#work injury law firms

[workers-compensation-lawyer-ma]

Finding the Right Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyer for Your Work Accident Claim

Massachusetts worker's compensation lawyer

Image Source: FreeImages‍

If you’ve been injured in a workplace accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. The process of filing a workers’ compensation claim is complex, and it’s often in your best interest to hire a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer to help you navigate the system. Here, we’ll discuss what workers’ compensation is and the benefits of filing a claim, as well as tips for finding and selecting the right Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer for your case.

What is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that employers are required by law to purchase for their employees in the event of a workplace injury or illness. The insurance covers medical costs associated with the injury or illness, lost wages, and other related benefits. If you are injured on the job or become ill due to work-related conditions, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

Benefits of Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Filing a workers’ compensation claim can be a lengthy and confusing process, but it’s worth the effort. Not only can you receive the necessary medical and financial assistance after an injury or illness, but you can also protect your rights and make sure that your employer is held accountable for proper safety protocols.

In addition, filing a workers’ compensation claim gives you access to benefits that are not available through other types of insurance policies. These benefits can include compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and more.

How to Find a Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

When you’re looking for a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer, there are several resources you can use to find the right one for your case. You can start by asking friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations, as well as searching for lawyers online. The Massachusetts Bar Association also provides a list of workers’ compensation attorneys in the state, which can be a helpful resource for finding a lawyer.

When searching for a lawyer, it’s important to look for someone with experience in handling workers’ compensation claims. You should also make sure that the lawyer is familiar with the laws and regulations in Massachusetts, as well as the process of filing a claim.

Tips for Choosing the Right Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

When selecting a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer, you’ll want to make sure that you are choosing the right one for your case. Here are some tips for making the right choice:

Make sure the lawyer you choose is experienced in workers’ compensation cases.

Ask for references and read reviews from past clients.

Find out how long the lawyer has been handling workers’ compensation cases in Massachusetts.

Ask the lawyer about their fees and payment options.

Make sure the lawyer has good communication skills and is available to answer your questions.

Questions to Ask a Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Before hiring a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer, it’s important to ask the right questions to make sure you’re getting the best representation for your case. Here are some questions to ask:

What experience do you have handling workers’ compensation cases?

How long have you been practicing in Massachusetts?

How will you keep me informed about the progress of my case?

What is your fee structure and what payment options are available?

What is your success rate with workers’ compensation cases?

Do you have any references or reviews from past clients?

Steps to Take After Hiring a Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Once you’ve selected the right Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer for your case, there are a few steps you should take to ensure the best possible outcome. First, make sure to provide your lawyer with all of the necessary information about your injury or illness, including medical records, accident reports, and any other relevant details.

In addition, it’s important to be honest and forthcoming with your lawyer. Your lawyer will use the information you provide to fight for your rights and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.

Cost Considerations When Hiring a Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

The cost of hiring a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer can vary depending on the complexity of your case and the lawyer’s fees. Some lawyers may charge an hourly rate, while others may offer a flat fee. Be sure to ask your lawyer about the fee structure and payment options before hiring them.

In addition, some lawyers may offer a free consultation to discuss your case before you commit to hiring them. This can be a great way to get a better understanding of the lawyer’s fees and payment options.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting a Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

When selecting a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer, it’s important to avoid some common mistakes. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

Don’t hire the first lawyer you find. Take the time to research and compare different lawyers to find the right one for your case.

Don’t hire a lawyer who isn’t experienced in workers’ compensation cases. Make sure the lawyer you hire is experienced and knowledgeable about the laws and regulations in Massachusetts.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask as many questions as you need to make sure you’re comfortable with your lawyer.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate fees. Make sure you’re comfortable with the fees and payment options before hiring a lawyer.

How to Make the Most of Your Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Once you’ve hired a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer, there are a few steps you can take to ensure that you get the best possible outcome for your case. Here are some tips for making the most of your lawyer:

Stay organized. Make sure to keep all of your documents and records organized and up-to-date.

Communicate openly. Keep your lawyer updated on any changes or developments in your case.

Follow the lawyer’s advice. Your lawyer is there to provide you with the best advice and representation, so make sure to follow their advice.

Stay focused. Don’t get distracted by the details of the case and focus on the end goal of getting the compensation you deserve.

Conclusion

Hiring a Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer is a great way to protect your rights and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. To find the right lawyer for your case, make sure to do your research, ask questions, and negotiate fees. With the right lawyer on your side, you can get the financial and medical assistance you need after an injury or illness.

Our Boston Workers Compensation Lawyers at The Bellotti Law Group, P.C. Can Help you in work accident cases.

[daboyau]

What kind of work do you do for a living, and do you like it?

I process orders for a software company! There’s a lot more that goes into it, but that’s the gist. I do enjoy it, mostly because I work fully remotely so I can work in my pj’s all day lol. If I wasn’t working from home I think I probably would have quit by now, though.

It’s one of those jobs that isn’t really exciting or super fulfilling, but it gives me some money and flexible enough time to go do the things that leave me feeling more fulfilled. :) I do really miss other jobs I’ve done in the past bc they were more interesting, but none of those jobs paid the bills so I just hold them as fond memories now. ✌️

[workcompattorney]

Missouri Worker's Guide to Short-Term Disability: Benefits, Claims & Rights

When facing a temporary inability to work in Missouri, understanding your disability benefit options is crucial. Unlike some states, Missouri's approach to short-term disability relies primarily on private insurance and employer programs.

Key Qualification Factors:

Current employment status

Medical condition severity

Insurance coverage type

Length of employment

What Benefits Can You Expect?

Short-term disability benefits in Missouri typically provide financial support during your recovery period. The exact coverage depends on your specific plan and situation.

Most plans offer:

Weekly benefit payments (typically 60-67% of salary)

Continuation of health insurance

Protected job status

Rehabilitation support

Filing Your Disability Claim

Successfully claiming your benefits requires careful attention to detail and proper documentation. For work-related injuries, visit our guide on Missouri workers' compensation claims.

Common Filing Mistakes to Avoid:

Missing documentation deadlines

Incomplete medical records

Failure to notify employer promptly

Inconsistent medical follow-up

Workplace Injuries and Temporary Disability

If your disability results from a workplace injury, you may be eligible for temporary disability benefits through workers' compensation. These benefits often provide additional protections and support.

Track your claim status through the Missouri workers' compensation system.

Common Questions About Short-Term Disability

How long does short-term disability last?

In Missouri, short-term disability benefits typically last between 3 to 6 months, depending on your specific plan and medical condition. Most plans follow this general timeline:

Waiting period: 7-14 days after disability begins

Initial benefits: 13-26 weeks of coverage

Maximum duration: Usually 6 months before transitioning to long-term disability if needed

For work-related injuries, temporary disability benefits may have different durations based on your workers' compensation claim.

Can I work part-time while receiving benefits?

Working part-time while receiving short-term disability benefits depends on several factors:

Your specific policy's terms and conditions

Your doctor's recommendations and restrictions

The nature of your disability

Your employer's return-to-work policies

Some policies allow partial disability benefits if you can work reduced hours, but income earned may reduce your benefit amount. Always consult with your disability insurance provider and employer before returning to work in any capacity.

What if my claim is denied?

If your short-term disability claim is denied, you have several options:

Request a formal review of the decision

Submit additional medical documentation

File an appeal within the specified timeframe (usually 180 days)

Seek legal representation to help with the appeal process

Our team at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann can help you understand your rights and navigate the appeals process effectively.

How do benefits affect my taxes?

The tax implications of short-term disability benefits depend on how the premiums were paid:

If you paid premiums with after-tax dollars: Benefits are generally tax-free

If your employer paid premiums: Benefits are typically taxable as income

If premiums were paid with pre-tax dollars through a cafeteria plan: Benefits are taxable

Note: For work-related disabilities, workers' compensation benefits are generally not taxable.

What medical conditions qualify for short-term disability?

Qualifying conditions typically include:

Recovery from surgery

Severe illness or injury

Pregnancy and childbirth

Mental health conditions

Chronic conditions requiring treatment

How much will I receive in benefits?

Benefit amounts in Missouri typically range from:

60-67% of your regular weekly salary

Maximum benefit caps may apply

Duration based on policy terms and medical necessity

How quickly will benefits begin?

Timing for benefits typically follows this schedule:

Claim filing: Within 30 days of disability

Waiting period: 7-14 days

First payment: Usually within 2-3 weeks after approval

Need help with your disability claim? Contact our experienced legal team for a free consultation about your rights and options under Missouri law.

Learn more about temporary disability benefits

Need Professional Guidance?

Our experienced legal team can help you navigate the complexities of disability claims and ensure you receive the benefits you deserve.

Schedule a Free Consultation

[millarlawfirm]

Please join us in congratulating Attorney Justin Oliverio on 5 years with The Millar Law Firm! Justin's impressive litigation skills, unwavering dedication, and commitment to our clients have made a significant impact within the firm. He's an exceptional attorney, and we're so happy to have him on our team! Happy Anniversary, Justin! 5️⃣🎉

About Justin Oliverio: atlantaadvocate.com/about-us/justin-oliverio/

[crypticminx]

Went driving for an hour and only listened to sing the sorrow

[postsify]

How a Second Degree Work Comp Attorney Can Help You

Workplace accidents can happen to anyone, and they can have a serious impact on your life. If you’ve suffered an injury at work, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. However, navigating the workers’ compensation system can be complicated and overwhelming, especially if you’re dealing with a second-degree work comp case. That’s where a second degree work comp attorney comes in. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a work comp attorney second degree is, how they can help you with your claim, and why it’s important to hire one.

First of all, let’s define what we mean by a second-degree work comp case. A second-degree case is one in which the worker was injured due to the negligence or misconduct of someone other than their employer or co-worker. For example, if you were injured on a construction site because of a faulty piece of equipment manufactured by a third-party company, you may have a second-degree case. These cases are often more complex than first-degree cases because there may be multiple parties involved.

That’s where a second degree work comp attorney comes in. These attorneys specialize in handling complex workers’ compensation cases that involve third-party liability. They have the knowledge and experience to navigate the legal system and fight for your rights as an injured worker.

One of the key ways that a second degree work comp attorney can help you is by identifying all potential sources of compensation for your injuries. In addition to workers’ compensation benefits, you may be able to pursue damages from the third party responsible for your injuries through a personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney will investigate your case thoroughly to determine who might be liable for your injuries and pursue all available avenues of compensation on your behalf.

Another way that a second degree workers compensation attorney in NJ can assist you is by negotiating with insurance companies and other parties involved in your case. Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with, and they may try to lowball you on the compensation you’re entitled to. Your attorney will fight for your rights and make sure that you get the full amount of compensation you deserve.

In addition, a second degree work comp attorney can provide valuable legal advice and guidance throughout the entire claims process. They can help you understand your rights and obligations under the law, answer any questions you have about your case, and represent you in court if necessary.

Conclusion:

If you’ve been injured at work due to someone else’s negligence or misconduct, it’s crucial that you hire a second degree work comp attorney. These attorneys have the specialized knowledge and experience needed to navigate complex workers’ compensation cases involving third-party liability. By working with an attorney, you can ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive all of the compensation you’re entitled to. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a qualified attorney today if you need help with your work comp case!

[starlightxsvt]

Sibilance. | j.ww (M)

synopsis ➳ ❝ he is always getting in trouble and it is your job to get him out each time. the problem is, the more time you spend with him, the bigger trouble it becomes for your heart. in the end, who will get you out? ❞

pairing ➳ lawyer fem!reader x rich badboy!wonwoo

genre ➳ smut, slight angst, good girl bad boy trope ig

word count ➳ 4.9k + 800(patreon bonus)

warnings ➳ mentions of fighting, injuries, bruises, reader wears glasses, dom!wonwoo, big dic!wonwoo, messy makeouts, degradation(he calls her a sl*t during seggs), unprotected intercourse, reader is lowkey down bad for him(aren't we all), male oral(reader's first time giving bj), slight nipple play, cream pie, rough sex, no aftercare, open ending ;D

A/N: yes this is a repost

You step out of the police station, the click of your heels echoing against the smooth, shiny floor leading down to some stairs. With your phone pressed to your ear by your shoulder, you shove the documents into your bag and try to zip it closed, all while listening to the Chairman, your richest client over the phone.

“Yes Chairman, I will get him home right away.”

The call disconnects as you manage to zip your bag, a sigh of relief falling from your lips. You allow yourself a moment to breathe, a moment to inhale a lungful of the cold night air. After how hectic the past hour has been, the only thing you need right now is a drink and a solid eight hours of sleep.

However, you will not be getting any of that.

You find Wonwoo standing a few feet ahead of you, his back facing you as he waits there with his hands in his pockets, kicking stones on the ground and looking around with boredom.

This man is the creator of the biggest chaos. He should come with a neon sign flashing on his forehead that reads “trouble.”

You close your eyes and take a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself to deal with him without losing your professionalism. “Mr. Jeon, let me drop you home.”

The tall man turns around as you approach him, and a wide, mischievous smirk graces his lips, “How many times have I told you not to call me that, Princess Lawful?”

Pushing your frames up your nose bridge, you narrow your eyes at him, not appreciating his hearty attitude.

“I don’t get paid enough for your bullshit, you know.” You comment under your breath, reaching into your pants pocket to search for your car keys.

“Oh please,” he rolls his eyes. “You are like what— twenty seven? And you have a five figure income monthly.”

“Whatever,” you grunt, fishing deeper into your seemingly endless pocket before finally finding your key. Wonwoo comes closer to you and casually snakes an arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to his body, his firm chest bumping against your arm as you stiffen up from the contact.

“Don’t worry, I will ask my father to give you a raise,” he leans down to whisper in your ear, making your breath stutter. Despite the cold weather, you can feel your face heat up, the dangerous proximity messing with your brain. It is all too much— his touch, his smell, his voice, a lethal combination that makes your knees weak.

You look at the taller man, in the back of your mind wondering how you ended up here. After graduation, you were lucky enough to get a job at one of the most reputable law firms right away.

Maybe not entirely luck, but through your hard work. You had sacrificed your youth, eyesight and skin for the job as you came out the top in your class. The plan was to work nine to five and within a year or two, end up with a fat paycheck every month. Things were going according to your plan until earlier this year when you made a huge breakthrough in a very important case that even your seniors were struggling with. That got the attention of your company president, Mr. Pi who immediately had you put in the legal team of the Jeon family as a junior advisor. He said there was an empty position and you would be the perfect fit. He promised that the workload would not be too much as you would primarily assist the senior lawyers in their tasks and the pay would be good.

It was a mistake to believe Mr. Pi.

The first time you saw Wonwoo was in the early morning on a Monday, one week after joining the Jeon family’s legal team. As you were sneaking sips of coffee from your tumbler in a meeting room full of old men discussing boring things, Chairman Jeon, Wonwoo’s father barged in followed by the trouble stirrer himself.

Wonwoo stole your breath the moment your eyes met him for the first time.

There was something magnetic about him. Other than his drop dead gorgeous looks, broad shoulders and tall build, there was something in his aura, something in the way he walked and carried himself that charged a room with tension and stole everyone’s attention. Once his eyes locked with yours, he stood in front of the door for seconds that felt too long, the look in his fox shaped eyes changing. They flickered with mischief and some amusement as he tilted his head to carefully scan you, a subtle hint of smirk growing at his lips.

For a moment you had forgotten where you were, letting yourself get carried away in his hypnotizing gaze and attractive smile, the little nicks and cuts on his face increasing his appeal by a hundred times.

He was trouble. You knew it right away. You saw it in his eyes, the mischief, the defiance, the chaos he could not wait to cause. He was your polar opposite in every sense and you knew he picked up on it right away. And you also knew you would not be able to get him off your back.

That was indeed, true.

Wonwoo’s first ever case that you handled was assigned that fateful morning. His father gathered everyone to brief about the situation that went down. Wonwoo had gotten in a fight at a bar the previous night, breaking a guy's arm and it was your job to compensate and cover the issue as smoothly as possible.

It has been quite a while since then and for whatever reason, Chairman Jeon always ordered you to handle his son’s cases. Of course, you could not say no to him so for the last ten months you have been working like a dog, cleaning up Wonwoo’s mess everytime he got in trouble, which was often.

It was during one such time, about three months ago, after you had gotten him out of the police station, that the mistake happened.

You slipped and caused trouble for yourself, committing something that altered your course of life.

You slept with Jeon Wonwoo.

Things have been messy since then. Not for him but for you. He definitely has more control over you now, crossing your professional boundaries whenever he pleases.

You are left in ruins, emotionally.

Wonwoo is an attractive, complicated man and you can’t help that you are attracted to him. There is obvious palpable tension between the two of you but ignoring that, you know very well the type of guy he is.

He is not boyfriend material. He is not good for your heart.

Yet now, as your body is pressed against his in the cold winter night, you cannot prevent your heart from dangerously thudding in your chest, a heated feeling rising in your belly.

“Take me home, Princess Lawful,” Wonwoo says, squeezing your shoulder. “I had a long day, you know?” There is an innocent whine in his tone and you can’t help but wonder at his duality.

“Fighting people?” You throw an annoyed look at him, freeing yourself from his grip and marching towards your car.

“Among other things,” he chuckles, his tone is light and playful as he jogs to catch up to you.

Thirty minutes later when you turn off your ignition in front of his house, you look beside to see him asleep in the passenger seat. No wonder it was so quiet in the car. He sits with the seat reclined, arms crossed over his chest as he faces the window in his side, the black locks of hair falling over his eyes.

In the dim light coming from a nearby street lamp, you admire the man next to you, your hands instinctively reaching to touch his face. Once again, your heartbeats quicken, a lump forming in your throat when you try to analyze this strange feeling in your chest. The tip of your index finger brushes his cheek, right below a cut and his lips form a knowing smile.

Your blood runs cold as you snatch your hand back.

This bastard was awake.

His eyes open, the piercing gaze making your breath stutter in your throat. “What dirty ideas were you having, hmm?” He smirks, leaning closer.

You immediately duck your head low, fiddling with your seatbelt in the dark to yank it open.

“I knew you were admiring me.” He easily snaps off his belt and resting his arm on the armrest between the two seats, he tilts his head lower to meet your bashful eyes. “Were you going to kiss me, Princess Lawful?”

You inhale a sharp breath before your hand moves on its own accord, ready to slap him. Wonwoo, however, catches it, his bony fingers wrapping around your wrist in a gentle yet firm grip as you lock eyes with him.

As always, he is calm and poised, a lazy smirk on his face, looking like he has the entire universe and beyond in his palm.

Wonwoo has this effect on you, this weird thing where words get stuck in your throat and your brain fumbles. Right now is one of those as your eyes remain locked with Wonwoo’s hypnotic gaze, leaving you unable to look away no matter how much you want to. Slowly, he pulls your hand towards him, his lips to be exact, as you watch with horror how his lips come in contact with your knuckles.

Suddenly, it is sweltering inside the car even though it is below zero outside. You are brought under a spell as you watch with parted lips how softly, sensually Wonwoo’s lips trace kisses over your knuckles and the top of your hand. The sensation shoots tingles throughout your entire body and at this moment, Wonwoo could ask you to bring him the moon and you would do it.

“Come inside.” His voice is feather light but you know he demands it.

Fuck, no, you cannot let this go on.

You snatch your hand back, shifting in your seat to be as far from him as possible in this confined space.

“I have an early day tomorrow,” you object, not meeting his gaze.

“Oh come on,” He almost whines. “I am injured, you know.”

You turn your head to look at him with skepticism. He watches you with a pout on his lips, his eyes shining as if he is a child waiting for candy. It is a complete whiplash from his previous attitude.

“Don’t believe me?” He sits up straight, determined to prove something as he turns on the overhead light. Then pulling up his windbreaker and his turtleneck, he shows you his lower back where, on the left side there is a big, purple mark blooming.

You gasp, immediately pulling the material of his clothes higher to get a better look. “My god, how did this happen?”

“The guy pushed me real hard. Hit my back against this table.” He explains casually, fixing his clothes. “Come on now, help me treat it.” He announces, not sparing a glance at you as he gets out of the car, his movements relaxed and confident as if he is sure you will follow him.

You do so silently, matching his pace as he approaches his house, the faint crunch of gravel beneath your feet the only sound. He climbs the small steps leading to the front door, its polished surface gleaming in the soft glow of the single overhead porch light. The neighbourhood is very posh, with picture-perfect houses standing at equal distances, their elegant designs glowing softly under the street lamps. The chill in the air adds a crispness to the atmosphere, as the two of your footsteps break the silence where no one is stirring.

Wonwoo’s fingerprint unlocks the door with a beep and he immediately steps inside. The door remains open as you linger in the cold night air outside, hesitant.

“What’s wrong? Do you really enjoy standing out in the cold?” The man cranes his neck to look at you.

With a soft sigh, you step in.

The minute the door shuts closed behind you, Wonwoo’s mouth latches onto yours. He attacks you almost, passion overflowing from him as he presses you against the door in a frenzy.

You knew this would happen. Yet you came in.

There is no one at fault but you.

He shoves his tongue inside you, tasting your mouth like a starved man while his hands do a quick work to shake off your coat from your shoulders. The warmth from his body blankets you in an addictive sense of comfort, his hands moving to hold both of your wrists in a bruising hold against the door.

There is no escape.

Your body submits, relaxing against his as you let yourself feel every bit of the sensations. When Wonwoo pulls away, the space between the two of you charges with tension, the heat increasing with the way his dark eyes bore into yours.

“I have been wanting to do that for a while now.” He breathes, his voice gruff. He lets go of your hands and skims his fingers on your back, pulling down the zipper of your blouse.

Your lips are swollen, his bruising kiss lingering on your lips as you unconsciously lick them, trapped in the dark pools of his eyes.

You are so ruined.

Wonwoo takes a few steps back, his fingers working deftly to remove his windbreaker and his turtleneck. You see him wince due to the bruise when he moves his body and you stop him with a gentle hand on his arm.

“Maybe we should get a look at that first.”

Wonwoo scoffs and you know he will not listen to you. You are about to force him when he takes off his trousers that leaves him in his boxers only and all thoughts fly out of your mind when you see the bulge forming in them.

Wonwoo sports that cocky, insufferable look on his face. “Stop drooling, Princess Lawful.”

You frown, ready to refute when he utters the next words that stun you into silence.

“On your knees.” The playful expression is gone from his face as he looks at you dead in the eyes, palming himself through his underwear.

You are a frozen statue, waiting for him to repeat himself because there is no way he just said that.

“Don’t keep me waiting,” he grunts, yanking you closer to him by your arm. He looks down on you as you feel his breaths on your skin when he whispers. “Get on your knees. And take your top off. I want you to suck my cock. I want to see that nerdy face choking, messy with tears.”

Your throat is a dessert. Your eyes are wide with horror, your hands clenched into tight fists as you try to wrap your head around his dirty words. Wonwoo easily pushes you on your knees, your mind still trying to catch up with what is happening. He, in fact, removes your blouse for you, leaving you in your nude coloured bra as goosebumps break into your skin. His intimidating bulge stands in front of your face and you sense a rush of panic within you.

There is no way you can do this.

Fuck, this is your first time giving a blowjob to someone.

But you cannot let him know that. You would rather plunge yourself in the cold sea and get eaten by sharks. So, with the same determination that helped you finish law school with straight A���s, you set out to prove yourself. With trembling hands, you pull down his boxers and the image of his long, thick length is daunting, immediately making your throat hurt.

Wonwoo's hands snake around your neck, his fingers caressing the base of your low pony as he pushes your mouth closer to his dick.

Shy and unsure, you hold him using both hands, the hard, warm member a foreign sensation beneath your fingertips. Your tongue darts out, giving his tip a kittenish link.

“Stop playing,” Wonwoo warns. “You know how to suck cock, right? Or do I need to teach you that?”

Offended, you push your glasses up and wrap your lips around his tip, sucking on his precum. The breathy sigh that parts from Wonwoo’s lips indicates that you are on the right path. You continue sucking, covering more of his length, adding an inch bit by bit to get used to the feeling of him in your mouth.

Wonwoo, however, does not have the patience and he extends an arm to the wall to support himself while using the other to hold your neck as an anchor as he starts to thrust in and out your mouth in shallow movements.

“Fuck, you look so hot like this,” he pants, his eyes trained on your face, your swollen, spit coated lips wrapped around his length as you look up at him with doe eyes behind your steel frames. “This is my new favourite scene, Princess, you dressed for work and on your knees for me.” He grunts, increasing his pace, his thick length going deeper and making you choke.

The entire scene is so erotic, his filthy words paired with gurgling noises coming deep from your throat and tears that blur your vision. Between your legs, your pussy throbs with pain as an urge to touch yourself grows. You can not do that due to the layers of clothes still covering your lower half so you press your thighs together, focusing on getting him off.

You hollow your throat to the best of your capability and his length goes in deeper than before, prompting you to choke and pull back your mouth from him, bursts of cough coming from your lips.

In front of you, Wonwoo stands, panting harshly as he rubs his slick length, his dark eyes watching you wipe your tears and spit while trying to stop the coughs. “You look so hot right now.” He breathes, the dark depravity in his voice making you look at him.

“I want to come on your face so bad but more than that, I need to get my cock inside you. Fuck you so good you will feel me tomorrow morning when you are at your meeting.”

You can only blink as your pussy throbs at his promise. By now, you are sure that your underwear is a soaking mess.

“Stand up, Princess Lawful.” He orders with a smirk on his face. You immediately comply, standing on shaky legs. Wonwoo wastes no time to press your back flat against a nearby wall, his fingers rapidly working on taking off your belt. He unzips your dress pants and pulls them down halfway along with your underwear in record time. His eyes remain focused on your core and you shy away from his gaze, covering yourself with your hands. He immediately pushes them away and easily slips a finger inside your wet core.

“Oh god,” you moan, your eyes falling closed. Wonwoo scoffs, a cruel smile of lust kissing his lips as he whispers in your ear, “Fuck, look at you. You are dripping. Did sucking my cock turn on so much?”

You nod, an arm coming up to hold his shoulder, the firm muscles feeling so good under your touch.

“Say it,” he commands, using his free hand to grip your face in a firm hold, squishing your cheeks.

“Y-yes.” You whisper, chasing his fingers with your hips. You need him inside you so bad you are going insane.

“Good little slut.” He grins before lining himself up with your entrance and thrusting his entire length in one swift motion.

“Fuck!” The first thing you feel is pain, the entirety of his thick length shoving inside you so hard you swear you feel him in your belly.

Deep in the back of your mind, there is the sensible part of you who shakes her head at your desperation and carelessness. Even though you have an IUD, you still should have used a condom.

That is the issue, all common sense and logic fly out the window when you are near this man. That is why he is so bad for you, for your heart.

Wonwoo suddenly presses his lips to yours, breaking your train of thought. His tongue moves inside your mouth in tandem with his thrusts as your entire body jolts at the force. His fingers hold your ass and the back of your thighs in a bruising grip as he drives inside you mercilessly, each thrust harder than the last one.

You are going to come right away.

Wonwoo however decides to stop. His grip on you loosens as a harsh pant comes out of his mouth, his eyes scorching with animalistic lust.

Then, before you can question or protest, he roughly tugs on your arm, pulling you with him as you two cross the short distance to his bedroom. Standing in front of the bed, he unceremoniously pushes you on the soft mattress, murmuring. “Lie down.”

You do as told, shuffling back into the bed with confusion as Wonwoo fully takes off your trousers and your underwear.

“I can fuck you better like this, on the bed.” He grins as an explanation, making heat rush to your face. Not wasting time, he slides back inside you, a low groan of pleasure falling from his lips at your warmth. The sound makes your pussy clench around his length as a soft mewl falls from your lips when he hits that sensitive spot within you.

“Fuck, keep making sounds like that and I will come right now.”

You once again clench at the idea and a smirk graces Wonwoo’s lips. “You want that, no?” He increases his pace, his right hand tightly holding your waist while his left hand slips down a strap of bra from one of your shoulders, exposing your breast. He squeezes your breasts, pinching and tugging at your nipples which heightens your pleasure. You throw your head back, your fingers gripping onto his arms as you whine, “P-please, I want to come.”

“Such a good slut, begging so nicely.” He huffs, using both hands to grip your waist, his cock driving deeper inside you than ever before due to the angle. Your legs shake and your toes curl as you taste your orgasm coming. 

Wonwoo leans on top of you, covering your body with his as he licks his way from your collarbone and below, all the while moving in and out of you. His lips wrap around your nipple as he sucks and bites and finally the coil in your belly snaps.

Your body spasms, a loud cry of pleasure falling from your lips as you are thrown over the edge and taken away by your release. Wonwoo spurts inside you at the same time, his low groans of pleasure and strings of curses sounding like honey to your ears.

For some time, you find yourself lost in your head, your senses fading into the background. Time slips away as you enter a trance-like state, the aftershocks of pleasure radiating through your body and paired with the day’s exhaustion, you feel like you are floating away on a cloud of bliss and ecstasy.

After a long while, when you are fully back in your senses, you see Wonwoo lying beside you, his eyes closed. Judging from the way he is breathing, he seems asleep. 

The clock on the wall reads 10 pm.

A soft sigh escapes your lips as you sit up on the bed, your joints feeling sore.

You can not shake the overwhelming pity you feel for yourself.

This is what happens when you cross the lines with a guy like Wonwoo.

Alone and exhausted, an emotional mess as you drown in self pity while the guy that has ruined you physically and emotionally sleeps away peacefully. 

Even asleep, he radiates an exquisite beauty, bathed in the soft, golden glow of the lights that fill the room. As you gaze at him, you find yourself wondering what it might be like if this were love rather than lust—if you could stir his heart to race and flutter as yours does for him.

How silly. How pathetic.

With weary steps, you move through his house, first going to the bathroom to clean yourself before gathering your scattered clothes and putting them on. You are about to leave when you suddenly remember the bruise on his back.

With a sigh, you take an ice pack from the refrigerator and wrap it in a towel. Then you pull out the first aid kit from the bathroom cabinet, slightly annoyed to find it untouched and brand new, just like you left it a few months ago. He has yet to use it no matter how many times you requested him to. 

Shaking your head, you place the kit on the bedside table, taking out some compression bandage and a painkiller and placing them outside and within his view. Then, finding a sticky pad, you scribble some notes and stick them on the bottle of the pills, hoping he sees it and follows your instructions.

When you are done setting everything, the man is still fast asleep, his face squished against the mattress as he lies on his front. Gently, you tiptoe near him and peek at the bruise on his back.

He will be in pain later for sure.

Tentatively, you place the ice pack on his back before quickly stepping out of his bedroom. The towel will diffuse the chill so he will not wake up immediately, giving you enough time to leave. 

As you drive your car through the quiet neighbourhood, you make a promise to yourself.

This was the last time you crossed boundaries with him. 

You loathe this emptiness in your soul as you drive away from him late at night, feeling discarded after a quick fuck when all your heart desires is to lay in the warmth of his arms.

That is not your reality and you accepted it. 

From tomorrow, there will be no you and Wonwoo beyond the professional responsibilities that tie you together.

—

NEXT MORNING, 10 AM

As soon as the meeting is over you head for your office and sink down on your chair, sagging into the leather with a deep sigh of relief. The delicious aroma of the coffee heals you as you take a sip, a soft groan falling from your lips.

Today is going to be a long day. You definitely should have prepared better for such a day because being sleep deprived along with a throbbing ache between your legs is definitely not the way to go about it. 

You realize Wonwoo did keep his promise as you can still feel him between your legs, the memories and sensations of last night still too vivid. 

Shaking your head at the unwelcome thoughts, you begin pulling out all the necessary files from your bag and spreading them on your desk when there is a knock at the door.

You look up and before you can tell the person to come in, the door opens.

Wonwoo steps in, making your heart shudder as if the mere thought of him has summoned his physical presence.

He looks dashing as ever, sporting his signature cocky smile as he closes the door behind him. “Good morning, Princess Lawful.” He chirps.

Frowning, you push up your glasses, not finding his presence amusing. You remember the events of last night and the promise you made to yourself. Now is the perfect time to honour it. 

“What are you doing here?” You question, standing up from your seat.

He pouts, approaching you. “Am I so unwelcome? Had some business nearby. Thought I would drop by your office.”

“Do you have anything to consult with me?”

“Yes,” he hums, his gaze sultry. He comes closer to you and easily wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you against his body, his eyes fixed on your lips. Once again, you are overpowered by his touch, smell and everything he makes you feel.

This must stop.

Mustering all your strength, you push him away with a firm hand on his chest. The man stumbles back, looking at you with confusion. With a deep, calming breath, you take a step back and focus your gaze on him, your sharp eyes piercing through his.

“This is over.”

“What?”

“Whatever we were doing…messing around, it is over. I am done.”

“What?” His mouth is agape. He looks absolutely stunned as if your words make no sense to him.

“Mister Jeon Wonwoo, I do not owe you any explanation.” Your tone is sharp, matching your gaze. He frowns, his eyes going dark as he mirrors your gaze. “From now on, I will not be seeing you outside of work, is that clear?”

You see his jaw clench. He inhales a sharp breath, the soft sound cutting through the air fizzling with tension.

“Fine,” he spits with eyes filled with an accusatory intensity so heavy that you feel a physical weight. “Whatever you say. Let's not see each other again.”

You nod, stiff.

You know very well it is a lie. These words are a mere facade of an agreement, bound to be broken. You will see him again for you are two magnets with fierce, crackling attraction. 

Nothing can keep you apart. 

The air thickens with heavy tension, your sharp gazes locked with each other, cutting through the air and charging the atoms with an unending flare. If someone listened closely, they might even hear the hisses of sparks forming and spreading all over.

Sibilance, they call it.

want more of them? head over to my patreon and subscribe here to read their first meeting from wonwoo's pov!

A/N: before y'all think this is the end let me share my plan. so I will be turning this into a series which I will upload from time to time. they will be short episodes, kind of like a slice of life story which will mainly focus on the relationship of these two and their growth. so buckle up, because their journey is just beginning! as always, if you enjoyed reading this, please reblog and share your thoughts. i would love to hear what you guys have to say and what expectations you have from this couple!

on a side note, can we just talk about the overwhelming response of the teaser? like 1k notes in such a short time and also for just a teaser? y'all really love bad boy wonwoo huh. i was pleasantly surprised by the numbers it was doing, even better than a few of my full length fics. not complaining tho! ><

[taglist: @horanghaezone @sdoulc @suzzanne02 @aaniag @unlikelysublimekryptonite @superassh @cookiearmy @hui-ranghae @elynsthings @minwonwoozi @archivegyu @missychief1404 @poiibbtt @cosmic-w0lf @lllucere @cherriscoupss @tulipndtale @mrsjohnnysuh @peachytokki @lovelywoos @moonjeonhui @luzaroon @rimimay @etherealyoungk @black-swan-blog27 @alltheshineofthestars-blog @wildtokay @jaeyunsies @sn03 @vixensss @hanniesluvr @yoozuku @iamothergorls @chrollo-s-princess @kdreamer @mnstxmnbb @map0fthes0ul7 @mingyudreams @allysannnn @singgibanggipoongpoongbanggi ]

© startlightxsvt 2024 | All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, translate, adapt, or repurpose any of my works.

[latimerlaw]

Latimer Law is a reputable law firm in Oakland, known for its expertise in handling work injury cases. Their team of experienced lawyers is dedicated to helping clients get the compensation they deserve for their injuries, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. They have a proven track record of success in winning settlements and verdicts for their clients. Latimer Law offers personalized attention to each case, ensuring that clients receive the Best Work Injury Lawyer Oakland . Contact them today for a free consultation and find out how they can help you with your work injury claim.

[william-scofield]

Work injury and Personal injury lawyers

Experiencing a car accident can be both fear-inducing and confusing, leaving those involved feeling lost in the midst of its aftermath - especially if there were injuries. It’s not just the physical impacts that are worrisome; navigating through legal proceedings brings tremendous strain onto people's lives where they might feel overwhelmed by worries and questions with no clear answers in sight.

These questions can range anywhere from how you handle the claim, what legal rights, if any, you may have, and how to determine whether you are at fault for the accident or not. Receiving the proper information and guidance on how to correctly navigate this process can bring tremendous relief and security to ones life, which is why having a professional, experienced accident attorney on your side is crucial.

What you can do after a car accident

Following a traumatic car accident that wasn't your fault, you may find yourself wondering how soon you can receive the compensation you rightfully deserve. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all answer - settlement times will depend on individual cases and could take anywhere from months to several years before coming to fruition.

After a car accident, the severity and nature of injuries can have a huge impact on how quickly your claim is settled. If you’ve suffered serious trauma that requires long-term care or rehabilitation, it could take weeks to months until an accurate calculation for medical damages has been completed – something which will be critical in determining your final settlement figure. Your lawyer must work alongside doctors to ensure they are aware of both current and future treatments needed so they are able create this comprehensive assessment.

After a car accident, it's essential to stay organized and keep all relevant receipts. From medical bills to lost wages and property damage costs, maintaining records of these expenses is key for filing an effective claim or lawsuit. For additional advice on the best course of action, contact one of our lawyers at our law firm - we'll help you every step of the way. A personal injury attorney can be invaluable when it comes to navigating the tricky waters of settlements. Whether your claim is relatively straightforward or more complicated, an experienced lawyer will use their knowledge and resources to help move things along quickly - giving you peace of mind while they work diligently behind the scenes.

Why Choose A Car Accident Lawyer at Bellotti law group

Our ambition is to provide car accident victims with complete clarity throughout the entire process of their case, supporting them in any way necessary along the journey. We are dedicated to assisting individuals by giving them access to legal representation that could help bring successful outcomes and closure.

When it comes to car accidents, the right car accident lawyer can make all the difference. Timely consultations and interviews with clients are key - providing insight on what exactly happened while memories of details remain sharp makes sure that important questions get asked and could lead to a higher settlement in return.

Why you should hire a personal injury lawyer

When you're hurt and need help, don't go it alone. Instead, get an ally on your side with a personal injury attorney who can take the reins to ensure that you receive fair compensation in a timely manner.

A personal injury lawyer can provide an objective analysis of your accident to build the most compelling argument possible in order to get you the justice and compensation deserved.

Keeping track of paperwork can often be a daunting task, but ensuring that your insurance claims are up to date and taken care of is key. Personal injury lawyer strive to make sure all communication and negotiations with the insurance companies run smoothly so you don't have any unnecessary worries on your plate.

You don't have to shoulder the burden of an injury caused by someone else's negligence - legal action can lead to financial reparation that will help you on your road to recovery. Seeking help from a personal injury lawyer could be key in minimizing any consequences experienced due to the accident and restoring a sense of justice.

Work injury Lawyers

Work injury lawyers are savvy professionals who help those facing legal disputes, violations or claims tied to employment laws. Whether you call them personal injury attorneys, employment specialists -or- workplace accident gurus; these experts know the ins and outs of navigating complicated labor cases with positive outcomes for all involved! Workplace injury attorneys are devoted to protecting workers from unfair treatment and establishing justice in the workplace. They ensure employees can count on their rights being defended, as well championing worker relations between colleagues for a productive work environment. A workplace injury lawyer is the invaluable ally of workers who have suffered an on-the-job accident. Specialized in helping victims find justice and seek financial reparation, they are a staunch defender for those seeking to recover their rightful compensation after sustaining injuries while carrying out work duties.

When an employee is injured on the job, legal remedies are available to help cover medical bills and other related costs. This can include damage awards paid by employers or insurance potentially covering some of those damages. If necessary, workplace injury attorneys work hard in order to secure a suitable award for their client so they're able get back on their feet again post-injury.

What is a personal injury lawyer

If you have been injured due to someone else's negligence or carelessness, the experienced professionals at Bellotti Law Group P.C. are here for you! For more than three decades they have served victims of accidents and injuries across Massachusetts – from Suffolk county to Cambridge to Quincy – providing justice in a timely manner, ensuring those responsible face their consequences. You don't have to suffer in silence - if you were injured and someone else is responsible, our exceptional Personal Injury Attorneys could take on the culpable party and fight for your due compensation. Don't let injustice prevail; make sure justice is served!

Why choose us?

Bellotti Law Group, P.C is where excellence meets experience - an unbeatable combination when you need results that matter! Our attorneys are committed to providing the highest level of service and expertise possible in pursuit of achieving outstanding outcomes for every client. We are a firm of skilled attorneys devoted to advocating for their clients in medical malpractice, personal injury and employment law cases. Since 1989, Peter V. Bellotti and his team have provided relentless support to thousands of injured victims through effective approaches tailored specifically around each case, the firm conducts a thorough assessment with each case to create personalized outcome-focused strategies that ensure clients are set up for success in court. When you choose Belloti Law Group: we fight hard so you can win bigger! At our firm, we prioritize the best interests of all clients above everything else. Our highly-experienced attorneys bring tremendous skill and unwavering commitment to each case they take on – allowing you peace of mind in knowing your situation is always in good hands.

Our commitment to transparency and honesty drives us to provide free case consultations, giving our clients the opportunity for an open dialogue with one of our experienced attorneys. At the start of your matter, we are here to listen and answer your questions.

[workers-compensation-lawyer-ma]

Workers Compensation Lawyers-Get the Best Advice on your rights and entitlements

If you've sustained an injury on the job, there are some things you must take care of immediately. The first step is to get the medical treatment you require and then make contact with a company that employs lawyer for worker compensation. Never ever discuss or reveal your own version of the circumstances leading to the incident to anyone else and absolutely never share information with the lawyer of the company prior to you have consulted on your own. While the motives behind this may be obvious, should you suffer an injury that could leave you permanently impaired and could require ongoing medical care any medical costs as well as loss of income could be covered under the compensation plan of your employer.

An attorney for personal injuries will focus on workers' compensation claims and can provide you with information regarding your rights and entitlements to any benefits. The lawyers typically take on the case on a contingent basis. This means you'll get the initial consultation no cost. In this session, you'll discover if your claim is valid. If it's valid, the lawyer will begin discussions on your behalf, without you having to deposit any cash up front. It is usually a predetermined amount or percent of any settlement which will be paid to the attorney handling your case. Studies show that claims that are handled by law firms have a much higher chance of success and higher amounts made than individuals working independently might be able to reach.

It is highly advised to seek professional guidance from a lawyer for worker compensation whenever you will after an accident has taken place. This is due to the fact that it is easier to obtain exact information from witnesses shortly in the aftermath of an accident. There are deadlines which are set for the filing of such lawsuits (be aware that they could vary from state to state). You must seek an evaluation by a medical professional of your injuries, as they will be able to determine if you require continuous medical treatment and to determine the extent that any injury has occurred. The length of time you'll be off from work can be determined by these reports, and which method of treatment is most beneficial to help you recover.

Lawyers for workers compensation are professionals with the experience required to help you get your claim started. They can make it simpler to receive speedy reimbursements for any medical costs that might be paid and accelerate the process to the full settlement of the loss of income you suffered. The amount of compensation you could be entitled to will depend on the extent of the injuries. This is why it's important to have your claims adequately recorded. A personal injury lawyer who specializes in workers' compensation can collect all the pertinent details and record it in order that they can be properly prepared should there be a need to be heard in court. If a lawyer is in place there is always an action plan which could yield good outcomes.

How Our Boston Workers Compensation Lawyers at The Bellotti Law Group, P.C. Can Help

Our Boston workers compensation attorneys are experienced lawyers who specialize in workers compensation law and help represent all clients throughout Massachusetts. Our team has been regarded as one of the best in the state largely because, in addition to our tremendous record of success in cases involving workers compensation law, we emphasize a strong attorney client relationship. We have expertise at all stages of conferences, hearings, and appeals in the worker compensation process. Beginning with a free consultation, we will plan your case and make sure that you have the best chance of success.

[janeyseymour]

Save Me Before I Lose Myself- part 8

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7.

Summary: It's been three months. Life has changed, and the custody hearing of Millie is just around the corner.

WC: ~2.1k

It’s been about three months since you’ve moved in with your daughter’s teacher- three months of pure hell. You’ve been absolutely miserable, and with good reason. Carrie is making everything so God awful for you. Despite the fact that you have a Protection From Abuse Order, and Melissa’s lawyer friend was able to prove that Carrie was indeed abusing you (turns out, going to the doctor has its benefits- you had more sprains and injuries that hadn’t necessarily healed properly due to your apprehension over doctors), her lawyer is… he has one of the best success rates in the city.

Melissa has been great- she’s willing to help you in any area that you might need assistance in. Her friend in enforcement helped guide you through getting a restraining order, another connection that she has to a law firm was able to help you file for divorce and rush the process as much as possible while also revoking Carrie’s custody of Millie for the time being. The redhead drops you off at work in the morning so she’s positive that you’re safe and then takes herself and Millie to Abbott. She’s arranged for a buddy of hers to pick you up after work and drop you back off at Abbott, where Ava is always there to greet you. She’s cleared out the office that she never uses in order to turn it into a bedroom for you. You rarely have to cook dinner anymore because the woman that took you in loves to cook. She helps with your daughter in any way that she can- making sure she goes to bed at the right time, telling her to get in the shower, ensures that she’s eaten enough, assuring her that everything is going to be okay. Melissa has stepped up in a big way for your little girl.

Not only has she stepped up for Amelia and you in terms of safety and your little girl’s wellbeing, but she’s been a pillar of support for you in the hardest time of your life. She understands how difficult this is- quietly admitting to you that she’s been through difficult divorce, and that divorce didn’t involve domestic abuse or the custody of a young child. She lets you cry your heart out when you need to and promises you that everything will be okay. She made sure that the cut to your face was always as clean as possible when it was still healing. She promises you that she doesn’t want anything in return for living with her- you’re actually doing her a favor. And while you know she’s just saying that… there’s a small part of you that believes her. There’s a small part of you that finds yourself falling for Melissa- every side of her. The protective, willing to take a bat to someone for you, side- but also the warm and soft Melissa that you’ve found yourself lucky enough to see.

Barbara is also a huge part of your support system. She takes over watching your daughter when you need a day to yourself- when Melissa knows that you can’t push your way through the day with a smile, and you need to be taken care of. The kindergarten teacher becomes something of an aunt to Millie. 

You’re fairly certain that the two women that you’ve grown close to are walking angels on this earth. You have no idea how you were lucky enough to have them come into your life in such a big way when you so desperately needed them. 

While the motion for divorce was a simple one- it was quite clear to all parties that your wife was abusive in more than one way, the idea of custody was hell. You were hoping that the careless attitude your wife had about Millie while you were together would make things easy and she would grant you sole custody of your daughter. And she almost did. She can’t stand the fact that Millie takes after you in every way but looks. But then she realized that she can make your life a living hell if she fights. And because she’s solely looking for revenge, she fights like hell. She’s resorting to the fact that she is the breadwinner in the household and that you cannot support Amelia on your own. Your soon to be ex-wife comes out with claws, ready to rip you and your parenting to shreds (she doesn’t have a single thing to tear you up with, but she’s sure as hell going to try- and you wouldn’t put it past her to attempt to lie to get back at you). Carrie is claiming that since she is biologically Millie’s mother, your daughter should go with her. And there is no way you are losing custody of your daughter. There’s not a chance in hell that you are going down without a fight in this regard. And so, you’re being forced to show up for family court to determine who is going to get custody of your daughter, or if there is going to be shared custody of the little girl.

Your case is being reviewed tomorrow, and you’ve taken off today and tomorrow for your own sanity. You know you can’t go to work with your head in such a fog. Melissa and Barbara have both taken off as well to ensure that you have the support that you’ll need no matter the outcome of this trial.

Dinner is simmering on the stove when Melissa comes in with your little girl, Barbara not far behind the two. The three of them kick off their shoes before they enter the kitchen.

“You’re cooking?”

“I- I didn’t know what else to do,” you mutter as you twist your fingers together nervously. “I hope that’s okay.”

“You know you can do whatever you want in this house,” Melissa assures you with a gentle pat to your shoulder.

“It should be ready in the next hour,” you tell them as you pull your daughter into your arms. You kiss her head warmly. “How was school today?”

Millie goes on a long tangent, detailing what you think might just be every second of the day. You listen intently, of course. Because your attention in solely on your daughter while she rambles on and on, you don’t catch the way that Melissa watches you with such a warmth- how her eyes are trained on you and all of your beauty. Barbara notices though- of course she does.

“… and now we’re here!” your little girl finishes with a toothy smile.

“That sounds like quite the day,” you chuckle softly. “And did Miss Schemmenti give you homework?”

“Miss Schemmenti didn’t,” the redhead rolls her eyes. “But Melissa thinks that Millie needs to hop into the shower and read for twenty minutes before dinner is out and on the table.”

“Oh,” you glance over at the second grade teacher. “Well, if that’s what Melissa thinks, what do you think you should do, little girl?”

“Go shower,” Millie sighs, and she heads for the steps. Then she turns and runs back. Her arms wrap around your waist before she softly tells you that she loves you. She does the same to Melissa, and then she gives Barb a tight squeeze with a promise of seeing her tomorrow. Then she runs up the steps, giggling to herself.

“I’m assuming with Millie’s goodbye now that you aren’t staying for dinner tonight?” you ask the kindergarten teacher.

Barbara shakes her head. “As much as I would love to, Gerald is waiting for me at home. But I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, Y/N.”

You give her a tight smile. “See you tomorrow.”

“Hey,” Barb reaches a hand out, and you take it. She squeezes gently. “Everything is going to be alright- I’ve been praying over you.”

“And Barb is a straight-line to Jesus,” Melissa nudges you playfully.

“That I am!” the kindergarten teacher chuckles. “Melissa, dear, walk me out?”

The redhead furrows her brow, but she obliges the odd request. Once the two of them are in the mudroom, the gruff woman lets out an exasperated, “What?”

“When are you just going to tell that woman that you’re falling for her?” the kindergarten teacher smirks and wiggles her eyebrows.

“Barb, what?” The more defensive side of the second grade teacher comes out. “I am not.”

“Oh, girl please,” Barb rolls her eyes. “You told me months ago you had the hots for her, and if the way you look at her is any indication, you still fancy her.”

“And she’s still in the middle of a divorce and a custody battle,” Melissa counters.

Barbara shrugs. “All I’m saying is: I’ve seen the way you look at her, I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and…”

“She’s in the middle of hell right now,” the redhead reiterates. 

“There’s always after.” With a smile and a few nudges, Barbara Howard exits.

Melissa makes her way back to the kitchen as she ponders what her work wife had said. Were you… was it possible that you may have also started to develop feelings for her? She shakes her head to shake the thought. But then her eyes are on you, and she can hear the soft and sweet humming as you tend to the meal on the stove. The sun is streaming through the window in a way that almost makes you glow, and her mind wanders back to the fact that she has absolutely fallen for you.

She goes to say something to you, but Millie comes down the steps with a hairbrush and a book calling for Melissa.

“Mel? Can you brush my hair for me and read with me?”

“Yeah, kiddo,” the redhead instantly melts for your little girl. “C’mon. Let’s go sit on the couch while your momma finishes up dinner.”

You can hear Millie ask the redhead, “Is dinner gonna be done soon? I’m hungry,” as they make their way into the living room.

Dinner is peaceful. There’s no discussion of the elephant in the room. Instead, the air is filled with your daughter only continuing to somehow find details that she missed earlier of her day, and Melissa tells you about the rest of her class. Your little girl makes sure to insert her own commentary on what her teacher has to say. The three of you settle on the couch to enjoy a few episodes of television before it’s time to put the seven year old to bed. 

Melissa is, as it turns out to be, the magic touch the Millie needs in order to go to bed without a fight. The two of you oblige her request for a story, silly voices included. The redhead has learned that your daughter is quite particular about how she likes to be tucked in and how her stuffed animals surround her- and she’s able to perfect it, something that not even you have managed to do in the seven years of your little girl’s life. The two of you kiss her head softly, promising that you’ll be in to wake her bright and early tomorrow.

The two of you settle back on the couch, glasses of wine in hand, with a heavy sigh.

“You ready for tomorrow?” Melissa asks you quietly, breaking the silence and the tension in the air.

“I just hope I don’t lose my little girl,” you tell her. “I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t,” Melissa whispers, scooting closer to you. Her hand finds its way around your shoulders and gently pulls you in close. “You won’t.”

“But what if I do?” You look to, and you look absolutely petrified. “Carrie’s always… had a way of getting around things.”

“This is family court, and the judge does what he or she thinks is best for the child. They usually have the child testify too, and I am positive that your daughter would much rather be with you than your ex.”

“I just… I don’t know what I’m going to do if Carrie somehow gets custody of her,” you sigh as you lean into her warm figure.

“You have a solid case, and your lawyer has your back,” the redhead promises. “And ‘sides, Barb and I are there to help support your case. We see how good you are with Mill, and we both have experience with Carrie.”

You just give a hum in response. The two of you finish your glasses of wine and head to bed. Neither of you get great sleep- not with what you have the next day in your minds. 

Tags (and let me know if you want to be included!): @schemmentis @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @sweetcheeksschemmenti @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @a-queen-and-her-throne @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson @dvrkhcld @cosmichymns @sasheemo @m1lflov3rrr @ricejucie @temilyrights @emilynissangtr @squinnchy @dopenightmaretyphoon @emeraldoceansstuff @shinyfaerielights @kmaxmadness @blkmxrvel @marvelwomenrule

[strawberrystepmom]

shifting sands and the fingers they fall through | one

cw: non-graphic discussion of an injury reader has. trafalgar law x fisherman f!reader. | word count: 1.7k, reading time: approx. 6 min.

note: this is the first part of a series. each post will contain warnings that pertain to that particular chapter. | part: two, three, four; five, six

The late morning sun beats hot overhead but you remain cool enough tucked beneath your fishmongering stall, humming to yourself while pouring more ice into the chests behind you that contain everything you caught last night and this morning.

So far everything has gone the same way it does, well, every day. You wake up, you fish, you clean, you put them on ice, you sell what you can. This is the rhythm of your life, never up or down or out of tune, just the way you think you like it. It has been this way for at least a decade so there’s no sense in complaining about it now, even while you notice the tune your humming feels off key. It must be the lingering heat.

It’s technically autumn although you’d never know it. Island life is perpetually sundrenched, the waters that provide your shelter and food thanks to their contents never cooling quite enough to keep you from doing the job. There’s always demand regardless, whether it be from small fleets that dock near your sleepy seaside hometown or your fellow inhabitants. The work is never quite all the way done.

You go back to humming, fixing your pitch, only to be interrupted by footsteps approaching the front of your stall.

“Good morning, flounder is the catch of the day. The fish comes cleaned and I’ll even throw in deboning for free if you’d like.”

Your spiel goes unanswered which is rare. It’s usually recited back to you by any one of your regular buyers, a smile on their face mirroring your own. This draws you to turn around and face whoever is standing in front of the stall, one of the few in town run by a woman.

The man standing there is a stranger.

Every person on this island knows one another, the various small fishing villages dotting the coastline deeply interconnected. You were an outsider once too. Granted, you tried a lot harder to fit in than this man standing in front of you, his clothes vastly different from the breezy linen and cotton worn by everyone else. His face is firm, mouth set in a line with dark hair that brushes the tops of his eyebrows and narrowed golden eyes.

At least he’s a handsome stranger, you reason. You smile and roll your shoulders forward slightly and he remains as you found him. Unmoved.

“The flounder is fine and so are the bones.”

In an instant, your expression turns from pleasant to puzzled. He doesn’t react, simply keeping his hands folded over his chest wordlessly and expressionless. Clearly this guy isn’t interested in small talk and that’s fine, you get to work and pull a piece of parchment from beneath the counter and open the ice chest behind you to pull out your largest catch.

A fruit of the sea, caught and processed lovingly by your hands. Sometimes you catch yourself softly smiling down at the faces of all the fish you catch, perhaps as a means to honor them or at least say you’re sorry. Today though, you keep the subtle smile to yourself and get to work.

“It’ll be 350 Belly,” you mutter while plopping the flounder down on the paper, folding the edge of the paper over the tail. This mysterious man says nothing but his gaze is heavy and is clearly pinned to your movements, your left arm specifically.

“Your stitches look like shit.”

A loud exhalation followed by a humorless laugh is your initial response, pausing your work and then resuming it for a moment to avoid saying something snarky to a man who is about to pay you. You pause again, tilting your head to the side to look up at this stranger who apparently believes insults are appropriate.

“Thanks, I did them myself,” you shoot back, rolling your eyes, proud of your ability to do so covertly enough he won’t even be able to tell.

He absolutely notices it, alongside the range of emotion you’ve let show all over your face in such a short span of time, and shifts his weight from foot to foot while folding his arms over his chest. Law isn’t trying to be an asshole. If you insist on taking his concern that way, it makes no difference to him. The bottom line is that he can see clear as the sky overhead that this wound was not properly tended to.

“You need to see a doctor about that.”

Still narrowed eyes dart down to inspect the jagged wound that will undoubtedly leave a scar if it doesn’t get infected and kill you first. You shake your head and shrug, back to work wrapping his fish. The wound aches if you’re honest. Thankfully you’ve been able to stay busy enough to ignore it although it’s an angry, screaming red and makes itself impossible to completely tune out.

Sighing again, you finish wrapping the fish and slide it across the countertop to the man still appraising your arm from afar. You have work to do and this conversation is preventing it from getting done. Why is he wasting your time with a lecture?

“When you find one, let me know. We don’t have one on the island.”

Hopefully your tone is dismissive enough that he gets the picture. You still feel him looking at you, which is frustrating. Law raises his brows, eyes finally shifting from your arm back to your face.

“Today must be your lucky day because there’s one right in front of you.”

You laugh again. It’s a bit more genuine sounding than the first, a confused smile spreading across your face. This man, the one with the ominously tattooed knuckles, is a doctor?

“What?” He asks, face as impassive as it has remained since the moment he arrived at your little stall.

What is he doing here to begin with? Fishing islands are no strangers to a range of visitors, some more nefarious than others, but it’s a surprise that anyone shows up here. Maybe he’s just like you and he’s running to find himself. Or hiding, that’s always a possibility.

Either way, your sleepy little life could be about to get more interesting. Thrusting your arm outward in his direction and raising your eyebrows expectantly, you see how he’ll react. If he’s going to brag about it, you may as well put him to work after all.

“I wasn’t offering to look at it for you,” he clarifies while reaching out to wrap his hand around your wrist.

He finds it slightly annoying that instinct kicked in before he could stop it, his earnest desire to help people buried deep enough he can ignore it most of the time. The touch makes you a little skittish, defying your boldness in offering the opportunity to begin with.

“I told you we don’t have a doctor here. Where else am I gonna find one?”

Sighing, he tugs you gently toward him. You bend at the waist, leaning over the counter, wincing when his thumb brushes against the sorest part of the wound - the skin directly on the edges of it. It’s hot to the touch, eliciting an annoyed glance in your direction. The wound is bad but you did your best with what was on hand which was nothing but a huge needle and durable thread meant for mending sails.

“It’s going to get infected if it isn’t already.”

This should scare you more than it does but you shrug flippantly, preparing to pull your arm back before being stopped with a firm but strangely gentle thumb on the outside of it. The doctor, as you know him now, leans in closer and really glances at the damage done, shaking his head so quickly you’d miss it if you blinked.

The hairs on the back of your neck prickle under his gaze. This is far more attention than you’re used to even for being a somewhat attractive, single woman on an island mostly populated by men. Most of them are old and settled into their lives with wives or kids or partners or their own unconventionally formed families. Everyone just kind of sees you as friendly but odd, a reputation you’ve grown to appreciate.

So this, this attention, this heavy, searing pair of eyes belonging to not only a handsome stranger but a doctor no matter how bad his attitude may be, makes your face heat. You are ready to send him and his fish on their way, a stranger departing on the wind that brought him in.

“I’ll pop and re-do the stitches myself when I get home,” you assure him, even if it’s likely untrue. By the time you wrap up at the stall you will be too tired to do anything but drag yourself home, throw your dress over your head, and crash into bed to be up early enough to do it all in the morning.

Raising his eyebrows, he glowers down at you. “Make sure you clean it first.”

Nodding to indicate that you understand, you wait for his thumb to drop from your arm and pull it back as soon as he does. The wound aches even strongly now that it’s all you can focus on, painful enough that sweat prickles at your palms. All you want right now is for him to just go as quickly as he appeared so you can move on with your day.

“You got it, doc.”

Getting back to work, you quickly fold and wrap the fish up. Twine is tied into a bow to secure the parcel and it’s passed across the counter, your wide eyes gazing up at him. The way he meets them makes you shiver despite the warm, humid air of your home. Digging in his pocket he produces a few coins and places them down on the counter wordlessly, taking his bundle and turning his back to walk away.

“Hey,” you call, and he looks over his shoulder. “What’s your name?”

That never changing expression remains but his voice, deep as it is, sounds quite nearly amused.

“Law.”

Law, Law, Law. You commit it to memory, notoriously bad with names as you are. Then you start to attempt to recall if you’ve ever heard it before, maybe having heard it muttered amongst the fisherman who help you at night during flounder season.

Nothing rings a bell. By the time you are no longer lost in your own reverie, Law has long gone and you look down at the counter where shiny gold coins sit.

He left you 500 Belly, more than he had to.

[millarlawfirm]

Join us in congratulating Attorney Antonio Stanfield, Jr. on one year with The Millar Law Firm! Antonio has seven years of experience handling personal injury cases in Georgia, and enjoys the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of our clients. Thanks for all you do, Antonio! Meet Antonio

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 | Part 7

You just have to trust him one last time.

Tags/Warnings: Game Designer!Jungkook, Brat Tamer!Jungkook, kinda himbo!Jungkook, Non Idol AU, established relationship, Angst, minor injury, emotional kook, some lore [Tags will be different for every part!]

Length: 1k Words

There is no taglist for this fic.

Collab with @euphoricfilter ! 💜

-> Masterlist

♥━━━━━━━━━━•.♡.•━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

Back home, he’s pacing.

He’s broken a plate in the sink while doing the dishes, cut his hand a little because of it, and he doesn’t know where you’ve put the first aid kit. And he also doesn’t want to text you and ask you because if he’s annoying you then he’s only gonna make it worse for himself to get on your good side again, and you’ll also scold him for being clumsy again.

So he just puts a random bandaid on his hand, and moves to vacuum the floors.

His plan is to have all the chores done by the time you get home, so that your mood will be good and he can work on falling into your favor again. He hopes that you’ll just stay over at your friend's for one night, that you’ll text him soon to ask him to pick you up- so that he can show you that the time of torture is over now, all of his work sent out and work email and phone now on vacation mode. He’s all yours again-

And he’s just waiting for you to be his again as well.

You’ve not really talked to him besides a morning game of battleships while he was eating bland cereal (because the milk tasted weird and he didn’t know if it was bad or not- and you weren’t there to ask), and that’s fine. Well it’s not really fine, but he accepts it as maybe your way to get back at him. And it’s a relatively small price to pay, considering the shit he’s pulled you through- just as long as you return to him.

He’s tripping over the cable of the old vacuum and almost falls face first onto the floor, just to catch himself on the edge of a table, causing the cable to tighten and pull the plug out of the socket. And in an odd way, the sudden silence makes him feel like he’s drowning. Usually, especially on a day like this, you’d both be running around the house to see who can get their shoes on first just to not be the one who’s gonna pay for the food you’re about to get. Or you’d both be still tangled in the sheets in bed, still drowsy from sleep and the exhaustion from your usual indulgence in love prior to falling asleep. Or you’d have some music on while folding laundry, jumping around in nothing but panties and another stolen shirt of his.

But you’re not here. What if that’s how it’s going to be from now on? Forever?

He’s biting his lip to prevent himself from becoming emotional again as he sits down in his office, opening the drawer underneath. Your present is still in there, safely tucked away in a fancy little box, and he just hopes that you can understand why he went through this with you the way he did. Growing up, he’s always been fed with this obsession of success, that if he’s not the one doing the sole work himself, then he’s not allowed to call his success his own. With a father in a law firm, a brother running a multi-million worth business, and a mother that owns several restaurants, he’s basically always been the black sheep.

Tattooed, pierced, designing his stupid games all day, and with no very impressive wealth to show for himself, he doesn’t have the best relationship with his family, if any at all. So he just became a husk, and accepted any form of love he could get- fucking around until he met you-

Someone who didn’t care. Someone who liked him just the way he was, with all his flaws and odd habits and frustrating traits. You challenge him, you’re not treating him like a stupid failure, you make sure he knows his worth despite the big gap between him and his brother for example. And maybe that’s what made him so attached to you over the course of time- he just can’t imagine a life without you anymore, because especially now, he notices how much he needs you.

And it’s not about the chores, or about the fact that you constantly save him from food poisoning- it’s your presence.

“Urgh!” He yells out, hands on his face as he presses the heels of his palms against his eyes.

“What’re you yelling for?” Your voice rings out, and he immediately slams the drawer shut, movement of his body stiffening up so quit that he crashes his knee into the underside of the desk, shaking everything on it, as he hisses but gets up anyways, limping towards you to pull you close. “Kook-“ you mumble muffled against his shoulder, but he just sways you around from left to right, head buried in the crook of your neck.

“Welcome home-“ he rambles, moving to kiss your cheeks before he freezes, wide eyed. “-fuck I should’ve asked if I could kiss you right? Shit babe I’m sorry-“ he rants, and you roll your eyes, running your hand through his slightly greasy hair.

“Its fine. Why’s the vacuum thrown around like a murder victim though?” You ask, detaching yourself from him as you move to pick it up and roll up the cord of it.

“I..wanted to do the chores before you came home. Which by the way-“ he says, following you around like a lost puppy. “-why didn’t you ask me to pick you up? It’s cold outside..” he whines, and you shrug.

“Gave me some time to think.” You say, and at that, he tenses up. “Jungkook.. I..” you sigh, before you turn around to face him. “I still don’t know why you’ve been like this and it really hurt me-“

“I can tell you now!” He rushes out. “Like, not all of it but most of it- enough of it, I promise!” He presses.

“I don’t want you to make up shit. If you don’t like me like that anymore-“ you begin, but he shakes his head, frantically pulls you closer to hug you.

“Don’t ever think like that. I love you, I really do..” he mumbles against the top of your head. “And I’ll prove it to you, promise.” He urges.

“How?” You meekly ask, unable to resist snaking your arms around his torso as well.

“Just trust me one last time.” He whispers, and it sends a chill down your spine just how serious he sounds.

“I promise it’ll be worth it.”

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The moral injury of having your work enshittified

This Monday (November 27), I'm appearing at the Toronto Metro Reference Library with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

On November 29, I'm at NYC's Strand Books with my novel The Lost Cause, a solarpunk tale of hope and danger that Rebecca Solnit called "completely delightful."

This week, I wrote about how the Great Enshittening – in which all the digital services we rely on become unusable, extractive piles of shit – did not result from the decay of the morals of tech company leadership, but rather, from the collapse of the forces that discipline corporate wrongdoing:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

The failure to enforce competition law allowed a few companies to buy out their rivals, or sell goods below cost until their rivals collapsed, or bribe key parts of their supply chain not to allow rivals to participate:

https://www.engadget.com/google-reportedly-pays-apple-36-percent-of-ad-search-revenues-from-safari-191730783.html

The resulting concentration of the tech sector meant that the surviving firms were stupendously wealthy, and cozy enough that they could agree on a common legislative agenda. That regulatory capture has allowed tech companies to violate labor, privacy and consumer protection laws by arguing that the law doesn't apply when you use an app to violate it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But the regulatory capture isn't just about preventing regulation: it's also about creating regulation – laws that make it illegal to reverse-engineer, scrape, and otherwise mod, hack or reconfigure existing services to claw back value that has been taken away from users and business customers. This gives rise to Jay Freeman's perfectly named doctrine of "felony contempt of business-model," in which it is illegal to use your own property in ways that anger the shareholders of the company that sold it to you:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Undisciplined by the threat of competition, regulation, or unilateral modification by users, companies are free to enshittify their products. But what does that actually look like? I say that enshittification is always precipitated by a lost argument.

It starts when someone around a board-room table proposes doing something that's bad for users but good for the company. If the company faces the discipline of competition, regulation or self-help measures, then the workers who are disgusted by this course of action can say, "I think doing this would be gross, and what's more, it's going to make the company poorer," and so they win the argument.

But when you take away that discipline, the argument gets reduced to, "Don't do this because it would make me ashamed to work here, even though it will make the company richer." Money talks, bullshit walks. Let the enshittification begin!

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/22/who-wins-the-argument/#corporations-are-people-my-friend

But why do workers care at all? That's where phrases like "don't be evil" come into the picture. Until very recently, tech workers participated in one of history's tightest labor markets, in which multiple companies with gigantic war-chests bid on their labor. Even low-level employees routinely fielded calls from recruiters who dangled offers of higher salaries and larger stock grants if they would jump ship for a company's rival.

Employers built "campuses" filled with lavish perks: massages, sports facilities, daycare, gourmet cafeterias. They offered workers generous benefit packages, including exotic health benefits like having your eggs frozen so you could delay fertility while offsetting the risks normally associated with conceiving at a later age.

But all of this was a transparent ruse: the business-case for free meals, gyms, dry-cleaning, catering and massages was to keep workers at their laptops for 10, 12, or even 16 hours per day. That egg-freezing perk wasn't about helping workers plan their families: it was about thumbing the scales in favor of working through your entire twenties and thirties without taking any parental leave.

In other words, tech employers valued their employees as a means to an end: they wanted to get the best geeks on the payroll and then work them like government mules. The perks and pay weren't the result of comradeship between management and labor: they were the result of the discipline of competition for labor.

This wasn't really a secret, of course. Big Tech workers are split into two camps: blue badges (salaried employees) and green badges (contractors). Whenever there is a slack labor market for a specific job or skill, it is converted from a blue badge job to a green badge job. Green badges don't get the food or the massages or the kombucha. They don't get stock or daycare. They don't get to freeze their eggs. They also work long hours, but they are incentivized by the fear of poverty.

Tech giants went to great lengths to shield blue badges from green badges – at some Google campuses, these workforces actually used different entrances and worked in different facilities or on different floors. Sometimes, green badge working hours would be staggered so that the armies of ragged clickworkers would not be lined up to badge in when their social betters swanned off the luxury bus and into their airy adult kindergartens.

But Big Tech worked hard to convince those blue badges that they were truly valued. Companies hosted regular town halls where employees could ask impertinent questions of their CEOs. They maintained freewheeling internal social media sites where techies could rail against corporate foolishness and make Dilbert references.

And they came up with mottoes.

Apple told its employees it was a sound environmental steward that cared about privacy. Apple also deliberately turned old devices into e-waste by shredding them to ensure that they wouldn't be repaired and compete with new devices:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

And even as they were blocking Facebook's surveillance tools, they quietly built their own nonconsensual mass surveillance program and lied to customers about it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Facebook told employees they were on a "mission to connect every person in the world," but instead deliberately sowed discontent among its users and trapped them in silos that meant that anyone who left Facebook lost all their friends:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

And Google promised its employees that they would not "be evil" if they worked at Google. For many googlers, that mattered. They wanted to do something good with their lives, and they had a choice about who they would work for. What's more, they did make things that were good. At their high points, Google Maps, Google Mail, and of course, Google Search were incredible.

My own life was totally transformed by Maps: I have very poor spatial sense, need to actually stop and think to tell my right from my left, and I spent more of my life at least a little lost and often very lost. Google Maps is the cognitive prosthesis I needed to become someone who can go anywhere. I'm profoundly grateful to the people who built that service.

There's a name for phenomenon in which you care so much about your job that you endure poor conditions and abuse: it's called "vocational awe," as coined by Fobazi Ettarh:

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

Ettarh uses the term to apply to traditionally low-waged workers like librarians, teachers and nurses. In our book Chokepoint Capitalism, Rebecca Giblin and I talked about how it applies to artists and other creative workers, too:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

But vocational awe is also omnipresent in tech. The grandiose claims to be on a mission to make the world a better place are not just puffery – they're a vital means of motivating workers who can easily quit their jobs and find a new one to put in 16-hour days. The massages and kombucha and egg-freezing are not framed as perks, but as logistical supports, provided so that techies on an important mission can pursue a shared social goal without being distracted by their balky, inconvenient meatsuits.

Steve Jobs was a master of instilling vocational awe. He was full of aphorisms like "we're here to make a dent in the universe, otherwise why even be here?" Or his infamous line to John Sculley, whom he lured away from Pepsi: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?"

Vocational awe cuts both ways. If your workforce actually believes in all that high-minded stuff, if they actually sacrifice their health, family lives and self-care to further the mission, they will defend it. That brings me back to enshittification, and the argument: "If we do this bad thing to the product I work on, it will make me hate myself."

The decline in market discipline for large tech companies has been accompanied by a decline in labor discipline, as the market for technical work grew less and less competitive. Since the dotcom collapse, the ability of tech giants to starve new entrants of market oxygen has shrunk techies' dreams.

Tech workers once dreamed of working for a big, unwieldy firm for a few years before setting out on their own to topple it with a startup. Then, the dream shrank: work for that big, clumsy firm for a few years, then do a fake startup that makes a fake product that is acquihired by your old employer, as an incredibly inefficient and roundabout way to get a raise and a bonus.

Then the dream shrank again: work for a big, ugly firm for life, but get those perks, the massages and the kombucha and the stock options and the gourmet cafeteria and the egg-freezing. Then it shrank again: work for Google for a while, but then get laid off along with 12,000 co-workers, just months after the company does a stock buyback that would cover all those salaries for the next 27 years:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

Tech workers' power was fundamentally individual. In a tight labor market, tech workers could personally stand up to their bosses. They got "workplace democracy" by mouthing off at town hall meetings. They didn't have a union, and they thought they didn't need one. Of course, they did need one, because there were limits to individual power, even for the most in-demand workers, especially when it came to ghastly, long-running sexual abuse from high-ranking executives:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html

Today, atomized tech workers who are ordered to enshittify the products they take pride in are losing the argument. Workers who put in long hours, missed funerals and school plays and little league games and anniversaries and family vacations are being ordered to flush that sacrifice down the toilet to grind out a few basis points towards a KPI.

It's a form of moral injury, and it's palpable in the first-person accounts of former workers who've exited these large firms or the entire field. The viral "Reflecting on 18 years at Google," written by Ian Hixie, vibrates with it:

https://ln.hixie.ch/?start=1700627373

Hixie describes the sense of mission he brought to his job, the workplace democracy he experienced as employees' views were both solicited and heeded. He describes the positive contributions he was able to make to a commons of technical standards that rippled out beyond Google – and then, he says, "Google's culture eroded":

Decisions went from being made for the benefit of users, to the benefit of Google, to the benefit of whoever was making the decision.

In other words, techies started losing the argument. Layoffs weakened worker power – not just to defend their own interest, but to defend the users interests. Worker power is always about more than workers – think of how the 2019 LA teachers' strike won greenspace for every school, a ban on immigration sweeps of students' parents at the school gates and other community benefits:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Hixie attributes the changes to a change in leadership, but I respectfully disagree. Hixie points to the original shareholder letter from the Google founders, in which they informed investors contemplating their IPO that they were retaining a controlling interest in the company's governance so that they could ignore their shareholders' priorities in favor of a vision of Google as a positive force in the world:

https://abc.xyz/investor/founders-letters/ipo-letter/

Hixie says that the leadership that succeeded the founders lost sight of this vision – but the whole point of that letter is that the founders never fully ceded control to subsequent executive teams. Yes, those executive teams were accountable to the shareholders, but the largest block of voting shares were retained by the founders.

I don't think the enshittification of Google was due to a change in leadership – I think it was due to a change in discipline, the discipline imposed by competition, regulation and the threat of self-help measures. Take ads: when Google had to contend with one-click adblocker installation, it had to constantly balance the risk of making users so fed up that they googled "how do I block ads?" and then never saw another ad ever again.

But once Google seized the majority of the mobile market, it was able to funnel users into apps, and reverse-engineering an app is a felony (felony contempt of business-model) under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a crime to install an ad-blocker.

And as Google acquired control over the browser market, it was likewise able to reduce the self-help measures available to browser users who found ads sufficiently obnoxious to trigger googling "how do I block ads?" The apotheosis of this is the yearslong campaign to block adblockers in Chrome, which the company has sworn it will finally do this coming June:

https://www.tumblr.com/tevruden/734352367416410112/you-have-until-june-to-dump-chrome

My contention here is not that Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in personnel via the promotion of managers who have shitty ideas. Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in discipline, as the negative consequences of heeding those shitty ideas were abolished thanks to monopoly.

This is bad news for people like me, who rely on services like Google Maps as cognitive prostheses. Elizabeth Laraki, one of the original Google Maps designers, has published a scorching critique of the latest GMaps design:

https://twitter.com/elizlaraki/status/1727351922254852182

Laraki calls out numerous enshittificatory design-choices that have left Maps screens covered in "crud" – multiple revenue-maximizing elements that come at the expense of usability, shifting value from users to Google.

What Laraki doesn't say is that these UI elements are auctioned off to merchants, which means that the business that gives Google the most money gets the greatest prominence in Maps, even if it's not the best merchant. That's a recurring motif in enshittified tech platforms, most notoriously Amazon, which makes $31b/year auctioning off top search placement to companies whose products aren't relevant enough to your query to command that position on their own:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

Enshittification begets enshittification. To succeed on Amazon, you must divert funds from product quality to auction placement, which means that the top results are the worst products:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

The exception is searches for Apple products: Apple and Amazon have a cozy arrangement that means that searches for Apple products are a timewarp back to the pre-enshittification Amazon, when the company worried enough about losing your business to heed the employees who objected to sacrificing search quality as part of a merchant extortion racket:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-apple-special-treatment-while-others-suffer-junk-ads-2023-11

Not every tech worker is a tech bro, in other words. Many workers care deeply about making your life better. But the microeconomics of the boardroom in a monopolized tech sector rewards the worst people and continuously promotes them. Forget the Peter Principle: tech is ruled by the Sam Principle.

As OpenAI went through four CEOs in a single week, lots of commentators remarked on Sam Altman's rise and fall and rise, but I only found one commentator who really had Altman's number. Writing in Today in Tabs, Rusty Foster nailed Altman to the wall:

https://www.todayintabs.com/p/defective-accelerationism

Altman's history goes like this: first, he founded a useless startup that raised $30m, only to be acquired and shuttered. Then Altman got a job running Y Combinator, where he somehow failed at taking huge tranches of equity from "every Stanford dropout with an idea for software to replace something Mommy used to do." After that, he founded OpenAI, a company that he claims to believe presents an existential risk to the entire human risk – which he structured so incompetently that he was then forced out of it.

His reward for this string of farcical, mounting failures? He was put back in charge of the company he mis-structured despite his claimed belief that it will destroy the human race if not properly managed.

Altman's been around for a long time. He founded his startup in 2005. There've always been Sams – of both the Bankman-Fried varietal and the Altman genus – in tech. But they didn't get to run amok. They were disciplined by their competitors, regulators, users and workers. The collapse of competition led to an across-the-board collapse in all of those forms of discipline, revealing the executives for the mediocre sociopaths they always were, and exposing tech workers' vocational awe for the shabby trick it was from the start.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/25/moral-injury/#enshittification