Chapter 4

Alice groaned as the cook gave her another stack of French toast to eat, cupping her constantly bloated swell. It was only 11 AM, and she'd already eaten two omelets, four pancakes, and a pound of hash browns. The smell of the greasy diner food permeated her senses, a constant reminder of her forced arrangement.

Mr. Smith, the man to whom her father owes a debt, watched from a booth in the corner. His eyes were glued to her every bite, and he smirked as she struggled to swallow another mouthful. Alice couldn’t help but feel humiliated under his gaze, her face growing hotter with every passing moment.

"Eat up, Alice," the cook said, patting her on the shoulder.

She forced a smile and tried to take another bite, but her stomach churned in protest. She was already so full it hurt, but she knew she couldn’t disappoint Mr. Smith. He had a cruel way of punishing those who displease him, and she'd already had a peek of his vengeance. She hadn’t seen her father in three weeks.

The bell over the diner door jingled as Rose entered, her eyes scanning the area till she spotted Alice. She pushed through the crowd and took a seat across from her, blowing air kisses in her direction.

"How you holding up, girl?" she asked, hands wrapped around a cup of black coffee.

"I'm pregnant," Alice replied in a low voice.

Rose's jaw dropped. "You're what?!"

"Pregnant with food," Alice responded, pushing away the last remaining crumbs of her most recent meal. "Half a dozen cooks here think they’re in a competition to see who can make me hold the most calories. And Mr. Smith thinks it's funny as hell, watching from his booth while all of this goes on."

Rose took a step back and beheld Alice's swollen middle. "Damn, girl! You're getting bigger and bigger every day."

Alice sighed and looked down at her belly, rubbing it protectively. "Yeah, I know. I can barely fit into my clothes anymore."

Rose reached out and took Alice's hand. "Listen, I know this is hard for you, but you have to take care of yourself. You can't keep eating all this food just to pay off your father's debt."

Alice nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know, I know. But what else can I do?"

Just then, Mr. Smith approached the table, a greasy smile on his face. "Is everything going as planned?" he asked, eying Alice's belly.

"Asshole," Rose muttered under her breath.

Alice shot her a warning look. "Yes, Mr. Smith, everything is just fine," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Excellent," he replied, taking a seat at the table. "I'm glad to hear it."

Rose clenched her fists under the table, her resentment toward Mr. Smith clear. Alice, on the other hand, was barely holding herself together.

She felt like her body was no longer her own. "I have to get going," Rose said suddenly, pushing back her chair.

Alice nodded, understanding her friend's desire to leave this uncomfortable situation. "I'll see you later."

Once Rose was gone, Mr. Smith leaned forward, his eyes locked onto Alice's.

"You're looking quite full today. I hope you don't disappoint me by not finishing your meal. You are a growing girl after all.”

Alice's heart raced with anger and humiliation. She was sick of feeling like a damn stuffed pig for this man's pleasure. She wanted to scream at him, tell him to go to hell, but she knew she can't. She needed to find a way to keep her father safe.

"Eat up, Alice," Smith said again, his voice dripping with arrogance. "These sausages are just like your legs—plump and juicy."

Alice felt her face flush with anger and embarrassment. She glared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. "You're disgusting," she spat out, pushing the plate away from her.

Smith just laughed, a cruel gleam in his eyes. "Come on, Alice, don't be like that. You know you need to eat more if you want to pay off your father's debt."

She couldn’t believe what she's hearing. How can he talk to her like this in public, treating her like a piece of meat? She wanted to run away, to escape from this disgusting situation. But she knew she couldn’t. She was trapped, and Smith knew it.

He leaned forward again, a smug smile on his face. "Alice, darling, you know how this works. I know you love to eat, and you know I love to watch."

Smith must’ve sensed her hesitation, because he leaned in even closer.

“Open your mouth, Alice,” Mr. Smith said, his voice low. “I’ve seen the way you eat and you can fit more than this. I’m not leaving this diner until you pop a button.” Mr. Smith chuckled.

Alice could only stare at him, her anger and humiliation boiling over. She wanted to tell him where he could shove his buttons, but she knew it would be pointless. He had all the power here, and she was at his mercy.

She took a slow, deep breath and picked up the fork, poking at the sausages on her plate. She’d already consumed more than a week’s worth of calories, but she knew Smith won’t let her leave until she ate more.

She opened her mouth and took a bite of the sausage, attempting to savor the salty taste. Alice forced herself to swallow, feeling the bite hit her overly packed middle like a dollop of cement.

After clearing about half of the plate, she adjusted her blouse and apron against the strain of the pressure her belly was causing. She thought to herself, “if he wants a popped button to leave, I’ll fucking pop them all.” After tying her apron again, she dug back into the plate of lardy sausages with a renewed vigor. She knew Mr. Smith was watching her every move, so she forced herself to eat until the buttons on her shirt started to pucker, ready to give way. Her cheeks were now puffed out, and she felt nauseous. Alice wanted to gag, but she kept on eating, swallowing one sausage after another. She knewshe had to satisfy Mr. Smith's sick fetish if she wanted to see her father again.

"Alice, you're looking especially full," Mr. Smith said with a wicked grin on his face. "But I don't think you've had enough yet."

Alice groaned as she felt her body straining under the weight of all the food she'd consumed, but she knew she couldn’t stop now. Not when Mr. Smith was watching her so intently. “It couldn’t be long before my shirt or skirt give way,” she thought to herself.

The sheer amount of food she was putting into her body in such a short period of time was almost unbearable. Alice was on the verge of tears from the sickness growing within her, but she fought it down for the sake of her father. She longed for the days when she could enjoy a meal without being forced to eat until she was painfully stuffed.

Rose couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Seeing her best friend suffer at the hands of this vile man was more than she could take.

Rose brought over some of the milkshake mix, shoved a straw through the bag, and plopped it down in front of Alice and Mr. Smith. “Here, this bag alone is 10,000 calories. It’s sure to burst at least one button by the time she finishes. If she can empty this bag, will you leave her alone today?” Rose exploded at Smith as Alice wearily grabbed the straw.

“You’re sick! You can’t keep doing this to her. She’s not a damn pig for you to fatten up and watch like some kind of perverted circus act,” Rose yelled, her voice echoing throughout the diner.

Mr. Smith just laughed, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Oh, come now, Rose. You know this is all just a bit of fun. Besides, Alice here is more than happy to oblige me. Aren’t you, dear?” he said, turning his attention back to Alice.

Alice hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. She knew she had no other choice but to keep eating if she wanted to see her father again. With a resigned sigh, she began sipping on the milkshake mix through the straw, feeling the thick liquid slide down her throat and settle in her already overfull stomach.

It was sickeningly sweet, and she could feel her body protesting with every gulp. But she knew she had to keep going if she wanted to satisfy Mr. Smith and earn her father's freedom.

As she drank, the diner around her faded into the background, and all she could focus on is the sound of her own swallowing and the sight of Mr. Smith's smug expression as he watched her. She felt like a cow being fattened up for slaughter, and it was a humiliating feeling.

But she pushed the thoughts of degradation aside and focused on the task at hand. She'd already consumed so much that she wondered if she'll ever be able to eat again. But she knew she must continue, for her father's life hung in the balance.

With a deep breath, she took another sip of the milkshake mix, feeling her stomach stretch and strain against the buttons on her blouse. Suddenly, with a loud pop, one of the buttons burst open, revealing a flash of pink lace underneath. Alice gasped in surprise, her hand flying to her chest to cover the exposed skin. Mr. Smith chuckled and leaned back in his booth, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Looks like we've reached our goal for today, Alice," he said, his eyes gleaming with victory. "You've done well."

Rose glared at Mr. Smith, her anger boiling over. She can't believe this man has put Alice through such humiliation and degradation. He stood up, patted Alice’s taut midsection as two more buttons popped off, and left without another word.

Alice let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping in exhaustion. Rose rushed to her side, helping her clean up the mess of spilled milkshake mix and scattered buttons.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," Rose said, her voice full of worry. "I never should have left you alone with that monster."

Alice shook her head, waving off her friend's apology. "It's not your fault, Rose. This is my life now." Alice thought to herself, looking down at the expanding curves of her body, “it’ll be over soon enough at this rate.”