Victoria closed the computer down and sat thinking for a moment. “I’m going to talk to John when he gets home. I think you may be surprised. But this evening I think you and Lisa need to have a long talk followed by … well you’ll see.”

Angrily Julia almost shouted at her mother “What?" She spluttered "Me and Lisa?, what the hell do you think I’m going to do?" The sarcasm dripped " Chat nicey nicey with her?" "I’m not having anything to do with her, she can't have John so I don't see why I even have to talk to her." Victoria smiled slightly. It pleased her that, finally, her daughter was showing a little passion for a change.

“Oh I think you’ll do more than talk  … She just needs to “come out of her shell” so to speak. Besides, I didn't think you cared who John got “intimate with” seeing as you don't like men”. Victoria pondered that statement, she knew her daughter hadn't been keen to marry John. But what was not to like? He cooked and cleaned and looked after her daughter extremely well. Besides his contributions to the Coven, even if he didn't know it, had been why they were able to remain hidden so well for the last 20 years.

“We’ll need your Truth cookies! You were always good at those, better than me” There was pride in her voice. This could work out very well, if she had things straight. But if she’s wrong.. That could be fixed as well, the Coven would cover for her.

“What time does he get home?” Victoria asked.

“About 6.30 pm , it depends on traffic.” Julie was fuming and feeling powerless. She hated it when her mother poked her nose in… this would have been so simple if she hadn’t come today...

“Now Julie, whatever happens you must not interfere with my ‘interrogation’” , even motioning the quote marks with her fingers and chuckling to herself. This was going to be a lot of fun. “I’ll be here at 7pm … in the meantime don’t let John know what is happening , just say I’m coming over to dinner .. Invite Liz over . Tell her I’m calling in a favour, we need 3 for this and tell her not to say anything to anyone .. especially not the coven. I could get into some trouble for this but it’s time we got it sorted, You’ve not been happy these last few years, I could see it…”

In a huff Julie grabbed her phone and dialled Liz's number. Her mother left, slamming the front door as she dashed out.

“Hello Julie, What’s up?”  answered Liz.

“Hi Liz, somethings come up” sounding uncertain …”Can you come over this evening about 6:30? Mum said to tell you she’s calling in a favour?”

“Really?” concern sounding in her voice ”What’s it about? Sounds serious..”

“It’s about John.. ” Julie continued in a small voice “John’s been cheating on me …”

“I don’t believe it! ” Liz shot back. “I know John, he isn’t the type, even if you haven’t been close for a while... have you seen his adoration of you? ”.

Julie whispered “He’s been cheating on me in VRlife with a woman named Lisa!” Liz could hear the tear’s welling up in her friend's voice. ”I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but you told me you were fed up and hated him last week…." Then Liz had a moment of insight " Oh you do love him … just not in the way he wants..”

“He’s been with me for 20 years and I feel so guilty, he could have had a family but he stayed and I don’t know why…. I told him years ago I didn’t like men. Do you know what he said?”

“Ok, What did he say?” it was sounding as though it might be a corny joke, 

“He said if he could he could wave a magic wand and become my girl, he would!. Then -  then he said he wanted to transition as soon as possible. I couldn’t let him do that… Mother would have gone ballistic.” Julie shuddered. "It was years ago, but in the last few years he's spent more and more time on the damn PC" the anger just kept on coming. Nothing was how she wanted it to be.

“I’ll be right over.. We need to talk, your mother is causing way too much trouble.” Liz slammed the phone down and was with Julie in 5 minutes.

Liz burst through the front door and wrapped her arms around Julie. Then kissed on her forehead gently.

“Lets talk, your troubles are mine. I love you and will help in any way I can, and damn what your mother thinks” said Liz struggling to hold back the frustration.

Liz looked at Julie’s face, puffy and red from crying…

Liz had a creeping suspicion … John was a Morph. She knew a “Lisa” very intimately in VRlife. Liz had been convinced a couple of months after they finished being intimate that Lisa and John were the same person … Why did life have to drop events like this on you?

The hints of real life bleed through like weather, road traffic events.. county names. You try not to let it happen, but conversations wander …

Morphs were exceedingly rare, what are the chances that her Lisa was John?… if Lisa was a Morph, which she was fairly certain, given the amazing “shows” she gave at the VRlife sex club. 

It had been commented to her that no other clubs had such dedicated clients … The voice of Lisa had conducted massive orgies … “The voice”… could John do such a voice? .. it was hard to believe such a “hypnotic” voice could be created by a Morph and survive being injected into the VR world. It had never been possible to extend magic through any technology before. However Lisa had that power. It has grown and over the last couple of years… This could be trouble. Either way Liz didn’t see this ending well.. Julie's Mother was involved for a start..

She requested a look at John's computer and Julie shrugged and showed her.

One up and running again Liz quickly navigated to the VRlife chat logs … Her breath caught in her chest …

Here were the logs stretching back 2 years… if Julie read the wrong ones would she lose her? Would she forgive her for having an affair even if she had not known it was John at the time?, Was it really an affair?  Or would any VRlife affair count? ... No, let's find the recent conversations … but it was clear, here was the proof. Lisa was John, chatting to her own avatar Beth… the guilt lay heavy on her heart. The tears started to well up but she forced them back. Now was not the time to cry, it looked like someone's heart was going to be broken, probably more than one, it was either her or her closest friends. Both VRlife and real life suck at times, and at the same time it seems.

"What is it?" Julie asked, as Liz sniffed, looking at her dearest friend with concern. Then Liz smiled, got up and wrapped her arms around Julie again. "What's your deepest wish?, no hold that thought, I can't guarantee you'll get it but I think I know what's been happening and your mother is poking her nose in … and just this once.. just this once!.. its justified. Oh  I sooo hate saying that..." Julie mumbled into the embrace a confused ”What?.. “

"Your mother is going to spring something on John and I can't agree to that, it could unhinge him… however I will speak to him before".

“What ??” Julie yelled as her friend untangled from her and apologizing dearly and departed in a hurry..

“Julie, We Love you!” she yelled as she again burst through the front door on her way out…

Julie stared perplexed after her friend “What the ? ...” 

First her Mother and now her best friend …. Today had gotten away from her so much she decided to call Kimberly, John’s sister to find out what was happening because she had a feeling that everyone else knew something …. And they weren't telling her!.