Athena slinked back to her room obediently, picking up that discarded "old maid" outfit and hesitating. She shouldn't... She knew she shouldn't, she knew it would just get worse if she put it on, but something in her couldn't stand being scolded like that again. It wasn't who she was just to obey before! But now...
"I'll only wear it until the chores are done," she rationalized with herself as she got dressed.
The chores, in fact, took most of her morning. She cooked the family breakfast, cleaned up after that breakfast, got the dishes in the wash and the laundry going, put up those dishes and folded that laundry, straightened up the house, and was by then wondering whether to get lunch started in case the others came home when her senses finally returned long enough for her to run to her room and take off the dress.
Athena stared at herself in the mirror, hoping her stint hadn't damaged her too much. Her face looked more tired and worn, to her dismay, and she looked a bit older; taller by a little, more mature in the figure by a little. Athena frowned, and grabbed out the paper and pen from her bag. Trying to convince herself it wasn't happening, she wrote again
I am not a maid.
I am independent.
My clothing choice does not define me.
Still worried, she added
I am not submissive.
It wasn't working; it was harder and harder to deny that these were coming true about her, and Athena was left much more frustrated and angry than when she started. Angrily, she shoved the paper and pen back into the bag, and checked the time, looking for something to do.
12:30. She had been working all morning, and meant to leave for the store hours ago. Lunch traffic would be out and about now, just to add to the shame of what she planned to do. Athena sighed. "I've got to work up the will to do this," she muttered to herself, steeling herself as much as she could for what was to come. "30 more minutes. Hopefully traffic won't be as bad by then. 30 more minutes, and then I leave, no matter what."
So 30 more minutes came and went, and Athena found herself in front of the door to her house, nothing on but a black bra, black panties, some boots, and her handbag. She took a deep breath.
