Chapter 1

I was sitting in my office one afternoon, finishing up some of the seemingly endless paperwork and trying to get home at a reasonable hour that day. I’d had to stay late in the office for one reason or another for the past several days, and tonight I just wanted to go home and relax for a change. I had just about finished all I could do that afternoon when my telephone rang.

I had let my receptionist go home already and at first, I wasn’t going to answer the phone. It was after hours, but something made me pick it up this time.

“Hello?” I said.

“Is this Dr. Price? Dr. Michael Price?” the man’s voice said.

“Yes, this is Dr. Price. How can I help you?”

“Doc, my wife and I need your help. Our marriage is in real trouble and if we don’t find a way to fix it, I’m afraid our next stop is divorce court,” he said.

“I see. Well, how about starting at the beginning and tell me what the problem is,” I said.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. My name is Peter McDonald and my wife Roberta and I are having problems. We are always fighting with each other. I want to do things one way and she wants to do them another. We used to get along famously, but things have gotten to the point we can’t agree on anything, no matter how simple.

“And now it has gotten to the point where we look for things to fight over. I can’t live like this, Doc ... the constant bickering is making me physically sick and I know Roberta isn’t happy. She has even cheated on me saying that at least this other guy makes her smile once in awhile. We really need your help!” he explained.

“It sounds like it. I’ll tell you what, let’s make an appointment for next week and the two of you come in so we can discuss this more. Then I will tell you what I can and can’t do to help. Can you both come in, say at 2:30 on Tuesday?” I asked.

“We will be there. Thanks Dr. Price, I do hope you can help us,” he said.

That Tuesday, Peter and Roberta McDonald came to see me as we had arranged. They sat down and we began discussing what might be wrong in their marriage.

“Well, doctor, like I told you on the phone the other day, Roberta and I are always fighting and it is getting to be too much. We need you to help us find out why we do this and put a stop to it!” Peter said, his voice reflecting his distress.

“Yes, I can imagine. You said something about infidelity?” I asked.

“Yes ... my wife had a short thing,” he said quietly.

“I see. Just the once?”

“No, I’m afraid there were three or four times. But none for awhile now,” he said.

As we spoke, I noticed that Roberta didn’t say anything. She just sat there with her mouth shut and a cool, aloof air about her. It was evident that it was not her idea that they had come seeking my help.

“Well, the good news is that I do not think that this marriage has gone so far astray that it can’t be saved. But I am going to need to know more about all that has happened. So I suggest you each come back individually and talk to me. That way I can concentrate on each one of you as a part of the whole, then we can work on blending you back together,” I said. I set up the appointments and looked forward to meeting with this couple and getting to the bottom of their marital woes.

Peter was the first of the two to meet with me and after an hour or so of talking to him, I really felt sorry for the man. It was clear that he had tried exhaustively to make it work. I listened to everything he had put up with and done for his wife and their marriage and by the time he had finished, I wondered how he could have put up with it – and her – for so long!

But before I made any judgement, I wanted to hear her side of the story. So a couple days later Roberta came to see me. She was just as standoffish as the last time – she didn’t want to be there and wasn’t going to cooperate. I tried getting her to open up and talk to me. It took awhile, but finally she broke.

“That man is the most spineless, weak jellyfish I ever met. It’s a wonder to me how he can even walk upright! I need a man doctor, a man that has at least enough backbone to tells me no on something. Peter let’s me walk all over him – I think he likes it. Did he tell you that he lived with his mother until he met me ... and he was almost 30 years old!” she said angrily.

I had come to the root of the problem! We had a case of gender-reversal! She was wearing the pants in the family when it should be him! And he was too forgiving of her steamrolling him. She found herself someone who would challenge her and who made her tow the line, if only for a little bit. Yes, I could help this couple, but it would take some unusual methods and measures!

After I met them both individually, I made some notes and then I called them both back into my office. “Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, I have talked with you both together and separately and I have made some pretty significant and interesting discoveries. And I believe I can help you. But you are both going to have to want my help. I cannot help just one of you because this is a problem you both had a hand in creating,” I told them both.

“Peter you have bent over backwards in this relationship trying to give your wife everything you can give her. You have been giving, considerate, and even forgiving her in her cheating on you. You have been a gem of a husband, but you haven’t given her the one thing she has always wanted from you. You haven’t given her a man to stand up to. You haven’t given her structure and rules and been the man in this relationship.

“Roberta, you have taken every advantage of your husband’s loving nature, stretching his patience and his generosity to the breaking point. Not only that, but you have found the ultimate betrayal and have used it on several occasions, making him feel even less of a man than he was before. You run over him like so much roadkill and don’t give him any credit for the nice things he does for you.

“Now, I can help you both get back to where you should be in this relationship, but it is going to involve your willing participation in some rather unusual methods. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to put this runaway train back on its tracks and get back to the marriage I think you both want and need?” I asked them.

“Just exactly what are you referring to doctor?” Roberta bemoaned.

“Well Peter, you need to be more of a stand up guy, someone who says what he feels and doesn’t let Roberta here walk all over you. Roberta you need to learn to follow sometimes. Yes, your opinion matters, but you need to let Peter lead. He is the man here, after all,” I said.

“Think of it this way ... your home computer occasionally has problems. Some of them are fixed by running a scan with your virus protection. Some are fixed by turning your computer off then back on. But some really bad problems require you to do a factory reset and go back to the beginning like you just bought your computer. Well, that is what I do. I am the factory reset for your marriage.

“But to do this, I am going to need to teach you both what your roles are. I am going to have to teach you, Roberta, how to be more submissive and how to let your husband take the lead. He is the head of the household and while you should have a say in what goes on, his is supposed to be the last word.

“And you, Peter, need to learn how to lead. You are the steering wheel on this marriage and it is your job to get you both to where you want to be. You cannot let her make the decisions all the time – that’s like letting the passenger drive while you have the steering wheel. It doesn’t take long for the car to run off the road!” I said to the pair.

“Okay, what do we have to do?” Peter said.

“Well, this may sound a bit extreme, but I believe this is an extreme case. I am proposing BD/SM as a way to bring this relationship back into focus again,” I said.

“BD/SM? You mean like ropes and whips and stuff?” Peter asked stunned.

“Well BD/SM is a lot more than ‘ropes and whips and stuff ‘, Peter ... BD/SM – or more to the point D/s – is about one person leading and one following, One person serving as Dominant and the other submissive. Neither one is more important than the other, but just like in your car, there can only be one person driving. If you both try to drive, you will most certainly crash.

I will teach you, Peter to drive this marriage and I will teach you Roberta how to power the marriage. Your job will be to power his dominance with your submission. By your willingness to follow his lead, you put him in the driver’s seat. He can’t just go along for the ride, because if he does, you are both in the back seat of a runaway vehicle. He will have to step up and take control. And your submission will also mean you aren’t fighting about it all the time, either. You give him your input, what you think and feel, and let him make the decision. I have a feeling that he will take your opinions to heart,” I said.

They listened to what I said and then left my office. But I suspected that Peter was more on board with my plan than Roberta was and I was proven correct. A few days later the pair came to my office again.

“Doctor Price, we have decided to give your idea a try. How do we get started?” Peter asked.

“Well, in order for me to do what I need to do, you will need to sign a waiver. The fee for this will be $10,000.00 and it will take eight weeks. Roberta will come stay with me and for the first six weeks, she will have no contact with you, Peter. I have to immerse her totally in my program and I can’t have her distracted. I will give you updates whenever you want them, but she will have no contact with you or anyone else,” I said.

“That is fine Doc – anything to keep my marriage,” Peter said.

“Is that how you feel too, Roberta?” I asked. Roberta didn’t really answer, she just sat there with her head down and quiet. She wasn’t as headstrong and defiant as she was before, but she wasn’t exactly thrilled with what she faced either. They both signed the waiver though and Peter told me he would get the money together for the fee. I told him that I would go ahead with the program then and to pack up what Roberta would need to come stay with me. I gave him my address and told him I would expect her on Friday evening, which was two days from then.

That Friday after work, I went straight home. I was expecting a “guest” and wanted to make sure everything was in readiness. I had spent the previous two days getting prepared for Roberta’s stay and had gotten her room ready for her. I had outlined her program and set up the goals I felt she needed to reach. Everything was set and promptly at 8:00 pm, I received a knock on my door.

“Come in you two,” I said upon opening the door and seeing Peter and Roberta there. Peter had her suitcases in his hands and Roberta was standing there feeling quite penitent. I took the suitcases from Peter and set them down. Then Peter turned to Roberta.

“Remember what we talked about. I am doing this because I want us to get back to the way we were once. I am tired of the fighting and bickering. I want my wife back,” he said. Then he kissed her forehead and turned to me. “Doc, I really hope you can help her ... and me. I don’t want to lose my wife, but I can’t live like we have been either. So she is all yours,” he said.

“Don’t worry Peter, I will do everything I can to give you your beloved wife back. And I will keep you informed on her progress too. Now remember, you are not to call here or try to see her at any time until the six weeks are up and I tell you it’s okay. Agreed?” I said.

“Agreed. Goodbye Roberta, be good and let the Doc here help you. I will see you in six weeks,” he said and then turned and left to return home.

With Peter gone now, I turned to Roberta. “Okay Roberta, let me show you to your room for the next six weeks. Bring your bags along,” I said. Roberta looked at me for a moment as if to say ‘I don’t carry bags!’ but I paid her no mind and started walking down the hallway. She shrugged her shoulders and picked up her bags. She realized immediately that she should have packed lighter but she managed to get them down the hallway and I showed her where she would be staying.

“This will be your room while you are staying here. You have a closet and this chest of drawers to put your clothes in. There is a bathroom right across the hall where you can shower and take care of your personal needs. Have you eaten dinner?” I asked.

“Yeah, we had dinner before I came here,” she said.

“Okay, good. Now unpack your things and when you are done come into the living room. Hurry up, we have some things to discuss tonight,” I told her.

I left her alone to unpack and went into the living room to watch TV and wait for her. About 20 minutes later Roberta came into the living room and sat down on the sofa across from me.

“Did you get everything put away? Did you have enough room?” I asked.

“Yes, I had plenty of room, thanks,” she said.

“Good. Now let’s have a little chat shall we? I want to let you know what we are going to do during your stay here. We are going to work on your rebellious, independent, warring nature – that disobedient and quarrelsome streak I know is inside you. I have seen it myself – you didn’t think I noticed the first time I met you? You sat there not saying a word, arms crossed and glaring at both Peter and me. And I was there trying to help you! Well young lady, that sort of attitude is just what we are going to change. Starting tomorrow you will learn to be cheerfully compliant,” I told her.

Roberta snorted derisively in response to my words.

“You snort now but soon, my dear, your attitude will change. Mark my words, before we are done here you will know what it’s like to beg, to plead, and to crawl. I have had many clients go through my program here, and I haven’t lost yet. Many were a lot more combative than you, too. Yet they all come around and you will as well.

“All that is for tomorrow, though – it is too late now to start anything. Tonight you can consider yourself a guest here. But first thing in the morning, your retraining will begin. So enjoy your last night as a pretentious little bitch!” I told her. I think my words caught her a bit off guard, judging from the shocked look and big eyes I got.

The next morning started far too early for Roberta, I believe. I think she was used to getting up whenever the mood struck her, so when I opened her door and turned on the lights at 6:00 am, she wasn’t a happy camper! Too bad, we had work to get started on – I’m not running a luxury resort here!

“Rise and shine my little whore! Time to get up and get the day started. You’ll find everything you need to make breakfast in the kitchen. So get out of bed take a shower and get dressed – I want you downstairs and making breakfast within the hour!” I said, a big grin on my face.

I heard her grumbling as she got up, stumbling around a bit in her room as I walked down the hallway and headed downstairs to wait for her. I was watching the morning news when I heard the shower start running and it was about 45 minutes after I woke her up so rudely that she came downstairs.

“Come into the living room for a minute,” I called to her as I heard her get to the bottom of the stairs. The last stair of my staircase (or the first one going up) squeaks and once I thought about fixing it. But it like the squeak in it – it serves as an alarm and a notice ... in this case that Roberta was coming downstairs.

Roberta came into the living room and stood in front of me. She was wearing a pair of designer jeans, knee-high suede boots with a four-inch stiletto heel, and a simple loose-fitting white tank top with a deep V neckline. She wore little, if any, makeup and her hair hung limp and straight, still damp from her shower.

“So is this how you usually dress for Peter?” I asked her.

“Why? What’s wrong with my clothes? These are expensive jeans and these boots cost nearly $500.00!” she said incensed.

“It’s not a matter of how much your clothes cost, it’s that you want to dress and look nice for your husband. One of your jobs is to look good for your husband – to care about how he sees you. You are a reflection of him and you should always strive to be attractive and sexy. Think of it like this – your dress and appearance should make every other woman in the room hate you, and make every other man envious of him!” I said.

“Well, he has never said anything about the way I dress,” she said.

“I understand. But that doesn’t relieve you of your job, just because he doesn’t say anything. You still need to be his beautiful, sexy, arm candy. Make him proud to be seen with you and proud to show you off. You are his treasure – you should sparkle!” I said.

“Okay,” she sighed.

“Good, now go make us some breakfast so we can get on with your training,” I told her.

Roberta looked at me puzzled. “What do you want for breakfast?” she asked.

“Normally I have two eggs over easy, some soft bacon, toast and orange juice,” I told her. Another sigh and she left for the kitchen.

Roberta wasn’t a bad cook, and before long breakfast was ready and it was time to eat. “Breakfast is ready!” she called from in the dining room. I got up and came in noting that she had already sat down and was about to start eating.