Chapter 7 - Branded meat

A few minutes later, they had reached their destination, and Natalie, who was still floating on a small high after meeting the girls a few minutes earlier, suddenly felt the tension return. Above the door, a bright neon sign left no doubt as to where they were. The stylized silhouette of a naked girl in a cowboy hat and boots was familiar to everyone in the world.

“A Sidney's registration office? I don't quite understand, Mom...”

But Steph just shrugged and lovingly hooked her arm through hers.

"An old friend of mine works here, Chloe O'Donnell. I went to school with her. She runs the office and owes me a favor. I'm going to call it in today."

Natalie raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then let herself be led along, and together they entered the modern, brightly lit interior of the small office. The air-conditioned air gave her goose bumps on her bare body after the heat of the morning. But then she looked up in amazement at a holographic movie poster hanging directly opposite the entrance, which had probably not been placed there by chance. Lost in thought, she licked her lips, because the sight was definitely worth seeing.

Roebuck - The True Story

She had, of course, heard about the biopic that was soon to be released as a holo. But this was the first time she had seen a poster for the film. In the center of the three-dimensional image was the all-too-familiar figure of the young pioneer of cannibalism, just as she was known, complete with her signature Sydney salute and outfit, if you could call it that. Winking cheekily, the half-naked girl tapped the brim of her pink Stetson, one leg elegantly bent, probably so that the poster wouldn't look too provocative. She stood back-to-back with an elegantly dressed man in his late thirties wearing an old-fashioned business suit from the early 21st century, who was probably supposed to represent Orin Roebuck, Sydney's father. Around the two of them, the poster featured the faces of other people, all with astonished expressions and some with eyes wide with indignation. The tagline summed up the motif quite well, Natalie thought with a smile.

The girl who shocked the world.

Below that were the names of the two leading actors, Brad Sanderson and Olivia O'Neill. And now Natalie also recognized the actor who played Orin Roebuck. She had seen him in several films. In fact, he was one of the most sought-after stars in the holo business. As for young Olivia, she had read some time ago that she would have had a brilliant film career ahead of her if the film hadn't placed so much emphasis on realism and attention to detail. And so, instead, the young actress had decided to shoot all the scenes herself that would otherwise have required a body double, including the rather detailed and bloody slaughter scene that, as Nattie had heard, was responsible for the film's T-for-Teen rating. If the director's statements are to be believed, it was probably the most difficult scene to film in the entire project. After all, they only had one take available for it, because they had wanted to avoid reshoots with other young actors as far as possible.

As for young Olivia, her meat was later served at a big set party for all the film's crew, which was the little girl's way of showing her appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Over the past few decades, this had become something of a tradition among young actresses who wanted to put the finishing touches on their blossoming careers. And what could have been a more fitting way to give one's life than during the filming of a biography about arguably the most famous girl in the world?

“Stephanie, darling, it's been ages. Come here.”

When a piercing, extremely loud voice suddenly reached her ears, Natalie turned away from the movie poster and hurried over to her mother. She was in the middle of a bone-crushing hug with a woman Nat had never seen before. While her mom made stifled noises and endured her old friend's greeting, her daughter took a closer look at the newcomer. Chloe O'Donnell was an impressive personality. She was dressed in an elegant, ultra-modern business suit with the Sidney's logo on the chest and wore her hair tied back in a strict bun. But what impressed her most was her imposing stature, for this woman was a good head taller than her father.

“Phew, Chloe, I'm so happy to see you again,” Stephanie groaned, breathing a sigh of relief when the other woman finally let go of her. “Let me take a look at you. You look slimmer. Have you lost weight?”

But Chloe just laughed loudly and patted her on the shoulder, causing Steph to wince in pain.

“No, it's the suit. It's squeezing me quite tightly.”

But then the woman suddenly turned her intense dark eyes on Natalie. An almost greedy gleam appeared in them, and the girl felt her palms grow clammy under her piercing gaze.

“My goodness, Steph, what delicious treat have you brought me? It's enough to make your mouth water. Is that little Natalie?”

Steph smiled and proudly placed a hand on her child's shoulder.

“Yes, you're right, Chloe. This is my daughter, Natalie. Nattie, this is Chloe O'Donnell. We were best friends in high school. I was captain of the cheerleading squad, and she was quarterback of the girls' team. We spent a lot of time together.”

Nat stared at her counterpart with her mouth open, and it took a little nudge from her mother to pull herself together and extend her hand to the lady. She took it immediately and shook it in a friendly and surprisingly gentle manner. And the girl was secretly grateful for that, because otherwise she would probably have broken her fingers.

“You probably meant ‘with each other and on top of each other,’” the woman suddenly laughed, still holding her hand firmly. “Your mother is still the most skilled pussy licker I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying. But who am I telling this to? You probably know that better than anyone, right?”

As Chloe playfully slapped her arm and laughed, Stephanie put her hand over her face and shook her head. And despite the pain in her shoulder, Nat suddenly had to grin, because somehow it was nice to see that there were people who managed to embarrass her otherwise shameless mother a little. Nevertheless, the situation was extremely embarrassing for herself too, and she secretly wondered why there was never a hole in the ground when you desperately needed one.

"But now let me guess why you're here. I bet it has something to do with your girls' exciting outfits. Could it be that someone has decided to offer their meat to the public?"

Chloe rubbed her hands together almost relishfully as she spoke, staring the twelve-year-old up and down. She literally devoured her with her eyes, but then her mother stepped up beside her and put her arm around her waist in an almost protective manner.

“Well, not exactly, but... maybe we should discuss this in private. Would it be possible for us to talk briefly in the back?”

“Of course,” the other woman nodded immediately, stepping past the two of them and looking back toward the rear of the office.

“Brigitte?” As Nat followed her gaze, she saw that there was a cozy seating area set up there and, as it turned out, they weren't alone. The colleague with whom Miss O'Donnell was silently communicating and who was wearing the same suit as her was talking to another mother-daughter duo. The girl was completely naked, just like Natalie, but a few years older than her. As for the mother, she didn't seem particularly thrilled to be there, to be honest. It almost looked as if she was trying to talk her child out of registering after all.

“Excellent, Brigitte has everything under control as always, come with me.”

With that, she led the two past the other clients and through a back door separated from the main room by a curtain. Shortly thereafter, they reached the staff room. No one was there, so Chloe gestured invitingly to the couch, and the two made themselves comfortable there while their host approached the counter and gave them a questioning look.

“Would you like some coffee or something else?”

“I won't say no to that,” replied Stephanie, and Natalie nodded too, but then raised her hand and asked:

“Could I have some water?”

“Sure.”

Shortly thereafter, a steaming cup stood in front of her mother, while Natalie eagerly grabbed her glass and downed it in almost one gulp. Meanwhile, Chloe pulled up a chair, sat down, and elegantly crossed one leg over the other. The wobbly swivel chair seemed somehow ridiculously tiny beneath her enormous frame.

“Well, spit it out, Steph. What can I do for you and your little girl? And why is the cutie naked if she doesn’t want to register? Did she inherit your exhibitionist streak?”

Nattie was extremely grateful to her mother when she took over the conversation. She put a hand on her knee and turned to her old friend.

“She has, but that's not why we're here. Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor.”

“And that would be?”

“Well,” Steph replied, giving her daughter a mischievous look that made her swallow nervously, because she still wasn't sure why they were here in the first place. “Nat doesn't want to register officially, as it's not necessary for what she has planned, but she has nevertheless decided to savor the whole experience, fully and with every aspect that goes with it.”

As she spoke, she shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head with an almost incredulous smile.

“I wasn't really expecting it, but earlier she suddenly stood naked in my room and informed me that from now on she doesn't want to wear clothes anymore because meat doesn't wear clothes, if you know what I mean. And that's why we're here now.”

Miss O'Donnell smiled to herself and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The civil servant eyed her with a knowing twinkle in her eyes, and Nat suddenly felt even more naked than she already was.

“I see. She wants the Meatgirl Experience, and for that you need my stamp.”

Her mother didn't answer right away. She just pursed her lips, gave her a quick glance, and then nodded in agreement.

“You guessed right.”

Chloe took a deep breath and her strong brows furrowed thoughtfully.

“You know, I could get into hot water for this.”

“I know,” Steph replied, and Nat watched the scene spellbound, holding her breath. The tension between the two seemed to intensify as they stared at each other. And for a moment she wondered what this favor her mother had mentioned was all about. But she didn't dwell on the thought for long, because her heart had been pounding like crazy in her chest ever since she heard the word “stamp.” Nattie wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what the two were talking about, she just hadn't expected it. After registration, if a Meatgirl intended to be slaughtered through official channels, she was branded with a mark that identified her as registered meat. So if her mother really intended to have her branded, she should be prepared for some pain. But strangely enough, she realized that this thought did not cause fear in her heart, but rather made her feel wet between her thighs.

My God, what's wrong with me?

Suddenly, the hulking official lowered her shoulders and sighed deeply. With a cautious glance toward the door, she nodded and finally said, in an almost affectionate tone:

“You know I could never refuse you anything, darling.”

“Thank you,” Steph replied with a relieved smile, gently squeezing her daughter's knee as she did so. Meanwhile, her daughter looked back and forth between the two of them in surprise. She hadn't failed to notice the sizzling atmosphere. Could it be that there were deeper feelings at play here than just an old friendship? But then Chloe suddenly raised her index finger and pointed it at her mother and daughter in turn.

"But then let's do it right, if we're going to do it at all. We're not just going to stamp her and give her a pat on the butt. We're going to do everything by the book, even if none of it ends up officially in the file. And besides, I want a signed first edition of your next book.”

She met Stephanie's surprised gaze with a shrug.

“Fran is seventeen and a huge fan of your dirty little novels. That would make me her favorite aunt.”

“Fran is seventeen already?" Natalie's mother replied in astonishment, shaking her head in disbelief. “My God, how time flies.”

“I know.”

Still looking almost incredulous, Stephanie leaned forward, momentarily forgetting her own daughter, and asked curiously:

“How are things between you two? Everything all right?”

Miss O’Donnell’s face lit up instantly. Her eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly.

“Fantastic, actually. To be honest... I'm thinking about popping the question soon.”

Steph's mouth fell open in surprise.

“You want to marry her? Chloe...”

The other woman shrugged and smiled happily to herself.

“I'd really like to. She feels the same way about me. I just don't know if she's ready yet. She's going to college next year, so her life is going to be exciting enough. But keep your fingers crossed for me, a yes from her would make me really... overjoyed.”

“I will. And I hope I'll be invited to the wedding."

Natalie smiled as she watched her mother extend her hand to the other woman, who immediately took it and held it tightly. Chloe rubbed her thumb tenderly over the back of her hand a few times, tilting her head affectionately.

“You can count on it.”

But then the official suddenly seemed to want to focus on the problem at hand again, because she clapped her hands and suddenly rose from her chair. With an inviting gesture, she turned to Natalie and frowned sternly.

“All right, enough of this sentimentality. Let's get started. Come on, come on, inspection!”

Confused and with trembling knees, Nattie stood up and gave her mother a confused look. Her mother frowned uncertainly and then looked up at her old friend.

“Um,” she began, but was immediately interrupted by Chloe.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Inspection,” she repeated her request. But the girl just shrugged her shoulders cluelessly, and suddenly her mother seemed to have a lightbulb moment.

“Oh, Chloe, sorry. She doesn't know the commands.”

Almost stunned, the huge official put her fists on her hips and looked down disapprovingly at her old school friend.

“You didn't teach her the poses?”

But Natalie's mom just shrugged.

“I didn't think it was necessary. We don't practice BDSM at home. And... to be honest, I've forgotten most of them myself.”

"Yeah, but Steph... every girl should at least know how to do inspection. It always makes a great impression when you present yourself to the meat inspectors in the right posture."

For a few seconds, the famous author met her old schoolmate's piercing gaze with conviction, but eventually she gave in, rolled her eyes, and stood up with an imperceptible smile. Then, to her daughter's endless amazement, she stood with her legs apart, raised her arms above her head, and clasped her hands behind her neck. Then she pushed out her chest and lifted her chin.

“She means this pose.”

Steph gave her an encouraging look, and Nattie couldn't help but smile when she saw how obedient her mother was. But then she didn't hesitate any longer, struck the same pose, and proudly presented her well-trained body. She met Miss O'Donnell's gaze openly and almost defiantly, which brought an amused smile to the woman's full lips.

“This cutie takes after you!”

“I should hope so,” Stephanie replied proudly, lowering her arms again and was about to sit back down when the other woman raised a finger and pointed it at her admonishingly.

“Did I say you were dismissed?”

Almost startled, Stephanie raised her arms above her head again and stared straight ahead obediently, even though she rolled her eyes shortly afterwards and winked at her daughter. Nat snorted with laughter, but immediately forced a serious expression back onto her face as Miss O'Donnell approached her and grabbed her neck possessively with a rough hand. She placed her other hand on her stomach and ran it appreciatively over her well-toned body.

"Not bad, kid, not bad at all. Slim and fit. Runner?”

“Swimmer," replied the twelve-year-old proudly, unable to suppress a shiver of excitement as the huge woman stepped around her and then placed a hand firmly on her buttock.

“Nice ham, firm and tight. That'll feed a few people well. Presentation!”

But no sooner had she uttered the words than she sighed, because she seemed to remember that Nat didn't know the commands. But the girl wasn't completely clueless. She could already imagine what the other woman wanted from her. And so she instinctively did the right thing, leaning forward, standing with her legs a little wider apart and pulling her buttocks apart. Chloe immediately let out a sound of approval.

“Your little one learns quickly.”

“Yeah, she got that from me.”

With her head between her knees, Nat smiled to herself, but she did so with her heart pounding, because never in her life had she felt so exposed and humiliated. And yet, as she watched tensely, bent over between her own legs, the woman behind her squatting down, she noticed that her arousal was growing by the second. Especially when she suddenly felt her rough fingers on her tender slit.

"Mmmm, the land of milk and honey... Sometimes I really thank God for making me a lesbian. I assume she's not a virgin anymore?”

“Oh no,” Steph laughed and shook her head amusedly. “She was ten when she insisted that her father deflowered her. She just came into our room one morning, crawled into our bed, and sat on top of him.”

Nattie's eyes widened in embarrassment as a blush swept across her cheeks, her mother shamelessly revealing those intimate details. Still, she couldn't resist a little playful correction, and even managed to top it off with a bit of her own flair.

“I was ten and a half, and you were so loud I couldn’t sleep for half the night,” she blushed, then let out a loud, incredibly aroused moan as Miss O’Donnell suddenly penetrated her with a thick finger and fucked her a few times quite openly and bluntly in front of her mother. In that instant, she struggled to hold her composure and maintain her obedient posture, as the skilled fingers of Sidney’s employee propelled her towards a dizzying climax.
How many girls had she charmed in her office, perhaps sweeping away their lingering doubts about taking the plunge and signing up?

“Careful, Chloe, you don’t know what you’re getting into…” her mother’s voice suddenly chimed, a hint of amusement in it, and Miss O’Donnell looked up, puzzled. But she didn't pause, her powerful finger continuing to delight Nat.

“How come?”

But Steph just shrugged and obediently continued to stare straight ahead. However, she smiled so cheekily to herself that Chloe eventually growled playfully at her:

“Speak up, Robinson, or you’ll be next.”

“Ha! What a threat!” laughed the other woman, but then gave her daughter’s tormentor another warning grin. “Do you have to pay for the cleaning of your carpet yourself, or does the company take care of it?”

“Hnnnng...” whimpered Natalie, now highly aroused. She hardly noticed the banter between the two because she was solely focused on her long-awaited climax. But at that moment, Miss O'Donnell paused, and when she suddenly pulled her finger out of her dripping wet pussy with a quick jerk, she wanted to go for her mother's throat.

“Ohhhh, don't tell me the little one's squirting?!”

“Like a fire hydrant.”

“Damn it... Steph.” The woman stood up and stared at her, almost stunned. “You have every lesbian mother's wet dream at home and you want to throw her on the grill?”

Without looking, she gave Natalie a sharp slap on her bare bottom, which made her jump in shock and abandon her obedient posture. But she didn't have time to get angry, because she watched as Chloe stepped up to her mother, gently placed her hand on her arm to release her from her pose, and looked her straight in the eye with complete seriousness.

"I wanted to slap you anyway when I saw you both come in. How could you do that? If the girl takes after you, she has enormous potential. Why are you allowing her to throw her life away?”

“Chloe, I..."

With a sad expression, Steph shook her head and glanced over at her daughter, and in that brief second, Natalie was absolutely certain that her mother secretly regretted the decision she had made, even though she was doing everything in her power to support her. And could it be that Ms. O'Donnell's inviting and possessive behavior just now, as well as her greeting in the reception room, had been nothing more than an act, a role taken on as a Sidney's employee? Just lies and deceit, while she hid her true feelings behind a professional mask?

But even though she felt conflicting emotions in her heart, Nattie immediately rushed over to her mother's side with a serious look on her face, grabbed her hand, and looked up at the woman who towered over her by almost two feet.

“It's not Mom's fault. It's my decision. This is what I want.”

Chloe's forehead creased with doubt as she looked down at her. Suddenly, she crouched down in front of her, bringing her almost to eye level, placed her hands on her shoulders, and looked her firmly in the eyes.

“Sweetie, every day I have countless girls standing in front of me, just like you are now. And they are all driven by the same desire, to become meat, to be slaughtered. I can see right away that for most of them, it really is the best thing they can do with their lives. Because the most valuable thing they have to offer is the meat on their bones, not necessarily the brains in their heads. They are what you call a dime a dozen."

Nattie bit her lip. The words didn't sound very nice, and when she glanced at her mother, who stood silently beside her with her arms crossed, she could see in her eyes that she didn't like her old friend's words either. Nevertheless, she said nothing as the other woman continued.

“But sometimes there's a little gem hidden among all the rejects, and when I discover one of these little treasures, I tell her the same thing I'm going to tell you now. Think carefully about whether you want to be just another pebble on the beach, or whether you might actually be a diamond and just haven't realized how much you sparkle yet.”

A blush spread across the girl's cheeks and for a moment she didn't know how to respond. She hadn't expected anything like this, especially after the official's gruff demeanor up to that point. But this was a compliment she had never received before, and it made her chest swell with pride.

Could she be right? Am I throwing my life away? Am I thoughtlessly wasting the gift my parents gave me?

The thought frightened her deeply and left her with a lump in her throat. Her mother seemed to sense how she was feeling, because she suddenly put a hand on her shoulder and looked intently into her friend's eyes.

“Chloe, that's not why we're here.”

“I know why you're here,” replied the other with a grim expression. For a moment, the two women's gazes locked, but eventually the taller one lowered her eyes and shook her head sadly. Then she walked over to a cupboard on the wall, opened it, and said over her shoulder:

“But it had to be said, otherwise I would never have been able to look myself in the eye again.”

“Of course...”

Steph nodded understandingly and briefly squeezed her daughter's shoulder without looking at her. Her daughter looked up at her with teary eyes and was infinitely grateful at that moment that she was by her side. Because right now, her knees were shaking, and all her determination, all her firm resolutions, all the convictions that had slowly but surely built up over the last few days were unexpectedly shaken by a few brief words from a stranger. And suddenly, the voice that had sounded so strong in her heart at the beginning awoke again.

I don't wanna die

Shortly afterwards, Miss O'Donnell returned with a small electric stamp in her hand. The device was round, about four inches in diameter, and had a small screen at the top. Frowning, she tapped on it and then asked without looking directly at the two of them:

“Do you have her documents with you?”

Silently, Stephanie reached into her bag and took out the small plastic card. She handed it to her friend, who pursed her lips in appreciation.

“Grade A+, slaughter urgently recommended...”

With a bitter twist of her mouth, she adjusted the stamp's control dial and the letters on the screen changed rapidly until an A+ appeared. She tapped on the device a few more times, then looked up and fixed her gaze on Natalie.

“When is your big day?”

It annoyed the little girl deeply that her voice trembled so much as she replied quietly:

"September 1. I'm going to be roasted on a spit at my uncle's wedding."

The giant civil servant's forehead wrinkled. Turning to Steph, she asked:

“You're giving her to George for his wedding? I thought he was married.”

Natalie, who couldn't take her eyes off the stamp in Miss O'Donnell's hand, continued to listen as her mother shrugged and replied quietly:

“He was. The ritual divorce was in the spring, now he's marrying his daughter.”

The clerk snorted and turned the temperature control on the small device up a little higher. Natalie swallowed and then saw her counterpart shake her head contemptuously.

“Ditch the older one and take the younger one, men will never change...”

“Chlo...”

With a sad expression, Stephanie shook her head, and her daughter couldn't resist making a quiet comment either, even though her voice was still trembling.

“The ceremony was beautiful, and Aunt Paula was overjoyed for them.”

But Miss O'Donnell didn't respond to her words. Instead, she picked up the small stamp and held it in front of her face.

"This thing works similarly to those used in breeding farms, both for animals and for girls. The cattle are branded. In the past, this was done with red-hot irons, but nowadays the technology is a little more advanced. And this thing is even more modern, because it doesn't leave any deep scars in the tissue, as it only affects the upper layers of the epidermis. Even though the animals... I'm sorry... the girls don't usually live long enough to appreciate it."

With that, she grabbed Nattie by the shoulder and spun her around roughly. At that moment, she actually felt like a piece of meat, which triggered extremely confusing feelings in her. With her lips tightly pursed, she waited for the pain, but first the official's voice sounded one last time.

"The stamp will last three months, so definitely until your big day. With it, you can move around freely and no one will bother you, just as your mother imagined.”

But then she suddenly came very close to her and whispered in her ear as she placed the device on her hip:

“But that also gives you time to change your mind, you hear?"

And with that, she pressed the button, and a burning pain shot through Natalie's right buttock. She sucked in her breath with a hiss and clenched her fists, but she held still while Chloe held the device against her skin for five seconds. Only subconsciously did she notice her mother reaching for her hand and holding it, but most of her mind was focused on the pain and what it was doing to her pussy. To her shame, she had to admit that her juices were literally running down her thighs. The relieved moan she let out when the officer finally removed the stamp could have easily been mistaken for a lustful sigh. In any case, it was an expression of relief, because the pain had been considerable.

If that was so hard to bear, how am I supposed to endure the heat over the fire? Or the blade cutting me open

“There, that's it.”

With that, Miss O'Donnell gave her a sharp slap right on the fresh burn, causing Natalie to whimper and grit her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. Then she turned her around by the shoulder to face a large mirror on the opposite wall. With her hand protectively over the fresh burn, Nat gave the woman another dirty look, then ran to the mirror with trembling knees and turned curiously to the side. And sure enough, there it was. The Meatgirl stamp. Dark red, circular, with a thick A+ in the middle and the words Registered Meat – Sidney's Inc. arranged in a semicircle around it.

The sight made Natalie's heart leap into her throat. Now it was official. Now it was no longer just something she kept in her heart or mind, no longer just a decision she had made, now the whole world could see it, even more clearly than by her nakedness alone. She was registered meat, an ingredient just waiting to be claimed, even if she wasn't officially in the system, as Miss O'Donnell had noted earlier. With furrowed brows, she looked back at the two women as she carefully touched the burning spot on her buttock with her hand. The two friends held hands and spoke quietly to each other. She pricked up her ears attentively.

“Steph, I didn't mean to unsettle your little girl. I admire her conviction that she's doing the right thing, honestly. But please, think it over again. You only have this one child.”

While her mother listened to the other woman with a gentle frown, Chloe placed a hand on her arm in an almost imploring manner and continued to press her point.

“You told me that you and Mike are having great difficulty conceiving. Do you really wanna lose your only daughter this way?”

All this time, Natalie had been trying not to look too closely at the two of them. But these words made her look at her mom in alarm. It was as if a cold hand had suddenly grabbed her by the neck.

Is that why I don't have any siblings?

Her mother seemed extremely uncomfortable that she had overheard the conversation. Suddenly, she shook her head almost vigorously and broke free from her old friend's grip.

“Chlo, please not now and not here. If you want, call me. But not in front of her. Do you hear me?”

And now the resolute civil servant also seemed to have realized that she might have gone a step too far. She stepped back, bowed her head politely, and folded her hands nervously in front of her chest.

“All right, forgive me, please.”

Then she looked up and stared at Natalie for a moment. Finally, she sighed quietly and walked back to the cupboard from which she had taken the stamp earlier. She put it back and instead picked up a small, pink object that Nat couldn't immediately recognize. With an imperceptible smile, she handed it to her mother and whispered:

“Then at least let her have as much fun as she can.”

Stephanie looked down at the small object in her hand and laughed softly to herself.

“Oh, I'll make sure of that.”

And suddenly, with a gentle grip on the back of her neck, she pulled her much taller friend down to her and gave her a long and surprisingly tender kiss on the lips, which made her daughter raise her eyebrows in surprise and only reinforced the suspicion she had already had earlier.

"Thank you, love. I knew I could count on you. And I meant it, call me, okay?”

Chloe O'Donnell nodded and pulled her into a firm hug once more.

“I will. Take care of yourself and... talk to her again, okay?"

Steph nodded silently. Then Natalie dared to step closer again. She had been so unsettled earlier that she had no idea how to meet this woman's gaze. But now Miss O'Donnell approached her again with a kind of professional distance that suited her just fine at that moment.

“Thank you for everything, Miss O'Donnell.”

“Please, call me Chloe. I wish you all the best and hope you enjoy the time you have left. And if it really comes to that, I wish you a wonderful death. May you taste delicious!”

Nattie nodded, her cheeks red and her chest feeling lighter.

“Thank you, Chloe.”

And with that, the visit to the Sidney's Inc. registration office came to an end. Chloe walked her to the exit, said goodbye to Stephanie outside with a final warm hug, and raised her hand in farewell. Then Nattie followed her mother, repeatedly rubbing the spot on her butt where the meat stamp was now visible for the whole world to see. It hardly hurt anymore, but it would certainly take a while before she forgot she was wearing it.