I was walking along the corridor at work back to my desk when I heard the argument.

It was very one-sided; my manager was doing most of the shouting, with another voice trying to reply.

A young woman came flying out of my manager’s office, sobbing.

“Get out, you useless heap of trash! You’re fired! Don’t come back!”

The woman just dived into the elevator. She didn’t even bother to go back to her desk for her things, she was so distraught.

My manager, Amy, strode out into the corridor.

“What shit quality help is these days”, she said. She then saw me.

“Talking about that, get your butt in here. We need to talk.”

Looked like lunch was going to have to wait…

To my amazement, as soon as I walked in the office, Amy grabbed me, pulled me to her and kissed me.

“When I see something that I want, I take it”, she said. “I want you.”

“I’m engaged”, I said. “I have a fiancée… he takes care of me.”

“Break it off”, she said, her face still right up against mine. Her hand slid inside my blouse…

“Amy, please…”

“Break it off or start looking for another job”, she said. “You know you’d be better off with me. You’re not even ‘into’ men, anyway; I can tell…”

By then, I was gritting my teeth. Amy was really pushing all the right buttons. I didn’t even think I was into women, but I was really beginning to wonder…

Sadly, though, I knew I couldn’t do that to Jack. We’d been dating for some time, and he’d ‘popped the question’ only last week.

I eased Amy’s hand back out of my blouse, then turned to leave the office.

“You’re willing to say no to me…?”, she said, quietly. “You really love him that much?”

I just nodded, unable to speak, and walked out.

My resignation letter was on her desk within the hour, and I had left the building…

Sadly, I walked home.

Jake wasn’t in; he’s told me he was at a job interview that day. Something I should be looking into, now.

However, I caught sight of a familiar face as I walked past our favourite restaurant. Jack was at ‘our’ table, and he was with another woman…

I froze with shock. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I just told myself he’d taken the person to familiar surroundings for the interview. Yes, that was it…

I was still thinking that as they kissed…

I couldn’t help it. I went storming in. The look on his face as I came in told me everything. Guilt, as well as… disgust?

My best friend, Beth, was sitting opposite Jake. They had been having an affair behind my back, and I’d never noticed…

“I just quit my job because of you!”, I raged. “I said you meant more to me. Now I can see that was just me being stupid. I thought we were getting married!”

Jake actually laughed.

“Come on, Liz, you didn’t think I actually cared for you, did you? I was stringing you along because of a bet Beth and I had. At least you won it for me…!”

A strangled sob came out of my mouth; I walked over, slapped Jake as hard as I could manage, then walked out, knocking Beth’s drink into her lap as I did so…

I headed back to the flat, struggling to see through the tears.

I couldn’t believe that I’d been so naïve. I’d been completely taken in by Jake.

It was Jake’s flat; I couldn’t stay there.

Luckily, all my belongings fitted into one large-wheeled suitcase; my clothes, medication, presents from my parents, everything.

I’d built up a reasonable fund as I was expecting to pay toward a wedding; that could now be used to rent a flat.

I went round all the estate agents in town; when I got to one, however, I had a surprise waiting for me.

“Yes; we’ve been informed about your situation, Ms. Harris”, the agent said. “I personally think it’s despicable the way you’ve been treated. We have a flat ready for you.”

My mouth dropped open. “How the hell…?”

“Ms. Amy told us to have everything ready for you. The utilities are already on and connected. It’s unfurnished, but she says you won’t need a bed for now.”

Amy? What did she have to do with all this?

I had no way of knowing that the Estate Agents that I had walked into was run by Amy’s parents. They would do anything for their daughter; they were also aware of how much she loved me…

In a state of shock, I was handed a set of keys, and asked to sign the agreement, which I did.

“Can I take you round now?”, the woman asked.

“Please”, I said, still stunned.

The flat was literally in the next road over from my old place of work.

When the agent led me in, Amy was waiting for me.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that”, she said. “You wouldn’t have believed it from me; you had to find out for yourself. I can’t believe that bastard did that to you; well, maybe I can, he is a man, after all…”

I just dissolved in a heap. Amy scooped me up.

“Thanks, mum”, she said. “I’ll take it from here…”

With a smile, the agent left.

“I just thought you’d like your own space while you’re getting your life back”, said Amy. “You’ll find the landlord can be very reasonable…”

“You, I take it?”

“Yep. This is one of six flats I own; I was brought up to invest money, not spend it. Oh, by the way, you don’t need to go for any job interviews. I never filed your resignation letter.”

Amy then invited me back to her ‘place’ for supper, as well as a bed to sleep in while we sorted out my furniture. However, it was her bed…

Amy had been right. I really was into women. No, correct that, I was into a certain woman. Her.

I’d always been neat but plain at work; not anymore. Amy had bought me some new clothes; a gorgeous black dress with a side split, heels and some really expensive jewellery. I felt like a million dollars my first day back after the split from Jake.

Emma, however, was annoyed.

“What’s she got that I haven’t?”, she complained.

“Amy”, her friend said, simply. “They’re joined at the hip, now.”

Just because we were involved, however, didn’t stop her from doing her job. The people that had said she was showing favouritism toward me soon stopped when she tore me off a strip right in front of the entire office because I had cocked something up. It was at that point I had realised that all of Amy’s criticisms had been justified, to everyone, it was just her ‘reputation’ as a bitch that had biased me against her to start with. That, and the woman that left that day in front of me, who turned out to literally have the wrong temperament for the job, having bluffed her way in in the first place.

Emma still resented me, though. She felt that I was in her way. She had been overjoyed when she had thought I had quit; she was shocked when Amy had brought me back.

She pushed past me in the corridor, looking down her nose at me.

“Can’t do anything right, can you?”, she said, even though I’d only been told off once. “Make’s you wonder why she got you back.”

“I never left…”, I said, with a quiet smile, walking off.

Office life was fairly normal; despite what Emma may have thought; Amy showed no favouritism toward me at work; no-one there knew she had bought all my clothes and jewellery for me.

Then came the day Emma decided to start bullying me…

I was making a coffee when she deliberately bumped me, making me pour hot coffee over my hand. I couldn’t help it; I let out a loud yelp.

I went to the sink, to put my hand under the cold tap. Emma got in the way, complaining about how clumsy I was and the mess I had made, telling me to clear it up first as ‘others wanted to use the kitchen’.

Amy had seen everything; she was desperately trying to control her temper, but she failed completely. She just hauled off and belted Emma, then ushered me to the sink and bathed my hand.

“What was that for?”, cried Emma, picking herself up from the floor.

“Being a right bitch toward my fiancée”, said Amy. “Don’t try denying it; it’s all on the security cameras.”

“But, Amy, I…”

“Get out.”, Amy said, quietly. “Clean out your desk.”

“But…”

Amy just smiled, sweetly.

“Dear, please don’t make me repeat myself. I wouldn’t like that at all…” she said, in the same quiet voice.

Emma went white as a sheet, then quickly left.

“I’ve only used that voice once before”, Amy explained to me, later. “The ‘recipient’ ended up in jail.”

Amy pulled me over to her, gently, then kissed me. She then carefully unwrapped my hand and inspected it. It was still very red but going down.

“At least it’s not your right hand”, she said. She then held out a ring…

“You meant what you said? About Us?”

“I always say what I mean. You should know that by now…!”

I snuggled up against her, tears of joy in my eyes.

“Yes”, I said. “I will marry you…”

Domestic life didn’t suit either of us, really, as we were both fiercely independent. Neither of us wanted to spend time in the kitchen.

Amy, however, had an idea about that…

As I was having lunch one day, there was a knock on the door.

Emma was standing there.

“What the heck do you want?”, I asked.

Amy called out, “Come in, Emma. You can get started straight away.”

Amy had hired Emma as a maid. She’d given her a choice; take the job or end up in court on an assault charge. The scandal itself would have been enough to ruin her.

Emma’s face turned beetroot red as she took off her coat, showing both of us her French maid uniform that Amy had bought for her.

I couldn’t stop giggling. Amy did tell me off, good-naturedly; she said all staff deserved an amount of respect, at least to start with.

I pulled myself together, and actually apologised to Emma for laughing at her, which really surprised her.

I’m glad I did. Her cooking was really good…!

Both Amy and I complimented her on her cooking skills. Also, the flat looked brand new! She had cleaned absolutely everything, from top to bottom. Amy actually paid her a bonus.

One evening, however, things changed again…

Emma was just finishing up when Amy handed her a box.

“I’ve got a job for you this evening”, she said. “This is the uniform.”

Emma looked in the box and her eyes widened.

A black baby-doll outfit was in there…

Emma was almost shivering as she came back into the room wearing the outfit under a robe.

Tutting, Amy steered her toward me.

“Your present has decided to wrap herself back up”, she said. “Can’t have that, can we?”

Emma gasped as I undid the ties of the robe…

“There’s no need to shiver, love”, I said. “After all, if you hadn’t bullied me, I wouldn’t have found out how close Amy was to me. I’ve got you to thank for that. Let me thank you properly…”

Amy smiled as I took Emma to bed…

Soon, there were loud moaning noises coming from the bedroom, which cut off abruptly…

“Ah, she’s found my other present”, smiled Amy, relaxing in front of the television.

I had indeed. Emma was now muzzled and shackled to the bed, arching her back as I pleasured her…

Shortly, I wandered back into the living room, finding it hard to walk straight as I was absolutely shattered.

“You bring me the nicest presents”, I said, wrapping my arms around Amy. “Can I keep her?”

“If you want to, of course”, said Amy, handing me a collar and leash.

Emma then found out what sort of life she had really let herself in for. Her job as our full-time slave had begun…