chapter 3

Mrs. Aldridge was, for once, quite pleased with Zoe Smith. Though the girl was in most ways dull and ordinary nature had, it seemed, seen fit atleast to bestow upon her one exceptional quality: an extraordinarily prodigious appetite.
This sole distinguishing feature was one Zoe had long sought to eradicate from her otherwise plain personality. She'd struggled so very hard to rid herself of her urge to eat. But, sadly, her efforts had been to no avail. Though she might constrain her gluttonous instincts she could not make them go away. Deep down they were always there, waiting patiently for her to give in once more.
This was not a trait Mrs. Aldridge would normally have approved of. She had little sympathy for those who could not keep themselves in shape. To her fat was a sign of weakness, a shameful disfigurement that marked one as lazy and feeble-minded. Over the years many a full-figured girl had learned to fear Mrs. Aldridge's sharp tongue.
In Zoe Smith however this weakness was a trait to be cultivated, a habit to be encouraged. It was the fatal flaw that would, once and for all, rob the sweet simple girl of her one and only strength.
"How about another helping dear?" Mrs. Aldridge asked as she loaded the unsuspecting young woman's plate with another round of Mrs. Smith's disgustingly greasy delicacies.
After lounging in bed all morning Zoe had finally gotten up to have herself a late breakfast.
"Thanks Mrs. Aldridge but I'm not sure I should. I think I might've been eating a little too much lately." Zoe answered, giving her protruding potbelly a self-conscious pat.
The girl tried as best she could to excuse herself but Mrs. Aldridge had no intention to let her off the hook.
"Nonsense..." She said. "One little bite won't hurt you."
"Well, maybe not... But I really need to watch my weight."
Mrs. Aldridge rolled her eyes. She smiled at Zoe as one might at a difficult child who just won't listen to reason.
"Come now dear, don't be silly. There is no reason why you should deprive yourself. There is no reason why you should fret so much about your weight. You're a beautiful woman. A little snack here and there will do nothing to change that. There's no need to be so uptight. You, my dear, need to learn to let go. Why don't you let yourself indulge a little? Don't you think you've earned it?"
Ignoring Zoe's protests Mrs. Aldridge put the plate down before her. The girl's mouth watered as the scent of fatty foods filled her nostrils.
Maybe Mrs. Aldridge was right. Maybe she really was being silly. She was no longer the obese glutton she'd once been. She was stronger now. She was thin and beautiful. She was in control. She had everything she'd ever wanted. Perhaps now things could be different. Perhaps she didn't have to lose control. Perhaps she could finally relax. Perhaps she could, finally, just let herself eat.
Poor Zoe just couldn't help herself. Though she'd already had a sizeable serving it was obvious that she was hungry for more. The girl wanted to eat, Mrs. Aldridge could tell. She wanted to stuff her chubby little face, to fill her bulging belly up with every last calorie-laden crumb that'd been put before her. Her brain might say no, but her gut was screaming yes.
"Well... Maybe you're right. I guess I could have a little more."
Mrs. Aldridge allowed herself a smile as the plump, raven-haired beauty dug with relish into her heavy breakfast. Sausages, rashes of bacon, and spoonfuls of scrambled eggs all made their way down Zoe's greedy gullet.
As the girl gorged Mrs. Aldridge took in her figure. She was draped in a loose, flowing gown. One of many such dresses Mrs. Aldridge had bought for her to wear around the house. Though perhaps not as fancy and alluring as those given to her by her dear Patrick it was far more comfortable and far less snug on her swelling figure.
Mrs. Aldridge's efforts had already done considerable damage to Zoe's shapely silhouette. Her body had softened and her curves had filled out. Her arms had grown thicker. Once slender and elegant they were now fleshy and plump. Her cheeks were round and rosy, her face soft and cherubic. Her slim waist lost to drooping love handles and a bulging potbelly. Her thighs had grown wide and her buttocks, no longer tight and firm, now jiggled like jelly with every step she took. No longer thin Zoe now straddled the furthest edge of the border between plump and portly.
Once she'd finished her meal the stuffed girl moved on to the drawing room. There, whilst Mrs. Aldridge pampered and waited upon her, she would idle away the rest of her day. Mrs. Aldridge worked hard to keep the well fed young woman off her feet and out of the sun. In this the weather had proved to her a great ally. With autumn just turning to winter Zoe had little reason to step outside. She preferred to stay out of the cold. To curl herself up under a warm, cosy blanket as Mrs. Aldridge served her yet another round of cookies and hot chocolate.
Not used to such luxury Zoe felt almost as if she'd died and gone to heaven. Always a sedentary girl a complete lack of responsibility had made her lazy like never before. The girl was becoming dependent and spoiled.
Mrs. Aldridge, for her part, loathed having to wait upon the pampered little trollop. She was not a woman made to be at the beck and call of such a common floozy. Even so she restrained her natural contempt for her situation. Beneath her though it might be to wait upon someone like Zoe Smith it was, for now, necessary. The silly girl had to be kept happy and full.
In the evening Patrick returned home to find his girlfriend still on the sofa, chewing her way through yet another little snack. Leaning in to kiss her cheek he couldn't help but notice some stray smidges of food round her lips.
"Looks like you've been eating well?"
The girl nodded, her cheeks turning suddenly red as she let out a slight burp.
"I though you were planning to cut down?" Patrick said, an eyebrow raised as he gestured to the nearly empty plate of cookies Zoe'd been nibbling her way through.
"Yeah..." Zoe said, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red. "But a little snack here and there won't hurt."
Taking a step back Patrick took in his beloved's increasingly overfed figure. Even through Zoe's baggy dress he could see the round outline of her bulging belly, her widening hips and her hefty buttocks. The shapely, slender girl he'd fallen for was starting to look soft and chubby, her once tight curves now loose and fleshy.
"Maybe, but be careful. I'd hate to see you throw your figure away."
"Don't worry." Zoe grinned as yet another cookie passed her lips. "I've got this under control."