Briggs, Miles, and Stevens was the best Corporate Law Firm in the city. They handled many high profile clients from all over the world. Several of which I'm proud to say, I brought into the firm. My name is Mark Johnson. And I've worked at this prestigious law firm for eight years. They hired me right out of College and I've done my absolute best to prove they made the right decision. I've worked many long nights and weekends to solidify my position here at the firm. Hoping they will see the great potential I possess and make me a partner. And yesterday, I heard a rumor that my life long dream may come true. Hot gossip floating around the office, said the big shots were discussing the possibility of promoting one of us to be partner. A position which I fully believe I have earned because of my devotion to this firm. Unfortunately, it's not cut and dried. There is one other applicant who may be chosen over me. That would be Cynthia Styles.

Cynthia was hired a few months after I was. Now I admit, Cynthia has done an excellent job around here herself. She has also brought in several rich clients and worked long hours. She handles herself with poise and dignity and has the respect of everyone in the office. Including the partners. But she is a female. I know I sound like a chauvinist pig, but I was praying her gender was an insurmountable defect that would keep her from securing the position. I've worked my tail off and done everything the partners have asked of me. So I truly believe the partnership belongs to me. And I refuse to let Cynthia Styles stand in the way of my dreams. The decision of course was up to the partners. So all I could do was carry on with my work and patiently wait for them to make their choice. But I'm not sure I could continue to work here if Cynthia got the partnership.

Friday morning I was informed by my secretary the partners wanted to see me. A large smile spread across my face and my heart was beating like a drum while I strolled towards the conference room. I was finally getting what I so richly deserved. Then my heart nearly stopped when I rounded the corner and saw Cynthia entering the room ahead of me. That could only mean one thing. The decision had been made and one of us was going to be very disappointed. I quickened my pace, praying to God that someone wasn't me. I was cordially greeted by everyone when I walked through the door. Including Cynthia. She whispered good luck to me as she turned to sit down. I replied with a same to you, but I knew in my heart I didn't mean it. They handed me a whisky and Cynthia an iced tea before getting down to business.

Bernard Briggs opened the conversation. "As you both know by now, we have decided to promote one of you to partner. We have gone over your files this week with a fine tooth comb. Each of you has excellent credentials for the position. You have both made large sums of money for this firm by bringing in exceptionally rich clients. And you've handled yourself professionally when we sent you out on an important assignment. You are both well liked by the clients you handle and highly respected by your co workers. Unfortunately, these reasons that make you excellent candidates for partner, are also the reasons we are at a stale mate. It's impossible to choose between you based on your records. So we have derived a test to see which one of you desires the promotion the most. They looked at each other and smiled, while Cynthia and I stared at each other in shock.

"A test? What sort of test?" I worriedly asked wringing my hands. "Yes Mr. Briggs. I really don't understand. Please answer that question." Cynthia chimed in. "I'm afraid we'll have to discuss that at a later date. We wanted to inform you of our decision and give you time to think it over." Hell, I didn't need any time. I was willing to take their test right now and pass with flying colors. "I don't need time to think it over Bernard. I'm ready to ta..ta..uugghhh." All of a sudden I was dizzy as hell and I couldn't get my eyes to focus. "MARK!" "Are you alright?" Cynthia asked with concern. "MARK!" What's wr..wr..oh my." She suddenly passed out and collapsed against me. My eyes slowly closed while I sat there staring at her lifeless body. In a few seconds, I too was sleeping like a baby. The partners smiled at each other and shook hands.

I have no idea how much time had passed before my eye lids popped open. Cynthia was lying next to me and I could see she was stirring as well. We were both lying on a carpeted floor in only our underwear. We slowly sat up and took stock of our surroundings. The room itself was about twenty by thirty, with a steel door half way down one wall. There was one overhead light in the middle of the room without a globe covering it. In one corner there was a stool and wash basin, with a small mirror hanging above it. In another was a crude concrete shower with a plastic curtain to slide across the opening for privacy. Along one wall was a hideaway bed with one pillow and one sheet to cover it's occupant. Near the bed was a cheap looking coffee table about five feet long. A few empty card board boxes were stacked against another wall with electronic equipment stamped on their sides. Other then the carpet, there was nothing else in the room.

"What the hell is going on Mark?" Cynthia asked as she looked around in shock. "I have no idea Cynthia. I'm just as much in the dark as you are." We tried the door but it was securely locked. So we went to the bed for a more comfortable seat. "OK. Let's think this over rationally." She stated. "We were sitting in the conference room discussing the promotion to partner. Then all of a sudden you began slurring your words and looked like you were about to pass out. I became concerned and moved towards you to see if I could help. That's when the room started spinning and I lost control of my senses. Then we woke up here. Do you have anything to add?" She asked. "No. That's pretty much how I remember it too. You know what? It may sound like a crazy idea, but I think we were both drugged." "DRUGGED? But why? And by whom?" She asked in disbelief. The answer was obvious.

"By the partners. I believe this is the test Bernard was referring to." I told her. "OK. I see what you're getting at and I think you're right. But what kind of test could this possibly be? To determine which one of us will be first to crack under pressure and lose our minds?" She asked questionably. I simply shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Hopefully we will receive some kind explanation soon." We both sat there deep in thought as the hours passed. There was no clock in the room so time was irrelevant. Cynthia interrupted my train of thought when she nudged me with her elbow and pointed towards the door. "LOOK!" A mans hand slipped through a slot near the bottom of the door and placed a plastic tray on the floor. He was gone in seconds without saying a word. Cynthia and I hurried over to see what he left.

There was one sandwich wrapped in cellophane lying on a paper plate. Beside it was a carton of grape juice. Under the paper plate was a note. I handed her the sandwich and snatched it up. "What does it say?" She asked while unwrapping the sandwich. "Not much." I said as I began to read it out loud. "Dinner will be served at six PM. Lights out will be at ten sharp. Please pass the tray back through the slot." She waited for me to continue but there was nothing else to read. "That's it?" She asked with raised eye brows. "That's all it says." I answered while taking the half of sandwich she offered me. The sandwich consisted of two cold slices of American cheese between two thin slices of white bread. The grape juice was a six ounce carton. We waited patiently for another tray to pass through the slot but were left disappointed. We went back to the bed.

"I've been thinking about dropping a few pounds to slim down but I never got around to starting the diet. I guess they just made the decision for me." Cynthia said shaking her head. I shook my head as well. Because I'll never understand women. Cynthia was about 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighed approximately 130 pounds. In my estimation she was perfectly shaped and extremely attractive. Her silky dark brown hair always had a sheen to it. And her light brown eyes looked like pools of creamy milk chocolate. Wearing only her underwear I could see her skin was smooth and flawless. She was a very sophisticated lady that any man would be proud to have hanging on his arm. I didn't voice my opinion however, for fear she would think I was making a pass. She was also my rival for the partnership I deserved so getting romantically involved with Cynthia would be a very bad idea.

On further inspection of the room we discovered a tooth brush for each of us in a tooth brush holder attached to the wall above the wash basin. There was also a hair brush for Cynthia and a comb for me, along with a tube of toothpaste. We brushed our teeth and returned to the bed. Cynthia brushed her hair while I sat there and thought. A short time later the light unexpectedly went out. With no windows in the room we were plunged into total darkness. We surmised it was ten o'clock. Being a gentleman I gave her the bed and slipped into the floor. It simply wasn't big enough for both of us. There wasn't much to talk about so we drifted off to sleep. In the morning my body was stiff and sore from spending the night on the floor. Cynthia looked rested and refreshed. About an hour later a tray was passed through the slot. This time there was one fried egg sandwich and a six ounce carton of orange juice. Another note simply said breakfast was served at eight AM. That's all. Still no explanation for our kidnapping.

We wandered around the room until we estimated it was close to lunch time. We eagerly waited for the tray to come through the slot but we were disappointed again. A hand slipped through and dropped two towels and two wash cloths on the floor. Then it slid through again with a bar of soap and clean underwear for the two of us. We were surprised when we noticed the underwear came from our homes. Someone had packed it up and brought it here. Cynthia was slightly pissed off, knowing a man had rifled through her underwear drawer. After we showered I sat back down to think while Cynthia brushed her hair again. While I was going over everything in my head, something Bernard said came back to me. "We have derived a test to see which one of you desires being partner the most." All of a sudden my mind clicked and I knew what was going on.

There was one bed in the room for comfort and the meager food supply they rationed out was enough to sustain one person and keep him or her healthy. If we Continued to share, both of us would waste away to nothing. My parents had passed on and Cynthia's lived in Bumfuck Kansas or some other ungodly place. Her parents and our friends were use to us taking long trips for the firm and not hearing from us for weeks. So they could keep us here indefinitely without anyone being the wiser. Briggs, Miles and Stevens were waiting to see which one of us wanted to be partner bad enough to turn on the other. After a complete search of the room I was certain I was correct. In one corner of the room near the ceiling I spotted a mini camera. You really had to be looking for it to find the damn thing. They were watching our every move. In that moment my decision was made. The partnership deservedly belonged to me. I was 5 foot 11 and weighed 185 pounds so over powering Cynthia would be a snap. I didn't feel one bit guilty as I made my plans. It was her or me and I preferred me.

That evening the tray was slipped through the slot as usual. I nonchalantly picked it up and began to unwrap the sandwich like everything was kosher. This time it was a slice of bologna between two pieces of white bread. The juice was apple. Cynthia put down her hair brush and strolled over to get her half. Just as I got the sandwich unwrapped I placed my hand on her chest and gave her a mighty shove. Cynthia shrieked in surprise and stumbled back out of control. She was windmilling her arms in an attempt to stay on her feet but eventually she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor on her ass about ten feet away. By the time she reached her feet I had wolfed down half of the sandwich and was well into the other. She glared at me with her hands on her hips. "So that's the way it is huh?" She asked hatefully. "I'm afraid so Cynthia. I need to keep up my strength so I can accept the partnership." I replied with an evil smile.

Needless to say she didn't speak to me for the rest of the evening. When the light snapped off I heard the springs on the bed squeak when she climbed in. I was sitting against the wall straight across from the bed when the light went out. I purposely positioned myself that way so it would be easier to find the bed. She wouldn't be able to see me creeping up on her in the pitch black darkness. My being a gentleman was coming to an end as well. I was taking over the bed and putting her ass in the floor. I figured I might as well be comfortable while I watched her weaken from hunger. I was sure the partners would end this test before she was in any serious danger of dying from malnutrition. They would walk in and congratulate me for winning while they carted her off to their private hospital. I was positively giddy as I thought about that while quietly creeping towards the bed. Cynthia was about to receive an unwelcome surprise.

When I felt the bed against my leg I readied myself to pounce on the unsuspecting female. With a large smile on my face I leaped on the bed to wrap her up in my muscular arms. I was the one who was surprised when I realised I was clutching the pillow. Cynthia wasn't there. Suddenly there was a tigress on my back with her arm around my throat. I frantically fought to loosen her grip and escape but the bitch was stronger then I expected. She pulled me up to my knees and managed to get her legs around my waist and lock her ankles. Then she laid back on the bed taking me with her. Cynthia had me bent over backwards in a secure choke hold and painful body scissors. When she tightened her legs and arms I suddenly remembered she ran track and played volley ball in College. My feeble efforts to loosen her holds was in vain. I couldn't breathe and my ribs were being crushed to splinters.

"I knew you would try something like this asshole. You thought I would be an easy mark because I'm a female. That's typical male chauvinist thinking. Male verses female in any contest is a sure victory for the male. Well you're about to find out how painfully wrong you were. Because I'm going to prove I'm a very dangerous adversary. If you want a war to gain the partnership then I'm more then happy to oblige. But let me warn you, I plan on winning the war because I despise losing. Now be a good little boy and go to sleep. We'll continue this discussion in the morning." Cynthia applied enormous pressure to my windpipe and rendered me unconscious. I woke up the next morning kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed. Her strong legs were tightly wrapped around my neck to keep my head firmly trapped just above her ankles. My ribs were sore as hell and my entire body ached from kneeling in the same position all night. Cynthia opened her brown eyes and looked at me.

"Good morning asshole did you have a pleasant night on your knees?" She asked cheerfully. "Fuck you bitch. Let me up." I snarled. "Now now we must remember our manners." She said as she tightened her legs on my neck. "AARRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" "OK! OK! I'M SORRY!" I screamed in pain. "That's much better. I knew you would see things my way." She replied while kicking me to the floor. My body hurt so much I just lie there and moaned. Cynthia went to the wash basin and brushed her teeth. Then she began brushing her hair while staring in the mirror. A few minutes later I heard the metal hinge on the slot squeak. When I turned in that direction breakfast was sitting on the floor. I crawled as fast as my sore body would move to beat Cynthia to the food but she heard it too and was on her way. I had to get there first.

I made it a split second before she did but when I reached out for the plate she stepped on my hand with her left foot and mashed it to the floor. The bones in my hand were being crushed. "AARRGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" While I was screaming in pain Cynthia kicked me square in the face with her right foot. "WHAP!" I slumped over backwards in a daze. She picked up the food and came over to stand at my left side facing my feet. While I lie there in a stupor she stomped on my stomach as hard as she could. "STOMP!" "UUGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" The air rushed out of my lungs and my head snapped up from the floor. "WHAP!" The sole of her bare foot slammed into my face and knocked me back down. Now I was really delirious and unable to defend myself. Cynthia casually straddled my body and pinned my arms to the floor with her knees.

When I was coherent enough to open my eyes I saw Cynthia perched on my chest. She was calmly eating a bacon sandwich and smiling at me. I struggled as hard as I could to free myself but she had me securely pinned to the floor. She shoved the last bite in her mouth and brushed the crumbs from her slender female fingers. "I'm glad you decided not to share anymore Marky. Breakfast was simply delicious." "GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME BITCH!" I screamed in frustration. "You're not a quick learner are you dumb ass." "SLAP!..SLAP!" She slapped one side of my face and back handed the other. "Now control yourself before you really make me angry." She said in a condescending voice. "I'll show you control when I get up from here you bitch." I threatened. "Alright then if that's the way you want it. But I must warn you I took self defense classes in College and I happen to be very good."

Cynthia climbed off of me and stood aside. I got up and faced her with pure hatred in my eyes. "I was planning on simply weakening you from malnutrition before they came in here and carted you off to the hospital. Now I'm going to put you there myself you fucking bitch." I boasted. "That's pretty big talk for a man who spent the night kneeling on the floor with his head trapped between my legs. Now let's see if you can back it up." She replied while raising her fists in the air. Her reference to my night of humiliation made my anger explode. I attacked with the intention of doing bodily harm to the mouthy bitch. My arms were pumping like a well oiled machine as I aimed punch after destroying punch at her smiling face. Any one of them would have put her down and at my mercy. But she was telling the truth about her self defense training and being very good at it.

Everyone of my destructive punches were either evaded or slapped aside by the female gladiator. When she tired of showing me I was incompetent she opened up her offense to prove it was as good as her defensive skills. "SMACK!..SMACK!..THUD!..THUD!..CRACK!" She relentlessly drove me back towards the card board boxes with extremely accurate punches. My efforts to stop her hard hitting fists from connecting were pitifully useless. "CRRRACK!" A jaw breaking right uppercut sent me flying into the boxes. I was sprawled out on top of them and groggy as hell. Cynthia dragged me to my feet and whipped me around so she would have room to work. Then she began pounding on me again like I was her punching bag. "SMACK!..SMACK!..SMACK!" Back I went with her walking me down to stay in range of my rapidly swelling face.

Cynthia taking me apart with her hard hitting female fists.

I was beginning to realise I had underestimated this beautiful young woman. Her flying fists hit as hard as a charging rhino and they were faster then a speeding bullet compared to my pathetic defensive skills. My face and body were being ripped apart by those hard female fists spearing into me and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop them or even slow them down. And the amazing part was she seemed to be doing it without any effort at all. I was in deep shit up to my eyeballs. "SMACK!..THUD!..THUD!..THUD!..THUD!..SMACK!" I hit the floor like a dead weight corpse and didn't know where the hell I was at. Cynthia knelt down behind me and wrapped her arms around my throat while she raised my head to her lap. "I could easily finish you off right now you pathetic little wimp. But I want you to suffer for coming up with this hair brained scheme. So let's continue this one sided battle of the sexes." She said as she hauled me to my feet.

"SMACK!" My nose shattered into a thousand pieces. "Have you decided you made a mistake by making me your enemy?" "SMACK!" My right eye began to swell. "I did warn you I was very good at handling myself." "SMACK!" Now my mouth was puffy and severely bleeding. "But being a typical chauvinistic male I'm sure you didn't believe me." "SMACK!" My left eye was in excruciating pain. "So now you're painfully paying the price for being a moron." "SMACK!" My left cheek swelled up like a blow fish. "And you lack the skills to stop me from giving you a senseless beating. Isn't that a shame." "CRACK!" The bone crushing uppercut lifted me off of my feet and deposited me on top of the cheap coffee table. I lie there as helpless as a baby in a spreadeagled position while Cynthia faced my feet and trapped my head between her gorgeous legs.

She leaned over and raised her doubled up fist to obliterate my stomach. Then she suddenly stopped and began snickering. "Well, well what do we have here?" She said as she grabbed my dick. "Judging by the size of this boner you're sprouting it looks like you love being womanhandled by a female." She said while fondling me. Until she laid her hand on my dick I didn't even realise I had a hard on. And I sure as hell couldn't explain it. I was suffering through the most humiliating experience of my life so my dick getting hard was the last thing I would have expected. But it certainly was sticking up like a steel rod and I could feel the pre cum saturating the front of my thong. I was completely at a loss for words. "Yep, This thing is as hard as a rock. I believe you have a little masochism in your blood Marky boy." She said with a cheerful laugh. Now I was really embarrassed.

Cynthia fondling me while I'm pinned down on the coffee table.

"OK, that's enough play time. Let's get back to your beating." "THUD!..THUD!..THUD!..THUD!..THUD!..THUD!" Each time her hard fist drilled me in the stomach my battered face would pop up and bury itself in her gorgeous ass. "Ohhhh that feels delightful. I think you're turning me on Mark. I'm glad we discovered this little game." "THUD!..THUD!..THUD!...THUD!" My poor stomach was quickly turned into mush. By the time Cynthia was finished destroying my stomach I was close to passing out. When she picked me up from the coffee table she had to firmly grip me by the throat to keep me from collapsing. "This has been a lot fun weakling I really enjoyed myself. But it's time to put you to sleep. Now hold still for me." She said with a smile. I didn't hear a word she said because I was out on my feet. "CRRRACK!" Her fist exploded on my chin like dynamite going off. The lights out uppercut slammed me into the wall and I dropped to my ass out cold. Cynthia proudly stood over me and smiled.

It was past lunch time when I finally regained my senses. Cynthia threw me a towel and wash cloth before returning to her bed. "Clean yourself up you little wimp you look like shit." I had to agree with her there. I felt like shit. I dragged my sore body to the crude shower and turned the hot water on high. The hot shower seemed to perk me up a little. But my stomach was growling like an angry bear. I hadn't eaten since last night and I was starving. I needed food and I needed it now. I was already weak from the beating Cynthia had given me and my weakness was only going to get worse without nutrients. If I didn't stop Cynthia and eat dinner I was doomed. I needed to formulate a plan to stop her from reaching the tray but it was hard to concentrate with my stomach rumbling and my joints aching. I reminded myself of the dire consequences I would face if I failed. That set my mind straight and bolstered my courage.

By the time dinner arrived I had devised a plan that I prayed would work. I was sitting on the floor next to the foot of the bed when I heard the tray being slipped through the slot. I just sat there and didn't twitch a muscle. I wanted Cynthia to believe I had given up and accepted defeat. I was hoping it would throw her off guard if I pretended I wasn't interested in continuing the battle. She rose from the bed and watched to see what I was going to do. I kept my head down and stared at the carpet like a broken man. She took a few steps and turned to look back at me. I still hadn't moved or even looked towards the food. My docile behavior must have convinced her she had won. She turned and casually strolled towards the food while completely ignoring my existence. When she was half way across the floor I sprang into action.

I quickly leaped to my feet and charged at her like a stampeding buffalo. I figured I should be able to easily tackle her to the floor with the force of momentum behind me. Once I had her down my extra weight would be enough to keep her pinned while I beat the shit out of her. My one mistake was forgetting Cynthia was a former athlete. Running track and playing volley ball had done wonders to firm and tone up her legs. She whirled around and snapped a kick to my jaw that felt like I was hit by a speeding car. "WHAM!" I sailed through the air about five feet before crashing into the floor. Cynthia was on me in a flash. "Bad move pansy ass. Now I'll have to give you another severe beating before enjoying my dinner. You better learn from this one or I'll be forced to break a few bones the next time." The powerful kick completely stunned me and scrambled my brain. When Cynthia dragged me to my feet I had no idea I was in danger.

"SMACK!..SMACK!..SMACK!..SMACK!..SMACK!" Cynthia drove me across the room with pile driving punches. I was deliriously out of it and unable to defend myself but that didn't faze the female warrior in the least. She beat me without remorse or a conscience. I needed to be taught a lesson and she gladly accepted the job. "SMACK!..SMACK!..THUD!..THUD!..CRACK!" The neck snapping uppercut dumped me on the bed. I was barely conscious when she lifted my head and stuffed it between her legs. My right arm was trapped between her ankles and my left was pinned down by her arms. She pulled my face up near her perfectly shaped ass and tightened her legs like a vice. "You're nothing but a pussy Mark. A weakling with useless fighting skills. Women have given me more trouble in a fight then you have. So accept defeat before I seriously hurt you." She sternly warned.

Cynthia pinning me down in a head scissors with her ass in my face.

With her legs squeezing my throat and the soft cheek of her ass covering my face I passed out in seconds. Cynthia collected her dinner and returned to the bed. When I woke up I saw she had changed positions. She was now sitting comfortably on my face while she ate her food. No other part of my body was pinned down by the confident female. She knew I was to battered and weak to attempt an escape. "Ah, I see you're awake. This tuna salad sandwich is really delicious. It's a shame you don't have one to enjoy." She said while holding it under my nose to taunt me so I could smell the aroma. I broke down and cried like a baby. The next meal wouldn't be until breakfast and I was certain I wouldn't have the strength to try and take it away from her. Hell, I didn't have the strength or the will to throw her off of me right now. That admission made me cry even harder.

When she finished eating dinner Cynthia let me up. I crawled into a corner and sat there bawling. She was lying on the bed humming a tune like she didn't have a care in the world. Humiliation covered me like a blanket when I looked at her slender female body. I was so ashamed of myself for fearing a woman. But I did. The thought of her fists beating me to a pulp again made my muscular body tremble and my swollen lips quiver. In my weakened condition she could easily handle me with one hand tied behind her back. So attempting to stand up to her was completely out of the question. My life long dream was going down the drain and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I wasn't man enough. The beautiful lady lying on the bed humming had painfully proven that to me. So my fate was sealed. Cynthia had won. I collapsed to the floor and sobbed with a broken heart.

A few hours later Cynthia came towards me. "The light is going to go out soon and we wouldn't want a repeat performance of last night. So I'm going to take care of you while I can still see what I'm doing." She confidently said. Fear rushed through me like a raging river and my face turned white with fear. I tried to crawl away from her but she easily caught me from behind. "Come here weakling you can't escape because there's no where for you to run." She said with an evil smile. When I felt her hands on me I loudly screamed in terror. "NOOOOOOOOO!" "Quiet down pansy ass. You're to much of a pussy to stop me so settle down and accept your fate." She sternly commanded as she wrapped me up in a sleeper hold. My feeble struggles to keep her from putting me to sleep were totally ineffective. In a few short minutes I ceased to struggle in her tight grip and fell limp as a wet dish rag. "That's a good boy." She said as she dropped my unconscious body at her feet.

Cynthia raised her strong arms up and placed her hands behind her head to stretch. Then she looked at my lifeless body and smiled. "We best get you situated before the light goes out you little wimp. So come with me." She said as she dragged my sleeping body over to the bed. By the time the light snapped off she had me in the position she wanted. She closed her beautiful brown eyes and drifted off to sleep with a smile on her lovely face. When morning came I was aching all over when my eyes flew open. I was once again kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed with my head pinned between her ankles. But this time my face was turned towards her feet. The soft skin of her right foot was flush against my mouth and nose while her left foot was crossed over it and had my left arm trapped between them. Any movement I made if I had woken up in the middle of the night would have alerted her.

"MMMFFFHHHHHHH!" I mumbled while trying to free myself and escape her foot. Cynthia was slightly angry that I disturbed her beauty sleep. She tightened her foot against my nose and mouth while she scolded me for waking her. "I wasn't quite ready to get up you worthless bastard. I should give you a good spanking for disturbing me." I instantly stopped my squirming. That statement frightened me to death. "That's more like it. You better start behaving if you don't want me to severely punish you. I've had it up to here with your stubborn male attitude." She released me from her feet and grabbed me by the hair and chin. "I will not tolerate it any longer. So you better straighten up or else. Do you understand me you little wimp?" She asked while glaring at me with an I dare you to challenge me look. My muscular body was trembling like I was in an earthquake. "Yes Cynthia." I meekly answered.

At that moment the door opened and two paramedics walked in pushing a gurney. They were followed by the partners. While the paramedics laid me on the gurney and strapped me in, Cynthia was handed some clothing and congratulated by the three smiling men. As they whisked me away I could hear cheerful laughing and the distinct sound of a Champagne cork popping in the room. Tears stained my cheeks as I dropped my head to the pillow and closed my sad eyes. It took me a week to recover from malnutrition and the brutal beatings Cynthia had given me. Monday morning I walked into the office with my resignation in my hand. I no longer cared to work for Briggs, Miles and Stevens. I hadn't decided what I was going to do with my law career but I was certain there was no future for me in this firm. I handed my resignation to Bernard and turned to walk out but he stopped me in my tracks.

"May I remind you we have you under contract Mark. And we'll sue you for every penny you have if you attempt to break it. Besides, where are you going to go? If you try to land a position in another firm I'm afraid we would be forced to spread vicious rumors about you being unreliable because of your drinking and drug abuse habit. And if you're thinking of starting your own firm and perhaps stealing your clients away from us, then let me explain things to you. The people we represent are financial moguls. Unscrupulous business men who corner the market and have the inside track on every large transaction in progress around the world. The one and only thing they respect is power. They eat, sleep and drink power. They never feel they have enough of it. And they refuse to associate with people who are weak." I stood there listening to him, hoping he would get to the point. But when he did I wished he hadn't told me.

"You should know Mark, we have video tapes of everything that went on in that room. I seriously doubt your high profile clients would want to have anything to do with a man who is so frightened and weak he lies at the feet of a female and cries like a baby. They would undoubtedly demand to be handed over to Cynthia after watching her beat you to a pulp on the tape. You're an excellent Lawyer Mark but you're not ruthless or vindictive enough for this career. You lack the killer instinct. These are traits we spotted in Cynthia the day we hired her. Which is why our money was on Cynthia to prevail in that room. Even though you are larger and a male. Cynthia refuses to accept defeat. She would rather die then fail so you really didn't stand a chance. Speaking of Cynthia, she has requested you be put on her team and we were happy to comply with her wishes. So report to your new boss when you leave." He said with a large grin.

My shoulders slumped down in defeat. Considering what Bernard just told me I had no other choice but to remain with this firm. My chin was resting on my chest while I slowly walked to the corner office which rightly should have been mine and knocked on the door. "Come in." The bitch said in a cheery voice. "Ah Mark. I'm glad you're back. I have an important assignment for you." At least she's going to put me to work so I don't have to hang around here and see her sitting in my chair. I said to myself. "Thank you Cynthia it's nice to be back. And I'm ready to go to work." I said as nicely as I could. "EXCELLENT." Then let's get you started." She replied. I stood there waiting while Cynthia leaned back and propped her feet upon the corner of her desk. "What do you think of my new high heels Mark? I bought them last night with the bonus money I received as partner." "They're OK I guess." I answered. Wondering why she asked.

"That's a typical male response. I think they're gorgeous. But you know the problem with new shoes Mark? They're uncomfortable to wear until you get them broke in. My feet are killing me. So why don't you be a good boy and kneel down beside my desk and take them off. Then you can give my feet a good massage so they will feel better." She said with a evil smile. I looked at her like she was crazy. Her smile turned into a stern glare as she looked my right in the eyes. "I assume one of the partners has explained things to you Mark so you really have no other option. Now get your ass in the floor and massage my feet." She replied while snapping her fingers and pointing at the floor. Tears were trickling down my cheeks as I slumped to my knees and removed her high heels. Not only were my dreams shattered in that room, my life had become a living hell. I wanted to die.