased a modest television, a variety of books, and an assortment of old video games and movies--enough to keep Nathan occupied and distracted.

One thing Davey made sure to do before he left was use some of his more seedy connections to help him make an ID card for a person Davey's age, called Ted Hendricks. Davey made sure to pack it with him to bring it along. It didn't have a photo, but Davey hoped that Nathan would still buy it.

For food and water, Davey opted for pre-packed MREs and a year's supply of bottled water, ensuring that even if Nathan never left the house, he'd be totally fine. He also made sure to leave a comprehensive survival guide and first aid kit out in the open. Davey returned the truck, and the last thing left was to hide the return ticket hidden under a floorboard and for a note to be left on the table. "Enjoy your new life in Alaska! You have enough food and water for over a year. There is a city close by in case you want local fresh food or to make some friends! Welcome to your new life, Ted!" Davey wrote, hoping that Nathan would think that the realtor left it.

Afterwards, Davey made his way upstairs and turned on his electric razor. He fully shaved off his busy, scraggly beard and shaved his head extremely short before changing into brand new, nice, warm clothing. He looked into the mirror to see a new man looking back at him--one that Nathan definitely wouldn't recognize.

With all of the preparations finally complete, Davey returned back to his new temporary home for the last time. He gathered up a few of his personal belongings he had and set them on fire in an old metal drum, watching the fire burn. He wanted to leave no trace behind.

Finally, it was time. Davey clasped and rolled the crystal stone around in his hand, trying to recite the incantation that the older woman wrote down for him. After a few minutes of practicing, it was finally time. His hands were shaking, and there was a pit in his stomach, but it was too late now. Now or never.

Cum spiritu nostro converte, et nova forma induere! (Exchange our spirits and don a new form.)Animae transferre, et corpora mutare, per hanc lapidem et verba haec! (Transfer souls, change bodies, through this stone and these words.)

Ego sum, qui fui, et qui futurus est, per potestatem istam imaginemque muto! (I am he who was and he who will be; by the power of this form, I change!)

Sicut voluntas mea, ita fiat, per vinculum aeternum commutatio effecta! (As is my will, so it shall be done; through the eternal bond, let the change be made!)

The air around Davey swirled, and the lights surrounding him shimmered with magic as it took hold; with each blink, his surroundings changed until he finally found himself standing in a full room. He walked over to a painting on the wall, and in the reflection of the frame, he saw himself--he was Nathan. It had worked.

Davey, who was now Nathan, was in disbelief, feeling a weird sensation pool over himself. He looked around at the beautiful room he was in, adorned with gorgeous fixtures and delicate interior. Even though he was now Nathan, it still felt strange and out of place to him. But, he thought to himself, it could be worse. He could be in a remote cabin in Alaska, facing a year of potential isolation.

Davey stood there, in what was Nathan's living room, not knowing how to react. The late afternoon sun was pooling in through the opened blinds and shining a warm glow over the room. Everything had been successful, and now he was faced with actually following through.

As if on time, the front door creaked open, and a sweet voice rang out through the house. "Nathan, hun, I'm home!" she called, her tone sweet and affectionate.

Davey's heart instantly started to race as he turned out of the room to go meet her. He had run this moment over and over in his mind, but now that it was actually upon him, he felt extremely nervous and anxious. He rounded the corner and found Vanessa bringing in a few bags of groceries.

As Davey helped with the groceries, he couldn't help but be a bit shocked. Vanessa was wearing a tight-fitting shirt that was appropriate for the weather. The fabric stretched firmly over her full, perky tits, as almost sculpted for her. Davey couldn't help but be intoxicated by her, his eyes shamelessly roaming over her curves and her long, supple thighs that complemented her shapely ass. Her luscious chestnut-coloured hair bounced on her shoulders, full of life.

Davey was broken out of his haze when Vanessa kissed him, her luscious lips against his as she thanked him for his help. He returned the kiss and placed his hands on the sides of her hips, still not fully confident. As he carried the bags to the kitchen, he knew this was just the beginning.