molly's response

"Okay, so maybe you did find Chloe in her high school yearbook, but that doesn't mean that she's the person you're looking for."

"Why would she lie to us about her last name?"

"Maybe it's a typo."

"Gabe wouldn't have hired her without the proper paperwork... why would she have a social security card with a different last name?  The government doesn't make typos like that and any normal person would've sent it back to get the proper spelling..."

Molly sighed.  "I dunno, it doesn't feel like enough evidence."  She yawned, feeding a piece of bacon to Crackers as she chewed her mouthful of food.

"So you think I need to get more evidence before bringing this to Gabe and Winters?"

"What do you think would happen if you don't?"

"Well Winters is a dick.  He'd probably just go with it, make up some of his own evidence or do something to fuck her over.  He's just waiting to throw someone else under the bus so his company doesn't go under.   He's desperate.  He would love for me to tell him that his blackmail video isn't legit because she wasn't actually underage."

Molly nodded, seemingly deep in thought.  "Do you really think Chloe would stick around after finding out you're working for Winters?  And wouldn't they have seen each other at some point?  Wouldn't Winters have pointed her out?"

violet's anger

Seeing the resemblance between the two women sent a jolt of anger through my system, and I slammed the laptop shut, ready to throw it at the wall.  I stood, pacing for a moment.  "What the fuck, bro," I said aloud to no one.  "After all we've been through together and now it feels like I don't even know you."  I paced faster, feeling a fire in my chest, a tension in my shoulders, ready to punch someone.  Am I going crazy?  "I trusted you.  I opened up to you!  Told you my darkest fucking secrets.  Because I thought you were part of the family.  But you're fucking not!"  My hands balled into fists, trying to take over.  I knew I needed to talk to someone... needed Toby or Molly to calm me down, or Izaak to play sports against, or Gabe to cane me again.  But it was the middle of the night, even Molly was sleeping.  "You're a fucking con and don't deserve to be part of our family.  Jokes on me for fucking trusting you."  My vision was getting blurry and I needed to do something, quick.  My hands landed on the tv remote and I launched it against the wall, causing it to shatter with a loud crash.  I heard the faint yelling of my downstairs neighbor saying, "go to sleep!"

Finally I was able to take a deep breath and plop back down on the recliner, muttering a "sorry" to the neighbor that probably couldn't hear me anymore.  Not that it mattered, all he wanted was for me to sit the fuck down.  

violet putting together the pieces

I was stunned into silence for the rest of the meeting, thoughts spinning out of control as all of the pieces connected together.  As soon as everyone left, I bolted to my room, snatching up my laptop to make sure I wasn't going crazy.  I opened the folder where I'd saved all the information about Chloe Peterson.  First, I pulled up the yearbook photo.

toby + chloe

It's a surprise.  Dress comfortably, something you don't mind getting dirty 😏

I had no idea what that meant, trying on a hundred different outfits before finally setlling on baggy jeans and a blue crop top.  This made me more nervous than making the move on Izaak a few nights ago.  A date with Toby... the thing I'd been dreaming about for what felt like ages.  I'd never thought that fantasy could be a reality, but here we are...

I went light on the makeup, trying to give off a more natural look but wanting my eyes to pop a little.  Toby seemed like he'd be into the emo-type, which is the style that seemed to be coming out as I got dressed.  He brought out a side of me that I'd buried deep for so long, and it was kind of refreshing to remember a younger version of myself.

I'm downstairs.

I nervously slipped on my converse sneakers and checked myself out in the mirror one final time before jogging downstairs.  I could see Toby through the glass before I opened the door.  He wore jeans and a T-shirt, leaning against the wall staring into the distance.  He looked perfect.

I swung the door open and he immediately snapped out of his thoughts, surprised at my attire, but trying not to let it show as we greeted each other with a hug.

"I hate that you wouldn't tell me the plan," I said teasingly.  "I had no idea what to wear."

"You look great," he assured me.  

"Are you gonna tell me now?"

"Nope," he said with a smile, leading me away.  "You'll just have to trust me."

after molly forges prescription

As we rode to Gabe's place, he talked softly on the phone, but I was too out of it to even understand his words.  The self-hatred spread throughout my mind and body, constantly yelling at me that I'm not good enough and replaying Toby's words.  What the fuck was I thinking?  How could I put both of our careers on the line like that?  

And those thoughts just morphed into everything else I'd fucked up.  My relationship with Adam.  The clients I couldn't save.  Being snappy with Violet.  I hadn't done even one thing right in so long.  

Why was Gabe even taking me home with him?  And why did he help me with that client's mom?  I didn't deserve it.

The only thing I deserved was punishment.  I needed to pay for everything I'd fucked up.  If I didn't get the spanking from Gabe, I worried that I'd find a different way to punish myself.

I was still in a daze as we arrived in front of his building.  Gabe still sounded distant as he thanked our driver and exchanged pleasantries with the doorman.  

"Are you okay?" he asked when the elevator doors closed, rushing us up to the top floor.

I shrugged.  "I just need you to beat my ass."

Gabe frowned, which of course I interpreted as him hating me.  "You know I will give you a good spanking, but first we need to talk about all of this."

"I don't wanna talk about anything."

"I know.  But you're going to."

I wanted to fold my arms in a huff, but I just felt so heavy that I settled with a shrug.

chloe's thoughts/feelings since seattle and during meeting

since leaving seattle, my thoughts have been consumed with "I need to get into this memory card."  I know there's something important on there that can help me, but being a hacker herself, sage was brilliant with securing our stuff.  If I could just get into the card, there would be images in there that I could alter to throw violet off my tracks.  The whole night after we got back, all I did was try to get into the card.  I must've tried 30000 different passcodes, but couldn't get in.  I barely slept, only to be interrupted in my dreams by frantic efforts to escape unescapable scenarios.

Wednesday I went to work with still only the memory card in mind.  I was also so tired that I couldn't think straight and kept fucking up.  I'm really so bad at this job.    I was busy the whole morning, catching up on everything I'd missed from going on the trip.  There was finally a lull after lunch, which made the thoughts come to the surface again.  I decided to look up Winters file and see if I could learn anything else to help me either figure out the password, or steer violet in the wrong direction.  

As I stalked the company website, there was one photo that stood out.  I couldn't quite place where I knew this girl from, but she worked for Winters and looked enough like me that it would be easy to photoshop her head onto an incriminating photo.  Maybe I could figure out how to get back into winters corp's computer system and somehow trace evidence to her.  

just trying to write something

"Chloe Peterson, front and center."

Izaak's firm tone made me gulp, especially after what I had just witnessed with Violet.  I pushed myself up from the sofa, shuffling towards the stool where Gabe and Izaak stood towering over me.  I'd been quiet and compliant during the whole meeting, hoping that my invisibility would get me off the hook.  It hadn't.  

"Skirt up, panties down, and get into position," Gabe said.  His tone was softer with me than it had been with Violet, and I sense that while part of him wanted to (and enjoyed) punishing me, another part of him was sorry that he had to do it.  Why had I agreed to this deal in the first place?  Or why didn't I tell Violet to not fuck around with Gabe?

I guess part of me was also curious about what it would be like.

"Let's go!" he said, snapping his fingers as my hesitation.  Shivering, I pushed my panties down and bent over the stool, gripping onto the wooden legs.

"You did not follow instructions," Izaak commented, which caused me to blush and push up my skirt, exposing my bare bottom for everyone to see.  

I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to hide behind my hair.  

Gabe rested the cane on my bottom, then spoke.  "I know it was Violet's idea to go over budget, but your responsibility was to remind her that you'd both get caned for it.  Did you do that?"

chatgpt pic for a family meeting

i just prompted it to make an image for the chapter i'm working on, which is chloe's perspective of the last half of the family meeting, and this is what it generated for me.  why do all of the guys look the same 😂

chatgpt's photos of my characters

ch 27 addition (at family meeting)

Before I could retort, Toby chimed in.  “Does anyone else have something to discuss?”

Izaak cleared his throat.

Instantly curious, I turned to my friend.  "Ooooo, Clo, what’d you do?"

"This is about you," Izaak responded plainly, so serious it made my tummy twist into knots.

I chuckled, trying to ignore how excited he made me.  "What?  Me?  You don’t think you’ll get to torture me enough this weekend?"

“I believe it’s better for me to address this in front of the group.”

On the edge of my seat, I urged him to continue.

"When I took you and Chloe to the airport and found the vape pen, you assured me it was yours."

My heart thumped against my chest.  "Yeah, and?  It was.  You know I'm a big pothead and all."  Gabe shook his head at me, already figuring out where this was headed, but I continued to play dumb.  "And you already spanked me for it.  Why bring it up now?  Didn't get enough?  Damn you're more of a sadist than Gabe."

Izaak didn’t play into my aggression, staying as calm as a pilot reassuring passengers that it’s only turbulence.  "It has come to my attention that the weed was Molly's."

It was hard to read him – was he actually upset?  “Okay, fine, but shouldn't you be talkin’ to her about this?”

“I already did.”  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Molly uncomfortably squirming in her seat.  “My ‘beef’ now is with you.”

“Why, though?  Bro, it really ain’t that big of a deal.”