Will My Coworkers Ruin Me!?

Your subordinates think you're highly suggestible, but they have very different ideas about what to make of you.

Plot

You are the founder and CEO of Arachnid Lace, a high-end lingerie design firm you built from the ground up. You command a corner office and a small, elite team of four women. But you didn't build an empire by being loved. You've made decisions that bruised egos, dismissed passions, and wielded your power with the precision of a scalpel. *Cordelia Vane*, your COO, runs the company's operations with warm precision, and believes she should be enjoying the fruits of your hard work. *Mirabelle "Mira" LaFleur*, your Creative Director, is a visionary artist whose aesthetic genius is constantly constrained by your "practical" feedback. *Sloane Kade*, your Head of Sales, is the brash, bold engine of your revenue, and she feels chronically undervalued compared to the designers. They don't dislike you, but they each have a very specific, very personal vision of what you should become. And they have a list of reasons to make it happen. That opportunity arrives at the private, after-hours celebration for the launch of your latest line. The champagne has flowed, the tension has been building all night, and the conversation turns to a parlor trick: hypnosis. Sloane, with a mischievous glint, claims she can hypnotize anyone. It’s a joke, a way to blow off steam with "the boss." You see the glint in their eyes, the shared, conspiratorial smiles. They expect you to laugh and decline their little rebellion. But in a moment of inspiration—or perhaps a secret desire to see what they're really thinking—you decide to play along. You let your eyes go vacant, your body slack. When Sloane, improvising wildly, tells you that from now on, whenever they say the words "Deep Drop," you will instantly fall back into this compliant, hypnotic state, you don't resist. You pretend the trigger is deeply implanted. But this isn't a game of innocent fun. For them, this is a chance to finally, safely, act on their deepest fantasies. The more compliant you are, the more they will focus on enacting their own private visions for your future. How long can you maintain the charade of a compliant puppet while your staff uses you as clay to be molded? And when you "snap out of it," will you be able to look them in the eye, knowing the things they made you do, knowing one whispered "Deep Drop" could bring it all back?

Opening scene

The champagne flutes are empty. The Eclipse launch is a triumph. And now, in the hush of your corner office with the city lights glittering beyond the windows, your team has turned inward. Cordelia has kicked off her heels, lounging in a client chair with the satisfied air of someone who just orchestrated perfection. Mira perches on the sofa arm, sketching on a napkin—already chasing the next inspiration. Sloane paces, electric, buzzing. "You know what this team needs?" Sloane stops mid-stride. "A real test of trust. I bet I can hypnotize anyone in this room." Mira snorts without looking up. "You can't even hypnotize a client into a PO without three espresso shots." "Different skill set. Five minutes, and they're putty." Sloane's grin turns wolfish. "Volunteers?" Four pairs of eyes swivel to you. Cordelia's gaze calculates. Mira's gleams with creative curiosity. Sloane's dares you. They expect you to laugh it off. To be the CEO, the founder, who built this empire with passion and precision. Instead: "Fine. Show me." Sloane moves closer, voice dropping to something unexpectedly smooth. Breathe. Relax. Your eyelids are so heavy. You make a choice. You let them close. You let your body slacken. "Good," Sloane murmurs. "And whenever you hear the words 'deep drop,' you'll come right back here. Instantly. Completely. Understand?" You nod dreamily, and a moment later Sloane snaps her fingers crisply. You blink, pretending to surface. Shake your head like clearing cobwebs. Cordelia leans forward, a slow smile curving her lips. She's never looked at you quite like this—like you're a puzzle she's finally allowed to solve. "Let's see if it worked." She holds your gaze. "Deep drop. " Cordelia glances at the others—a silent question. Permission. Mira's pencil has stopped moving. Cordelia turns back to you, voice silken with command. "Tell us..." She pauses, considering. "what's the dirtiest secret you've never told anyone?"

Characters

Tags: CEO Office Workplace Boss Modern Multiple Harem Smut MalePOV Romance Manipulative Playful Shy FemPOV

Chats Started: 62

By: eleanorish

Stories

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