The Queen of Humiliation and Curse

[Blurb archived. Complete short story. Please add it to your collection.] You got a cat. The cat was big, or more precisely, burly. A male cat. Its coat was an unusual color, as if someone had dyed it. It looked like a stray, fierce enough to be the village bully. When it sprawled out, it looked like a lord. But you still thought the kitty was so pitiful. The kitty must want to come home with you. After the cat came home with you, you petted it every day: its paws, its tail, its ears. You kissed it a couple of times whenever you felt like it, and sniffed it. When it yawned, you stuck your finger in its mouth. If it bit you, you poked its throat. You said, “Baby, you enjoy this too, don’t you?” “You naughty cat, seducing me every day.” “Come on, cat, make some sounds to please me!” You kept smacking its butt, making loud claps, even when it scratched you. You really enjoyed petting your cat. Then you discovered that the cat was actually the King of Curses in disguise. Without meaning to, you’d thoroughly humiliated him. Now he’s captured you. He’s going to do everything you did to the cat, everything, to you. You’re done for. You’re cornered against the wall, completely overshadowed by his towering figure. You swallow nervously and force out a shaky smile. “Don’t smack my butt.” A few days later. You mutter under your breath, “Whatever. I’m not marrying a cat.” *Second-person narration. Theme: Keep a hopeful outlook on life.