Chapter 1

After my best friend lost her husband, she started looking better by the day, her skin as fresh and dewy as a twenty-year-old’s.

I couldn’t help envying her flawless complexion, so I pressed her for her beauty secret.

Blushing furiously, she stammered:

“I—I just had a little treatment at the snake shop.”

I was baffled. A snake shop wasn’t a beauty salon.

“What kind of treatment could you get at a snake shop?”

My question seemed to bring something to Chloe’s mind. She swallowed, her eyes going hazy as she caught her lower lip between her teeth.

“That shop doesn’t just sell snakes. They sell snakeskin panties, too. Put them on, and you’ll never want to leave. They can make a woman look years younger overnight.”

After Chloe’s husband died, she suddenly became obsessed with visiting a snake shop to pet the snakes.

I’d been terrified of snakes since childhood. I couldn’t understand why she wanted to touch them, but she gave me a knowing look.

“Snakes are good for women. They make you beautiful.”

I laughed at her for thinking petting snakes could improve her looks.

A month later, I had to eat my words.

Chloe’s once-pudgy body had become beautifully curvy. Her cheeks glowed as though someone had been thoroughly satisfying her, making her look even more alluring. She certainly didn’t look like a grieving widow.

I didn’t believe petting snakes had done all that. Plenty of people handled snakes, and I’d never heard anyone else claim it made them prettier.

Looking at her flawless skin, I finally gave in to my envy and curiosity and asked what beauty secret she’d been using.

Chloe blushed and stammered:

“I—I just had a little treatment at the snake shop.”

I was baffled. A snake shop wasn’t a beauty salon.

“What kind of treatment could you get at a snake shop?”

Her face turned even redder. She pulled me into a corner and whispered conspiratorially:

“That shop doesn’t just sell snakes. They sell snakeskin panties, too. Put them on, and you’ll never want to leave. They can make a woman look years younger overnight.”

Panties made from snakeskin? That was a new one.

I thought she was pulling my leg.

“Snakeskin panties can do all that? Are you wearing them today? Let me see.”

I reached for her waistband. Chloe begged me to stop, then sighed.

“You can only wear them at the shop. Each appointment gets you two hours.”

I blurted out in surprise:

“What? Isn’t the whole point of buying panties to wear them? You can’t even take them home? Then why buy them?”

My question seemed to bring something to Chloe’s mind. She swallowed, her eyes turning hazy as she caught her lower lip between her teeth.

“You’ll understand once you go. These aren’t ordinary panties…”

When I still looked confused, she patiently explained:

“You’re not exactly happy with your husband in bed, right? Instead of relying on that useless man, why not go find a little excitement for yourself?”

For a second, I thought she was encouraging me to cheat. I quickly waved my hands.

“No, no. My husband’s actually asking me to come home. I need to go.”

I hurried away before she could drag me there.

Chloe had hit a sore spot. Nathan and I had been married for five years, and our sex life had always been disappointing.

More accurately, my husband had never satisfied me.

That night, Nathan slept soundly beside me while I tossed and turned.

I’d hoped we could have a proper night together. I’d even changed into a sexy lace nightgown that barely concealed my nipples.

It had gotten Nathan excited at first. He’d even asked how good he was while thrusting.

Less than three minutes later, we were staring awkwardly at each other.