Julie's pov

"Hi, Mrs. Curtis. I'd like to make an appointment to speak with your husband please."

"Hello, sweetheart." She smiles warmly at me as she comes out from behind her desk. "Let's sit and have a spot of tea while you tell me what you want to speak to Dr. Curtis about."

God bless her, Dr. Curtis's wife is possibly the sweetest woman on earth. I don't understand how she ended up with one of the scariest people I've ever met. She has always been the only adult who's treated my sisters and I as equals, instead of patronizing us like we're dumb little kids. I take a seat and in just a few minutes Mrs. Curtis joins me, setting out two cups of tea and some petit fours.

"Thank you, Mrs. Curtis, these look delicious." I pop one of the scrumptious treats in my mouth.

"Tell me what's on your mind, honey." Mrs. Curtis is loving and caring, like the grandma I always wished to have.

I explained to her the entire situation with Mr. Kemp, Shane, Mike, and the forbidden basketball game while displaying my best manners as we sipped tea. She listened attentively without passing judgment as I prattled on, using her as a sounding board in hopes of garnering some inspiration as to how I should handle my current predicament.

Patting my hand and squeezing it in the most reassuring and comforting way, she replies, "Even though your situation appears bleak now, you'll get through this, sweetheart, I promise. It's always darkest before the dawn."

Somehow, coming from this sweet woman, those words are actually inspiring, not trite.

"Thank you, Mrs. Curtis," I reply politely.

"No need to thank me, darling, and there's never any need to make an appointment with Dr. Curtis. He loves you kids and always has time for you. Promise me you'll never forget that and you won't hesitate to come to him whenever something's on your mind," she says ever so sweetly, pretending to scold me as she wags her finger at me before entering her husband's office.

"I promise, ma'am." I smiled back at her, somehow feeling at ease, despite the fact that I'm in for a world of pain.

Liz's pov

Entering my husband's office and shutting the door behind me, I ask him, "Did you hear everything?" knowing he most likely had since I purposely left the intercom on.

Neil has previously accused me of sugar coating situations with the children in hopes of lessening the severity of his disciplinary course of action. I've found this method of having the children open up to me and allowing him to hear their plight straight out of the horse's mouth to be the most effective way of proving him wrong.

I can't possibly convey to him the sincerity in their words and voice without him hearing it for himself. Hopefully the children don't ever feel that I'm deceiving them by allowing my husband to eavesdrop on my conversations with them as I only have their best interests at heart. I know how strict and intimidating my husband can seem to the children, which makes it difficult for them to be forthright.

"I did, luv, thank you," my sweet husband responds, patting his lap as an invitation for me to sit.

That bright sparkle in his eyes and deceptively charming smile, first won me over so many years ago before I even realized I was falling madly in love with this amazing beautiful man and I have loved him every day since. He hugs me from behind, wrapping his muscular arms around me as I sit on his lap breathing in the familiar intoxicating scent of his masculinity and cologne, the combination of which still makes me weak in the knees after thirty years of marriage. God how I love this man.

"What did I ever do to deserve such an amazing woman as you?" my husband asks. I shiver upon feeling his warm breath as he softly whispers in my ear, "I love you more with each passing day. You gorgeous, are my everything." He seductively nips my earlobe and kisses me softly along my neck before sucking passionately at the nape, making me tingle in all the right places. Feeling his excitement against my thigh, a soft moan escapes my lips.

"Mmmm!" My husband responds by caressing my thighs and whispering, "Perhaps tonight I'll need to address your misbehavior as well, Mrs. Curtis." He breathes in deeply before standing me up as I'm still pressed against him. He then swats me on the bottom, sending me on my way. "Tell Julie I'll need five minutes and then send her in, luv."

"Yes sir," I respond, in a professional business-like tone, giving my sexy husband a wink and a smile as I leave his office.

Returning my attention to Julie, I tell her I explained the situation to Neil and he'll be with her in just a few minutes.

Julie's pov

When Dr. Curtis calls me in, I seriously consider turning around and running for the hills. I'm scared shitless of what's about to take place in this man's office.

"Take a seat, Julie." He motions to the chair across from his desk as he sits down as well. "My wife filled me in on your situation. Do Shane and Michael know you're here?"

"No sir." I swallow hard, trying to slow my rapidly beating heart. I'm sitting across from a man who can bring the person I most fear when I'm in trouble to his knees and I am terrified. "I wanted to come to you on my own," I manage to squeak out, in the most pathetically apprehensive voice ever to escape my lips.

"I can respect that." Dr. Curtis folds his hands in his lap as he leans back in his chair. "What exactly would you like me to do for you, Julie?"

I'm really second guessing this now. How can I possibly willingly ask this incredibly scary man to punish me? I avoid looking at him, choosing instead to focus on my hands that I'm nervously wringing as I feel my deodorant/antiperspirant start to fail me.

Taking a deep breath, I power through, uttering the most humbling and humiliating words of my young life, "I want you to punish me for defying Shane and lying to Mike because I know I deserve it." Despite my best efforts and intentions, I begin to tear-up.

"Okay." Dr. Curtis gets up slowly from behind his desk. He takes off his suit coat, placing it on the back of his chair, then he removes his tie and rolls up the sleeves of his designer dress shirt before extricating his dreaded wooden paddle from his desk drawer. Standing next to his desk with paddle in hand, he sternly commands, "Come here."

With tears in my eyes, I slowly rise and go to my executioner. He sighs and lays the paddle on his desk.

Neil's pov

Seeing this incredibly brave, yet utterly terrified child crying before me, melts my heart. I cringe when she flinches as I pull her into my arms, letting her cry into my chest as her tears soak through my shirt. I'm glad these kids fear me because I need to maintain a high level of discipline here in order to keep this operation running smoothly but at the same time, I hate that they fear me. I started my charities and created homes like these because of how much I love and care about kids.

Liz and I couldn't have any biological children of our own but I look at all the children here as if they're ours. I want them to grow up in a safe, structured, and loving environment despite having lost their parents. That's what I had in mind when I created the NJC.

Julie continues to clutch the front of my shirt tightly as her tears keep falling, until I rub her back soothingly and shush her reassuringly. Hearing her sniffling as she inhales sharply, I break our embrace to grab her a few tissues. While Julie wipes her eyes and blows her nose, I get Shane on the phone, putting the call on speaker so she can hear our conversation.

"Donovan!" I see Julie flinch, hearing me bark at Shane. "Go get Michael immediately and put me on speaker."

"Yes sir," Shane replies respectfully.

Once he and Michael are on the line, I inform them, "Julie is with me in my office and I'll be handling her discipline regarding Friday's game, per her request."

Shane gasps, shocked that Julie came to me.

"May I speak to her please?" Shane asks, quite politely.

"Of course, I'll take you off speaker." I hand Julie the phone so she can speak to her guardians.

All I hear from her side of the conversation is, "Yeah... fine whatever...you said I could decide...what does it matter?...I don't know...ok, I get it," she sighs in exasperation, as she hands me the phone.

"I assure you, regarding Friday's incident she will be appropriately disciplined..." grabbing her chin and looking her directly in the eyes, I continue, "...and I'll be sure to address the disrespectful way she just spoke to you on the phone as well. Oh, and the next time you use me as a threat, Donovan, be sure to give me a head's up. Goodbye, gentlemen."

Letting go of Julie's chin, I hang up the phone.

"I did not appreciate the insolent tone you took with Shane on the phone," I say sternly.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Curtis," she replies softly.

"Did you hear the way Shane spoke to me?" I ask her, hoping she took notice.

"Yes sir." She averts her eyes, indicating she knows very well the point I'm trying to make.

"That's how I expect you to speak to all adults, especially your guardians. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

Julie's stubborn but she knows she was in the wrong to speak to Shane that way.

"I expect you to apologize to Shane as well, not only for the way you spoke to him on the phone, but also for defying him and you'll apologize to Michael for your dishonesty. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, let's get to the matter at hand then. Shall we? How many strokes of the paddle do you think would be a fair punishment, Julie?"

"However many you deem necessary to correct my behavior, sir."

"Excellent answer. I couldn't have said it better myself." I'm truly impressed by her astuteness. I pick up the paddle before continuing, "Lower your pants and bend over the couch, Julie."

Julie gives me a pleading look but she has a snowball's chance in Hell of getting out of this punishment.

"Now, Julie!"

Accepting her fate, she walks over to the couch and unbuttons her jeans, slowly tugging them down to mid thigh before bending over and getting in position.

"Tell me why you deserve the discipline you're about to receive, Julie."

"I was dishonest and deliberately disobeyed my guardians, sir."

"You are not allowed to reach back, stand up, or remove your hands from the couch at any time. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Let's begin." I smack the paddle sharply against the middle of her backside. She hisses due to the unexpected severity of the force behind that first stroke. "We're just getting started." I continue to slap the paddle down harshly on her bottom, repeatedly hitting her sit spots and upper thighs.

Julie continues sniffling, the pain radiating off her punished backside causing her to cry. With each stroke, she finds it more difficult to stay in position. Keeping her hands on the couch as she was told, she uses her shoulders to wipe the tears from her cheeks. I continue to paddle her, delivering one hard stroke after another until I feel she's learned her lesson.

"I want you to count the last ten followed by thank you sir." Snapping my wrist, the paddle leaves a painful sting as it connects with the sensitive skin at the crease of her bottom.

"One, thank you sir." Julie obediently keeps the count as the sturdy wooden plank smacks against the reddened flesh on the globes of her ass eight more times, the harsh sound echoing loudly through the office.

After hearing her say, "Nine, thank you, sir," but before delivering stroke ten of the paddle, I spank her bottom several times with my hand, further darkening the rosy hue beneath her panties.

"Was it a good idea to lie to your guardians?" I ask, while rubbing her right buttcheek between spanks.

"No sir." Julie's crying pretty hard now.

"Was it a good idea to deliberately disobey your guardians?" I switch the focus to her left buttcheek, alternating rubbing with spanking.

"No sir," Julie squeaks out, amidst shallow breaths.

"Was it a good idea to speak disrespectfully to Shane on the phone?" I slap her upper thighs harshly with my palm, evidenced by two cherry red handprints marking her pale flesh.

"Owww, absolutely not, sir." Julie definitely felt those.

"I sincerely hope this punishment has taught you a valuable lesson on the consequences of disrespect and misbehavior." Rubbing the paddle against her sore backside, I say, "Last one."

Julie sobs as the last extremely hard stroke radiates a fiery pain across her bottom.

"Ten, thank you, sir," Julie's voice breaks, hoarse from crying.

"You may pull up your pants now and face me." I'm impressed with how well she took this punishment. I certainly didn't go easy on her and she still managed to get through it without attitude or complaint.

Julie struggles to get her jeans up over her inflamed backside. Once she does, I hand her a few tissues so she can wipe her face. When Julie makes eye contact, I sternly remind her, "I expect you to apologize to Shane as well as Michael, immediately upon your return to the NJC. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Behave yourself, Julie," I warn, as she leaves my office.