Chapter 4

As Joe looked at Jessica's slightly altered form, his thoughts raced. While he still found her attractive, the idea of her gaining even more weight unsettled him. He felt a mixture of guilt for not answering the previous question correctly, and an increasing sense of responsibility to prevent Jessica from becoming any larger. Her slender figure was one of the main reasons he was attracted to her in the first place, and he couldn't bear the thought of that changing too drastically.

Meanwhile, Wicked Tom reveled in the situation. "Well, well, well," he said with a wicked grin, "Our lovely Jessica is just a bit heavier now, isn't she? But don't worry, folks! We're upping the stakes for our next question. That's right – if Joe gets this one right, they'll win a whopping $4,000! But," he added with a dramatic pause, "if he gets it wrong, our dear Jessica will gain another 20 pounds! Can you imagine that? Double the weight from the last round!" He chuckled, his eyes flicking to Jessica, who was visibly more anxious than before.

After letting the tension hang in the air for a moment, Wicked Tom turned back to Joe. "Alright, Joe. Here's your question: What is the chemical symbol for the element gold on the periodic table? Remember, a lot is riding on this answer!"

"G?" Joe asks, slightly confused.

Jessica clenched her fists, trying to contain her frustration as Joe hesitated and then answered incorrectly. She knew the answer was "Au" and couldn't believe that he didn't know it either. Her mind raced with thoughts about what would happen to her now that Joe had made another mistake. She had never imagined that her second date with Joe would turn into such a nightmare. As her anger bubbled, she struggled to keep herself composed, biting her tongue to avoid saying something she might regret later.

While Jessica was too wrapped up in her emotions to notice, Wicked Tom silently initiated her weight gain. As she expressed her anger, her body began to expand, 20 pounds piling onto her frame in the span of a second. The added weight pushed her jumpsuit to stretch further, her waist and hips widening as her thighs and arms grew thicker. Her once slender face now sported fuller cheeks and a hint of a double chin.

As the extra weight settled, Jessica's anger started to subside, and she suddenly became aware of the changes to her body. The added mass made her movements sluggish, and she could feel the heaviness in her limbs. She looked down at herself, her eyes widening in horror as she realized just how much she had grown. The changes were subtle but noticeable – her body had lost some of its delicate grace, replaced by a softness that she had never experienced before.

Wicked Tom, ever the showman, took this opportunity to announce Jessica's new weight. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a round of applause for our Burden Bearer, who now weighs 130 pounds! That's right, Jessica – you've gained a total of 30 pounds since stepping onto this stage! I hope you're enjoying this 'weighty' experience!" He laughed cruelly, reveling in her discomfort and humiliation.

Jessica stood on the stage, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to comprehend the reality of her situation. The extra 30 pounds on her body felt like an oppressive force, and she couldn't shake the feeling of disbelief that this was all happening to her. Her mind raced with thoughts of what her life would be like now that she was permanently heavier, and she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread creeping over her.

Wicked Tom, sensing the audience's anticipation, announced the stakes for the next question. "Alright, folks, we're upping the ante once again! This time, a correct answer is worth a whopping $8,000! But be careful, because an incorrect answer will result in a massive 40-pound weight gain for our lovely Burden Bearer!" He laughed, his eyes gleaming with sadistic delight as he looked at Jessica's distressed face.

Joe, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel a mixture of concern and disappointment as he looked at Jessica's changed figure. Her once delicate, slender form had given way to a softer, heavier body that was quickly losing its appeal to him. He felt a pang of guilt for his shallow thoughts, but he couldn't deny that her transformation was affecting his attraction to her.

With a flourish, Wicked Tom read the next question to Joe: "What is the capital city of Sweden?"

Before Joe could even open his mouth to respond, Jessica, in her desperation, blurted out the correct answer: "Stockholm!"

A buzzer sounded, and Wicked Tom's grin widened. "Well, well, well, it seems we have a cheater on our hands! Unfortunately, Jessica, your impatience will cost you dearly. As a penalty for breaking the rules and giving the answer to Joe, the weight gain for this round will be doubled! That's right, you'll be gaining a staggering 80 pounds!" His laughter echoed throughout the studio as the audience gasped in shock.

Jessica's face went pale as the gravity of her mistake dawned on her. She had just made her situation much, much worse.

Jessica's mind raced as she frantically calculated the numbers. She'd started at a mere 100 pounds, and now she was about to gain another 80. That would put her at 210 pounds, a weight she'd never even come close to before. She felt a cold shiver of fear run down her spine, knowing she would no longer be the slender beauty she had been just minutes earlier. Instead, she would be thrust into the fat category, a reality she had never before imagined for herself.

As the weight began to pile onto her body, Jessica's once-slender frame underwent a dramatic transformation. Her arms, which had once been toned and delicate, began to plump up, the new fat bulging and jiggling with each movement. Her once-flat stomach swelled outward, transforming into a heavy, protruding belly that shook as the pounds continued to accumulate.

Jessica's lower body was not spared either, as her thighs thickened and merged, rubbing against each other with every step. Her hips widened, causing her once-shapely rear to balloon outward, giving her a bottom-heavy appearance. The weight seemed to settle evenly across her entire frame, leaving no part of her body untouched by the sudden, grotesque gain.

Joe watched in horror as the woman he had been so attracted to was transformed before his very eyes. He couldn't help but feel a sense of revulsion at the sight of her now-fat body, and he knew he would never be able to see her the same way again.

Wicked Tom, reveling in the spectacle, theatrically announced the results of Jessica's transformation. "And there you have it, folks! Our Burden Bearer, Jessica, now weighs in at a whopping 210 pounds! That's a gain of 110 pounds since she first set foot on our stage! Quite the 'upscale' transformation, wouldn't you say?" His laughter rang out, cruel and mocking, as the audience joined in, their eyes fixed on Jessica's newly expanded form.