“I know,” was all I murmured.
“More and more, I find the people around me are either my enemies or paidoffby my enemies.”
“Don’t you have allies?” I asked.
“Not since my father died, it seems,” he said bitterly.
Neither of us said anything else for a couple of minutes.
Finally I removed the wet towel, dried his hand, and began to dab a sweet-smelling ointment on his skin. Then I wrapped a bandage around his knuckles and his palm.
The process was slow and relaxing. Eventually my fear began to subside.
His hand was huge – it dwarfed mine. And his fingers were so calloused… so rough and manly…
When I finished, I put everything back on the tray. “I’ll leave you now.”
I got up to go and was halfway to the door when he spoke.
“Stop.”
I turned slowly to look at him. My stomach was churning. “…yes?”
He smiled evilly. “You disobeyed me. Did you think you were going to escape unpunished?”
My heart skipped a beat.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I promise not to do it again.”
He stood up behind the desk. “I don’t care what you promise you’ll do in the future; I only care what you’ve alreadydone.Now came here.”
I timidly walked back to the desk, afraid of what he might do.
“Take off your panties,” he commanded.
I stared at him. “W-what?”
“You heard me.”
“I…”
I came up with the stupidest excuse possible.
“…I can’t. My hands are full.”
“Put it down.”
I swallowed hard, then put the tray on top of the desk.
“Now do it,” he ordered.
“I… please, don’t,” I said, my eyes welling up.
He rounded the desk and snarled, “I don’t want your tears – I want you toobey me.Now take off your panties.”
I steeled myself as I imagined the most terrible things he was about to do to me.
I slowly bent down to the hem of my dress…