Lost and Found

Lost and Found

Chapter 2 - Candy's Quandary

Candy pulled her head out from the oven, yellow rubber gloves on her hands and sweat on her brow. She put the sponge she had been using down on the floor beside her and allowed herself a moment's rest, taking a deep breath. The cushion placed under her knees gave her some comfort, but she still had a lot of work to do until she could take a proper break. She glanced over at her chore chart on the fridge. Wednesday, as usual, meant it was the kitchen that required her attention. After allowing herself to catch her breath, she returned to scrubbing. It was incredibly unlikely that Steve would check her work, but she knew how angry he would be if there was a single speck of dirt or grime left behind. She shuddered as she thought about the last time her work hadn't been up to standards. 'Never again,' she thought to herself.

Twenty minutes later, she was finally satisfied with her work, closing the oven door and standing up with a pained groan. Her knees were aching and she allowed herself a few small steps around the kitchen's linoleum floor to stretch out a little. Candy placed the sponge and gloves in the sink ready to be cleaned later, absolutely parched after her hard work, and that needed to be fixed. She grabbed the kettle, filling it up and preparing a mug, popping a tea bag inside and grabbing a teaspoon from a drawer. As she waited for the water to boil, she looked out of the back window over her small but immaculately kept garden. She had always loved gardening and had partially chosen to rent the house because of the patch of grass and flower beds that seemed to almost be calling to her, as if awaiting her green thumb.

Her mind flashed back to a few years earlier, when she had first moved into the house she now considered a home, her first real home since she was a child. She had been an independent woman, managing a successful local restaurant and bringing in a nice income back then. She worked hard and spent her spare time crafting, gardening, and socializing with friends. She was incredibly happy but then the pandemic hit and everything changed. Suddenly she was out of work, left to potter around in her small two bedroom house all by herself, trying to fill her days with housework, television, and crafts. She had needed to claim benefits and along with the isolation, money became a real concern and several times she was unsure how she would be able to pay the rent. After a while she struggled keeping out the dark thoughts in her head caused by going over all the mistakes of her life, especially her greatest regret. She wondered where he was, if he was healthy and happy, if he thought about her too, and the scariest thought of all, if he hated her. Thinking about it had brought her to tears numerous times and she was gradually heading down a dark path, trapped in her own mind. It was on one of her lowest days when a friend had reached out and while they had talked, she had recommended a dating app to Candy.

"Hey, you might not meet anyone you want to be with, but you might make a friend?" she had reasoned. "It will help distract you and keep you busy at least?"

Candy had been skeptical but downloaded the app anyway, swiping away idly to help pass the time, working her way through the local eligible bachelors. Being in such a small town, there wasn't a lot of choice but she had found a couple of guys she liked the look of. This is how she had first met Steve. The two had matched and started chatting and while he wasn't her usual type, he had been sweet, considerate, and very complimentary about her appearance. It had been many years since Candy had been with anyone, causing her self-worth to plummet and for the first time in a long time, she had felt good about herself. The messaging led to phone calls, video calls, and eventually in person dates once the restrictions had started to lift a little. Finally Candy's smile had started to return, the dark cloud of depression and self-doubt lifting.

As the pandemic had stretched on Candy had done her best to make money, using her skills of knitting and sewing to bring in some extra income, but it still wasn't enough for her to get by. Eventually she had broken down crying and confided in Steve about her financial woes and he had suggested moving in together to alleviate the pressure. Candy was unsure about this having only known him a few months, but with bills rising and no way to pay them, it seemed to be her best option and so she had agreed. The transition had a few bumps, which was to be expected, but eventually they settled into a routine. Steve would go off to work and Candy would stay home, cooking, cleaning and generally taking care of the house. While she was happy to have someone that loved her and no longer be alone, she was an ambitious woman and wasn't happy just being the 'typical housewife.' She had been looking for jobs for some time and finally, after months of trying, she got an interview for a role at a local takeaway. It wasn't anything groundbreaking or glamorous, but it was a start and she was delirious with excitement to get back out into the world.

She had waited for Steve to finish work, eager with anticipation, picturing how excited he would be in her mind's eye. The thought made her smile and want to do a happy little jig as she waited for him. When he got home she rushed to the door to greet him, wrapping her arms around him. His beer belly pressed against her, the scent of masculine sweat, dirt, and oil hanging in the air as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey baby," he said, "What's got you so excited?"

"I got a job!" she exclaimed happily. "At the chip shop down the street!" She gave him an enthusiastic squeeze. "Isn't that exciting?" Steve's face turned dark, eyes narrowing, lips twisting into a scowl. Candy shrank away from him, surprised at his reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he growled. "You know how I feel about keeping secrets!"

"I'm sorry," Candy said weakly, dropping her arms to her side, "I didn't know if I would get anything and I wanted to surprise you!"

"What are you trying to say Candy?" he spat out venomously. "Don't I work hard enough for you? Don't I take care of you? Why do you think you need to work? What other secrets are you keeping? ARE YOU PLANNING ON LEAVING ME, IS THAT IT?" His voice got louder with every question, until he was bellowing, face turning beet red with rage.

"No baby, you take such good care of me, I just thought it would be nice to get back to work!" Candy replied desperately, pleadingly as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"NO!" he yelled, grabbing a vase of Candy's home grown flowers from the mantelpiece and throwing it across the room. It smashed violently against the wall, causing Candy to wince as tears started to run down her cheeks. She was absolutely terrified of what was happening, she'd never seen this side of Steven before. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" he hollered, pointing towards the stairs with a pudgy, accusing, angry finger.

Candy bolted upstairs and into her room where she threw herself onto the bed and sobbed into her pillow. Her mind whirled with thoughts, fear mixing with sadness and betrayal as she wept. She thought about marching downstairs and telling him to get out of her house, but that idea lasted only a moment before she started to think about what would happen if she lost Steve. She would end up on the street, alone, unloved and penniless. Even the part time job she had been offered wouldn't be enough to cover her bills without his income. She was trapped, stuck between a rock and a hard place. She was trapped.

After almost thirty minutes had passed, she pulled herself together and walked cautiously down the stairs wondering if Steve had calmed down. As the living room came into view she was scared of what she would find, slightly trembling as a lump formed in her throat. He was sitting on the sofa, his tobacco pouch, papers, and filters laying on the table before him. He had a hand-rolled cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he smoked, silently seething in his seat. He would usually go outside to smoke, but he clearly didn't care now, as he flicked the used ash onto the carpet. Candy approached him cautiously. "I'm... I'm sorry Steve, I shouldn't have kept it a secret, I don't need a job... I'm so sorry," she sobbed gently.

"Stop crying," he ordered, the tone of his voice causing Candy to snap upright, standing straight on the spot and wiping her tears from her face. "Clean up the mess you made and then make me something to eat," he said in a flat, authoritative tone.

"Yes Steve," Candy replied weakly, heading towards the under-the-stairs cupboard to get a dustpan and brush to clean up the fragments of destroyed vase and desecrated flowers. She had poured so much time and love into these plants but now as she looked at them, crushed and broken with petals strewn across the floor they were like a mirror, reflecting how she felt on the inside. When she returned from putting the remnants in the bin he was staring at her, barely-controlled anger still burning behind his pupils.

"You've got a lot of making up to do," he said, stubbing out his cigarette on her pristine coffee table, making Candy wince. He slung his feet up on top of the hand carved oak, relaxing back into the sofa. "Things are going to change around here..." he said ominously.

Ever since that day, Candy had stayed at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Steve's every need, not even daring to consider finding a job or even leaving the house without his permission. The fear of that day kept her in line and she had quickly learned to obey without hesitation. If he wanted food, he got it. Beer, he got it. Tobacco, he got it. Sex, he got it.

As she drifted from her memories and back to reality, Candy continued to look out of the window sipping her tea. This wasn't how she had pictured her life going, but at least the rent was paid and she was well fed and taken care of. So long as she behaved, of course. She glanced at the clock hanging above the back door. It was almost time for Steve to get home. She hadn't realized how much time had passed while she had been thinking and now she would have to hurry. She quickly cleaned the sink and put the gloves and sponge away, checking that the kitchen was spotless before she left. She headed upstairs, changing out of her cleaning clothes and into a pretty floral dress, perfect for summertime. It used to be one of her favorites, although she rarely got the chance to wear it outside of these four walls nowadays. How could a home she had once loved so much now feel like a prison cell, she pondered to herself as she slipped it on. She touched up her makeup in front of her vanity and headed downstairs, taking a seat on the sofa and absentmindedly stroking her hair as she waited. Steve always expected her to look her best when he was at home and she didn't want to disappoint him.

After a few minutes of anxiously waiting, she heard Steve's key push into the door and the lock turn. She sprang to her feet, plastering a wide smile on her face ready to greet her boyfriend after a long, hard day working on various vehicles. She couldn't deny that in a strange way, she had missed him despite the bizarre and abusive relationship she had found herself in. He stepped through the door, work clothes stained with oil and grease, a four pack of beers slung under his arm, sweat adorning his brow and a customary scowl on his face.

"Welcome home sweetie!" Candy exclaimed enthusiastically. "How was your day?"

Steve grunted, not even deeming the greeting worthy of a proper response. He extended his hand, stretching out the cans of alcohol within Candy's reach. "Go and put those in the fridge," he instructed, "I need to put my feet up." Candy dutifully took the beers and headed off to put them in the fridge so they would be nice and cool, ready for him to drink later in the evening. This was his routine. Work, eat, then drink, sometimes until he passed out. Some would consider him an alcoholic, but Candy knew even bringing up that conversation would have severe repercussions for her, so she kept that thought to herself. The grease on his hands had smeared all over the cans, so she took a moment to clean them down with a wet cloth before placing them within the pristine refrigerator she had spent a large part of the day cleaning. Candy returned to the living room to find him lying on the sofa, filthy boots resting on the arm. She did her best to hide her frustration as she imagined how long it would take her to clean up the resulting stain. "What took you so long?" he asked sternly, eyeing her outfit and leering at her body.

"I just had to give them a quick wipe darling, that was all!" Candy replied, wringing her hands nervously. "There was some grease on them." Steve took a moment, staring at her intensely, processing her answer and deciding how to respond. Time stood still for Candy as she waited to see if her response would be satisfactory, scared of what a negative reaction would bring.

Instead of replying, Steve stood up and started unbuckling his belt. "Knees," he ordered firmly, and without even having to think, Candy assumed the position that had been drilled into her over the past several months. Hands in her lap, mouth open, tongue sticking out. The position of a good, obedient woman ready to receive her boyfriend's cock. Steve smiled a slimy, self-satisfied smile as he unsheathed his penis from his boxers, lazily slapping his semi-erect member against Candy's face and tongue as she held her position. "Good girl," he muttered before sliding his cock past Candy's soft welcoming lips and into her warm, wet mouth. Instinctively Candy started gently licking against Steve's shaft as he slid in and out, quickly swelling and becoming fully erect. As he began to moan his hands moved to the back of her head as he started to fuck her throat, pushing deep inside, eyes clamped shut as he used her mouth for his pleasure. It was abundantly clear that he couldn't care less about Candy's comfort as he got faster and faster, pushing deeper with every thrust. Spit began to drip from Candy's mouth as the sound of sloppy gagging filled the room, her pretty dress becoming soaked with saliva.

When she had first met Steve, she had been with a few men in her life and thought she was quite good at pleasuring her partners, but his tastes had been far more extreme than anything in her past. He had pressured her to go further and further, training her to take his cock without hesitation or resistance and at a moment's notice. She hated how it felt, fighting the urge to gag as she was used against her will, but she knew she had no choice. A happy Steve was a less scary Steve and so she bore the brunt of his sexual desires without complaint to give herself an easier life.

Not satisfied with his rough treatment, Steve pulled Candy's head down so that his cock was buried deep inside her throat, balls resting against her chin. He held her in place as he moaned and groaned, Candy's throat contracting and squeezing him exquisitely. She did her best to take it, breathing through her nose, but she gagged loudly, struggling to keep him inside her. As she began to run low on oxygen she pushed against Steve's thick thighs, desperate to be released, but he wouldn't let her go. As she ran out of air, she felt herself becoming woozy, balling her fists up and hitting him in the legs repeatedly as panic filled her body. Finally, just as she thought she was about to pass out, Steve finally released her, cock sliding from her throat with a depraved squelching sound. Candy collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily as he stood over her, drool dripping from his cock with a sick smile on his face.

"Get up," he ordered, "now!" Candy pulled herself from the floor shakily, using the sofa to steady herself and in an instant Steve was behind her, lifting up her dress, bending her over the arm of the sofa and pulling down her panties. He wrapped his grubby oily hands around her hair, pulling her head back roughly as he pushed his way inside her. Candy let out a wince of pain as he penetrated her and began roughly fucking her, not caring about the obvious pain it was causing her.

"Please... go... easy!" Candy exclaimed between pained moans. Her plea fell on deaf ears as Steve responded by pulling her hair harder and slamming into her more roughly, putting every ounce of his energy into driving himself as deep as possible. He bottomed out inside of her with each thrust, hitting her cervix and causing a bolt of pain to shoot through her body with every movement of his hips. Candy clamped her eyes shut, breathing deeply as she tried to withstand the brutal pounding she had become far too familiar with over the past few months.

Her mind transported her back to the first time they had been together. Back then, they had made love, soft and gentle and passionate, but now, she was just being used like a cheap whore. There was no longer any pleasure in sex for Candy, it was just something she had to endure in order to get through the day. She moaned, sure, but this was mostly performative and for Steve's benefit rather than a genuine expression of passion. She had to rely on her fingers in the solitude of her own company to garner any sexual gratification, faking so many orgasms with Steve that she had lost count. She had perfected this routine and was starting to get louder and louder with her false moaning, hoping this would bring Steve to climax sooner, sensing he was getting close to release.

Suddenly the bubble they had both been contained in was shattered by an unexpected sound. It took both Steve and Candy a moment to realize what the noise was due to being so wrapped up in their fornicating. Steve turned to the door, the direction the sound was coming from. Someone was on the doorstep, knocking. "Fuck sake," he exclaimed frustratedly, withdrawing from Candy's punished pussy before pulling up his trousers. "Guess I'll have to go finish myself off," he muttered angrily, heading for the stairs. "Clean yourself up and get the door!" he instructed as he disappeared out of sight to the safety of the upper floor.

Candy stayed in place on the arm of the sofa, sore and aching, breathing heavily as she tried to process what was happening when there was another knock at the door. She finally straightened herself up, pulling her dress back into place and grabbing a tissue to clean up some of the spit and precum covering her face. In a daze, she staggered towards the door, not realizing that once she opened it, her life would be changed forever.