Although, it wasn't the only place that their passion consumed them; their new shared apartment had witnessed its fair share of urgent whispers, stolen touches, and longing glances in the quiet hours of morning or late at night.

It was just as well, any encounter in the office would have been under the watchful eyes of Teresa's Chat members. An uncomfortably intimate connection, the knowing smiles and lewd whispers exchanged between the Chat members reminded Teresa of the dual nature of her existence - her true self and the persona she wore for their voyeuristic pleasure.

This awareness did not ruin the many blissful moments between her and Valerie. However it lingered, a hidden worry that crept into Teresa's mind whenever they came together, whether in the intimate confines of their shared home or in the covert seclusion of the office.

The duplicity added a tantalizing element to their affair, but Teresa could not suppress the rising concern. How long would it be until the two lives she led collided—her public identity as a hardworking professional woman and her secret life entertaining the insatiable Chat members on camera?

As days turned into weeks, Teresa continued her divided lifestyle with a mounting sense of unease. With every secret smile and stolen glance at Valerie in the office, she grew more terrified that any day now, her hidden persona would be exposed. And what of her all-too-real emotions for Valerie?

The phrase, "I love you," flowed from Valerie as easily as breath on the wind, but for Teresa, these words held the weight of a thousand tsunamis. She wanted to believe them, to throw herself into their veracity and be swept away in a current of devotion.

But her life was not built on such simple foundations. Instead, it was a fragile house of cards, teetering precariously on a secret that threatened to crumble with every clandestine touch, every whispered promise.

As coworkers began to arrive, Teresa and Valerie reluctantly untangled themselves and hastily dressed. As her heart slowed to a stable rhythm, Teresa was beside herself; she felt vulnerable, yet exhilarated. Teresa was not usually one to succumb to her impulses so early in the day, but somehow, Valerie's presence unleashed a brazen side of her that could not be reined in.

After preparing her workspace, Teresa returned to her spot behind the desk and brought up her stream, waiting, perhaps even hoping for praise for the recent morning encounter with Valerie.

Chat was there, a gestalt formed from the conglomerate of members who frequented Teresa's webcam performance, a constant presence hungry for the show.

"Teresa, darling! Looking good this morning!" Chat exclaimed, invoking a mix of emotions from Teresa. She should have been elated by their lascivious commentary, but after what she and Valerie had just shared, it felt hollow and insincere.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie," Chat pressed. The use of a singular pronoun, surprised Teresa. Chat's persona is rarely singular. In fact, it's only singular when it's, her. The sudden realization sent a chill down Teresa's spine. She looked for the member of Chat who made that comment, and there it was bold and in red - Sexy-Mama. Teresa's heart raced, the blood draining from her face as the truth stared her right into the eyes. She knew about Valerie.

"Hey, um, you. Still have those moderator rights you won from me in a drinking contest I see." Teresa typed swiftly, trying to suppress the swelling panic and fear in her chest.

"You know very well I've earned them" came the snarky reply from Sexy-Mama, "Besides, I was only giving you a little nudge, sweetie. Just wanted you to know that I'm on your side."

The fear of realization sank in deeper. Sexy-Mama hadn't visited her erotic chatroom in almost a year, why visit now? This fact gave Teresa pause. She typed, "Where are you?” She then stared at her screen, anticipating a response, the cursor blinking in steady rhythm.

Behind her, Teresa could hear the faint, electronic clicking sounds of a touchscreen keyboard on a smart phone, then the whoosh of a send command. A delayed moment later, the reply to her question showed up in Chat's window. "I'm right here, sweetie. That outfit is very you, very sexy." Sexy-Mama's comment echoed in Teresa's ears, prompting a chill while she quickly scanned her office for any signs of Valerie, only to see her being greeted by a woman with massive curves and auburn hair that Teresa immediately recognized - Brooke, Teresa's own mother.

Teresa's heart raced, her mind reeling with a torrent of questions and fears. She couldn't fathom why her own mother - the moderator of her chat - would infiltrate her personal life now, of all times. Was this some sort of retaliation for Teresa's previous indiscretions?

"You must be Valerie. Oh my," Brooke took in a deep breath, savoring Valerie's scent, "Just, look at you."

Valerie stared back at Brooke in stunned silence, transfixed by this radiant, older woman. Her auburn hair was streaked with silver, and she had deep emerald eyes. The way her billowy blouse still accentuated her impressive curves, the way her tweed skirt followed every curve and contour of her body left Valerie breathless.

"Mom?" Teresa's voice trembled, full of shocked disbelief. She couldn't tear her gaze from the two figures - her mother and girlfriend - standing mere feet apart, utterly oblivious of the turmoil brewing inside Teresa.

The thought of Brooke divulging her webcam life sent waves of fear crashing over her. This could ruin everything.

Valerie noticed Teresa's hesitation but couldn't discern the source of her fear. She thought apprehension was only natural when a loved one meets your mom for the first time. She did not yet suspect the truth.

Brooke slyly eyed her daughter as the conversation progressed, trying to gauge the extent of her openness and honesty with Valerie. Teresa remained silent, her heart racing so fast it ached.

"I'm Brooke, Teresa's mother," Brooke opened her arms wide, inviting contact, "I have to warn you, I am a hugger."

Valerie chewed her fingernails nervously, steeling herself before stepping into the embrace. Only halfway through and she could feel the warmth radiating from Brooke's body, the presence of her curves etched into Valerie's memory, just like the scene playing out was burned into Teresa’s.

Brooke didn't miss the lingering hesitation but did nothing to address it. Instead, her eyes fell onto Teresa who furrowed her brow, trying to find an appropriate response.

"I'm also your new coworker," Brooke added with a sly smile, her arms still wrapped around Valerie.

Valerie's gaze shifted uneasily between the two women, the tension palpable and the room temperature seemed to rise as they stared at each other.

Teresa's heart simply stopped beating.