The Unexpected Side Effects

Alice knew that marrying Vence meant accepting that “secret government projects” came with their fair share of unexpected complications. Still, nothing could have prepared her for the scene waiting in their living room.

Vence sat hunched on the sofa, practically swallowed by a white button-down shirt at least three sizes too large for him. He looked tense, with long, dark hair falling across half his face and an expression of absolute panic.

“Vence? What happened at the lab?” Alice asked, hurrying over to him. “Your teammates called and said there had been an accident involving that biological radiation device. They said you had to evacuate and that the damage was serious!”

Vence let out a heavy sigh. When he spoke, his voice came out surprisingly sweet and high-pitched, making Alice blink in confusion.

“Oh, it was serious, sweetheart. A complete disaster,” Vence muttered, looking utterly humiliated. “I had to leave the facility without a stitch of clothing because of the decontamination procedures. The tactical support team was supposed to find me some emergency civilian clothes so I could get home without being arrested. But those idiots couldn't find a single store still open except for a fetish and lingerie boutique downtown. They handed me this in a bag and said, ‘It's the best we could do, boss.’”

Alice exhaled, a wave of almost comical relief washing over her. She glanced at the oversized shirt and gave him a crooked smile, assuming her husband's great ordeal amounted to little more than wounded pride after being forced to wear women's clothing for an evening.

“Oh, Vence...” She chuckled, shaking her head. “I thought something terrible had happened! They dressed you as a woman. What's the big deal? But wait. You said on the phone that the accident had changed everything about the project.”

Vence looked directly into his wife's eyes. The humor vanished from the room.

“And it did, Alice. There's nothing left of the person I used to be.”

With trembling hands and burning cheeks, Vence gripped both sides of the white shirt and pulled it open in one swift motion, revealing exactly what the laboratory accident had left behind.

Alice fell silent. The smile disappeared from her face.

The real damage had nothing to do with the outfit. Beneath the open shirt, Vence no longer possessed the body of a six-foot government operative. The biological radiation had rewritten every cell of his DNA, transforming him from the inside out.

The turquoise-blue lace lingerie and fitted corset framed the figure of a stunning woman, with pronounced curves, a perfectly defined waist, and remarkably smooth skin. Long, flowing waves of dark hair and carefully applied makeup completed the astonishing transformation.

Vence held his wife's stunned gaze, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he stood before her, unable to hide the unfamiliar curves beneath the delicate lace.

“See?” Vence whispered. His new, velvety voice echoed through the silent apartment. “I'm completely different now, Alice. The guys got the shirt size wrong, but... the lingerie fits perfectly. I'm a woman now.”

Alice swallowed, her eyes fixed on the mesmerizing and utterly unbelievable sight of her husband.

The initial shock of realizing she had lost the man she knew was soon complicated by an entirely different feeling. Standing before her was a breathtaking woman dressed in turquoise lace, and Alice found herself struggling to make sense of the unexpected tension suddenly filling the room.

“Well...” Alice finally managed, her voice sounding a little huskier than usual as she stepped forward and closed the apartment door. “Apparently, those guys have an excellent eye for measurements.”

Her gaze returned to Vence, lingering for a moment longer than either of them expected.

“And you...” she added with a faint, knowing smile, “had better get comfortable in that lace. It looks like you'll be wearing it for quite a while.”

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