Sophie, a teen with a hateful stepmother

After her monologue had ended, I stood there befuddled. A minute of silence followed before I found my voice again.

"Um, yeah... if I may, I have a question: WHAT???"

The mysterious woman raised an Eyebrow.

"Was I unclear? Or was my last time here so long ago that words mean something else now?"

"What? Err, no, I understood what you said, but... what?? And who are you anyhow?"

"As I said, my name is Regina, but you can also call me Ring Slut, or Ring Bitch, or whatever you see fit."

I sighted. The seeming apathy of the mysterious woman confused me even more. If this was some sort of weird prank, why did she sound so bored?

"No, I mean... no forget it. Look, it's late, and I really don't have the nerve for that now. Maybe when I sit on the street tomorrow."

For the first time, it looked as if Regina broke off of her seeming routine.

"Hold on Ringmaster, what do you mean by that?"

"Do you really want to hear that?"

I expected something witty or sarcastic in return, but Regina simply said: "yes."

"Sit down", I said gesturing to the couch. "You see, my mother died while I was really young, I can barely remember her. It didn't take long until my dad found a new one. But she only married him for the money, and I was unnecessary for that, so she only saw me as a nuisance at best. I saw through her act pretty quickly, unfortunately, my dad didn't. Before he died two years ago, she had convinced him to add her in a marriage testament, meaning she inherited everything first. In other words, the only thing standing between her and spending the rest of her life in leisure is me. Legally, she can't throw me out until a am eighteen, but guess who's birthday is tomorrow. So yeah, I guarantee you that bitch will throw me out first thing in the morning. The only reason I picked up the ring because I thought it could bring me through a few days before I could find a job."

"I see", Regina said after I was done, and for a moment, she seemed to show actual empathy. But then, a dumb grin started to split her face.

"But in that case, Ringmaster, it seems that destiny has shown you mercy! Because unless I understood something gravely wrong and your stepmother is for some reason not a woman, your worries are over! The power of the ring can easily..."

"Stop, please", I interrupted her. "You might think this joke is funny, but I really don't have the nerve right now..."

The door lock clicked.

"...shit."

The door opened and my stepmother entered. She was a woman in her early forties and the literal definition of to term MILF. She had an hourglass figure, breasts that her suit could barely hold in and that had to be at least an F-cup, and a large, perfectly shaped ass. Even without makeup, her immaculate skin did not show a single wrinkle. If it were just for the looks, I could absolutely see why my dad had fallen for her. Heck, if she weren't such a bitch, I would probably want to marry her, too. Wait, what? Where did that thought come from, I wasn't into girls?

Her cheeks were slightly red and showed that she had downed at least some , though she didn't seem drunk.

"Why are you still up? And who the fuck is that slut?"

"Charming as ever, aren't we?", I said eye-rolling. "What, can't wait to throw me out?"

"Don't you dare to talk to me like that! I'm still your mother!"

"Yeah, till tomorrow morning, amirite?"

The newly added red in her face definitely did not come from .

"Now listen here, you ungrateful little twerp! We let you grow up without any worries, living in a big house without any financial trouble, your father would turn in his grave if he knew what an entitled brat you've become."

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Normally, I would just shut my brain off during her rants, but with the last sentence, I snapped. "YOU are the parasite that latched onto my father! Do you really expect me to believe you are contributing ANYTHING to this household just because you are wearing a fancy suit? Do you really think I don't know that we only live off of dad's inheritance and life insurance? That the only thing you do all day is partying with some dudes? Do you think they would still fuck you if they knew how you really are? How about you just show them? Don't change faces when you are with them and ALWAYS act like a bitch!"

As soon as I finished that sentence, the ring became warm for a moment. My stepmother started to wobble as if she had trouble standing upright. Just a few seconds later, she dropped down on all fours.

"Woof!"

I blinked, vainly trying to fathom what just happened.

"Woof!"

"...err, Mom? What are you doing?"

"Woof!", she repeated and shook her huge ass as if she was trying to wag the tail she didn't have. Behind me, I heard a rattling noise. When I turned, I saw that it came from the chains wrapped around Regina's body as she was rolling on the floor laughing her ass off.

"Okay, that HAS to be one of the greatest first uses of the ring EVER!"

"What are you talking about??" Then, it dawned on me. "Wait, the ring's power is real??"

"Obviously. You told her to act like a bitch, and the ring made it happen."

"But why... oh, I get it, "bitch" as in "female dog"."

"Well, yeah, what did you think? Does that word mean something else now?"

I shook my head. "I meant it as an insult. Almost no one uses that word literally nowadays."

"Oh. Well, the ring won't actively try to misunderstand you, but it still can happen, especially if you use it by accident."

I looked back to my stepmother, who by now was making some strange movements with her limbs.

"What is she doing now?"

"Well, dogs normally don't wear clothes. She's probably trying to shake them off."

"How do I turn her back to normal?"

"Already? Shame, I find this hilarious. Anyway, just order her to."

I looked at the ring, then back to my stepmother.

"You will act normally again, go to sleep and forget everything that happened!"

This time, the ring got a bit warmer than the last time. Immediately, she stopped acting like a dog, stood up, and went upstairs.

"See? Easy. By the way, you don't have to say it out loud, thinking is enough."

Still baffled, I looked at the stairs where my stepmother had vanished. But finally, I was able to fully wrap my mind around what just happened. This ring could change my life! Not only could I stop her from throwing me out, but I could also pay her back the last fifteen years, with interest! But for now, I was tired. There was no need to rush things, I now had all the time in the world. I just needed to secure that time, so I focused on my stepmother once more.

Tomorrow, she won't even think of throwing me out and will be a kind, loving mother to me.

"NO!"

Regina's sudden, panicked shout startled me

"What?"

The ring became warm. Then hot. Eventually, it felt as if my finger was dipped in molten metal. A soaring heat spread from my hand through my arm and finally through my entire body, as if glowing hot knives were stabbed in every inch of my skin. The pain was so excruciating that I couldn't even scream. The last thing I could see before everything became dark was Regina sprinting towards me.