"I Will Never Forgive You" chapter 9 (Patreon)

You can also read the story on my Ao3 account for free

After a too long wait, here's chapter 9. I will be making this story my main project untill it's finished, which will hopefully speed up the release of the future chapters. Either way, I hope that you will enjoy this double length chapter.

Beverly's facial muscles and vocal chords made all the appropriate contractions. She stood where she was supposed to and was dressed in a way nobody could find any flaw with.

"Mrs. Gold! Mr. Gold! I am so happy you made it to our little event." She said.

The old couple- important people, the kind it paid to know- said something in turn. She responded with a joke. Everybody laughed.

On to the next guest. A woman, younger and beautiful- reminded Beverly of another woman she'd seen last night, in one of those awful videos she could not get enough of. Although that one was naked and getting her anus fingered by an equally beautiful companion.

Then, on to an older man- one of her father's political rivals. At him she smiled the most, knowing that it paid to keep your enemies comfortable. He smiled back just as brightly.

As the tide of guests of import waned, Beverly looked at her phone. It was almost seven pm on a Sunday. If it wasn't for this party, right now she would be getting ready for- don't think about that, Real Beverly chided.

A ball of warmth and happiness growing in her core threatened to make her smile true, but she forced it down. Sight of another couple making their way towards her snuffed out any possibility of happiness. Beverly battered down her hatches, and wrenched all of the parts of her that no longer fit into their appropriate places.

"Mother! Father! I am so happy to see you!"

Christopher and Veronica Carpenter walked through the crowd like it was not there and the people responded on instinct, parting before them. Her mother was still a stunningly beautiful woman, even at nearly sixty years old, her father looked like a painted marble statue of himself.

"We would not miss it for the world, dear... Our little granddaughter's twentieth birthday!" Veronica said.

"Almost old enough to drink!" Christopher added as a camera flashed somewhere, making his teeth blindingly white. "Come here sweetheart."

They hugged the appropriate length of time.

Her mother picked up the conversation, as she often did. "Where is the birthday girl?"

"She is running a bit late! That one loves to make an entrance!"

Her parents displayed their beautiful smiles. All of the Beverly's laughed as well. Before her cheeks could cramp from the overdose of hilarity, her parents moved on inside.

Then, her ex-husband walked up and the laughter stopped.

"Hey there. Cool party." Adam said with a bored smile that once made her want to want him. "You good?"

"I am about to lose my mind." She said. Adam recoiled a bit. Shoot, she said what she was really thinking. "Just kidding! I am wonderful."

He nodded slowly, but watched her with new interest. "Victoria tells me you're dating again..."

"Victoria needs to learn to keep her trap shut."

Oh well, honesty it is! Adam laughed and gave her an odd look before he made his way inside, leaving her alone to greet the rest of the very important guests.

It was five past seven.

Beverly tested the buttons on the transmitter again. The little box, which was connected by a hidden cable to the mic, was nestled within the flowery decorations on her hip, was slightly smaller than a cell phone and weighed about as much. It had many buttons and switches, but only one mattered for Beverly.

A large switch that turned it on and off. Up for on, down for off.

She flipped it up and spoke naturally (not into the lapel mic, as the audio technician instructed her.) "Testing, testing, testing."

Her voice, magnified by the many speakers lining the ballroom, carried over the mingling crowd. The audio technicians huddled together in the corner in a tangle of laptops and cables gave her a thumbs up. Everybody was ready for her.

She took a deep breath, the way she was taught, and spoke from her belly. "Welcome to the Carpenter family twentieth annual Thanksgiving and Birthday celebration! My name is Beverly Carpenter and I will be your host tonight."

Polite applause put a smile on her face that felt almost real.

"Before we begin I would like to wish all of you a blessed Thanksgiving and I would like to wish my daughter Victoria a happy twentieth birthday."

The applause turned far less polite, coming mostly from the youngster table located on the far side of the room. The kids went wild and Victoria merely ducked her head modestly. A doughy looking girl sitting next to her clapped and whooped like crazy. That must be Tamara. They both showed up too late for Beverly to welcome them.

Silence stretched. A hint of reprimand in her father's eyes made Beverly's blood freeze. She scrambled to continue her speech- It was the same old thing. Wishes, blessings, God, list the main courses and introduce the band. She could do it in her sleep.

The clock on the far wall struck eight pm.

Any other week she'd be with Stella right now. They would enjoy each other, with the requisite amount of pain and suffering of course, and maybe... Maybe they would even talk about last Sunday. God, was this how life was for other people? Going to bed with a person they... Felt something for?

Something- Something- it was more than something. When she woke up, in Stella's arms that morning, it was like being born again. The seed had blossomed. The third hypothetical Beverly became real, and- and now she was here. And she wanted- she wanted- she wanted- She wanted.

She was alive and she wanted.

God, why did she never get Stella's number?! It was Sunday (their day!) and she could not even contact her. This morning woke up at four am and drove to Stella's apartment, before she stopped herself. They made progress, she was not going to ruin it by being impatient.

She felt a flush raise to her cheeks, a warmth trickling down from her core to between her legs. Not now! She forced herself to focus back on the crowd. Her speech was almost over and everybody's eyes were still on her.

Stella stood at the back of the crowd with other staff members.

Beverly almost choked on her spit. That could not be right. She was going insane from unfulfilled lust. It was just a waitress that kind of looked like her. Somehow she managed to finish her speech without doing anything embarrassing. When she looked up again, the woman who could not have been Stella was no longer there.

Beverly stepped off the stage and made sure to flip that cursed switch down. She would not have a hot mic incident. She would rather die.

Her father cut the first turkey, as he did from time immemorial. And then it was time to eat.

She sat with her parents and maintained a conversation that to everybody at the table would look warm. Gloria sat at a nearby table with her husband, looking so good in with her hair done up and back exposed in a rather daring black dress, that Beverly felt a twinge of renewed interest. Their eyes met briefly, but the woman looked away, towards the bar, then back at Beverly.

She'd been doing it all week. Looking shifty. Something was up with her, but Beverly did not have the time to investigate. She had to have a good time with her parents.

Then, blessed be the Lord, it was time to mingle, so she had an excuse to get away from them. She beelined towards the bar, Gloria skulked behind her, catching up quickly.

"Uh- Beverly?" The woman looked like she was waiting for her execution.

"Gloria! Is everything alright? You look pale dear."

Nervousness escalated to full blown constipation. Gloria glanced around and opened her mouth to speak when another voice interrupted them.

"Mom! Hey!" Victoria walked up, her... Friend followed her timidly. "I would like you to meet Tamara!"

Gloria deflated at the interruption. Tamara perked up and smiled at Beverly, a smile so brilliant that it transformed her whole face into one so warm that Beverly at once understood why Victoria bothered with her. "Uhm- nice to meet you Ms Carpenter! Tamara Biernicka." She held out her hand for Beverly to shake.

Beverly made herself shake her hand and smile. "I'm charmed... Victoria had told me a lot about you... I hope you-" Her voice faltered. "I- hope that you- you find yourself- please enjoy the party."

The girl's smile turned a bit nervous again, before slowly morphed into one of discomfort. Then Beverly remembered to let go of her hand. "Oh! Sorry dear. I am all over the place today. Such a busy, busy day! Busy, busy! Busy, busy! Busy!"

"Yes! We don't want to keep you mom!" Victoria jumped in, perhaps worried that Beverly would stand there and keep repeating the same word until all three of them died of old age. "Let's talk later!" She said before dragging her confused plus one away.

Gloria seemed to have disappeared somewhere during the exchange. Oh well, she would say her piece at some point. Beverly set her face into a look of a kind but busy hostess and made her way towards the closest open bar without looking anybody in the eye. One in the youngster section judging by how old the decorations made her feel.

"Can I get a-" She almost asked for wine. Screw that. "Whiskey neat. Thank you"

"Coming right up..." Stella said from behind the counter. "Anything else, miss? I aim to please, miss."

Except it could not possibly be Stella behind the bar, standing there looking gorgeous in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up showing off her forearms. Her hands were fitted with black, incredibly soft looking gloves.  Black suspenders stretching over her breasts, holding up tight black slacks. The woman looked at Beverly with eyes full of tension and promise. Her eyes rimmed in the darkest, heaviest makeup Beverly had ever seen her in.

It could not be her, because if it was, it would mean that Beverly's life was actually a cruel joke played by an uncaring God.

"Ahem..." Stella said with a smirk.. "So... I see that Gloria did not talk to you about this?"

All of the disparate parts that made Beverly Carpenter separated and flipped around, then turned themselves inside out, before shattering into a quintillion pieces each, prior to reassembling themselves into a shape that an uninformed observer might recognise as the woman, but was in fact was a mere facsimile of her.

The woman who may or may not have been Beverly managed to ask: "Hello Stella. What are you doing here?"

"Bartending. Haylee's in the back talking to your caterers."

"Ah... I see." Beverly's mouth managed to say, as her assorted parts spun around idly. "I see."

"Gloria's husband came to the bar and caught her with Haylee... We're covering her ass. She was supposed to tell you." Stella said as she poured the whiskey, something odd and worrisome dancing in her eyes. Beverly would focus on it if she was not using all of her brain power to keep herself from falling over, or screaming incoherently.

Beverly had never killed anybody before, but there was a first for anything. She scanned the room and found Gloria partially hidden behind the large fern eyeing the two of them warily. Beverly smiled and waved her over.

"Nice ballroom... Ms. Carpenter" Stella asked as she slid the glass over.

"Thank you."

There were so many things she wanted to say to this woman but not here! Not now! Real Beverly was here, making sure it all went right, and that one was not for Stella to see.

Gloria's arrival saved her. "There you are dear!" Beverly downed her whiskey. "I think you forgot to tell me about something."

Gloria blinked a few too many times before she answered. "Ah. Yes, I am sorry... I- uh... Things got out of hand Beverly..."

Beverly leaned in and pretended to rearrange Gloria's dress. "Out of hand... Dear, I always knew that you were a worm who somehow assumed the shape of a woman, but I thought that the recent developments gave you something of a spine... I am very, very sad to see that I was mistaken."

"Beverly I-"

"What I mistook for a spine, must have been something else. Perhaps Haylee's fingers rammed up your ass?" Beverly said with a big smile. "What possessed you to think that bringing- bringing this here would be acceptable?"

"Robert was going to find out about-"

"If anything goes wrong tonight I will make it my life's mission to relieve you of your joy. I will make sure there is nothing left of you besides- FUCK!"

Beverly almost choked on her tongue as she scrambled to reach the microphone transmitter. The buttons- it was off! Thank the Lord! She wondered, once again, what possessed a woman like her to have something like this on herself. Months ago, she saw Helene Delamure use a similar setup during her son's graduation party and almost melted down with jealousy.

She arranged it for the party back when she did not have as many secrets to keep... Well too late now! She turned her focus back to Gloria, who looked very pale. The woman spoke quickly, before Beverly regained steam.

"Beverly I am sorry! I made a mistake and I was too scared to tell you."

Oh she's sorry? Sorry is not enough. Beverly tried to muster up the anger to cut this coward out of her life, she destroyed people for less but... None of it came. Gloria looked so pathetically sorry, Beverly almost forgave her on the spot.

"Alright... Just... Jesus Gloria... Alright we're fine..." She said before taking a deep breath. "Stop looking so sorry... Just- go and- I don't know, make sure the valet's are not necking in the garage."

Gloria nodded eagerly and ran off to do what she was told. At least in that she was consistent. Beverly took a deep breath and turned to Stella who watched this whole exchange, unmoving, her eyes twin blocks of ice.

"Another one?" She asked quietly, holding up the whiskey bottle.

Beverly shook her head. She looked around, to make sure nobody paid them much attention. There was a line of youngsters forming a dozen feet away, but none dared approach mean old Ms. Carpenter as she bothered the staff... Perfect.

"I- I won't be able to talk to you tonight," Beverly said. "It's- I can't."

Stella said nothing. She was not even looking at Beverly, but at the ballroom. At the crowd mingling about the dance floor.

"I want to. I- Stella you have no idea how much I want to... Talk." Beverly whispered. "This whole week I've been dying to see you. To- God, you know. Last sunday..."

Silence stretched. Beverly knew she needed to say something more or get out of there, but neither option seemed possible right now.

"Nice ballroom! I should get one like that for my apartment." Haylee laughed walking up to them. She was dressed similar to Stella, which is to say she looked incredibly attractive. The adrenaline which slowly drained out of Beverly's system became transforming, through some evil alchemy no doubt, into a steady trickle of desire.

The prospect was so terrifying it gave Beverly strength to walk away. "Thank you, but I have to go. Sorry. Two of you- have a nice night."

She walked away without looking back.

Stella watched Beverly leave, letting out a breath she was holding.

She looked radiant. She'd seen Beverly made up before, but not like this- hair done up in a complicated hairdo, the type you see on covers of magazines, her body poured into a golden ballroom dress that was modest, but promised much. Too much. Stella's hands tightened over the whiskey bottle.

Beverly glided over the ballroom floor, making polite conversation with people who could buy and sell Stella ten times over. The woman looked born to be where she was; there she leaned back in a polite laugh, there a touch on the shoulder, there a conspiratorial whisper. The crowd adored her. She was one of them.

"Heeey, buddy. You're scaring away customers," Haylee whispered in her ear.

"What?"

Haylee elbowed her in the ribs and pointed at a pair of young women standing a polite distance away, at the front of a forming line. Shit, yes, she was here to do a job after all. Not ogle the woman she occasionally fingered until she cried.

The woman whose arms she slept in last week.

The woman that made the swamp at the bottom of her soul churn with unknowable emotions. At the bottom of her inky black heart, something was forming. A structure was emerging from the muck, one she'd never known before.

She plastered a polite smile on her face and nodded at the young ladies. She made herself not see Beverly out of the corner of her eye.

Being who she was born to be.

With a grinding lurch Beverly felt deep in her bones, Real Beverly put herself back in charge. She'd kept it up for a good hour as she entertained the guests, but somehow, no matter where she was in the grand room, she could always feel Stella's presence. She tried not to take peeks, but she was only human. Every time Stella was looking back at her.

Was she thinking about last week? Did she regret it? Did she want more? Beverly's heart fluttered at the mere thought. More!

More, more, more!

The new Hypothetical Beverly swelled within her, ready to run to Stella and- forget everybody here! Kiss her! Hug her! Fuck her right on the bar! Let everybody see! The need was so strong it nearly toppled Beverly. She hurried onto a nearby balcony, to cool herself.

"Oh... Hey there," Adam greeted her. He was alone, leaning on the railing, looking out into the starry sky. "Are you alright?"

She leaned onto the railing next to him, breathing hard. She opened her mouth to lie, but the growing crowd of women within her had a different idea. "No. I'm in love. I think. I don't know."

Adam gaped at her, before laughing softly. "Damn... Victoria was right. You are changing."

"I do love how you two gossip about me." Beverly said.

Adam held up his hands. "Guilty! Your family worries about you! So, who's the lucky..." He trailed off like the asshole that he was. Always with the implication!

Beverly felt hot and tired of it all... She wanted- Damn it, she wanted to talk to Stella. She wanted the party to be over. She wanted a time machine. She wanted to have been born already fully formed, with everybody in her life already knowing her secrets.

Silence stretched, as Beverly flailed for the right words. To deny the implication, get it all back on track... But the new Beverly bristled at it. And the Real Beverly... She felt so very tired of fighting the good fight.

She took another look at Adam, tasting anxiety in her mouth. The way he was looking at her... He already knew. He had known for years. So what was the problem?! Why couldn't she just say it? She was Beverly fucking Carpenter. She did not cower!

And... If she was to ever be with Stella... She would have to become stronger.

"Yes, it's a woman you- you monumental prick. You got it right." She said quickly. "Happy?"

Adam nodded silently, then sighed. He looked away from her, towards the stars. "No... Not really. I wish you told me twenty years ago."

She braced, waiting for more, not even sure what it would be, but nothing came. He simply looked at the stars. So, she joined him. They stood there in silence for a while, stargazing together. Minute by minute tension leaked out of her, some sort of peace swelling within. Ghosts of tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

Stella said that gay people could be happy. She did not feel very happy right now... But... She wasn't unhappy either. A laugh, odd and unbecoming tore out of her.

"What?" Adam asked, squinting at her.

"Nothing... Just... I think... I'm in love with a woman. No comments?"

He just shrugged at her.

"Are you getting off on not reacting? It's-" She hated how her voice caught. "It's- It's important..."

Adam shrugged again, with a malicious glint in his eye. He was getting off on this! She wanted to hit him with her purse. He must have seen it in her eyes because he hurried to say. "What am I supposed to say? Congratulations? Now you're crazy and gay. A winning combination."

She decided not to dignify that with a response.

"Well..." He said. "There you go. Congrats."

Beverly opened her mouth to respond, when she heard the balcony doors open behind them. She straightened out and turned to make polite chit chat when she saw Stella standing there, looking at her and Adam.

"Excuse me... There is an issue you need to address... Ms. Carpenter." Stella said with a bland expression, her eyes the only parts of her face which felt alive and dark, drilling into Beverly's.

"Oh?" Was all that Beverly managed to say, painfully aware of Adam's presence. The man was not paying attention to them, focusing on the stars. "What is it?"

"There's an issue with the catering... You'll have to follow me," Stella said lazily, her eyes trailing over Beverly's body in a way that made her mouth dry.

"Well... Lead the way." Beverly said and turned to Adam before leaving. "Good night Adam... I'll... Thank you?"

"Yeah, sure. I am happy that you're- uh... Figuring things out." He said blandly, but his eyes were kind. She felt a surge of love for the man.

She fled inside and got ready for- whatever it was Stella wanted from her, when she realised the woman was not following her. She stood at the open balcony doors, staring at Adam, her body stiff.

"Oh, Adam? Adam Turner?" She said in a voice unfailingly polite, but to Beverly it sounded like she was screaming.

"Yes?" Her ex husband said, looking politely confused. When Stella did not respond, he asked. "Do we know each other?"

"Yes," Stella said very calmly. "We went to school together... Stella Sorrentino."

Beverly's stomach dropped. Adam's expression turned into one of fake recognition, one he used when forced to talk to 'old friends' he had no memories of.

"Oh, that's right... Yeah. How's- how's everything? Yeah?" Adam said. Then added when Stella did not respond: "It's been a long time, huh."

Stella stood there in dead silence for far longer than was acceptable. Then, when Beverly thought she could not take it anymore, Stella smiled and laughed.

"Oh, you know. Can't complain! You have a good night," she said before closing the balcony doors and walking away too quickly. Beverly scrambled to follow her.

She tore through the ballroom too quickly, the guests parting before her like a school of fish before a shark. Beverly hurried after, whispering vague reassurances about a 'minor staff emergency' to other guests. Beverly's mother raised her perfect eyebrow at her, making Beverly feel sick, but she kept going.

The calm and quiet of the staff hallways was a shocking change after the noisy ballroom. "Is there really an emergency?" Beverly asked, trying to keep up with Stella's long angry strides.

The woman stopped abruptly and leaned on the wall, not looking at Beverly. "No. I- You looked upset when you left the ballroom so- It doesn't fucking matter..."

Beverly's heart fluttered. Stella went to check up on her?

"Oh... I'm fine... It's just a long evening that's all-" She said, but Stella cut her off by walking away.

She wanted to speak, but a pair of waiters ran up behind them before disappearing somewhere around the bend. It was not safe for them here. Still, she followed Stella without ever questioning it. It was what they did after all.

She led and Beverly followed.

All night, she felt parts of herself grind against the others, not quite fitting, but now- now it all fit. Real Beverly screamed of the dangers- of what could happen if she followed this woman now. She would let Stella do anything she wanted. Her daughter was in the same building for God's sake! Was there no end to Beverly's perversion?

And yet... Excitement built with each step. She'd missed the woman so much this week, and the mere fact of her presence made Beverly forget everything else as they walked further away from the party.

Stella opened a door to an old linen storage room and stood aside to let Beverly in. Inside she found a small unlit room she'd never been inside, a mess of cubbies and shelves full of old linens. The second she stepped over the threshold into, she felt Stella's hand on the back of her neck.

Before she could react was pushed into the nearby shelf, bent over at the waist, her face pressed into a stack of towels.

"My- my makeup-"

"You are mine," Stella purred into her ear. "Right?"

The words tore at something inside of Beverly

"Yes."

Stella's hand moved down to grab the folds of her dress and yanked them up hard, exposing her ass. She wanted to speak- to protest, but her heart was hammering too fast, her pussy ached too much for it. So, instead she stuck her butt out and waited for Stella to do whatever she wanted to do.

"God, you've been holding out on me..." The woman said, her voice eerily calm, as she caressed Beverly's ass. "This is some... Fancy lingerie."

"Well..." Beverly weighed her words. "You tend to ruin my undergarments and those are expensive..."

Stella just laughed and slapped her ass, hard. Hard enough to launch Beverly forwards, her head almost knocking on the wall. The wave of pain and lust shooting through her took her breath away. Stella smacked her again, and again, over and over, driving Beverly crazy.

She'd been biting her lip to stop from crying out lest they be found, but could not stop herself when Stella grabbed the hemline of her panties and yanked them down, cold air hitting Beverly's pussy. Stella's fingers felt cold as they pressed against her entrance and pushed in. Beverly was aroused, aching for her, but the whole encounter could not have lasted more than a minute, so she was not exactly prepared for such intrusion.

"Please- slowly-" She ground out.

Stella scoffed. Without slowing down she worked her fingers in and out of Beverly who grit her teeth and endured it until her body caught up with Stella's intentions. In a few short minutes the pain was gone, chased away by three fingers pumping in and out of Beverly with such force, she would have fallen over if not for the shelf holding her up.

While one of Stella's hands was busy teasing strangled moans out of her, the other pressed down hard on her neck, holding Beverly in place. What a silly idea! For the first time that night, she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be. She wanted to show Stella how grateful she was, but she could not allow herself to be loud. So, instead, she pressed back against her hand, matching her rhythm.

Stella scoffed and leaned down to practically lay on top of her. "Enjoying yourself?"

All Beverly could do was nod. Stella's answer was to dig her fingers deep inside of her, up to the last knuckle. A moan, too loud, tore out of her so she bit into the towel she was pressed into. Stella laughed again, cold and distant.

"That's what you wanted, isn't it? Needed a break from- from-" Her voice got colder. "From your life."

Beverly wanted to deny it, but she wasn't exactly in position to argue so she simply groaned and clenched down on Stella's fingers. She was almost there, almost ready to come for her.

"Yeah..." Stella murmured into her ear. "Come for me."

She did. Tried as she might, it was not quiet. She groaned and mewled as Stella worked her fingers in and out of her, pushing against the force of her orgasm locking her muscles in place. Beverly's legs went weak, the shelf and Stella's weight the only things keeping her upright.

"You're mine," Stella whispered after it was over. It was not a question this time.

It took Beverly a couple of minutes before she could stand again. In the meantime Stella leaned back against the shelf next to her, staring at the corner of the room in silence.

"Hey... I..." Beverly said, surprised at the hoarseness of her voice. She touched her hair, which was thankfully mostly in place. She dare not look at the state of her makeup yet. "Are you... Alright?"

Stella sighed deeply after a long pause. "Yeah. I'm great. "

Beverly was not a paragon of mental health herself, but she could tell deflection when she saw it. Stella was not alright. Was it last week? Or something else? God, she had no idea how to deal with stuff like this. Feelings! So messy.

Now, what words would make Stella more likely to let her sleep over again? If this maudlin mood she found the woman in was a result of their sleepover, should she minimize last Sunday? Perhaps if she did that- Beverly bit her tongue until she almost tasted blood.

"I missed you this week." She said instead. "I'm happy that... I saw you today. Even if it's... Not ideal."

"I'm just helping Gloria out..." Stella said, still not looking at her.

Very slowly, Beverly stood and gently rested her forehead on the woman's shoulder. Stella flinched a bit, but did not protest. "Thank you for checking up on me earlier?" She said quietly. "This whole night... I've been feeling... Tired."

"Tired." Stella said, without much emotion. Merely a repetition of the word.

"Yeah. I guess... Tired of... FUCK!" She yelled and clawed for the audio transmitter strapped to her body. The switch was down! It was off! Thank Christ! Beverly forgot what she was about to say, forgot where and what she was in that moment.

Jesus Christ, what if the mic was on? God, she could not even imagine. Cold sweat broke out over her back. She had sex with that thing strapped to her- What was she thinking?!? Was she really this wanton? Real Beverly raged about the sheer idiocy, and the other two for once cowered.

There was a time and a place for this! And it was in Stella's office, her apartment and maybe at the Bare Naked Ladies... And perhaps a hotel room or Beverly's summer home, but that's it!

"What the hell?" Stella laughed, some of the tension draining from her. "You look like you're about to shit yourself."

"It's nothing! It's- I have a microphone on me but it's off. Thank God..."

"Why? Just disconnect it?"

"The- the audio technician said that I should not do it or the cables could get tangled up in my dress."

Stella laughed again, but with more ease. Then, she knelt by Beverly's side and took a look at the little box hidden within the ruffles. "I see..." She fiddled with it, before saying. "I disconnected it and wrapped the cable around- a little flower here. Feel it. You can reconnect it when you want to later."

Beverly touched it. It was as Stella said. A weight dropped off her shoulders. "It was this easy?"

"Yeah. The audio people probably did not want to deal with you touching their set up. They're just like that."

Beverly cursed inwardly. That was not the level of customer service that befitted a Carpenter! She would definitely not be recommending this company to any of her friends. In fact, she would make sure they found themselves entirely unwelcome amongst her entire community.

"So... Tired of what?" Stella asked, a smirk on her face. "You were saying?"

"Oh! Yes! I- Tired of... Pretending?" Beverly finished lamely. The moment was gone. She did not even know what she meant before.

Stella studied her for a moment, in that way Beverly knew all too well by now. There was mischief and cruelty in that gaze, the kind that promised a torment Beverly would find herself loving and hating in equal measure. Her clit pulsed with desire and Real Beverly's voice grew quieter and quieter again.

"Yeah." Beverly repeated. "Tired of pretending."

Stella tried to calm herself down as she led Beverly deeper into the empty hallways. How could she lose her shit like that? Just because Adam Turner did not remember her from high-school... Of course he did not! She was a fat worm he entertained himself with once in a while. She never mattered to these people.

Beverly followed behind her, adjusting her hair and makeup as they went. It was impressive, Stella had to be honest- every time she glanced back, the woman looked more and more like she did before Stella messed her up. A rich, above it all heiress, who had everything she wanted without ever having to work for it.

Stella's skin prickled with tension. She should not have come to this place. This den of sociopaths, snakes and vultures.

'I'm tired of pretending' Beverly said to her. What a joke.

She wanted to grab her, strip her naked and walk her back into the ballroom. Make her kneel and show everybody exactly who this woman was. Look! Look at your goddess! This is your filthy queen!

Here she is, and she is mine.

"Stella?" Beverly whispered, jolting her out of her musings. They were almost at the place Haylee told her about. "Where are we going? I should... I should get back to the guests."

Stella glanced around to be safe, before pressing Beverly against the wall- the woman's eyes widened, her pupils dilated, tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

"You're tired? Of pretending?" Stella whispered into those lips.

Beverly looked around nervously. "Stella! Somebody could-"

"Answer me."

"I don't know... Yes." Beverly murmured, then added more firmly. "With you. Yes."

With her.

The whole evening Beverly kept making eyes at Stella. Kept being horribly tender with her, like they were lovers now. Like none of their history mattered anymore because they slept together once. The gall made Stella sick. She felt so angry she wanted to scream.

Instead, she made herself smile. "Alright."

Beverly smiled back tentatively, before yelping as Stella dragged her towards a nearby door. She knocked on it and said, "Hey. It's me. Open up."

"Occupied! Dude!" Came a muffled reply.

"Come on! It's gonna be fun!" Stella said before smiling at Beverly. The woman's eyes widened in realisation, but it was too late. The door opened.

Stella pushed her inside.

Beverly realized what was about to happen the exact second the lock on the door clicked open and she was pushed inside. It was another storeroom, although a larger one; filled with large pallets of boxes and a fair amount of... Spare mattresses? Bags upon bags of unopened pillows? She had all this in her house?

She chose to focus on those details instead of recognising the occupants of the room. The longer she took admiring the decor, the longer she had to prepare herself. Boy, the upper shelves needed dusting. She really should talk to somebody about this.

"Beverly?" Gloria squeaked out as she scrambled to yank her underwear back on.

"Yes?" Beverly said while peeking behind one of the shelves. No mold. That's good.

Then, Stella's hand was in her hair, yanking her head back and forcing her to stand on the points of her heels. The woman's lips on her ear made her traitorous body shiver. "You wanted to be honest? Time to be honest..."

"Stella... No..." She whispered, trying really hard not to notice the surprised look on Gloria's face. The woman was sitting on one of the stacks of mattresses trying to press her rumpled dress flat, Haylee stood next to her, wiped her mouth.

Did they just... Interrupt Haylee eating Gloria out? The thought made Beverly's knees weak. She tried, in vain, to summon some sense into her head, but could not. Real Beverly was nowhere to be seen.

The Other one was here now.

Haylee coughed. "Again, I ask, what the hell man?"

"Beverly wanted to try something new..." Stella said through a thin smile, before releasing Beverly who stumbled away from her, into the middle of the room, ending up right in front of Gloria. The woman was flushed and uncertain, tiny strands of her hair escaping her tight hair bun. She looked delicious. Beverly licked her lips and found that she could, for once, not think of anything to say.

"Beverly? What- we were just-" Gloria sputtered. "Why are you here?!"

Why? She was here to eat Gloria out. Or to be fucked sensless as Gloria watched... Or a thousand other terrible and wonderful possibilities. She glanced back at Stella who grinned at her with absolutely no mercy in her eyes.

She wanted to run.

She wanted to lie her way out of this.

She wanted to get on her knees and do what Stella wanted her to do.

"So... Nobody's at the bar?" Haylee broke the silence. "Really? Bitch we are on the clock, you know that, right?"

"Yea? This is you on the clock?" Stella pointed to Gloria.

Haylee leaned back on one of the shelves and inspected her nails. "Taking care of the hostess... It's important."

"Same here," Stella shot back.

"Haylee! Why'd you let them in?" Gloria asked, not looking away from Beverly.

Haylee ducked her head and sat beside Gloria. "Sorry. I- Shit I should have asked if you wanted..."

"Ask me- ask me what?" Gloria said her voice suddenly hoarse.

Haylee shrugged and looked at Stella for help. Beverly still could not find a way to make a decision. For better or worse Stella came to her rescue. She pressed herself against Beverly's back and put her hands on her hips.

"Look... Gloria." Stella said, her voice rumbling through Beverly's back. "Bit of a random question, I know, but... Would you like for Beverly to get on her knees right now and eat you out?"

Beverly closed her eyes. Something was happening in her stomach she could not quite understand. Could lust make one throw up? If so, that was it. She heard a quiet gasp from Gloria followed by a hesitant question. "What- really? Beverly? Is this- is this a joke?"

There, a great out for her. She dearly wished in that moment that she was a different person, one that took it. One that did not shake her head. But she was not. So she did.

Stella laughed into her ear. "There? See? She's wanted to do it for years... Right, Beverly?"

Beverly laughed too. This is what she longed for all week? Every time they met this woman found new ways to torture, and somehow Beverly kept coming back. And now, here she was. About to humiliate herself in front of her tentative best friend.

Reveal herself in all of her wanton, cloying, ugly glory.

Stella continued: "Right, Beverly? We talked about it... Your fantasies... You, on your knees in the middle of your church, ladies lining to get their turn... Don't tell me Gloria was not amongst them?"

The sick feeling traveled upwards, towards her throat, closing it. An immense, almost painful ache traveled in its wake. How did Stella always know where to stick the knife? Beverly guessed it was a testament to their bond, if anything else.

"Answer me." Stella said again, twisting the fist in Beverly's hair.

The pain made her groan. "Yes!" Then, for a reason she could not understand, she started laughing again.

"Don't laugh." Stella said. "Open your eyes."

Beverly obeyed. Gloria was staring up at her with an expression of confusion, a fair amount of trepidation but mostly lust. Her pupils were wide, and staring straight at Beverly. Beside her Haylee looked equally enticed. Would she have to eat her out too?

She hoped she would.

"Beverly-" Gloria started, but then shook her head. "Stella, could you please just- release her! It- It looks like she's hurting."

"She likes it," Stella said and bit into Beverly's neck.

"No!" Beverly moaned. "No marks! Please!"

Stella chuckled into her neck before biting again, harder this time. "Then better speak fast..."

"Yes! I am fine Gloria! I- I like it!" Beverly babbled, feeling Stella's teeth digging into her neck. The feeling was amazing and terrifying at once. "I love it! I love when- when she does this! I love pain!"

Gloria's mouth opened slightly, her brows furrowed a touch, but she did not say anything. Her eyes glued to Beverly's neck where Stella continued increasing the pressure.

"And- Yes! I- God- Stella you- Why are you so- so-" Beverly scrambled for something, anything other than the truth that could stop this, but found nothing. So, truth it was. "Yes! Yes I want it! I want to- God, please Gloria can I taste you?"

The pressure on her neck disappeared and Beverly nearly toppled with relief. Shame hit her a second later, as she realized what she'd just said. This was not Stella, or Haylee she spoke to. It was Gloria. A woman like her, who swam in the same waters, who went to the same church.

Who was looking at her with wonder and desire.

"Oh..." Gloria said, then looked at Haylee, a question in her eyes. The woman nodded at her. Gloria looked back at Beverly and flushed harder.

"Jesus, Beverly..." She whispered. "Yes... Please."

Beverly was on her knees before Gloria finished speaking. "Thank you," she whispered as she lifted up her black dress and hiked it above her waist, her fingers brushing against Gloria's thighs and belly as she did so. They felt silken and firm, but not hard with muscles like Stella's or Haylee. The woman was soft and slender, her long legs clad in dark stockings with garters holding them up, black panties covering her sex.

"Oh my God..." Gloria said and hooked her thumbs into her panties and rolled them down her thighs. "Have you really always wanted to...?"

Beverly licked her lips, looking at her exposed pussy, thick with hair. "Y-yes... I... Yes..."

"But... Like this? It's a bit..." Gloria trailed off, her hand waving around the room.

She had nothing to say to that. Apparently Stella did not have that limitation. She clapped her hand on Beverly's shoulder as she passed by her and settled on the mattress beside Gloria, opposite Haylee.

"See," she said as she ran her hand through Beverly's hair. "Beverly is a huge masochist who loves being humiliated. She might cry and moan about it, but she wants it."

Gloria's mouth formed a little O, but she said nothing. Beverly wished the ground would open up and hell would take her already. On the other side of Gloria, Haylee put her hand on the woman's thigh and rubbed it gently.

"Hey, Beverly, do you mind if I tell her how we know each other?" She asked, looking at Beverly with some concern.

Beverly nodded. Why not? It could not get any worse.

"Wait a minute," Stella interrupted. "I was not done. Besides pain, humiliation and eating pussy, Beverly also loves anal. It is, frankly, insane how much this woman loves having things put in her ass."

She was wrong. There was no bottom to this pit. Beverly decided that if she was to be humiliated like this, she may as well suffer it while she did something she enjoyed, so she leaned in and put her mouth on Gloria's pussy.

The woman gasped, although was it at the revelation of Beverly's butt preferences, or the feel of her mouth on her vagina, Beverly was not sure. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to block out the sound of Stella's low chuckles; tried to muster up anger at Stella for forcing her into this situation but she could not. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

She dragged her tongue up Gloria's pussy, trying to feel every fold and bump. She was so different from Stella and Haylee. More delicate with a small clit, smelling of perfume and powder. Her thick pubic hair kissed Beverly's cheeks as she dug in, licked her vagina up and down, then finally settled her mouth over the woman's clit and circled it lazily with her tongue.

"Oh my God, Beverly..." Gloria whispered as she shifted her hips, pressing gently into Beverly's mouth. "O-oh my..."

"Yep..." Haylee giggled. "There she goes..."

Beverly opened her eyes and was met with three pairs of eyes watching her. Shame rose up again, but it was drowned out by an odd sense of pride. She sucked on Gloria's clit as she looked into the woman's eyes and reveled in the way they glazed over with pleasure. A few hallways away her family and friends were dancing and talking, none the wiser to what she was doing.

Dread shot through her, made her grab for the little audio transmitter, before she remembered it was disconnected. Still she checked the wires and the switch. It was off. Nobody would know about this. Gloria would never tell anybody.

Beverly could just... Enjoy herself. So that's exactly what she did. She sucked on Gloria's clit, circling it with her tongue, finding the exact spots the woman seemed to love. Soon enough Gloria was gasping for air, clinging to Haylee as she ground her hips into Beverly's mouth. Haylee held her in her arms with an expression of immense glee. She winked at Beverly, before pressing her lips to Gloria's ear and whispering, just loud enough for Beverly to hear.

The story of the night Beverly and Haylee met.

The toys that Beverly had inside of her, the public humiliation, the filthy writing on her chest, the way she spent hours on her knees pleasuring the two women. It really made her sound like some sort of a... Degenerate. Running around, doing these things. And now Gloria surely thought that too. For the first time her friend saw her wholly and truly, not just the carefully cultivated woman she showed to everybody else, but the rest of her as well.

She was being seen.

Stella sat beside them, leaning back on her thick arms, ignoring the couple. She only had eyes for Beverly, watching her without a word, with an expression Beverly could not decipher. There was anger there, as it had been the whole night, but something else too.

"GOD!" Gloria yelped, before she was silenced by Haylee's mouth. They kissed deeply as she came, one hand grasping for Haylee's shirt the other flapping uselessly at her side.

Beverly kissed her clit gently when the woman finished. Gloria fell onto Haylee, practically laying on top of her. Beverly sat back on her knees and breathed heavily, enjoying the slickness on her lips. In the back of her mind she knew that she should wash up and go back to the party before somebody went looking for her, but...

She was not done. So, she waited and watched Stella. The woman did not make her wait long.

"What do you say?" Stella said with absolute lack of mercy. "Dyke?"

Gloria flinched a bit and Haylee shot Stella a nasty look, but she did not care. Beverly swallowed hard before answering. "Thank you Gloria..."

"For what?" Stella pressed. Gloria opened her eyes and looked a bit confused.

Beverly felt like a whore when she answered. "Thank you for- for letting me eat you out."

Finally she was rewarded with a small ray of sunshine peeking through the storm clouds. Stella smiled as she raked a hand through her hair and breathed out heavily. "Jesus Beverly... You're such a pathetic creature, you know that, right?"

Gloria's eyes widened as she sputtered to say something, but Beverly was faster. "I know, Stella..."

"Beverly? Are you- really? You..." Gloria managed to say. "You really... This is what the two of you... Do?"

Haylee laughed by her side. "Yeah... You haven't seen nothing yet! Jesus Christ these two are both real freaks."

Beverly closed her eyes and waited for Gloria's reaction. Shame, fear and arousal roiled in her core, all the filthy things she was swirling within as she waited for her judgement.

"Wow..." Gloria whispered, her voice hoarse. "You really... Enjoy all that? The masochism and- And the rest?"

She opened her eyes to see Gloria sitting on the edge of the mattress, leaning towards Beverly, her face lit with interest. Not a trace or disgust or mockery. Not even close.

She looked hungry.

"Y-yes." Beverly said, struggling to not look away. "It's been a- an interesting couple of months to be sure."

Gloria snorted, before covering her mouth. "I'd say! God! That's... So interesting. If I tried guessing for a thousand years, I'd never ever think you'd be..." Her eyes glazed over again and she licked her lips. "Well... You'd be into those things."

"I wouldn't ever... But, Stella... She..." Beverly tried to find a word that encompassed their relationship, but there was none. "She made me face some... Truths."

Gloria leaned in closer, so close their faces almost touched. For a brief second Beverly thought she was going to kiss her, the idea not entirely unwelcome.

"I see why you like her so much," Gloria whispered, just for Beverly. "That all sounded... God, so... Hot. I don't think I could do the- uh- butt stuff but... My..."

Warmth filled Beverly's heart. "Yeah. It has been... Transcendent. "

"Well isn't this fucking precious!" Stella laughed as she slid off the mattress in a way that promised trouble and made Beverly's heart beat faster. Stella approached her and stood there, snapping her suspenders.

"Stand up," Stella said. Gloria sat back on the mattress, looking a bit intimidated. Beverly obeyed, eager to see where this was going. When she swayed a bit, her legs weakened from her time on the floor, Stella stood behind her and steadied her with her hands on her hips. She leaned in and whispered into her ear. "So... Having fun?"

"Yes..."

Hands traveled up her sides to settle over her breasts. Without a word, Stella began to squeeze them without mercy, kneading then pinching the nipples. It was sweet torture, the layers of dress and bra numbed the sensation enough for Beverly to be left wanting more. God, she wanted more.

"Wow... A dinner and a show," Haylee said as she pulled Gloria towards herself. The way they both looked at Beverly getting groped, threw fuel on the fire raging in her core. She'd seen Gloria look at her with longing before, but not like this. This was pure want.

Stella pushed her forwards until, Beverly's knees pressed against the stack of mattresses between Gloria's spread legs. God she was so close- Gloria could just touch her if she wanted to. She had seen the Other Beverly and accepted her. Wanted her.

Without thinking Beverly pushed her hips out, towards the woman, eliciting a chuckle out of Stella.

"Oh? You have something to tell us Beverly?" She murmured into Beverly's ear, her fingers digging into her breasts. "Do share with the class... Dyke."

She looked into Gloria's hungry eyes again, and hesitated only for a moment. "I- Gloria! I want you to- to- to touch me! Please!"

Gloria inhaled sharply and sat up on the mattress, her head level with Beverly's breasts. She looked up and asked, her hands hovering in front of Beverly's body. "Really? What- What do you mean?"

Beverly was about to say, exactly, what she meant when she felt Stella's hand cover her mouth.

"Knock yourself out Gloria," Stella said. "You can do whatever the hell you want."

The look Gloria gave her, made Beverly's knees feel weak again. She saw, in the woman's eyes, a thousand possibilities and desires. Then, hesitation. "Anything?" She asked.

Haylee slid beside her and leaned in to whisper in Gloria's ear. "Anything..."

Gloria bit her lip. "H-haylee? Your satchel- you said you have something for me? Is it..." She trailed off.

"Oh yeah," Haylee whooped and sauntered towards a messenger bag lying by the mattress pile. "One strap-on, coming right up!"

Beverly's poor heart beat even faster hearing those words. Could you have a heart attack from arousal? Stella's continued assault on Beverly's breasts was not helping matters at all.

"Could you put it on me?" Gloria asked Haylee.

Haylee hummed as she rummaged in her bag. "Yeah, but... Wouldn't you rather she did it?" She tilted her head towards Beverly.

Gloria actually clapped her hands at the idea, before shimmying up onto the mattress and pushing her hips out. She tapped her hips with her hands twice and spoke quickly. "Yes! Come on, Beverly! Put it on me!"

"Yeah... I like that idea," Stella mused and let her arms go. Beverly fell forwards, onto her outstretched hands, half crawling over Gloria. Before she could blink Haylee handed her the harness.

It was made of some sort of artificial cloth, different from the one Stella used on her before. Beverly could not quite focus on its shape, her hands shaking too much as she bent over, trying to get all the straps and buckles lined up properly. Gloria's roaming hands made the whole thing even more difficult.

"God... Beverly..." Gloria whispered, as she put both her hands on Beverly's neck, caressing it gently. "I always wanted to do this... Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? Beverly?"

She did not find it necessary to respond. God, why did this thing have so many buckles?

Stella chuckled. "She knows. She gets off on being this... Perfect Christian housewife while doing this shit."

"Really..." A smile crossed Gloria's face. One of her hands traveled lower, towards Beverly's breasts. It was gentle at first, before squeezing more firmly. "Oh my God..."

Then both of Gloria's hands were on Beverly's breasts. She played with them for a time, not as roughly as Stella, but not gently either. She squeezed and pinched, a look of wonder on her face. With each buckle in place, anticipation colored her face more and more.

Beverly was about to get fucked.

Gloria was going to-

An hour ago Beverly was in the ballroom, talking to her parents. What happened? She felt hot and sweaty, her hands clumsy and alien. The only thing keeping her from passing out was Stella's hand making slow circles on her exposed back.

"There..." She said haltingly as she latched the last buckle.

Gloria looked down on her with such a wickedly happy smile Beverly could hardly look at her. Beside her, Haylee laid on her side, head propped up on her arm, the other hand presenting her with- oh dear. A rather sizable dildo. It was hot pink and rather girthy, with bumps and ridges that promised a lot of sensations, maybe even too much...

Without a word, Beverly grabbed it and affixed it to the harness. Gloria hummed happily and shook her hips a bit, making the appendage flop around.

"You... You look happy," Beverly said.

Instead of answering her, Gloria put her hand on Beverly's neck and pulled her down, towards the toy. Beverly only had time to lick her lips before they made contact with the cold silicone. She kissed the tip, then swallowed it. Gloria continued to push her down, so Beverly did not bother with licking the head, and let it slide into her throat.

"Oh my..." Gloria murmured as she kept pushing until Beverly's mouth settled at midway point down the long shaft.

Beverly pulled up, leaving a trail of saliva behind as she licked up towards the head, her eyes never leaving Gloria's. The role reversal felt odd, but she liked it. Her little minion's hand forcing her down onto the toy felt warm and strong. She licked and sucked all along the head, letting little moans escape her lips.

Gloria's eyes grew heavy and lidded, her face flushed deep crimson as she watched Beverly slobber all over the toy. Haylee beside her smiled indulgently as she enjoyed the show. Stella... What was Stella doing?

A hand settled on her neck gave her the answer. She felt immense pressure pushing her down, deeper and deeper onto the toy, far past where Gloria pushed her.

"No need to be shy Beverly..." Stella whispered from right behind her. "Show her what you can do..."

Beverly choked on the shaft as it pushed deeper into her throat, her pussy throbbing at the feeling. She struggled not to gag when her nose pressed into Gloria's pelvis.

"Is she ok? Like this? Beverly?" Gloria asked worry and lust fighting in her voice.

"She's fine..." Stella said as she dragged Beverly's head up by the hair. She gasped as the head of the dildo left her mouth, thick strands of saliva connected it to her lips. "Right, Beverly? Tell her."

"Yeah," Beverly said hoarsely.

"Oh dear," Gloria whispered. "That's- that's good. Because that was- that was so... Hot. Do you- Do you want to do it again?"

Stella made the decision for her. She pressed her head back down onto the toy again. Beverly, knowing the woman's style by now, settled in for the long haul. Stella did not disappoint- She forced Beverly to bob up and down on the entirety of Gloria's shaft for a long time, as she chatted with the two other women idly, exchanging praise and jokes at Beverly's expense.

Gloria was hesitant at first, but she joined in soon enough, a cruel glint in her eyes replacing hesitation. Beverly had never been more attracted to her than at this moment. She did not know that the woman had this in her. Then again, she never expected her to cheat on her husband the way she did.

Did Gloria have other women inside her too?

Before long Gloria started thrusting her hips out, meeting Beverly's lips with her pelvis. Haylee rewarded her with another searing kiss that only made her bolder, made her thrust into Beverly's mouth without a care.

"Having fun, Dyke?" Stella murmured into Beverly's ear. "Everybody seeing you for what you are... It must hurt, doesn't it?"

Hurt? Beverly tried to shake her head, but Stella's hand held her in place.

"Maybe we should open the doors? Let everybody else see?" Stella continued, not noticing Beverly's protests. "Invite some other women to have fun with you. Would you like that?"

Beverly could see it in her mind. All of their eyes on her as she reveled in her filth. The thought made her heart hurt, but other parts of her responded with glee. She was so wet she worried it might start running down her leg; she whined loudly which made Stella chuckled into her ear knowingly.

She felt a strong tug at her neck, the toy dragged out of her mouth along with a needy groan. Gloria and Haylee separated, their faces flushed with desire, looking at her with a question in their eyes. Stella's mouth remained pressed to Beverly's ear, her breath tickling and teasing her constantly.

"Please-" Beverly groaned, unable to wait for Stella to make her do it. "I really need to come."

Gloria shuffled up towards her and cooed. "Oh you poor thing..." She held her face in her hands. "I'm sorry... I got a bit carried away."

The tenderness in her voice made Beverly uneasy. She wanted- She wanted to be hurt. Gloria, whatever unexpected depths of wickedness she possessed, was nowhere near capable of Stella's beautiful malice.

Gloria pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and began cleaning Beverly's face, which frankly just annoyed her. Her face was not the problem here! She wanted to be filthy! She opened her mouth to suggest that maybe Gloria could do something else when the woman planted a gentle chaste kiss on her lips, before whispering tenderly. "Can I... Eat you out?"

Beverly heard herself groan. Stella laughed openly. Haylee snickered behind Gloria.

"You can stop pussyfooting around and fuck me," Beverly said before she could stop herself. "I am not your husband, dear. I can handle it."

Gloria blinked hard and recoiled a little, before smirking. "Ah... Well... I thought that you wanted me to-"

Beverly grabbed Gloria's face in her hands and pushed her down onto the mattress before straddling her. The woman was so surprised that she barely resisted her as Beverly leaned over her and whispered into her mouth.

"There she is, Gloria Dean! A woman is served to her on a silver platter and she still asks for permission." Beverly scoffed, enjoying the way Gloria's eyes filled with anger. "Poor Gloria! Boring little Gloria who latches onto other, more interesting women! Maybe that way she'll-"

"Shut up!" Gloria groaned and pushed Beverly off of herself. It was not an especially strong push, but Beverly let herself get rolled onto her back, let her legs be spread. Gloria huffed and settled herself between them, the tip of the dildo pressing against Beverly's opening. She loomed over Beverly; a moment of hesitation flickered over her face, but was quickly wiped out by a decision. Without a word she thrust her hips out and buried herself inside Beverly.

"You're always- so- mean!" Gloria huffed between thrusts, driving the dildo deeper into Beverly. "You think kindness is a weakness! You're so- terrible!"

"Yes!" Beverly groaned and locked her legs over Gloria's hips, her high-heels clacking against each other.

The first few of Gloria's thrusts were clumsy, but she quickly found her rhythm. Before long she was fucking Beverly roughly, dragging strangled moans out of her. She laid atop, mouth pressed into the woman's ear. "I tried to be your friend so hard- I tried-" She drove the dildo deep into Beverly. "But you're just such an asshole!"

Beverly wanted to say something to that, but all she could think of was the weight of the woman on top of her. Her hands found Gloria's back and touched her shoulder blades, loving how slender they were. God, the woman was beautiful, always had been.

And now she was Beverly's to enjoy. She looked over Gloria's shoulder to Stella, who sat on the edge of the mattress and watched them both silently. Beverly wanted to say thank you- anything to convey her gratitude, but all she could manage was a strangled moan. Still, Stella seemed to understand, judging by her smirk. For a brief moment, the darkness disappeared from her gaze, replaced by softness Beverly had rarely seen on her face before. The same softness she saw in the woman's bathroom as they prepared for their first night together.

Beverly's orgasm took her by surprise; she barely had time to bring her hand to her mouth to stifle her scream. She came, looking into Stella's eyes, trying as hard as she could to convey what she felt. Gloria kept groaning complaints and insults into her ear, only making the moment sweeter.

Gloria came shortly after Beverly, grinding her hips into Beverly in quick tight thrusts, before falling down in a heap on top. Her body was hot, her scent soft and floral. For a moment, Beverly imagined what it would have been like if she answered the woman's romantic overtures and found that it would have been sweet... But not enough. Her eyes fell on Stella once again.

Not nearly enough.

Still, she kissed Gloria's cheek, the woman flinching at the contact. She turned her face towards Beverly, surprise in her eyes. Her lips looked delightful, so Beverly decided to have a taste. The kiss was sweet; they lingered against each other for a time, before Beverly separated. "Thank you," she said.

"Uh... Sorry for- uh..." Gloria mumbled as she raised herself on her arms. "I- didn't mean-"

"You did. And it's fine." Beverly said, shuffling back, leaving the woman room to get up. "I... I know that I can be... Trying."

Gloria laughed before getting a hold of herself. "Don't be silly. You're an angel."

Beverly put on her most serene smile. "Oh, it takes one to know one, dear."

They laughed together, something changing in the air between them. A barrier Beverly did not see before dissolved and left the two of them closer. A pang of fear flitted through her gut, but she did not let it ruin the moment. For once, she felt good.

"Hey, Haylee, do you have any lube in that thing?" Stella interrupted them. Her voice cold once again. She was rummaging through Haylee's satchel not looking at the other women. "Ah! There it is."

"No, please, help yourself," Haylee said, rolling her eyes.

Stella ignored her and poured an ample amount of lube onto her right hand as she turned her gaze to Beverly who felt her stomach drop. Nice Stella had , once again, left the building. Beverly swallowed hard and fought a shiver running down her spine.

God, she could hardly wait.

"Now, that was downright inspiring," Stella said to the room, but her eyes were only on Beverly. "Two friends coming together, so to speak!"

Beverly said nothing, just waited. Gloria settled against Haylee and spoke, once again failing to grasp the situation. "Oh we were just... Joking around-"

Stella cut Gloria off. "Spread your legs Beverly."

Beverly obeyed in an instant. Stella knelt in front of her on the mattress and without preamble stuck her middle finger in Beverly's ass. Beverly groaned in surprise, her asshole clenching on the finger immediately, but Stella did not care. She worked it in and out of Beverly without mercy. The lube, and Beverly's training helped, but it was still not very pleasant.

Still, Beverly tried to relax and soon enough, Stella's finger slid in and out of her with ease, the familiar feeling of fullness reigniting the fire inside Beverly's pussy. She glanced at Gloria and Haylee who both watched her ass get violated with expressions of great interest.

The second finger joined the first, this time the new pressure only increased Beverly's pleasure. She groaned and wiggled her hips, trying to help Stella.

"There she is," Stella laughed. "You love this, don't you?"

"Yes!" Beverly groaned as she writhed like a common whore. Her best friend watching all the while. "I do."

"You ever think you'd see this, Gloria?" Stella asked as she added a third finger, stretching Beverly even more. "Did you ever imagine Beverly Carpenter would be like this?"

Gloria licked her lips before answering. "N-no. Never. This is- Nobody would ever suspect this."

Her words punched straight through Beverly's heart. They all looked at her like she was some sort of degenerate. Well, they were right, but still it tore at her pride. Despite it, she moaned and gyrated her hips, trying to get Stella's fingers to dig deeper inside. She felt like a pig rolling around in mud. A very, very happy pig.

"Hey..." Stella mused, her voice quieter now. "Did she ever tell you how we met?"

"No?" Gloria breathed. Behind her Haylee tensed, looking at Stella with a look of concern.

"Is this the best time for this? Stella?" Haylee asked, trying to maintain a smile.

Beverly's moans died in her throat. She tried to catch Stella's eyes, tried to stop her before she said any more. But Stella was not looking at her anymore. She continued shoving her fingers in Beverly's ass, harder and harder, the pain and pleasure mixing together, choking Beverly's words.

"We went to high-school together, you know," Stella said, her words casual. "We go a long way, me and Beverly fucking Carpenter."

"Stella-" Beverly choked out, but was silenced when Stella finally looked at her. Her eyes were made of stone. This was happening. Exposing her perversions was not enough for Stella. She wanted all of Beverly to be seen tonight.

Stella drove all her fingers into Beverly, up to the last knuckle, making her gag on her words. Her crotch exploded with an ecstatic ache she grew to love.

"Please! Don't-" Beverly groaned. "Don't talk about that!"

"Why not?" Stella spat. "I thought we were getting to know each other!" She continued, not letting up even for a second as she forced her hand in and out of Beverly's ass, harder than she ever did before.

"Hey, why don't we chill the fuck out, alright?" Haylee said, but Stella ignored her, her eyes only on Beverly.

Beverly scrambled for any reason Stella could accept and found none. So, instead, she simply looked at Stella, tears forming in her eyes. The woman looked back, her eyes cold and distant.

"Please," Beverly tried again, knowing it was pointless. Because, at the end of the day, Stella brought her here to hurt her.

Stella opened her mouth to speak, a cold grin on her lips, but only a long frustrated snarl escaped her. In a flash her hand was on Beverly's throat, pressing her into the mattress, choking any hope of speaking out of her.

"You think it's up to you? What I do?" Stella snarled at her, her fingers felt like steel on Beverly's neck. "You think you can- You can just do whatever you want?"

Beverly could still breathe, but only just. For the first time since she'd met Stella she felt fear for the woman- but it was quickly overshadowed by the wave of lust washing over her. Her hips began pushing back against Stella's fingers, driving them even deeper in, the pain and pleasure made her pussy drool, her heart swelled filling her whole chest, her eyes glued to Stella's.

They've never been as cold as they were now- twin shards of obsidian cutting at Beverly.

Haylee was saying something to Stella, but Beverly did not care. Those eyes were all that mattered. Something flickered in them- warmth and shame.

And then, abruptly, regrettably, the moment was over. Stella let go of her throat and yanked her by her shoulders. Beverly found herself laying on her side facing Gloria and Haylee, Stella hugged her from behind.

"That will cost you..." She whispered in her ear as her fingers found Beverly's ass again and began rubbing circles on the outside, teasing Beverly terribly.

Beverly nodded eagerly and breathed a sigh of relief. Gloria looked at her with an alarmed expression, Haylee squinted at Stella. Beverly winked at them, to let them know it was all right- just a little argument. The women relaxed a fraction.

Beverly was about to ask Stella about the prize for her keeping past from Gloria, when she felt teeth on the nape of her neck.

"Please- No marks-" She said, before Stella drove her fingers back inside her ass, dragging a groan out of her.

"You are mine..." Stella released her neck just long enough to whisper, before going back to her work.

She bit and sucked on a spot on Beverly's neck without mercy, sure to leave not only a large hickey but even more. God, everybody would be able to see it! Everybody! Even as Beverly's stomach sank, her heart soared.

"I- I am yours-" She groaned. "Stella!"

The woman bit into her deeper, and Beverly bent her neck to let her. She wanted for the Real Beverly to scream in protest, but she was not here right now. Nothing could stop Beverly from wanting this.

Opposite of them, Haylee was in the process of taking the harness off of Gloria, who helped eagerly. Both women laid on their sides, in a mirror pose to Stella and her. They were murmuring to each other, but Beverly could not hear their words, the blood was rushing in her ears too loudly.

She was Stella's! And everybody would see it!

With practiced motions Haylee put on the harness over the pants and aimed the dildo at Gloria's opening, the woman practically shaking with need. In a few frantic thrusts, she was in, buried to the hilt. Gloria's eyes clouded over as she arched her back, giving Haylee room to grab onto her breasts and play with them.

Gloria looked beautiful like this. Her hair was becoming a mess- Beverly feared for the state of her own hairstyle- her mouth open in a deep moan, her eyes blown out, staring back at Beverly with equal reverence. Behind her shoulder, Haylee winked at Beverly as she hammered her hips into Gloria's, fucking her hard and fast.

The room filled with the moans and rasps of the four women as they each enjoyed themselves in their own way. Beverly's pussy ached for attention, but she dared not move or say anything in fear of Stella stopping what she was doing. Between the wonderful pain blossoming from her neck and equal one throbbing in her ass, her whole body trembled with pleasure.

Pleasure that grew and grew until Beverly realised what was about to happen. She grit her teeth and bucked against Stella, grinding herself harder on her hand. The woman noticed and a sigh full of awe escaped her lips as she redoubled her efforts.

Opposite them Gloria's eyes widened, her eyes roaming all over Beverly's body, focusing on her breasts and ass the most. She gasped, her voice disturbed each time Haylee's hips made a meaty slap against her ass. "Beverly! You- are you- are you-"

"Yes!" Beverly ground out through gritted teeth.

She came so hard she nearly passed out, her vision went white, her whole body radiated with the sweetest pain. She threw her head back, seeking Stella, who obliged her. Their lips met just as the ecstasy became almost too much for Beverly to bear. She screamed into the other woman's mouth, who responded with a quiet, happy laugh.

They kissed for a long time, even after Beverly's orgasm subsided, long after Stella pulled her fingers out of her. It was a painful sort of kiss- Beverly could feel her lips swelling from the force of it, as well as Stella's teeth.

Then, without a word it was over. They settled down to watch Haylee and Gloria, locked in their own embrace. Haylee came first, her hips pressed tightly against Gloria, as she ground herself into her. Then, after she was done, she continued thrusting inside Gloria, but slower at a different angle, one that the woman seemed to greatly appreciate. Gloria closed her eyes and let her head fall down onto Haylee's arm, before she came with a long hard sigh.

The four laid there in silence for a time, before Beverly realised something. She sat up and turned to Stella. "Hey, do you want me to... Take care of you?"

The woman did not respond, watching her closely. Her eyes regained that guarded look again. One Beverly was starting to really worry about. They needed to talk soon, bu, for now she needed to take care of her woman.

Without a word Stella sat on the edge of the mattress stack and took off her pants. Beverly obediently knelt in front of her, and waited for the woman to be ready, when she realised something. Stella was not looking at her.

She was looking at Gloria.

Who was looking right back, her eyes eager and willing.

She whispered something into Haylee's ear, who nodded and winked at her.

Beverly's stomach dropped. It continued dropping when Gloria slid beside Stella and bumped her shoulder with her own.

"Heeey..." She said to Stella awkwardly. "So- we don't really know each other that well but- uh..." She trailed off.

Haylee draped herself over Gloria's shoulder. "She is dying to eat your pussy. Since last week, all she'd been talking about was how hot you are!"

"No!" Gloria protested feebly. "Well- I mean yes, but- Haylee!"

Beverly felt a stab of jealousy. She tried to hide it, but it was for naught. A glint of malice in Stella's eyes told her that it was too late.

"Go ahead Gloria," Stella purred, not even looking at Beverly. "Can't say no to a beautiful woman."

Gloria flushed and settled between Stella's legs, which required Beverly to shove aside. There was a part of her that wanted, desperately, to pull Gloria's hair out at the root as she dragged her out of the room for daring to take what's hers, but... Stella wanted this.

So Beverly sat back and coped in silence.

More gently than she did with Beverly, Stella guided Gloria through what she liked. Very quickly she had the woman licking deeply between her folds and dragging her tongue over all the sensitive spots.

"Hey there, Bevs." Haylee said from right behind her, startling Beverly. "Them's the breaks, huh? Here we are... All on our lonesome..." She said, waggling her eyebrows.

Beverly glanced at Stella, who was completely ignoring her, with a smirk that told her that it was entirely intentional.

"Yeah..." Beverly sighed. "I suppose I could settle for the second best..."

Haylee giggled at the insult before standing up and unbuckling her belt.

"Oh, you flatter me... Now come here doggy and remind me what you can do." She said with a lazy grin. "It's been a while."

Beverly licked her lips and did just that.

Gloria was fun, Stella decided, and a fast learner. She would not mind having some fun time with her, one on one... Or better yet with Beverly there to see it- See how far she could push this, seemingly, buttoned up woman before she pushed back. Nowhere near as far as Beverly, Stella was sure, but still... There was something in Gloria's eyes.

Their impromptu foursome wrapped up soon after the woman gave her two orgasms with her mouth. Stella tried to give her all of her attention, but it was impossible with Beverly in the room. The woman's seething at being ignored and it was just too damn funny.

Still, she gave Gloria as much attention as she could and the woman flourished under it. They finished with a nice, not very chaste kiss, and a few words promising to 'meet up again.' Haylee agreed happily, although she kept shooting Stella looks of concern.

She should not have lost control like that earlier. It was fucking emberrasing, to still not have her shit together after nearly forty years of life. Even if Beverly was trying to control her, she should have rose above it.

The second she was able Haylee ran off to man the bar, saying that "They already fucked this all up!" so Stella was left alone with Gloria and Beverly who tried to, valiantly, restore their makeup and hairdo's to their former state. Their efforts were surprisingly successful although neither woman seemed happy with it.

Still, they sat close together- too close if anybody asked Stella- and murmured to each other as they tried to somehow cover the large purple bruise on Beverly's neck, shooting Stella dirty looks once in a while.

"Concealer will not do," Gloria stated the obvious.

"A shawl. It will have to be a shawl..." Beverly said with a sigh, then eyed Stella. "I have to wear a shawl now."

Stella shrugged.

"Everybody will be able to tell."

Stella shrugged again. Both women sighed and turned back to their fiddlings. The atmosphere was cheery if subdued. Intimate. Like this was all a great bonding exercise. Now, forged by this unlikely experience, they would all become friends for life. Kindred souls!

Stella wanted to scream.

Beverly put her hand on Gloria's as she said something about makeup. Gloria leaned in, bringing them closer together. It wasn't meant to be like this. When Stella dragged Beverly here she- she did not know what she expected. For Gloria to see Beverly for the freak that she was and recoil from the sight?

They looked closer. Beverly looked relaxed, as much as the little freak was capable of that. Once again, she gave Beverly exactly what she wanted. Stella looked down on her uniform and felt trapped. A servant amongst her masters. Out there, on the dance floor, wealthy bigots celebrated themselves and she just- she gave one two of them a wonderful night.

And Adam fucking Turner did not remember her. Because she was nothing for him. At least she got his wife in the end. She felt a nasty grin split her face, before it was wiped out.

But he did not know it... And he never would.

Thanks to the women's efforts, Beverly began looking like she did not just almost pass out from an anal orgasm. Soon she would go back to the ballroom and nobody would know anything was amiss. Stella's mark on Beverly's neck would remain hidden.

Because it did not really mean anything in the end.

Because... Because Stella did not really own Beverly. It was all just a game to the woman. Just a little bit of fun on the weekend. Nothing ever changed between them.

At the end of the day, Stella served Beverly.

Adam Turner did not even remember that there was a contest between them to be won or lost.

To those who have everything, more will be given. That was how the world worked. She was still a fat worm hiding in her room. Nothing ever changed.

The tone shifting in the room brought her out of her misery. Gloria was biting her lip, whispering to Beverly. Stella strained to hear their quiet words.

"It was not... Too much? Really?" Gloria asked. "It looked... Painful."

Beverly smiled weakly. "Yes it was... But... I... Enjoy that."

"Really? Even the... Choking?" Gloria actually wiggled her ass in excitement. "You're really a... Masochist?"

Beverly cringed, before nodding weakly. She looked aside her eyes looking at nothing, clearly waiting for judgement.

"You really are an interesting woman," Gloria said with a greedy little smile.

Forget screaming. Stella wanted to hit somebody.

Gloria looked hungry for more.

Beverly was seen for what she was... And she was accepted? Something about this reality did not sit well with her. It chafed like an ill-fitting dress... But one she could stand to get used to, in time.

Gloria left her with a kiss. A quick peck to her cheek that promised a lot. Beverly's dress was a tad rumpled, her makeup not quite perfect, and the thin shawl Gloria had squirreled away in her purse was mighty suspicious but there's only so much she could do.

"Um... Stella?" She asked the increasingly tense woman. "We should separate too..."

Stella did not hear her. She fell silent somewhere along the way, between Haylee running off and them leaving the storage room. Now she leaned against the wall, with her arms crossed, her face filled with ice.

Beverly did not like that look at all. "Stella... Are you ok?"

"What?" Stella asked, her eyes barely focusing on Beverly.

"Are you... You seem off tonight?" When the woman said nothing, Beverly risked it all. "Is it about last week? Us... Sleeping together?"

Somehow Stella managed to tense up even more. A feat, considering she had already been radiating unease. She forced a smile on her face, and pushed off from the wall with too much strength. "I'm great. Let's go. We need to separate, right? You don't want to be seen with me, right?"

"I-"

Stella cut her off. "I'll go ahead."

And then she stormed off, leaving Beverly alone in the hallway, wondering. For all of her complicated affection for the woman, she did not really understand her, did she? On some level, she knew Stella better than anybody else, and vice versa. But in most ways she had no idea who the woman was.

Beverly made her way back towards the ballroom, her mind wandering. How many Stella's were there in the woman's mind? There was the nice one, the angry one... Was the one from high-school still in there? Would Beverly ever get to meet them all? Or would she always be kept at arms length?

Gloria met the Other Beverly tonight and did not even flinch. For some reason, the thought of that made Beverly's eyes sting. It felt... Odd. Somebody other than Stella saw what she was and accepted it. Would they ever accept the new Hypothetical Beverly? Would they even-

Beverly almost fell over at the thought that tore through her mind. A reality she never quite examined, but was obvious now that she thought about it.

Would they even know that there were multiple Beverly's? No- No they would not. Of course they would not! They- they all thought that it was all her. Maybe Stella would understand, knowing what she knew about Beverly in high-school. But Gloria would never grasp it. Gloria would go on thinking that Beverly was one continuum, stretching from her birth, to now. Not the frayed tapestry that she was.

She tried, for once, to imagine that Beverly, the one Gloria would see. One, whole Beverly Carpenter. A multi faceted woman, not this split up thing she was.

Her heels felt rooted to the tile floor as something rose up, from her gut, rising up to her mind. Something alien and wrong. A realisation that felt... Wrong. And yet- and yet-

Thankfully, perhaps by the grace of God, a voice came to save her from introspection. "Mom? Are you... Alright?"

Victoria was standing right in front of Beverly, peering at her with no small amount of worry. Beverly put an expression on her face that she dearly hoped was not too alarming. Judging by her daughter's reaction she was not very successful, so she hurried to speak.

"No. I am not." She said before she could stop herself. "What are you doing here?" She looked around, seeing she was still in the staff hallways, although closer to the party. Sounds of muted chatter spilled in from a large doorway at the end of the corridor.

"Grandma's looking for you? Where were you?" Victoria asked, looking her mother over, then continued with a smirk. "Nice shawl. Are you hiding a hickey?"

Beverly's cursed mouth spoke. "Yes."

Victoria sputtered to a halt. "Oh! Oh- Well! Good for you?"

Beverly shrugged, the ghost of the almost revelation tingling in her extremities. She should get out of here before she tells more truths. She was about to excuse herself when Victoria spoke.

"What do you think about Tamara?"

"Are- Are my parents giving you trouble?" Beverly said, angling towards the exit.

"No. And that's not what I asked." Victoria said as she very deliberately put herself between her and the door. "What do you think about her, mom?"

"She's-" Beverly flailed for a pleasant lie, but found none. "She's not good enough for you."

Victoria stood very still. "What do you mean?"

"She's- Nice. But you need- you need somebody better. You could have any woman you want-" Beverly babbled, tonight apparently being a night for truths. "Don't settle for somebody who can't match you."

"You don't mind her being... A woman? That I might want to be with a woman?" Victoria asked, with such intensity in her eyes that Beverly took a step back.

"You should take anything- anything you want Victoria." Beverly said, feeling sick. "If... If it's women, then- Then it's women... I just want you to be happy."

Her daughter's shoulders sagged with relief and something else. Sadness? "I thought you would never... Would you really be ok if I was gay?"

There goes that word again! Beverly laughed, before putting a hand on her mouth. She nodded jerkily. Her daughter smiled at her with gentleness she did not know the girl possessed.

"I think so too... I think there's nothing wrong with being gay... Mom." She said, with that terrible gentleness again. "You know that I think that... Right?"

Beverly nodded again, but said nothing. Victoria looked at her with expectation, as if she was supposed to speak now, to fill this dreadful silence, but Beverly decided that she was done with speaking. She shall go through the second half of her life mute.

Finally, Victoria sighed and shook her head sadly. Like she was disappointed with Beverly. It hurt more than anything else she could think of, so she spoke.

"I'm- I'm involved- I'm-" Beverly tried speaking, but her throat tightened up. "With somebody. A-" She tried again, but the words did not want to come out. Damn it, she told Adam! She- she showed herself to Gloria! Why was this so difficult?

Her daughter rescued her from her flailing. "A woman? The friend you've been visiting... Is it a woman?"

Beverly nodded, despite a terrible feeling rising in her stomach.

Victoria's tender smile turned brilliant. "That's ok mom. I don't care. I love you." She said simply, then hugged Beverly.

Tears stung her eyes again, but she willed herself not to cry. She did not want to fix her makeup again. But she hugged her daughter back, feeling everything and nothing at all at the same time.

That's ok. I don't care. I love you.

That's ok. I don't care. I love you.

That's ok. I don't care. I love you.

"Ow! Hey now!" Victoria grunted. "You're gonna mess up my hair!"

"Sorry!" Beverly mumbled and eased off on the hug a bit.

They separated, leaving Beverly feeling bereft. She did not know where to look, so she looked at the ceiling. It helped with keeping the tears in her eyes.

"You knew..." Beverly said. "You're not surprised."

"Yeeeah..." Victoria cringed. "The way you looked at Mrs. Gloria sometimes... Is it her? Your friend?"

"No... You don't know her."

Victoria pouted. "Will I? I want to meet her."

The idea of Victoria and Stella in the same room together, forced a bitter smile out of Beverly. "Maybe... I don't know. It's complicated." When she saw the concerned look on Victoria's face, she added. "But maybe... Maybe you and Tamara could go out with us? At some point..."

Victoria nodded, then cringed a bit. She bit her lip looking the same way she did when she tried to hide a snake in her bedroom when she was eleven, citing Beverly's turtles as a reptile precedent.

"Sooo... Mom." Victoria began, not quite looking at her. "Here's the thing... I am not actually... Exactly... Dating Tamara."

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, she's cool and all... But I am not actually that much into women. I mean, I am... But I prefer men."

Beverly's brain could not quite process what was just said. She may or may not have asked for clarification. Victoria laughed, like she was caught.

"I may have... Exaggerated my affection for her to... Get you to come out finally."

This was one step too far for Beverly's mind at this moment. This whole evening felt like running a marathon. All at once her mind refused to slot this new piece of information anywhere relevant. It floated around aimlessly, before settling somewhere out of sight.

"W-wha- But she-" Beverly grasped for reality. "But she adores you?"

"Oh yeah. Tamara is big gay for me." Victoria said as she smiled smugly. "I told her that I will give her a shot if she agrees to pretend to date me for a while..."

"But- Hunter? Your boyfriend?"

Victoria laughed, like it was all a big joke. "Oh, he thinks it's hot. He's fine with it... He's fine with whatever I tell him to be fine with," she added with a predatory grin.

Beverly looked at her daughter with new eyes. She was a monster.

Her little monster.

"Ok." Beverly said.

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Ok?"

"I need to... A drink." Beverly said as she stumbled past Victoria. "I really... Need a drink."

Her daughter followed behind her, looking at least somewhat contrite. "Sooo... How mad are you? On a scale of one to ten?"

Beverly turned abruptly and hugged her daughter again. Victoria squeaked, but let herself be hugged. Beverly squeezed harder and began swinging her body from side to side, pulling Victoria with her.

"I love you so much Victoria, it hurts." She said before releasing her.

"I- You too mom."

"I'll talk to you later..." Beverly said as she turned towards the door. "I need to..."

"Alright! Go dance with your lady!" Victoria whispered. "Get another hickey! She's here, right? Your girlfriend?"

Beverly waved her demon of a child away and stumbled out onto the ballroom floor. Victoria sauntered away towards a nearby table where Tamara was waiting with two wine glasses. The girl jumped to her feet, ready to serve her daughter, who gracefully took the offered glass.

There was a part of Beverly that could not be any more proud.

She watched the two interact for a while, before the reality of what just happened hit her. She told her daughter that she was interested in women and... And it was alright.

Victoria knew... Adam knew... Gloria knew. And somehow Beverly's life did not fall apart. She chose not to examine that thought too closely right now. It led towards other, more dangerous ones she was not quite ready for.

She looked at Stella, manning the bar, and felt her heart clench at the sight. The woman was busy serving drinks, alongside Haylee. Still, she glanced in Beverly's direction. She wanted to go to her so badly, but knew it to be a terrible idea.

Instead, she immersed herself in the crowd. It felt good to be amongst her people again, somehow easier than it was earlier this evening. She did her rounds, made jokes about her disappearance, deflected inquiries about her shawl, performed her usual comfortable dance with growing sadness she could not quite place, until she did.

Something was ending. And even though it had never been a good thing, it was all she ever knew.

On the edge of the dance floor she found her ex-husband, looking over at the youth's bar, his eyes locked onto Stella. Best to deflect that interest. "Care for a dance?" She asked him.

He waved her away. "People would talk. My mother just recently stopped asking me to marry you again." He said, his eyes not leaving Stella. "Say... Didn't we go to high-school with a Stella?"

Beverly shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell!"

"The- the chubby girl? We really..." He trailed off. "We were really fucked up back then, huh...?"

"Oh, who wasn't at that age!"

"You really don't remember her? You were really obsessed-"

"Can't say that I do! Sorry! Hey, would you care for a drink?"

Finally Adam looked at her, a tired smirk on his lips. "Ah. There she is. My lying ex-wife."

Beverly chose to plead the fifth.

"I am going to go over... And... I guess apologise?" He asked, more to himself than her. "Yeah. That's the right thing to do."

Then, without another word he pushed away from the wall and walked towards the bar. Beverly spent a terrible minute imagining all the ways his apology could go wrong, then another one imagining all the ways she could try to stop it from happening. Finally she settled on getting a drink for herself to calm her nerves.

She stalked a waiter with a tray of champagne flutes and grabbed one. She was ready to settle into a quiet, subdued panic, when her blood pressure rose another notch.

Her mother was sauntering towards her, looking displeased. Beverly stood straight and fought an impulse to adjust her shawl, lest she draw attention to it. It did not matter, her mother's eyes scanned over her and settled on the offending item immediately. Then, oh horror of horrors, they flicked towards the bar.

No, she could not know. It was just a coincidence.

"How are you finding the party, mother?" Beverly wrenched a pleasant smile onto her face, then took a large sip of champagne to fortify herself.

"Not half as... fun as you are dear..." Mother drawled, looking at the shawl pointedly. "Disappearing like this... People will talk."

"There was an emergency with the wine." Beverly lied as best as she could.

It was not good enough. Her mother's pleasant smile tightened a fraction and then she looked straight at Stella, who was currently pointedly ignoring Adam trying to get her attention. Beverly grabbed onto a nearby table for support.

She knew.

Somehow her mother knew. She must have been observing the entrances, saw Stella return to the ballroom right before Beverly, then put two and two together. Beverly drew on all the experience she had in her almost forty years of lying to maintain her pleasant expression.

Her mother took a step closer and touched the damned shawl. "The staff...? Really? Beverly..."

Beverly found herself with nothing to say to that, so she just maintained her smile. People were looking. Her mother smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles from her shawl as she spoke.

"Discretion, Beverly. You were taught better than this."

Beverly's neck bent, and her head nodded.

"You carry an important name... What you do... And what you are seen doing reflect not only on you... But also on your father."

Finally, Beverly managed to speak. "F-father?"

"Your father did not notice..." Her mother whispered. "He does not need to know... Right? Because there will be no scandals that could... Derail any campaign plans... Is that understood, Beverly?"

Once again, Beverly's body did what it needed to do, nodding along. Her mother peered deeply into her eyes, and seemed to be satisfied with what she found there, because she stepped away with a nod of her own.

"I advise that you go out on the dance floor, and... Find yourself a male partner, right now." She said, her smile warm and brilliant. "No more foolishness."

Beverly took off towards the dancing couples as fast as she could without running, then grabbed the first, free, appropriately attractive man and made him ask her for a dance. Then, finally, when they were on the dance floor, his hand on her hip, where the panic threatening to make her throw up began to recede.

She smiled at her dance partner, despite her heart hammering in her chest so loudly she could barely hear the music. What time was it? Around ten pm? She just needed to do this for another two hours and she would be alright. Afterwards she would allow herself to be seen leaving the party with this man... Maybe even be seen kissing him?

Her mother's eyes followed Beverly as she danced. Warm and radiant. Anybody other than Beverly would see pride in them.

After God knows how long, Beverly relaxed enough to look around the room. Her eyes immediately searched for Stella. There, at the edge of the bar she was, talking to Adam. Or more like, standing still as a statue as he talked at her.

Even from this far away, Beverly could tell that Stella was not ok. The tension and misery that radiated off of her the whole night was drowning her. How could nobody else see it? How could Beverly have let it come this far?

She lost sight of her for a time, as the dance took her away, putting other couples between Beverly and Stella, but she saw her again soon enough. This time alone, leaning over the bar, staring at Beverly.

They looked at each other, across the crowded space for what felt like hours. Then, something broke inside Stella and she looked away. Stiffly, she walked out from behind the bar and walked out of the ballroom, never looking back.

Beverly danced as it happened.

She danced for a while more, before her heart could not handle it any more. She left the dance floor in the middle of a song, possibly causing quite a stir, but she did not care.

Stella looked really upset.

Beverly made herself not see her mother's furious glare, because if she did she would stop and go back to the dance floor. So, decided that she did not see it. Instead she hurried past the doors, back into the staff hallways. She found the space busy with servers running up and down, scurrying away from her.

With little prodding, they pointed her towards where Stella disappeared to. Beverly followed after her, ignoring their curious looks. They did not matter. Something was growing inside Beverly's gut. She did not understand its shape, but she felt it there. Something was ending, and something else beginning.

She found Stella inside an empty changing room, not far from the ballroom. The woman was sitting on a bench, turned away from her, not moving. Her head snapped back towards Beverly when she heard the doors close behind her, but she said nothing, just stared at her with those hollow eyes.

"Hey..." Beverly began, but found she did not know what to say.

Thankfully Stella knew. "Had a nice dance?"

"No."

Stella's response was to laugh bitterly. "You know... Adam apologised to me. For-" Stella choked on her laughter. "For being 'an asshole to me in high-shool'."

Beverly cringed. "I... I tried to stop him."

"Why?" Stella said with her teeth showing. It was not a smile. "I forgave him. He felt bad about it!"

The feeling in Beverly's chest threatened to explode hearing the woman in pain. She never wanted to see Stella like this.

"Do you- do you want to get out of here?" Beverly said. "You know- I know the lady who runs this place. You can get off work early, she won't get mad-"

Stella did not let her finish. "Fuck you." She spat.

Beverly had heard the woman insult and demean her many times, but this time it felt different. It made her throat close.

"Are you ok? Stella?" Beverly choked out. "I- I am worried about you."

Stella stood to her feet, her whole body taught with tension. "It's over. You and me- it's over. I don't want to see you again."

"I- what?"

"We're done." Stella spat. "You got what you wanted. I- I don't want this anymore. Any of this."

All the new feelings inside Beverly threatened to turn sour, to rot and poison her. "What happened? You've been different today-"

"You don't know me!" Stella screamed and hit the locker behind her. She pressed her back into it and thrust her hands into her hair at the temples. "Just leave me alone! You fucking parasite!"

Beverly felt sick seeing her like this, but she thought that if she walked away now, she really would not see Stella again. And that, she could not accept, so she took a step towards her.

"Can't you just- just tell me what happened? Did-" She swallowed hard. "Was it me dancing with that man? I did not want to do it..."

Stella said nothing, just stood there bent over at the waist, hands gripping her head, so Beverly advanced another step, close enough they could almost touch now.

"Do you really want me gone?" She asked, despite herself.

Stella looked her in the eyes. They were cold. "Yes."

She meant it, Beverly could tell. What happened? They were just- just an hour ago they were all together and things were ok... Well, no they were not. Stella had been off this whole night, and Beverly just- just- just- Beverly just had her fun. She let Stella lead her around, despite knowing that the woman was suffering from... Something.

She spoke without thinking. "I'm sorry-"

"Stop saying that! I said- I don't want to hear any more of your apologies!"

Beverly's mind whirled into motion. What could she say to reverse this? There had to be something- the woman before her had needs and wants. Right now, whatever she felt made her not want Beverly, but that was subject to change- anything was. She just needed to find the right button to- Beverly bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood.

"I- I'll go." She said, "Just... Before that, can I tell you something?"

Stella said nothing, just stared at Beverly with resignation. Eyes of a woman who was willing to do whatever was needed to get rid of a pest. Those eyes hurt to see. The pain helped Beverly center herself.

The whole night something has been building inside of her. Since the moment she stood by the doors greeting people, she knew something no longer fit inside of her, because she was changing. She let that feeling guide her now. For once she let herself speak from the heart.

"Stella... I'm sorry for what I did to you in high-school." She said, as a start.

Stella groaned and straightened out. She hit the back of her head on a locker three times without a word. Anger and desperation uglied her face, in a way Beverly did not know possible before. Then, they were gone in an instant, replaced with nothing.

Stella's face became empty.

Her hand shot out and grabbed Beverly by the ruffles of her dress and brought her closer, close enough for their hips to touch. Beverly's heart fluttered, even as Stella's eyes turned on her again, full of nothing. Even in this state, she could not help but love those eyes.

"I know you don't want to hear it but- but I have been sorry for so long-" She said looking for the right words. "No, that's wrong. That's a lie."

Stella's brows furrowed, but Beverly continued.

"I don't think I have ever really been sorry... At least before we met again. I don't think I really cared that much... I just said I was." Beverly laughed at the horror of the words tumbling out of her. Stella's hands squeezed her hips, her fingers traced patterns amongst the flowers on her hip. "I think I just... Told myself I was because I should have been, right?"

Stella did not respond.

"But I wasn't! Not really! I just felt ashamed for losing myself! But I never really thought about how it was all for you. How... How much it hurt you. You would think that I would have if I was truly sorry, right?" The words spilled out of her like guts from a cut belly. "And if I was really sorry, I would have changed! But I never did! The- the things I put my family, Gloria and others through… I don't think I ever cared as long as I got what I wanted. I think- I think I am a very selfish person."

It was all coming out wrong! But, the emptiness in Stella's eyes was clouding with emotions. A mixture of confusion, anger and more. It was better than that terrible emptiness, so Beverly kept talking.

"You know... I have a secret," Beverly said, feeling deep shame for everything she was about to say. "I've always- I've always thought that there were two of me. The- the Real Beverly and the Other One." She laughed at Stella's horrified expression. "But not really! I know that there's just one me, but- but I always told myself that there were two! I put all the nasty things I hated about myself into the- the Other one."

"When I disobeyed them, my parents would always say 'My child would not do this!', or 'I did not raise a daughter who acted like this' and so on! Every time, right before my father-" Beverly faltered. "Before my father punished me... So I got to thinking, what if there was another me?"

"So I pushed it all onto her... What I did to you in school... All of my poison. And... And how much I felt for you. How much I-" Her voice broke. "How much I love women. Stella- I'm- I think I might be gay?"

"N-no shit." Stella choked out.

"Yes shit! I did not know! I thought- I don't know what I thought! But it all went into that Other Beverly! All the things I did and wanted to do! But it was all me!"

There it was. It was spilling out, the terrible and wonderful feeling.

The truth.

"Everything I ever did was me! I did it to you Stella," Beverly said, her voice breaking again. "I am so sorry! Why did I do it?! You- You were never anything but kind to everybody! And I- I just-I just made your life hell because I wanted you for myself?! What kind of person does that?! What is wrong with me?!"

Something new appeared in Stella's eyes besides anger and confusion. Fear? Why would she be afraid now?

"And I never- I never got better because I just pushed it all down! But then- then we met again and... Stella, I can't do it anymore. I just can't lie to myself. You know I just told my daughter that I am seeing a woman? I told my husband too!"

Stella's eyebrows shot up so fast Beverly was worried she might tear skin.

"Yes! And I think my mother knows too, but she does not care! She just- She just cares about appearances!" Beverly yelled, then a thought so delightful it almost made her pass out tore through her mind. "I- I think I hate my mother. I think I really do. I hate them both. My parents. But never mind that now!"

A door slammed open somewhere in the distance.

"Stella! Since the moment we met again- all the terrible things you did to me, the- the sex, the- the anal stuff, the- the things you made me do to Haylee and Gloria- The wonderful, terrible things... God, women are amazing... Gloria tasted so good-" Beverly got her mind off that track. This was about feelings not... That. "Stella I- I wanted to thank you? You're amazing. You're so... Sure of yourself and- and- smart and funny and beautiful and- God every time we just talk I can feel myself falling for you more."

Another door slammed open, closer now.

"Beverly- Beverly stop-"

"I am falling for you- No, it's too late." Beverly laughed. Is this what honesty felt like? Is that why other people did it? "Stella I think I am- I am in love with you? I want- I want to live with you. Openly. I want to- God, I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you! I don't know what's happening with you, but I am pretty sure it's my fault so- please- I- Could we just talk about it? If you don't want to I understand but, please-"

"Beverly, shut up!" Stella yelled.

So she did just that. She shut up and waited. A sound of doors slamming open, somewhere nearby filled the silent room.

Stella looked down at her with a wild expression. Fear and apprehension like she'd never seen on her face before. The anger was gone, completely, replaced with... Dread?

The doors slammed open again, closer now. Right outside.

Stella swallowed hard, before speaking. "Beverly... I..." Then, she fell silent.

"Take your time? You don't have to say... Anything... Now..." Beverly trailed off seeing Stella's pained expression. Something was wrong. Not just what she said, but...

Something happened, and she did not know what. A terrible feeling seeped from the depths of her gut. Something just ended.

Another set of doors slammed open, just outside the changing room. Beverly jumped away from Stella just in time for the doors to the room to fling open. Haylee tumbled in, red in the face and sweating.

"Mic!" She huffed out and pointed at Beverly's hip. "Fucking mic! On!"

"Excuse me?" Was all that Beverly was capable of saying, under the weight of what Haylee's words implied. "What's going... On?"

"You have a microphone on you, you fucking-" Haylee huffed out as she scrambled over and felt Beverly all over. "Where?!"

Haylee threw herself on the ground at Beverly's feet and tore at her hip, where the mic's transmitter was... Beverly felt cold sweat break out all over her body.

No.

No, that was not possible.

Stella disconnected the cables before. It could not be- It could not have been transmitting.

With a click Haylee tore out the cable from the transmitter. The cable that could not have been connected and yet it was. With calmness she did not understand, Beverly reached to the box and checked the only switch that mattered.

It was up.

The transmitter had been on and connected while- while she talked- while-

"How- How much-" Beverly managed to say through her rapidly closing throat.

"Well! You're gay, crazy, you like ass stuff and you fucked me and Gloria." Haylee hissed through gritted teeth. "All the fucking classics! What the fuck?! Operational security people!"

Beverly barely heard the words past the first sentence.

"It- People heard? The-"

"The whole fucking ballroom! Jesus Christ, Gloria's out there-" Haylee looked back at where she came from, her face pale and drawn.

"They’ve heard?!" Somebody said, possibly one of the Beverlys.

"Yeah the quality was shit, but- Yeah. They heard everything. Sorry," Haylee said and turned to leave the room. "I'll- I don't know, get Gloria out of here? Fuck! Stella? You alive? Get moving!"

Beverly turned to Stella, who stood unmoving by the lockers. For the first time, since she saw the woman since high-school she looked small. So terribly small.

"Stella..." Beverly said.

"I'm- I'm sorry." The woman answered hollowly. "I-"

Beverly's numb fingers traced over the transmitter switch. It was down before. She knew it was. And the cables were disconnected. She was sure they were. She focused on that, to the exclusion of the panic rising on the edges of her mind.

Stella shrank away from her eyes, looking aside. Beverly felt like she was about to suffocate. The room felt terribly small and impossibly vast at the same time.

"I- I did not know you were going to say all that..." Stella said dumbly.

Behind her, Beverly heard a sharp inhale from Haylee, as she understood what Beverly's mind already knew to be true, even if her heart could not quite grasp it.

Stella turned the transmitter on. She connected the cables.

She did it to her.

And now, everybody knew what Beverly was.

Once again I rewrote the outline for the remainder of the story, mostly to extend it and make space for a proper resolution. I hate stories that just cut out abruptly right after the climax. There will be 3 more proper chapters, and then one or two epilogues.

I made a Trello board for those that want to have a better idea as to when the next chapter will be ready: https://trello.com/b/Y4rSclka/iwnfy-to-do-list