Amber Stigmatized

by Viktor Redreich

  Sharp laughter bursts out.

  Someone else voiced their opinion. Amber couldn’t see who through the tears blurring her vision. “Dozens of years spent on research and efforts to understand, and you think it’s all a waste.”

  “It’s happened before,” she said weakly.

  More people started speaking, arguing, bringing up all the various points from Amber’s presentation that they disagreed with. She hunched up her shoulders as the insults and taunts came her way, as opposing viewpoints were thrown at her like snowballs with rocks hidden inside. The classroom whipped into a frenzy, a tornado of dissent.

  The consensus, when the winds finally died down, was that Amber was wrong and her presentation was borderline absurd.

  Cherry declared, “I don’t know how you grew up, but it really must have affected you. You have a ton of internalized misogyny to even suggest that some women would be happier in lesser positions than others. Every person deserves a chance!”

  “Every person deserves the chance to make that choice for themselves!” Amber cried, frustrated. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Weren’t you listening? My point is that no one way is better than the next! What’s best is what a person chooses for themselves, whether that’s settling down and having kids or pursuing a career. It’s not lesser if you’re happy.”

  “Happiness doesn’t mean anything. You can’t measure happiness.”

  Why do we need to measure? Why do we have to try to understand? Why can’t we just live and enjoy?

  Miss Mills stood up, waving her arms for quiet. Amber turned to face the professor and saw such a pitying look on her face that her remaining defenses just cracked. A soft sound of pain came from her throat.

  “Amber,” Miss Mills said.

  Amber turned and ran out of the class, slamming the door shut behind her. She whirled on her heel and charged down the hall, blinded by tears. She threw her arms out in front of herself, reaching for where she knew the door handle would be so she could escape.

  She hit something hard as a wall, something which didn’t give way despite the force of the collision. She collapsed backward onto her butt. “Ow!”

  “Hey, holy shit, are you okay?”

  At the sound of the all-too-familiar voice, Amber looked up.

  Lawrence.

  Chapter 20

  You belong to me

  Lawrence crouched down next to her and repeated, “Are you okay?”

  Amber sniffled and put her hands to her face. She nodded against her hands, a downright lie.

  Lawrence put his hands on her shoulders. “You’re not okay,” he said softly.

  She trembled under his touch, uncertain about absolutely everything. The confidence with which she’d begun her presentation had deserted her. Everyone hated her, wanted to persecute her just for thinking differently. “I just came from class,” she admitted. “You… weren’t there.”

  She hadn’t even noticed he was gone.

  Lawrence rubbed the back of his head and flashed a grin that was probably meant to be sheepish; to her eyes, it was a mocking grimace. How could he smile?

  “I did my presentation days ago,” he informed her. “I was just coming to pick something up from another class. Is that what this is about? Class?”

  She nodded. “I just gave my presentation.”

  He rubbed her shoulder and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Amber. I don’t even know what happened, but I can tell it was rough. And Cherry probably had something to do with it.”

  “Not just Cherry. The whole class.” She wailed. “The whole class was making fun of me and I worked so hard!”

  The grin dropped from Lawrence’s face. He swept her into a tight hug, squeezing his arms around her. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured, pressing his face into her hair. “If I had been there, I would have been on your side.”

  As if it would have made a difference.

  Amber clutched at Lawrence. His embrace seemed a little too familiar, too intense after all the time they had spent not seeing each other, not communicating in any way at all. Especially considering that he had nearly assaulted her in her dorm room that one time, she realized she probably shouldn’t be letting him be so close to her.

  But it felt so good to be hugged, to have a friend with her.

  It wasn’t like he’d meant to attack her. He’d lost control, was all. And Daddy had come to save her before any crime was committed, so there was no need for her to have any misgivings about Lawrence.

  One of the doors in the hallway opened and a professor poked his head out through the gap. Amber recognized him, as she’d taken one of his classes for a short time before dropping it.

  The professor’s sharp gray eyes landed on the two of them, crouched and embracing in the middle of the floor. “I don’t know what you’re doing,” he said, with the faintest German accent, “but I will have to suggest you go do it somewhere else. I give you one minute.”

  The door shut again.

  Amber climbed to her feet, very aware now of the clock ticking down. She grasped Lawrence’s hand. “Come with me,” she begged. “I want to tell you all about it.”

  He nodded and curled his fingers between hers. He led her to the door and held it open for her, and allowed her to go ahead of him, out into the cold. The first icy wind sliced right through her, reminding her that she’d forgotten her jacket. She clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering. No way would she ever be going back to that classroom for anything. She’d rather freeze to death.

  Lawrence walked very close to her, maybe realizing how cold she was. “Tell me what happened,” he encouraged.

  That was all the encouragement she needed. The words came pouring from her. As they moseyed their way through the college and to the parking lot, she told him everything about her presentation and how hard she worked on it, and how it had been received. Tearfully, she repeated all the terrible things which had been said about her. Her voice started quivering; at first she tried to convince herself it was because she was cold, but she had gone numb to the weather by that point. She was jittering, wound up so tight her body had no idea what to do with itself.

  Before she knew it, they stood together in front of where Lawrence had parked his truck.

  Lawrence turned to her and held her hands in his. “I’m sorry all that happened. It sounds like a great presentation. I wish I hadn’t missed it.”

  She shook her head and looked at her feet.

  Lawrence tugged on her hands, making her look at him again. “You know, people get really riled up when they feel threatened. I think the way everyone reacted is because they knew you had a point. They didn’t want to admit it, though.”

  Amber only shook her head again.

  Lawrence sighed. “Come on, every person with a great idea has had to face adversity. People are naturally resistant to change. That’s why we pretend global warming isn’t real and keep casting votes in a system that favors the wealthy.”

  “That… took a really political turn,” Amber said.

  “Yeah but it got you to stop thinking about class for a bit, right?” He smiled.

  She giggled a little. “Okay. I don’t know if I’m a genius or anything. I just wish people were open to discussion. It’s not the same thing as arguing.”

  “I know.” He touched her cheek. “I hope you’re feeling at least a little better?”

  “I am. Thank you.”

  He nodded and released her hands, and stepped back. “So what are you going to do now?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I guess I’ll go wait for the bus.”

  “You don’t want to do that. I’ve got a perfectly good truck.” Lawrence jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “Where do you want to go?”

  “Didn’t you say you had something you needed to go do?” Amber frowned.

  “Yeah, but it can wait. I care more about you right now.” He pulled his keys from his pocket and twirled them on his finger “Where are we headed?”
r />   “Home,” she said, with a little sigh. “I live with my… boyfriend now. Are you sure you want to drive me there?”

  His expression flickered, but she couldn’t quite get a handle on what it was he was feeling. “I’d do anything for you. You know that.”

  She nodded. She didn’t quite like the way he said that, but she ignored her own feelings. She was being paranoid because she was all worked up from before.

  Lawrence went around the truck and opened the door for her. “Where are we headed?”

  She told him the address of the condo.

  He whistled. “Nice. Hey, your boyfriend wouldn’t happen to be…”

  Amber accidentally pulled the door shut while he was talking. She scrunched her shoulders up and went to open the door again. Lawrence shrugged at her and walked around the truck to climb inside. He didn’t repeat his question, and she didn’t deign to answer. Something told her not to.

  Lawrence drove her to the building and pulled up in front, clearly meaning to drop her off. Amber put her hand on the door handle and hesitated, her heart in her throat. Daddy wouldn’t be home. He’d promised to come home earlier than usual, but this was still even before the time he’d stated. The idea of going up to the condo and being all alone really didn’t appeal to her.

  Amber whirled to face Lawrence. “Do you want to come up for a drink?” she blurted out.

  He stared at her, his expression torn in half with a strange mixture of excitement and fear. “You would bring another guy up to the place you share with your boyfriend?”

  “He’s not home right now,” she said. “Please?”

  He licked his lips and shrugged. “Sure. Let me go find us a parking spot.”

  Lawrence parked and they went inside, and rode the elevator up together. Only then, standing in the confined space with Lawrence, thinking over what she had said to him, did she realize that she had made a bit of an error. She had told Lawrence Daddy wouldn’t be home. She had said it as a reason because she didn’t want to be alone. Lawrence probably thought she was sneaking him up there while Daddy was gone, like it was some sort of secret love affair.

  She peeked over at Lawrence and caught his eye as he turned away from her. So, he really had thought that. But it would be okay. They were only going to hang out and that would be all. She’d put her foot down if he tried something, but that wouldn’t be necessary.

  Amber led him over to Daddy’s condo and showed him inside. He stood just inside on the foyer and gaped around. “Holy shit, Amber. No wonder you aren’t coming to college anymore. I’d never leave a place like this either!”

  She giggled, pleased. “You still want that drink? We’ve got pretty much any kind of alcohol you could want.”

  Lawrence said, “I think, after seeing this place, I am in need of a whiskey.”

  She perked up, knowing exactly where the whiskey was. She headed into the kitchen, Lawrence trailing along behind her, and showed him the alcohol display, a pyramid arrangement of shelves holding an assortment of half-open bottles. She took out the whiskey, then reached into the compartment underneath and took out a glass. She handed it over to Lawrence. “How much?”

  He looked like a man who hadn’t yet fully woken up from a dream. “Uh, just a finger for now.”

  She knew what that meant. Daddy had taught her some of the intriguing language involved in serving alcohol. Wet, dry, on or off the rocks. Now he could ask her for a drink and she could prepare it and serve it to him like a proper lady.

  Lawrence took a sip of the whiskey and slapped his fist to his chest, coughing like crazy. “Holy crap!” he choked. “This stuff is straight fire!”

  “Is that good?”

  “You should try some!” He thrust the glass at her.

  The smell of the stuff almost knocked her out. It somehow smelled exactly the way it looked: deep and earthy. Amber brought the glass to her lips and tilted it, just enough to let the liquid touch her tongue. Her first sensation was of pure heat, exactly like Lawrence described it. She jerked her head back, pulling a disgusted face. How could Daddy drink this?

  How could he drink it, and then taste so sweet afterward when he kissed her?

  Lawrence laughed at her expression. “This is totally unlike anything I’ve ever had here.”

  “That would be because it’s from Scotland,” a deep voice growled.

  Amber whirled around and stared as Daddy came prowling into the room, his shoulders squared and back stiff. He reminded her of a lion, come to protect his territory.

  Glass shattered as Lawrence dropped the tumbler of whiskey on the ground. He sputtered, his eyes stretching wide. He shot an astonished stare at Amber, as if demanding for her to explain how it could have happened that they were caught.

  “Daddy,” Amber said. “You… you’re home!”

  He fixed her with a hard stare. “I forgot something I needed at the office and came home to get it. I’m damn glad I did. What the fuck is this rapist doing in my home?”

  Lawrence sputtered some more. “What? I didn’t do anything! Amber invited me!”

  Daddy strode into the room and grabbed Lawrence by the back of his shirt collar and hefted him up into the air. Lawrence choked, grabbing at his neck, his face instantly turning red as the tight fabric cut into him. Daddy turned and dragged Lawrence along behind him, all the way back to the still-open door.

  Amber ran after them, grabbing at Daddy’s arm. “Let him go! Daddy, don’t hurt him! He’s my friend!”

  Daddy let go of Lawrence. Lawrence staggered, his feet hitting the floor at odd angles. Daddy grabbed him again and thrust him out into the hallway. “You are never to come back here again! You’re never to speak with Amber again!”

  And then he slammed and locked the door.

  Faintly, through the door, Amber heard Lawrence mutter, “What the fuck?”

  Daddy rounded on Amber, chest heaving, his expression twisted with an anger that would have been terrifying had it come from someone else. She was only ashamed, so ashamed. “Why did you bring him here?” he snapped.

  She started crying. “Daddy, Daddy, today at school was awful! Lawrence brought me home and I asked him to come up, and I forgot my jacket there. The one you bought me.”

  He grabbed her by the waist and yanked her body to his. He was hard, his erection grinding against her. “You’re never going to see him again.”

  “He’s my friend!” she sobbed. She didn’t know if she was still crying, or if her breath was catching because she tingled between her legs. Even at a time like this, Daddy wanted to have sex with her. He loved her so much.

  “You don’t need him. I’m all you need.”

  “Who will go on hikes with me?” She clutched his wrists.

  Daddy brought his face close to hers, leaning over her. “I will take you to anywhere in the world you ever could want to go. You don’t need him. You don’t need that boy. You need a man. I’m going to tell you this once. You belong to me, Amber. You’re mine. My little girl. I own you.”

  “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.

  Daddy yanked her along with him, pulling her all the way to the couch in the living room. Still heaving with anger, he tossed her down on the couch and crouched over her. “You are mine. All mine.”

  “Daddy… Yes, Daddy!”

  He grabbed her top and tore it off her, ruining the expensive pantsuit. He grasped the band of her bra and tore it in two so her boobies popped out, her nipples pink and hard. “Your titties belong to me.” He grabbed them, one in each hand, digging his fingers in and massaging hard.

  Her body lit up for him. She arched her back, wriggling her hips around and squeezing her thighs together. Her breath came faster. She couldn’t remember, couldn’t really recall what had led up to this.

  Daddy yanked her pants and panties down, exposing her pink and swollen lips. She shimmered with wetness, her juices flowing, flowing endlessly from deep inside her. She didn’t know what was about to happen, but she had an idea and she
was so excited and scared all at once.

  Daddy brought his fingers to her slit and rubbed her, running his fingertip all the way up to her clitty and then back down. “Even your pussy belongs to me,” he growled. “Your body belongs to me. All of you. All of you!”

  “Yes, Daddy! I’m sorry, Daddy! I’ll never ever talk to Lawrence again.”

  Her plea wasn’t good enough. And she was so glad.

  Daddy rammed his finger inside her, shoving past her lips and as deep as he could go. His finger was much thicker and longer than her own, filling and stretching her in a way she’d never experienced before. She grabbed at him and screamed out. “Daddy!”

  “You’re mine!”

  “I’m yours!”

  He thrust his finger hard inside of her. Her sensitive inner walls gripped him, pleasure shooting through her quaking body straight to her core. Amber grabbed for his hand and screamed out again. He held her hand down with his free one, and kept slamming his fingers into her. He used two now, and all the whole his thumb rasped over her swollen button.

  Her senses caught fire. She squealed and arched her back, her kitty clamping down around him, and still he pounded her, mercilessly, showing her that she truly was his.

  No one else would ever be able to take her like this, to make her feel this way.

  Suddenly, she reached the limit of what she could take. Her cummies swept through her. Her kitty squeezed Daddy’s fingers for all she was worth, ecstasy shooting through her. And still he pumped his fingers in her and played with her clitty, taking her past her first cummies and right to a second one.

  All the strength ran out of her body and she collapsed onto the couch, exhausted. Daddy brought his wet fingers to his mouth and licked them.

  “I’m yours,” she murmured, her heart still thundering.

  “Damn right,” he said, and pulled her body tight to his. “And you always, always will be.”

  Chapter 21

  Behave yourself