B*tch, Please

For your reading pleasure

Chapter Two of 21st Century Leviathan, a novelette by Autumn Widdoes.

New (and returning) readers, below is a summary of my novelette, followed by a link to chapter one and after that the new chapter. If you’re into pulp fiction (not the film), take a turn around the room with this one.

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Summary

In the cutthroat corridors of Amethyst International, Randall, a lowly content specialist, stumbles upon a harrowing revelation—the global company she toils for is a sinister façade, concealing a ghastly scheme entangling 21st-century slavery, the spectre of an AI takeover, and the grotesque commodification of human bodies. Navigating the twisted depths of corporate culture, Randall must confront the perverse cravings of wealthy fetishists, a psychopathic C-suite, and morally bankrupt middle management. Amidst the deranged landscape of the postmodern workplace, she grapples with her own desperation for survival.

If you are just joining this serialized short novel, you may wish to start with Chapter One:

CHAPTER TWO: B*TCH, PLEASE

It was a Tuesday, and Tuesdays always seemed to land with a thud at Amethyst International. On this particular Tuesday, Randall walked up to her desk just two minutes past 8 o’clock to find that her monitor was missing. It had been replaced with a Tom Brady bobble head doll, which she knew had belonged to Darren, a lifer who had gone AWOL. Darren and Randall had been work friends - and something a bit more after hours - until he suddenly stopped coming to work a few weeks prior.