Nope, she is on the way

Kat came in the door. Thank god! I needed her so much right now. Without her help I was going to be stuck in this perpetual cyclone of emotional misery. "Kat, we need to get a new engagement ring for me. I can't find-"

"This?" she asked pulling it out of her pocket. "I thought it might be important so I grabbed it this morning."

I just hugged her. Kat was like my rock I fucking swear, my thought was interrupted by a camera flash. Fucking Chloe. Kat handed me the ring and I froze. All I had to do was slide it on but yet, some small part of me didn't want to. I didn't want to break. I didn't want to become whatever he wanted me to be. I think I was afraid, this act of compliance- which isn't honestly willingly since I can't function as I am now- was some small slope that may ultimately lead to me losing this game. But what other choice did I have. I slid the ring on my finger.

I just slumped to my knees. Like a bullet all the fear and anxiety stopped nearly instantly. I felt so much cathartic relief that I almost passed out on the spot. Every muscle in my body was loose from letting go of the previous held clenching. I could feel myself beginning to cry with relief.

Flash. Another photo. "Would you stop that!" I shouted.

"Sorry, **** of habit," Chloe said.

"Are you actually sorry?" I asked.

She just smirked as she glanced over at Clara who was serving up some food for her. What a bitch.

"What's your deal?" I asked sitting at the seat next to her. "You said flight? Are you saying you came to town specifically for the proposal?"

"You bet!" she said with a chipper tone. "Work is a bit too busy for me to stay for long but I never want to miss the big shit Samuel is up to."

"Big shit?" I asked.

She just laughed. "You never noticed?" she asked as she dug something out of her purse. "For the last 25 years or longer, Samuel has been doing stuff like this. Every once in a while, we get some major stories from it." She handed me a list.

Looking over I saw some highlighted things.

Chess prodigy in middle of sex scandal in men's locker rooms.

CEO steps down and begins donating to charities

Lovely wedding art college campus

Wonderful Professor donates money for a start up animal shelter

I set the list down. "He did all of these?" I asked. "Wait, I think I remember the sex scandal, so Wong lady was caught given a bunch of guys blow jobs before the championship game or something?" My face distorted. I realized, she was saying, the blowjobs were **** by magic.

"She gets it!" Chloe said. "Also, she is Lisa Wong, my kohai."

"The fuck is a kohai?" I asked.

She just laughed more.

"It means Junior, Lisa Wong is the 8th and most recent winner," Clara said. She served up some leftovers to me Kat and Chloe before serving her own plate. "I might also suggest Tessa. Be careful around winners. Samuel is very protective of them."

"Is that right?" I asked clenching my fist. Maybe that was a weakness I could exploit.

"You think the ring thing was punishment. Try it," Chloe suggested. "You'll be a human toilet before sunset."

I gagged a little bit. "Clara, you said his punishment wouldn't be so bad for the ring but it was freaking intense. How come?"

"I can answer that," Chloe interjected. "You seem to be under the mistaken idea that the game is a flat difficulty curve. It isn't, the longer you play, the harsher it gets, and the quicker it gets harsh. You aren't ignorant anymore, his punishments reflect that."

I saw Kat visibly fidget in response. "Chloe," Kat asked. "Can I ask some advice. Not on winning, on how to lose?"