Strive to make him happy

Kate waited impatiently for her boss to fuck with her mind one more time. Exactly how he managed to perform mind control was beyond her. It sounded completely ridiculous and if she wasn’t currently stuck in her chair by some alien need to obey his orders, Kate would still believe it wasn’t possible. But there she sat, silently and obediently, while Mr. Cowall stared at her with his awful, limpid blue eyes, seemingly deep in thought as he considered how he wanted to proceed. Even though he appeared lost in thought, his gaze still felt entirely predatory. Kate felt repulsed. It made her want to shudder. The whole situation made her want to vomit, but instead, she had to sit there obediently.

“You look like you have something to say,” said Mr. Cowall, finally breaking the deafening silence.

Kate opened her eyes wide. It was about the only thing she could do while still obeying him. She didn’t know how he had such control over her, but she did know that she didn’t want to say anything. She didn’t want to egg him on, entice him, or aggravate him. Kate just wanted him to finish so she could go and figure out how to free herself from this mess. She shook her head slowly. Ironically, even if she wanted to say something, she couldn’t—not while she was still following his orders.

“Are you sure?” he asked haughtily. “The glare you’re giving me seems to say otherwise. Go on, say what you want to say.” He grinned at her, almost as if he was enjoying her torment.

Kate clenched her lips tight. He had given her permission to speak, but she still didn’t want to say anything. By remaining silent, she was still following his orders.

Mr. Cowall looked momentarily confused, then almost annoyed. “Katie,” he said, using that awful pet name, as if he were about to scold her, “I’m ordering you to say something.”

Kate desperately wanted to keep her mouth shut. She absolutely did not want to say anything. Unfortunately, an overwhelming part of her needed to follow her boss’s orders. Despite her efforts to hold it back, something rose from the depths of her being, like a bubble of hydrogen through thick molasses.

“Something,” she spat defiantly. Her malice surprised her and her sass seemed to shock them both, causing Mr. Cowall to momentarily drop his air of superiority. Seeing that fleeting chink in his armor gave Kate a small surge of confidence and boldness. Letting emotion take over, she forgot her resolve to stay quiet.

“I spoke. Are you happy now?” she asked venomously.

Mr. Cowall let the look of shock linger on his face for only a moment longer before he adjusted his posture and appeared to stop and mull over a decision. He continued staring at Kate, making her uncomfortable under his frosty gaze, but his expression remained completely stoic. After an extended silence, where he appeared impervious to Kate’s furious glare, he let a grin slip and finally spoke.

“You know,” he said with an excruciating casualness, “it’s funny that you brought up my happiness.” He sounded so smug it made Kate sick. “I think that’s what I want to address,” he continued. “Don’t you agree that you should always strive to make me happy?”

Kate’s head spun. It felt as if her mind was being torn in two. It was strange: now that she knew what was going on, and she knew that her thoughts were going to be rearranged, she could her track exactly how her thoughts were changing. Yet, even with that awareness, it seemed horrifyingly futile to fight it.

Despite the splitting migraine that followed his words, Kate did her best not to show any pain. She wanted to just stare at him with hatred, to rob him of any sick pleasure he might take from watching her squirm. The pain was excruciating, however, and if wincing or acknowledging it could offer even a shred of relief, wouldn’t it be worth it? Who cared if he enjoyed her suffering? She wasn’t even sure if he did. Forcing herself to endure more pain just to spite him seemed... foolish.

Kate closed her eyes, letting her head process the pain. It was unbearable. She knew her face was likely contorted, and she wondered if Mr. Cowall was enjoying the show. She almost hoped he was, so that when his plans came crashing down and he finally faced justice, her victory would be all the sweeter.

The pain began to subside, and Kate took a moment to reflect on what he had asked her. He wanted to know if she agreed with him. He wanted to know if she thought she should always strive to make him happy. She knew what her answer should have been: she should say no. She should say that he was a vile, lecherous person and he didn't deserve any amount of happiness. But that wasn't her answer.

He was her boss and wasn’t it an employee’s job to make their boss happy? So she should always strive to make him happy. That felt like an irrefutable truth. Her position within his company meant that she should always try to make him happy. No matter how wrong it felt to think that, she couldn’t deviate from the idea. She couldn’t understand how it could be wrong.

Kate opened her eyes and looked at her boss. His awful, piercing eyes stared right back, expecting a response. She quickly dropped her scowl, knowing he’d probably want to see the fruits of his labor. It would make him happier.

“Yes, sir,” she whispered softly.