Freedom's Illusion: A Dance of Dominance

Chapter 10: Stumbling into Submission

Alex walked into the shoe store with hesitant steps, doing his best to blend in with the other shoppers. His heart raced as he wandered through the aisles, pretending to browse, though his eyes were glued to the section where the high-heeled shoes were displayed. He wanted to appear casual, but in his anxious state, it probably made him look even more suspicious. He could feel his face flush as he caught glimpses of the towering heels, and more importantly, he noticed a few sales reps eyeing him from behind the counter with amused smiles.

He turned quickly, acting like he wasn't interested. But he was. His body betrayed him as his gaze was drawn back again and again. The idea of wearing the shoes was humiliating, but the bracelet's threat hung over him like a shadow. He knew he had no choice.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the saleswomen approaching. She was young, with auburn hair neatly tied back, and her name tag read "Sophia." She gave him a smile that was both polite and teasing, clearly aware of his awkward behavior.

"You seem quite interested, sir. Can I help you?" she asked, her voice smooth but carrying a hint of playfulness.

Alex froze. There was a brief, uncomfortable silence as she waited for him to respond. He tried to swallow down the lump in his throat.

"Uh, yeah," he finally stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I would like to buy some shoes."

Sophia nodded, still smiling, and gestured toward the men's section. "No problem, sir. Just walk with me, and we'll find something for you."

Blushing, Alex followed her but felt his heart sink. She had taken him to the wrong section—he didn't need men's shoes. He stared at the shelves for a moment, feeling a rising wave of embarrassment. He had to correct her, but the words were stuck in his throat. After a few beats of internal struggle, he finally spoke up, his voice strained and shaky.

"Actually, um... I was looking for... women's shoes."

Sophia's eyebrows lifted in feigned surprise, but her smirk gave her away. She had known from the moment she saw him. But rather than rushing to the section of high heels, she led him to a display of women's flats and low-heeled shoes.

"Well, sir," she said, gesturing toward the display. "We have a lovely selection here. I'm sure we can find something that suits you."

Alex wanted to groan in frustration but held it in, his face turning redder with every passing second. She knew. She absolutely knew. But she was dragging it out, teasing him, making this as humiliating as possible. He scanned the shoes in front of him—flats, wedges, kitten heels—none of them anywhere near what he needed. This wasn't going to cut it.

Internally sighing and summoning whatever was left of his courage, Alex cleared his throat, feeling like he was going to melt into the floor with every word. "Actually... um... I was hoping to get... high heels."

Sophia's grin widened. She loved this. "Oh, I see," she said, her tone playfully exaggerated. "High heels. Well, we can certainly help with that."

She led him over to the next section, where rows of heels lined the shelves. Alex immediately felt a pit in his stomach when he saw that, while they were indeed high, none of them were as tall as the 4-inch minimum Mistress Evangeline had demanded.

His hands grew clammy as he stared at the shoes, knowing he would have to correct her again. The idea of pushing further embarrassed him to his core, but the threat of the bracelet on his wrist was far more terrifying.

"Um..." he started, his voice barely audible. "Actually... I need them to be at least 4 inches... and, um... red."

Sophia turned her gaze on him with raised eyebrows, her playful smirk still lingering. She was making him work for every word, loving every second of his discomfort.

"Oh, of course," she said, dragging out the words as she pretended to be searching. "We wouldn't want anything too low, would we? Let me see what we have in the back."

Alex's heart raced as she walked away, leaving him standing there, utterly mortified. He could feel the other sales reps glancing in his direction, some whispering and giggling amongst themselves. He tried to ignore them, his eyes focused on the bracelet as if it held the key to his escape from this nightmare. But there was no escaping. Mistress Evangeline was in control, and no matter how much he hated this, part of him knew he had no choice.

When Sophia returned, she carried a bright red pair of high-heeled shoes, the shiny material catching the store lights as she held them up. The heels were exactly what Mistress had specified—sharp, thin, and at least 4 inches high.

She handed them to Alex with a smile. "Here you go," she said sweetly. "Why don't you try these on and see how they fit?"

Alex hesitated, looking down at the shoes, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears. This was it. There was no turning back.

He took the shoes from her hands, feeling the soft material in his fingers, and slowly sat down on the nearby bench. His hands trembled as he slipped off his shoes, dreading the moment when he would have to stand up in these absurd heels.