Charles shot a death glare at Marla, decked out in a suit that probably cost more than his car. Marla only smirked back. The balloon he held was tugging at the string like a dog on a leash, itching to fly off into the clear blue sky. How he wished he could do the same. Escape. Not just from Marla but from his new fucked-up reality. He moved his hand up to his chest, cupping the heavy weight that sagged against his body. His breasts, full and round, still felt alien and yet were now undeniably a part of him.
“Happy Rebirthday, Charlotte!” Marla chirped. “Oh, come on. Why the glum face? You can’t deny that your new gender doesn’t suit you. I must say, I’ve outdone myself this time.”
Charles didn’t respond. How could he? The horror of what he’d become was still too much to bear.
Marla circled him like a shark. “This is what you get for poking your big nose where it doesn’t belong –you end up with even bigger tits!”
“Please, you have to reverse—”
“Reverse? REVERSE? What, you think your balls are in the lost and found, to be claimed at your convenience? No, Charlotte. This is a one-way street. You’re a woman now, with all the bells and whistles. And trust me, you’ll be getting plenty of whistles. Mostly from construction workers.” Marla’s cackle echoed across the field.
A choked sob escaped from Charles’ lips. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears, but they came anyway, burning tracks down his cheeks.
He’d been a hacker, the best in the business, serving anyone with a fat wallet, no questions asked. It was risky, but the thrill and the money were addictive. Until one day, he was hired to hack into a syndicate’s network. The offer was too good to resist, and Charles found himself in a world he wished he’d never discovered. Men were being turned into women, their lives shattered, their identities destroyed, all for the sick pleasure of Marla and her kind.
And then, the shit hit the fan. Charles was caught. Not by the cops but by the syndicate. Marla was pissed that he’d exposed her operation, her clients, and risked her entire operation. As payback, she made him experience the very transformation he’d been hired to expose.
Charles’ grip on the balloon string tightened. “What happens now?”
Marla shrugged. “Now? Now you get lost. Your suffering isn’t fun anymore. I suggest starting over. The world is kinder to a pretty woman than a marked man. Use that, Charlotte.”
“I… I can’t live like this! Please, I don’t want to be a woman.”
“Who cares?” Marla retorted. “Sometimes life throws us curves, quite literally in your case, that we never anticipate. We must learn to adapt.”
Charles shook his head.
Marla frowned. “You did this to yourself. You chose to step into a world you didn’t understand. This is the consequence.”
“But I didn’t choose this! I—”
“Enough!” Marla snapped. “You did choose, Charles. You chose to hack my systems. You chose to try to expose my clientele. You chose everything that led to this moment. So, quit your bitching about the consequences! You did what you did because you were a man. A man who believed himself to be untouchable. Well, I hope you’ve learned your lesson, sweetheart. You’re not invincible – and now you’re not even a man.”
Charles remained silent. What was left to say?
Marla stepped back, a cruel smile on her lips. “I suggest you start getting used to your new life. You’ve got a lot to learn about being a woman. And trust me, sweetheart, it’s not all pretty dresses and free drinks.” With that, she turned and got back into the SUV that had brought them here. The door slammed shut, and the vehicle sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.
Charlotte watched the vehicle disappear, leaving her alone in the field. The silence was broken only by the rustling of the grass and the distant chirping of birds. She looked up at the balloon and shuddered. Taking a deep breath, she let go of the string and watched it drift upwards, disappearing into the blue.