Where They Belong - Chapter 10.

Eleanor’s old jet black Mercedes G65, back in 2016, was one of the most expensive SUVs on the market. 

Cindy could never have afforded anything like it working at Krogers, struggling to pay her bills. It was better than a dream. Just one more way her life had improved since surrendering her autonomy, dedicating her life and soul to her goddess. 

She enjoyed fantastical views of Paradise Hills: grand mansions, lush gardens, topiary sculptures, and extravagant fountain displays. 

With the tinted windows hiding her appearance, other high-end vehicles were showing her road respect. In her beat 2001 Ford Taurus, she would regularly be tailgated, cut off, or made to wait upwards of ten minutes for someone to yield and allow her to merge. Not now. It was as if she deserved to share the road with them. 

It was a tiny glimpse into the privilege superior women like Eleanor enjoyed every second of every day. It was a small thing, and Cindy doubted Eleanor ever thought twice about her road entitlement, but it was all part of the constant reinforcement that she deserved preferential treatment, boosting her ego. As she deserved. 

Eleanor had made it clear to Cindy that she was responsible for the car’s upkeep and maintenance. If anything was returned in less-than-perfect condition, it was Cindy’s responsibility to fix it. The cost would be added to her debt, and her own body would suffer an appropriate punishment to match the vehicle's damage. 

The fact that Eleanor had barely even looked at this vehicle since 2016, having received numerous upgrades since, was irrelevant. This was still Eleanor’s property, and that made it more important than Cindy’s own life. 

Cindy never took it for granted what a privilege it was to care for Eleanor’s possessions, be it her marble floors, precious antiques, cashmere rugs, designer clothes, boots, or belt buckles. Her SUV was no different. It was Cindy’s duty to ensure everything her goddess owned remained as perfect as her. 

This was the first time Cindy had left Eleanor’s mansion since becoming her 24-hour, permanent housekeeper. She was even allowed to wear clothes for the occasion. It was a simple outfit with a turtleneck sweater to hide the collar around her neck and loose-fitting cargo pants that masked the plug in her anus. It made visiting the grocery store less daunting to be dressed as a normal, albeit impoverished, person. 

It was a real thrill to experience the same luxury her goddess had enjoyed almost a decade earlier. The spacious interior combined genuine wood trim and gold accents, and the supple leather seats provided a gentle warmth that was the first genuine relaxation Cindy had felt for a long time. 

It was a decadence she did not deserve. The massaging seats were still set to Eleanor’s preferences and had automatically turned on. Cindy felt guilty about experiencing the same comfort as her goddess, but she justified it by assuring herself Eleanor would be more annoyed if Cindy interfered with her settings. The touchscreen dashboard was far too intimidating to mess with. 

Sarah rode alongside her, glum-faced. She never learned to drive. Cindy regretted never being able to afford to teach Sarah to drive. She had been driving without insurance, unable to afford the premiums, and if Sarah was to accidentally crash, there was no way Cindy could afford the legal repercussions. She promised Sarah she would take her out driving when things got better. They both knew it was a lie. 

Cindy’s poverty had deprived Sarah of a special rite of passage that so many teens took for granted. Even in Sarah’s senior year, she still took the bus. She would wait at the stop in the cold and rain as her bullies rode past her in their expensive cars, splashing her in puddles and offering her their middle fingers.

Cindy thought Sarah might have used her savings from Burger King to pay for lessons, especially considering she had no friends or hobbies to spend her money on. Maybe she was going to before she gave Cindy her savings so that Cindy could buy Eleanor and the girls flowers they did not want? 

As bad as she felt about it, she couldn’t help but derive some satisfaction that she and only she could drive. Sarah had youth and vitality on her side, but what use was that when Eleanor required bagels and coffee from Delicacé? It was a small win, but at this point, with Sarah flexing her dominance at every opportunity, Cindy had to take every victory she could, no matter how insignificant. 

*

The Marché du Paradis was a specialty grocery store that provided its affluent clientele with the highest-quality organic produce, premium meats, gourmet cheeses, fresh fish, and vintage wines. It was less of a grocery store, and more of an immersive shopping experience with ambient lighting, spacious aisles, and extra amenities such as sushi bars, wine-tasting, coffee shops, bakeries, and European-style cafe lounges.

Its elegant customer base confidently fashioned designer brand names. These were people who expected excellence in every aspect of their lives, and Marché du Paradis catered to their sophisticated tastes.  

Of course, none of them were pushing carts like Cindy. They had concierge service from specialized store clerks wearing clean white polo shirts and branded aprons. Others had their own personal helpers like Cindy and Sarah, people who could obviously never afford to shop here for themselves but were doing so on behalf of someone far more important. There were only a few wealthy individuals leisurely perusing the shelves for artisanal products which they placed inside the chic picnic baskets they carried gracefully over their arms.

Cindy was anything but graceful as she awkwardly trundled the shopping cart over the luxury vinyl behind Sarah, drawing plenty of scornful glances from the elite customers. 

Everything was vibrant and healthy. The Marché du Paradis maintained strict quality control. It was as if all the produce had been genetically perfected. Cindy had to wonder how much went to waste. Did they sell the inferior products to other markets, or did they simply toss them out? There wasn’t even any indication of the price. Management had correctly theorized that anyone who cared about the cost did not deserve to shop here. 

Cindy thought back to that wonderful day when Eleanor so confidently sauntered back into her life, ordering her to pick up her groceries. She had charged around town, desperate to find a store that stocked even half of what she requested. If Cindy had realized then that the Marché du Paradis existed, it would have made everything so much easier. 

Eleanor must have assumed every market was of a similar level for her to end up in a Krogers. Why wouldn’t she? When was the last time Eleanor went shopping other than for fun or fashion? 

During high school, Eleanor possessed multiple simps like Cindy, all desperate to complete her chores. Her sorority house at college would have had its own maids to take care of mundane tasks for the sisters. After that, she had her housekeeper, Molly. Cindy doubted Eleanor had ever stepped foot in a grocery store before that one beautiful day in Krogers. 

It must have been divinely ordained. There was no other explanation. Eleanor just happened to visit that Krogers, on that day, at that time to find that simp from high school, still eager and willing to serve her? It could only be the guiding hand of Mother Isis. 

She smiled. Before the collars, chastity cages, floggings, spankings, and brandings, she was just a normal, unsuccessful middle-aged vanilla woman drifting through life without reason or purpose. Forgettable and utterly miserable. Eleanor had saved her. Mother Isis had saved her. 

Her joy was diminished when she recognized her ex-manager from Krogers, Meredith Sterling. The raven-haired, blue-eyed woman was dressed in a designer 2-piece suit, pointing her finger in the face of a subordinate - a timid woman, smiling crookedly with tears in her eyes, wringing her hands. 

Cindy cringed. She had been on the receiving end of Meredith’s displeasure numerous times. It was a frightening experience. Meredith was already tall, but the heels she wore elevated her imposing stature. She had a habit of invading your personal space when addressing you, inflating her chest, and pushing forward her bosom. Her management style of intimidation and dominance had clearly not changed in the decade since she left Krogers. 

One of Meredith’s favorite tricks was to set unrealistic targets for her workers to reach, forcing them to work harder and longer if they were to have any hope of meeting them. Cindy volunteered for unpaid overtime just to try and get close. Meredith had a way about her that made you want to sacrifice your time and well-being to benefit her advancement. 

With hindsight, Cindy realized Meredith acted as a surrogate for Eleanor. Not that anyone, even someone as talented as Meredith, could compete with Eleanor, but even so, for those two years, Meredith gave her similar feelings of weakness and submission she had lost after Eleanor went to college. Cindy had rubbed herself to climax plenty of times reliving the different ways Meredith had exploited her. 

It was bizarre to think that for less than one day, when Meredith first started at Krogers, straight out of high school, she and Cindy were on the same level. If anything, as her senior, Cindy was slightly above her.

Cindy was instructed by the store manager at the time (before Meredith usurped him) to show eighteen-year-old Meredith the ropes. It was apparent right from the start that Meredith had zero interest or respect for anything Cindy did or said. 

Cindy earnestly taught her the location of items, how to rotate merchandise, and the importance of maintaining stock levels. Meredith responded with sighs, eye rolls, and yawns.  

Cindy eventually got annoyed. She had dealt with obnoxious teens before, but nobody quite as arrogant as Meredith. She told her calmly that if Meredith didn’t know these things, she couldn’t do the job. 

Meredith shrugged and disinterestedly investigated her manicure. “But you’re already doing it. Isn’t it easier if you just do it all for me?”

Cindy gaped, unsure how to respond.

Meredith continued. “You’re old so you must have been doing this for like a hundred years or whatever.” (Cindy had been in her twenties at the time) “Why would I be able to do it better?”

There was a part of Cindy that wanted to put the brat in her place, but there was a much larger, more self-destructive side that was excited by how Meredith was speaking down to her. She had been deprived of Eleanor and was searching for someone who could make her feel that same submissive rush. 

Meredith was a beautiful young woman with raven hair and large blue eyes. A pretty girl like her should never have wasted her time stacking shelves. The way Meredith stared at her with expectation and entitlement was too much for Cindy’s needy pussy. A growing wetness formed in her panties. 

“Go on then,” said Meredith, nodding at the shelf. 

Cindy gulped and got to work. Meredith on the other hand, played on her iPhone3GS, only occasionally glazing up from her screen to impatiently ask if Cindy was done yet. 

Cindy’s pussy tingled at the directness of the question and she redoubled her effort. 

The dynamic did not go unnoticed by management. He acknowledged that Cindy was working harder than ever, ignoring the fact that Meredith was supposed to be helping. 

Meredith latched onto this quickly. She smiled for the first time all day, and her voice became enthusiastic, completely different from the bored and irritable tones she had used with Cindy. “Oh yes,” she declared, “she’s so good at following instructions. You must have trained her so well.” 

The manager looked at Meredith appraisingly and nodded, pleased by her assertiveness. “You’ve been supervising her?” 

She smiled sweetly. “Sure have. I mean, what’s the point of me doing this kind of work when she can do it quicker and more efficiently than me? My real skill set is in motivation and utilizing the skills of others. Isn’t that right, Cindy?” 

Cindy knew then her response would dictate her immediate future. She had the option to reprimand Meredith for her laziness and entitlement, or play along and offer the teen the positive reinforcement she expected…and deserved. 

There wasn’t much of a choice to be made.

“Oh yes,” she answered even more sincerely than she’d intended. “Miss Meredith has really gotten me working hard.” She laughed self-deprecatingly to save face and not give any hint that she was gaining sexual gratification from her humiliation. 

Meredith smirked, placing her hands on her hips. “Okay,” she said forcefully. “Get back to it then. Those chips won’t replenish themselves.” 

“Yes, Miss,” said Cindy, sarcastically, hoping she had not sounded disrespectful. For all she knew, she had simply come across as pathetic. Regardless, she did not waste any time obeying the order. 

Cindy listened as the manager and Meredith talked behind her back. The manager knew Meredith had greater potential than being just another clerk. He offered a role as supervisor and Meredith accepted, beginning her remarkable rise. In less than six months, she had already usurped the manager’s position. 

Meredith never thanked or even acknowledged what Cindy had done for her. No promotion, no bonus, no pay raise. Two years later, before Meredith even turned twenty-one, she was gone from the shop floor to take an executive role. Cindy never saw her again. Until today. 

Meredith sent her subordinate on her way. She turned and caught sight of Cindy. Her lips curled into a smirk.

 Cindy’s heart sank. Her knees buckled as she instinctively attempted to hide behind the cart.

Meredith strolled confidently toward her. “Cindy? Cindy Johnson?”

Cindy raised her hand in greeting and smiled nervously. All the times she had played with her clit, thinking about how Meredith’s career had skyrocketed at the expense of her own hard work and sacrifice filled her with shame. 

“H-hi, Ms. Sterling,” she said, quickly reverting to the meek manner she had adopted around her over a decade ago. 

Meredith accepted the formal title as her right, despite not directly assuming leadership over Cindy since the early 2010s. “My my,” she said with amusement, “fancy seeing you here. Still, placing price tags on reduced products for minimum wage? Or whatever it was we allowed you to make a living doing.” 

Cindy’s stomach twisted in excitement to have her contributions to Meredith’s career disparaged so easily with just a simple mocking jab. “I, um, actually left Krogers. I’ve got a new job working at one of the big houses here in Paradise Hills.”

Meredith raised her sculpted brows in surprise. “You’re working for one of our clients?”

Cindy nodded. 

“Thank goodness for that. I was beginning to think a price hike was in order if minimum wage women could somehow afford to shop here.”

Cindy laughed anxiously. “No, no. No danger of that, Ms. Sterling.” 

Meredith chuckled, and her attention moved to Sarah. Once, Cindy would have been mortified for Sarah to witness her so easily humbled by a better woman. But so much had happened over the last few weeks, that the notion of Cindy feeling embarrassed for her failings seemed quaint. 

“And you are?” asked Meredith, looking Sarah up and down, forcing Sarah to cringe into herself self-consciously. 

“My daughter, Sarah,” answered Cindy.

Sarah flushed and glared at her mother. 

Meredith clapped her hands once and laughed at the revelation. “You both work at the same house? How adorable is that?”

Cindy and Sarah both looked down ashamed. 

“How old are you?” she asked. 

“Nineteen, Ma’am,” answered Sarah respectfully. 

“You know, when I was your age, I was already your mother’s manager. Did you know that?”

Sarah shook her head. “No, Ma’am.”

“It’s funny, isn’t it? Looks like the old saying was right. How does it go? The apple doesn’t fall too far from the cart.”

Cindy and Sarah both laughed apprehensively at the joke. 

“It’s true,” said Sarah, eyeing Cindy. “I mean, what chance did I have in life with that as my role model?”

Meredith looked shocked at the statement. She contemplated it a moment before responding with a shrug. “Your mother was a hard enough worker,” she said, “her problem was a lack of ambition.”

Cindy shuffled uncomfortably at the backhanded compliment. 

Meredith continued, encouraged by Cindy’s lack of resistance. “She was content to work for slave wages, and I was more than delighted to let her. My role as manager was to increase the productivity and profits of my store. If I had a worker like Cindy who never asked for anything, and volunteered her own time to meet expectations without any suggestion of compensation, then obviously, that to mine and the company's benefit, to exploit.”

Cindy’s throat clenched. She hadn’t thought it possible for Sarah’s opinion of her as a mother and person to drop any lower, but somehow Meredith was finding a way to make Cindy appear even more pathetic. 

“Do yourself a favor,” she said to Sarah, “don’t be like her, or you’ll never escape the cycle of failure she’s placed you in.” 

Sarah sneered at Cindy. “I can think of nothing worse than being like her, Ma’am. Thank you for the pep talk.”

Meredith smirked, clearly taken aback by how easily Sarah had taken her side over Cindy’s. “You’re welcome.” She tittered. “I suppose I’ll leave you both to gather your employer’s groceries. Just try not to dawdle. Our clients enjoy our store for the luxurious ambiance we provide. No offense, but people like you don’t exactly match our aesthetic. There’s an unspoken rule here that our clients ‘helpers’ don’t linger longer than necessary. It wouldn’t be right if our customers started to think our standards had dropped by allowing the likes of you to shop here for your own pleasure, would it?”

Cindy blushed, thoroughly put in her place. “No, Ms. Sterling,” she said apologetically. 

“But it was wonderful seeing you again Cindy,” she said, checking the time on her designer watch. “But you’ll understand if I have better things to do?” 

“Yes, Ms. Sterling,” said Cindy. “Please don’t mind us. We’ll be as quick as possible.”

Meredith continued to smirk as she sauntered down the aisle to attend to more important business. 

Sarah snickered at her mother. “Ms. Sterling? Really? You don’t even work for her anymore, bitch.”

Cindy cringed.

Sarah continued her attack once she was out of earshot. “No wonder we could barely afford groceries growing up. You were too busy getting off on being treated like trash at work, weren’t you? You would have seen me starve if it helped your boss look good. Do you have any idea how sick that is? What kind of a freak thinks like that?”

Cindy had never consciously put Meredith’s targets above Sarah’s well-being, but she understood that had been the result. She had never thought of it that way before. There was a renewed shame for what she was. She could try and explain that she was so sexually deprived back then that she was desperate for anyone who resembled Eleanor to control her life. But what was the use? It didn’t make her look any better. 

“I was not the mother you deserved,” she admitted, “but you always had food, clothes, and a roof over your head. I wasn’t a complete failure.”

“Excuse me?” said Sarah, “are you talking back to me, bitch?” 

“No, Miss Sarah,” she said sadly. “But, I was working at least. You had two parents, remember?” 

Sarah blinked at her as if confused by what she meant. 

“Pete?” said Cindy. “Your father?” 

“Oh,” said Sarah. Her cheeks flushed slightly. 

It was these moments of humanity that made Cindy believe she might still repair her relationship with her daughter. 

She continued, encouraged. “I admit I’m not a role model like Goddess Eleanor or Ms. Sterling, but I did provide for you for nineteen years. I even supported your jobless father and covered his gambling losses. I’m far from perfect. But I’m not such a villain. What about him?”

Sarah furrowed her brow, contemplating this, before speaking. “Dad has plenty of flaws. But he never once hurt me or encouraged others to hurt me.”

Cindy hung her head in shame. There was no arguing that. Pete was a drunk and a degenerate, but he had never been physically abusive. It was strange thinking about him in the past tense. She had been married to him for twenty years, and yet he may as well have been dead for all the seconds she wasted thinking about their life together. He could have already been dead for all she knew. Or cared. 

Sarah sneered, taking pleasure in her verbal victory. “Come on,” she said. “You heard her. We’ve got work to do.”

*

Their shopping cart was like a treasure trove of premium products. In this store, even something as banal as pasta was elevated. There were no mass-produced noodles. Eleanor’s pasta was artisanal orecchiette, handcrafted and infused with rare herbs. Everything in the Marché du Paradis was special in some way.

Cindy was happy to think that Eleanor or the girls would ever have to suffer bland or substandard cooking. Cindy strove to make every meal restaurant quality using only the finest ingredients. She would imbue every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with all her love and adoration. It was the least she could do to repay Eleanor for saving her from Krogers, Pete, and her responsibilities as a human being. 

She was distracted from her reverence by Sarah suddenly whimpering. She looked up from the cart to see the intimidating figure of Kourtney Callahan approaching down the aisle - her Louboutin Filketta heels clapping menacingly over the luxury tiles. 

She was wearing a black and gold geo-print surplice bodycon dress that flattered her natural hourglass curves. A designer clutch purse was draped over her shoulder via a gold chain that matched her other jewelry. There was clearly plenty of money to be made in the catering and events planning business. 

And why wouldn’t there be? Her talents came at a premium price only the elite could afford. She even benefited from the free labor of volunteers like Cindy and Sarah provided. The fact she had possessed specialized apparatus to transform Cindy and Sarah into living serving trays for the amusement and convenience of her guests suggested they were not the first to experience that humiliation. It was smart to exploit free labor as much as possible. Cindy knew enough about business to know that wages were the biggest leech on profit margins. 

The last time Cindy had seen Kourtney, Cindy had been on the floor, kissing her soft suede Salvatore Ferragamo heels in thanks for torturing her during the wheel of misfortune. Kourtney had compressed Cindy’s small breasts between two metal bars. A great time was had by all as Cindy’s breasts turned purple. 

An attractive young blond followed, dressed in an ivory skirt suit that exuded professionalism and sophistication. Her fitted blazer accentuated her waist and created a flattering silhouette. Underneath, was a silk camisole tucked into her knee-length straight skirt. Her nude pumps elongated her smooth, tanned legs. A rose-gold Cartier watch matched her designer outfit perfectly. 

Sarah wilted as if the presence of this blond frightened her even more than Kourtney. 

“Well, well,” said Kourtney, marching directly into Sarah’s personal space, possessing it as her own. Sarah visibly shrank as Kourtney purposefully towered over her, placing her hands on her hips. Sarah tilted her head back to avoid staring straight at Kourtney’s imposing bosom. “Isn’t this a surprise?”

Sarah’s mouth opened and closed like a fish pulled from the safety of its pond. 

Kourtney smirked. “You don’t have anything to say to me, girl?”

Sarah squirmed on the spot, struggling to find words to answer. 

Kourtney cupped her cheeks, digging her stiletto fingernails into her skin, forcing her to maintain eye contact. She did not release her gaze, even when her attention turned to her young, blond friend. “These are the two I was telling you about.”

Cindy’s caged pussy tingled at her powerlessness at seeing her daughter overtly victimized. She could never stand up to someone as powerful as Kourtney. Her goddess would be angry if she even tried. Sarah was right about her. What kind of mother was turned on by this? She was a disgrace. 

The blond studied Sarah. A look of recognition brightened her features. “No way!”

Sarah trembled and squeaked.  

Kourtney turned to the blond, still absent-mindedly squeezing Sarah’s cheeks. “You know her, Riley?”

“Course!” said Riley enthusiastically. “You remember me, don’t you, Sniffer?”

Cindy knew the name. Riley. Riley Brooks. She was the mastermind behind the meanest pranks Sarah had suffered through high school. 

Kourtney raised a questioning brow. “Sniffer?”

Riley shrugged, smiling. “I started a rumor once that she used to hang around after class so she could sniff our chairs. She had no friends and everyone figured she was a creepy stalker anyway so it was totally believable. Even the teachers believed it. The nickname just kind of stuck after that.”

Cindy remembered that meeting with the Principal. It was excruciating to hear what Sarah was accused of. Cindy tried to explain that nobody in authority had actually witnessed this, and it was possible the students bullying Sarah had made it all up. The Principal would have none of it, and so Cindy was forced to admonish Sarah. She promised to pay for counseling to solve the issue. 

It did not help that Sarah admitted to the action in front of the Principal, only later confessing to Cindy privately she had only done that to avoid Riley’s retribution. Riley was Senior Class President and Homecoming queen. She was respected and admired by students and faculty alike. Nobody would take Sarah’s side over Riley. Her situation would only get worse if she tried to stand up for herself. 

Cindy agreed it was better not to say anything. As unfair as it was, a girl like Riley had countless people ready to testify on her behalf. Sarah had nobody. 

It would be easy to accuse Sarah of lying because she was jealous of Riley’s popularity and achievements. It wasn’t as if Sarah had the self-confidence to verbally contest her. Riley would exact her revenge and Sarah would suffer ten times more than if she had just stayed quiet. 

Cindy knew this was how bullies operated. There was little to no recourse for people as weak as Sarah and Cindy. They both agreed the best thing to do was not rock the boat and survive until graduation. 

Kourtney laughed, maintaining her grip, puckering Sarah’s lips. “I should have guessed. You’re such a bitch, Riley.”

“Oh my gosh. I was the worst. One time, we decided to ban Sniffer from using any of the girl’s restrooms forcing her to use the boys or pee her pants. I told the guys that she was offering free head. So, when she crept into the boys' restroom, hoping nobody would see her, a bunch of them followed her inside expecting BJs.”

Cindy winced at the awful story. She had never heard this one before. 

Riley continued happily. “Obviously, this sniffer had no idea. The guys got pretty pissed with her when she refused.”

“No way,” said Kourtney, “they raped her?”

Riley laughed. “I mean, I don’t know for sure, but the guys looked pleased when they left. When Sniffer finally left the restroom, she was super sticky and emotional.”

Kourtney and Riley shared a good laugh at this. 

Tears trickled down Sarah’s cheeks, and she sniffled back her snot. 

Kourtney retracted her hand. “Ew,” she said, releasing her grip and wiping the sides of her wet hand over Sarah’s top. 

It was worse than Cindy had ever feared. Had she known Sarah was suffering actual rape, she surely would have done something to help her. Wouldn’t she? Cindy pressed her thighs together to kill her growing arousal. This Riley girl was the source of so much misery for Sarah and yet Cindy could only feel awe for Riley’s confidence, beauty, and power. 

Riley smiled. “Don’t you have anything to say to me, Sniffer?”

Sarah was paralyzed, replaying the trauma of high school in her mind. She stared up at her old bully with silent tears running down her face. 

“Rude,” laughed Riley. 

Kourtney smirked and looked over at Cindy for the first time. “Did you know this?”

Kourtney must have considered Cindy the worst mother in the world if she genuinely thought Cindy would be aware of her daughter’s rape and not do anything about it. Cindy knew she was bad, but she wasn’t THAT bad. Although, as horrible as she felt for Sarah, a part of her was glad Sarah had never said anything to her. It would have required her to act and confront the likes of Riley and her friends. Cindy had no stomach for something like that. 

“No, Ms. Kourtney,” she said meekly. 

Riley scoffed. “Ms?”

Kourtney grinned. “We have an understanding.”

“I should have figured Sniffer’s mom would be just as pathetic. I never guessed how pathetic, though. I can’t believe they let you dress them as serving trays. Who does that? You didn’t even pay them!” 

“Of course not,” said Kourtney proudly. “I would never pay for that,” she waved her hand dismissively in the general direction of Cindy and Sarah. “This one,” she nodded at Cindy, “still owes me for spilling iced tea over my Amalfi tank top. A debt I’m very much looking forward to her repaying.” 

Cindy shivered at the sadistic pleasure in Kourtney’s eyes. 

Riley gasped. “No way! Them? They’re the ones we’re renting?” 

Kourtney smirked. “They’ve been specifically requested. They were a big hit at Eleanor’s party. Eleanor says they are successfully conditioned by now. I sure hope they don’t disappoint.” 

Cindy prickled with dread. This was how she was going to repay her debt to Eleanor? And Sarah was involved too? At least Cindy wouldn’t be alone, but judging from their relationship, she doubted Sarah would offer much comfort. Being left at the mercy of Kourtney was a terrifying prospect, but she would try her best to make her goddess look good by association. 

Riley snickered and grabbed Sarah’s nose, squeezing it between her finger and thumb. “I had no idea you were working for Mrs Noble,” she said, twisting. “My friends told me you were working at Burger King. Didn’t they make up some story about you rolling your eyes at them and calling them bitches?”

Sarah nodded, despite having her nose squashed. 

Riley continued. “So funny. She got into so much trouble with the manager. She had to apologize to all my friends and pay for their meals out of her own paycheck. The best part is, they didn’t even want those gross burgers. They just threw them all in the trash.”

Kourtney and Riley both had a good laugh at this. 

Cindy bit her lip and slyly circled her hips in a futile attempt to satisfy her growing arousal as she considered how devastating it must have been for Sarah to serve her bullies like that. 

Riley twisted Sarah’s nose harder, forcing a whimper. “I guess being a servant is appropriate for you. It’s not like you could ever aspire to anything other than serving your betters, right? Aren’t you curious what happened to me after graduating as valedictorian?”

Sarah faintly nodded, trying to avoid extra pressure on her nose.

“I was at Yale for a minute, before I realized I didn’t want to waste time at school when there was money to be made. My connections at the sorority house put me in contact with Kourtney. She was looking for an events coordinator at the time.”

Kourtney smiled at her proudly. “Riley is such an impressive young woman. Senior class president, homecoming queen, prom queen, valedictorian.” 

Riley grinned. “I can’t wait to see you at the function, Sniffer. I’ll think of something extra special we can do to you. You know, I should probably thank you. Taking my frustrations out on you helped me achieve my goals. Bullying you really helped my self-esteem.” 

Kourtney nodded. “Well said. I think we can all benefit from having someone like that in our lives.” 

Riley beamed. 

The long-lasting psychological damage she had caused directly led to Sarah fetishizing her abuse which in turn led to her becoming Jessica and Kaylee’s slave, effectively ruining her entire life. 

Meanwhile, Riley had landed herself a prestigious and lucrative position working alongside the ultra-successful Kourtney Callahan. No doubt she was being mentored to be her successor when Kourtney decided to retire early to enjoy the fruits of other people’s labor. 

Cindy knew it was wrong, but she had to admire the arrogance of this girl, reveling in her victory. to

Kourtney took a bottle of organic green juice from the shelf next to her and opened the cap with one powerful twist. She tilted back her head and enjoyed a refreshing drink before pulling the rim away, nodding approvingly. 

She glanced at Riley and the two of them shared a smirk. Riley finally released Sarah’s nose as Kourtney tipped the open bottle over Sarah’s head, soaking her in the sticky liquid. “Woopsie,” she said with a titter. 

Sarah hung her head, defeated. Riley and Kourtney both shared a good laugh at her expense. 

“Oh,” said Kourtney, shoving the empty bottle at Sarah for her to take. “I’m not paying for that by the way.”

“Deduct it from her wages,” laughed Riley. 

Kourtney smirked. 

Cindy cringed at the sound of Meredith’s voice behind her. “Is there a problem here?” 

She tensed as Meredith marched beyond her without a second glance. There was a brief instance when she feared Meredith might reprimand Kourtney and Riley for abusing her customers. Cindy knew she would have to leap to their defense over Sarah. If she didn’t, whatever they had planned for them at their function would be far worse. 

Luckily, there was no reason for concern as Meredith hugged Kourtney and Riley like old friends. It was a relief to know her forceful tone had been directed at Sarah, not them. 

She turned sharply to Sarah and looked down at her scornfully. “Why are you bothering one of my best customers?” 

Sarah sniffled. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

Meredith scoffed and looked over at Cindy. “I think it’s time you finished your shopping, don’t you?”

“Yes, Ms. Sterling,” said Cindy, “we’re sorry. We’ll leave.” 

Meredith folded her arms as Kourtney and Riley snickered behind her back. “I think that’s probably a good idea.”

*

Sarah was silent as they made their way to the checkout. Word about the incident spread fast, and several of the rich clientele were pointing in Cindy and Sarah’s direction, tittering, and gossiping. 

Cindy flushed in sympathy with her daughter. Not that she would ever have dared confront those women, especially after Meredith had made it so obvious whose side she would take, but she was still annoyed at them taking such obvious pleasure in the embarrassment of a nineteen-year-old. 

A lifetime of superior nutrition, healthcare, beautification, luxury, and relaxation, to go along with their natural genetic advantages, had given them all a glowing radiance which made estimating their ages a challenge, but some of them were certainly boomers, potentially old enough to be Sarah’s grandmother, and yet they were deriving vicious joy from her misfortune. 

A sudden thought made Cindy’s skin prickle with dread. Just how many of these women had been present at Eleanor’s party? How many of them had seen Cindy and Sarah as living serving trays? How many had judged Cindy’s worthiness of becoming Eleanor’s housekeeper? How many would be at Kourtney and Riley’s function? How many were Daughters of Isis? 

The laws of common society did not apply to these women. They were the elite. They possessed every advantage in the world. They afforded luxuries Cindy could never experience, enhancing the quality of their daily lives. Their social connections ensured personal and professional opportunities for themselves and their families. But also legal and political influence and protections. There was no way to compete against them. Women like Kourtney, Riley, Meredith, and of course, Eleanor - in Cindy’s mind, the single greatest woman who ever lived. The world and everything in it belonged to them. It was too overwhelming to dwell on. 

Cindy followed Sarah to the self-checkout. She loaded the conveyor belt, swiped each item, and packed everything in premium sugarcane tote bags, boastfully displaying Marché du Paradis as a deluxe brand name. 

The final bill was well in excess of a thousand dollars. Superior produce demanded a superior price tag. She paid using Eleanor’s glossy invitation-only Black credit card. She trembled as she slid the ultra-deluxe card through the machine. It was like handling the holy grail of finance. Cindy could only imagine the rewards and perks Eleanor received from her purchases. The fact Eleanor entrusted her with her card was a true symbol of faith and trust.

Cindy had progressed far since that first day when Eleanor found her at Krogers. Back then, she had paid Eleanor’s huge grocery bill out of her own savings, essentially emptying her bank account. It was her first step to the debt and destitution Eleanor continued to exploit for her benefit. To have gained her trust, though, was worth more than all the money Cindy had spent on her goddess a million times over. 

Cindy continued to do all the work, loading the cart with bags, and pushing it outside to Eleanor’s 2016 Mercedes G65. Sarah did nothing to help. She had her arms folded and her bottom lip pouted sulkily as she watched. 

Cindy did not mind. She knew Sarah was in a bad way after what happened with Kourtney and Riley. She felt bad. She wanted to say something. As frightening as Sarah had been recently, she was still her daughter. She had been so much more confident since becoming Jessica and Kaylee’s pet, and Cindy did not want one unpleasant interaction to destroy the progress Sarah had made in becoming a better, stronger woman. 

“Sarah,” she said, hesitantly, as she placed the final bag in the trunk and gently closed the door. “I know we’ve had our issues lately.”

Sarah furrowed her brow, as if Cindy’s voice had broken her free from her submissive daze. 

Cindy felt encouraged by the shift. “Please don’t let Riley get into your head like this. What she did to you was awful. I had no idea things were that bad. But look at all the progress you’ve made since dedicating yourself to Miss Jessica and Kaylee.”

Sarah scoffed. “Awful? You really don’t know me at all, do you?”

Cindy smiled disarmingly, bracing herself for what she knew was coming. As scared as she was, it was this venom she sought. 

Sarah walked into Cindy’s personal space, just as Kourtney had done to her. Cindy shrank in her presence, as Sarah had to Kourtney. 

Sarah spat her words into Cindy’s face. “Riley traumatized me in high school, but you know what? I loved it. What do you think I was doing when I shut myself in my room? Crying? I was masturbating! Not that you’d know. I mean, let’s say I wasn’t turned on by what Riley did to me, let’s say she really did just torture and destroy me, what exactly did you, my fucking mother, do about any of it?” 

Cindy gulped. “N-nothing. I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Sarah extended her hand and slapped Cindy hard across her cheek. 

Cindy whimpered as tears welled in her eyes. Her lip curled into a crooked smile. 

Sarah smacked her twice more before continuing. “I could have been suicidal for all the use you were. What was the advice you gave me that time? Oh right, ‘High School won’t be forever. Things will get better.’ What was that? That was the best you could do?”

“Wasn’t I right, though? Things have gotten better.”

Sarah smacked her again, harder than before. “No thanks to you. Whose idea was it for me to dedicate myself to Miss Jessica and Kaylee? Not yours. You tried to dissuade me. Why? So you could have them to yourself?” 

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “No, Sarah. I just wanted you to be happy. I really did.”

Sarah sneered. “Well, congratulations.” She slapped her again, and again, and again. “Because hurting you makes me very happy.”

Cindy took it without attempting to defend herself. It was a force of will to prevent her natural instincts from protecting her face. This was good. Sarah was alive again. This was the aggressive, dominant Sarah she should always have been and could have been had Cindy been a better mother and role model.

Sarah finally stopped slapping and curled her fist into a ball, punching Cindy in her soft stomach. 

Cindy dropped into a squat. Pain twisted in her abdomen. She grasped it as she struggled to breathe. 

Sarah scoffed. “You need to stop pretending like you care about me. It’s pathetic.” 

Cindy struggled. “But…I…do…care.” 

Sarah laughed viciously. “Oh really? So you weren’t turned on at all when Miss Kourtney and Riley were belittling me? I noticed you didn’t exactly rush to my defense, did you?”

Cindy blushed and dropped her head in shame.

“Yeah,” said Sarah, “thought so. Now get up. You’re driving, remember? You know, since you were too pathetic a mother to afford to get me a car, or teach me to drive.”

Cindy nodded. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” she said meekly. 

Sarah scoffed once more and made her way to the front of the car and climbed inside through the front passenger door. 

Cindy smiled weakly to herself, still clutching her stomach. She had failed at every aspect of being a mother, but this was her chance at redemption. The new and improved Sarah was back. This Sarah could be submissive to superior women, but dominate her inferiors. She could have the best of both worlds. 

Cindy was filled with renewed optimism. If Cindy offered herself as Sarah’s willing victim then she could still remain relevant in her life. Riley and Kourtney were right. Everyone could benefit by having someone around to bully and belittle.