Chapter Four

Late at night, someone called me from an unknown number. It was my sister’s boyfriend. Even though they’d been together for years, it was the first time we’d ever spoken.

Gaby and I don’t really get along anymore.

As kids, we were as close as you’d expect twin sisters to be. But then in high school, we started to drift apart. I spent my time having fun, hanging out with friends, and, admittedly, partying. Gaby, however, was always the smart one, the overachiever. It was clear who the favorite daughter was.

She took everything so seriously: her life, school, computers. She was always either on her PC or poring over some massive programming book. She had to be the best at everything she did.

I'll admit, I haven't always been the best sister. So, when I got a call from Gaby's boyfriend in the middle of the night, my heart sank.

"What happened? Is she in the hospital?" I asked, my voice filled with anxiety.

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then what?”

"Your sister's in trouble," he said cryptically. "But you can't contact her directly. Please, trust me—her life depends on it."

My mind raced with possibilities. It couldn't be drugs. Gaby would never touch drugs—not super-serious, stuck-up Gaby. The nerdy girl with the ugly, bulky sweaters. She freaked out once when she found a joint in my car.

So then what?

Mark offered to pay for the first flight out, so I packed my bags and headed straight to the airport. The flight was six hours long. When I arrived, Mark was waiting for me. He had big, dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was disheveled. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

“There’s a coffee shop near our place,” he suggested. “I’ll explain everything there.”

“How about a bar instead?”

Over the next several drinks, he told me everything. About the job in Texas, the harassment, the promotion, the move to Silicon Valley. Vision and her co-workers. Women in Tech. The social mixers. Flynn Parson. Her sensitive breasts. Her out-of-control sex drive. Wet t-shirt contests, her new outfits. Her new attitude, the weekend getaway. Cheating on him with a big tech millionaire (which he kept saying he wasn’t taking personally…whatever that means).

It was a lot to take in.

By the end, I had no idea what to think. According to him, a women’s advocacy group was involved in a massive conspiracy with several large tech companies in order to brainwash attractive programmers into becoming horny, obedient sex slaves.

He sounded crazy. The whole thing seemed like one of those ridiculous online conspiracies you hear about. It was hard to believe.

Maybe he’d had some kind of mental breakdown? Caught my sister cheating on him and just…lost it. That seemed more believable than the alternative. There was only one way to find out—I had to see things for myself.

“So what’s the plan?” I asked.

“To stop them.”

“How?”

Even if he was telling the truth, what chance did the two of us against a bunch of tech billionaires?

He stared down at the table.

“That’s the part I don’t know. I’ve been sort of preoccupied since I, uh—caught her… I mean, I know I shouldn’t—"

“—take it personally,” I finished for him.

That was probably the eighth time he’d said that. Why wouldn’t he take it personally? Had he been brainwashed too? Or had he just lost his mind?

More than anything, I wanted to show up at their apartment and see my annoying sister in one of her ugly, frumpy sweaters, with her usual stuck-up attitude. I wouldn’t even care if she got mad at me for dropping by unannounced. At least then I’d know she was okay. Then we could figure out what to do about Mark.

“So, where am I going to stay?” I asked.

“Oh.”

“A hotel?”

“They’re expensive,” he replied, staring down at his drink. “I could cover it for a day or two, but…”

Money issues? Another red flag. Was that why my sister cheated on him? But Gaby’s not like that. She’s the furthest thing from a gold digger.

None of this made any sense.

“Well,” I sighed. “I guess I’ll have to stay with you.”

***

We arrived at their apartment. It was small but nice, likely the best they could afford with only my sister working. Mark had mentioned that he still hadn’t found a job since the move, aside from a bit of dog-walking.

We switched to tea and continued our conversation. It was already eight o’clock.

"Does she usually stay out this late?"

"She has a lot of... meetings," Mark replied, sounding like he barely believed it himself.

Soon after, the front door opened.

“You won’t believe the day I had,” Gaby said as she walked in.

I was stunned. My sister was wearing a super low-cut top, a tight skirt, and thigh-high boots. I had never seen her wear anything revealing, so it was a total shock to see her cleavage practically spilling out of her top. She looked like a stripper.

“Steph!” she exclaimed, dropping her bag. She ran over and gave me a big hug. She smelled like perfume and sex. Something was wrong.

She asked what I was doing here. I made up a story about meeting a guy at a hotel for an investment opportunity. She glanced at Mark and rolled her eyes. 

We spent the next hour catching up. It had been so long. I hadn't realized just how much I missed her. Despite our differences, she was still my sister. I desperately wanted to ask her what was going on, but I stopped myself.

Gaby yawned. “Well, it’s getting late. We should hit the hay.”

“Let’s do something tomorrow,” I suggested. “You can take the day off work, and you can show me around. What do you think?”

“I can’t,” said Gaby.

“Why not?”

Mark and Gaby shared a look of amusement, as if to say, ‘Can you believe what she just said?’

“Women in Tech should be team players,” she stated.

Mark nodded. “Women in Tech need discipline.”

“Women in Tech need discipline,” Gaby agreed.

What the fuck…

Why were they talking like that? It was…so strange. I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Women in Tech…need discipline,” I found myself repeating, trying to decipher its meaning. “Women in Tech should be team players...”

I mean, sure, it seemed like reasonable advice. Discipline and teamwork were important parts of any job. But it wasn’t just about what they said—it was the strange way they said it.

I felt uneasy. What if Mark was right? What if she really had been brainwashed by a tech company? It seemed ridiculous but something was off with her.

“I’ll make up the guest room,” Gaby said.

As soon as she left, I pulled Mark away from the door. “Oh my God. What the fuck happened to my sister?”

She’d become some kind of over-sexualized caricature of herself.

Mark looked confused.

“Well, I have good news for you. You’re not crazy. Or if you are, it’s contagious, and it’s spread to my sister as well."

“But what did she do?” Mark asked.

“What did she… everything! The way she’s dressed, the way she smells, the way she talks about work…”

“She’s always loved her job,” Mark protested.

“Yeah, I know, she’s my sister. She’s always enjoyed the challenges of work, but it’s always been a job. Right now, she sounds like she’s… like she’s… drunk the Kool-Aid. She needs help. She needs us.”

Gaby poked her head out of the guest room. Well, calling it a guest room was generous. It was a small office with a blow-up mattress.

“Almost done. I’m so glad one of us was home when you came by,” she said.

“Uh huh,” I replied, trying to force a grin, “but I’m glad you’re working so hard...”

Trying to ease the awkwardness, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind: "Women in Tech need... need to be team players."

They both smiled and nodded.

“Maybe just call ahead next time,” Gaby added in passive-aggressive tone. She glanced over at Mark. "Anyway, I'm going to crash. Can you make sure my sister has everything she needs?" 

"Of course, sugar tits," he said, giving her a playful slap on the butt.

Whoa...Sugar tits? My sister would have never let that slide. The old Gaby would've slapped him and set him straight. I couldn't decide what was stranger: him getting away with calling her ‘sugar tits’ or her seemingly enjoying it. Maybe Mark was onto something…

After my sister went to bed, he took a seat next to me on the couch.

“So… I have questions. Lots of them,” I said.

“We have all night. Ask whatever you want to know.”

***

We spent hours going over everything, asking every question I could think of about Vision, Flynn Parson, and Women in Tech. We’d covered the broad strokes at the bar, but now I wanted every little detail. When I asked Mark how he felt about seeing my sister cheat on him, once again he told me that he “wasn’t taking it personally.”

I didn’t understand why he kept saying that.

I wanted to know how the hell he got away with calling my sister ‘sugar tits’. He told me Women in Tech love pet names.

Women in Tech love pet names.

I asked about her new clothes—when she started dressing like that and why. Gaby had always dressed conservatively, so to see her like that was shocking. He told me that Women in Tech need to look their best.

Women in Tech need to look their best.

So Gaby finally realized how important her appearance was. I know she always wanted to be taken seriously at work, be praised for her intelligence not her body, but that’s just the way it is.

I kept repeating his answers out loud, trying to understand. Everything he said made sense in a weird way, but something still felt strange.

Mark showed me something he noticed about Vision and Women in Tech. Not only were both companies created on the exact same day, but they were also made just a few minutes apart. I stared at Flynn Parson’s picture. It gave me an uneasy feeling.

He was the link. Whatever was happening, he was behind it all. I just knew it.

“I don’t think he’s involved,” Mark suggested. “I did at first, but I met him. I think he’s on the level.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of that. It seemed pretty obvious that this Flynn Parson guy was connected. So then why was Mark defending him.

“So where should I look first?” I asked. “Women in Tech?”

“It has to be.”

I asked about the meeting he went to. He told me about how Gaby had reverted to wearing her old bulky clothes. We talked about the new girl, Angela, and the other women he talked to.

“Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues?” There was something… strange about that, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Why did they keep saying that phrase?

“Nothing about that… strikes you as odd?”

Mark looked confused. “Of course not. Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues.”

“Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues,” I replied.

“Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues,” Mark agreed. Another wave of dizziness clouded my thoughts.

“Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues,” I repeated, this time with more confidence.

The words swirled in my mind, over and over. He was right. Gaby’s always been a serious person, never one to waste her energy on trivial matters.

Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues.

That’s just common sense.

But something still felt off about that phrase: Women in Tech.

I’d heard it over a dozen times by now. It seemed likely that it had something to do with whatever was going on. But how?

I needed to write all this down. I asked Mark to grab me a pen and paper. In my neat handwriting I wrote: “Women in Tech should save their energy for serious issues.”

“Tell me everything you know about Women in Tech.”

“…well, they’re an organization who—”

“—No, not the company. About… people like Gaby. About women who are in tech.”

“Oh. Sure.” He thought about it for a moment. “I mean, Women in Tech should use every asset they have available.”

I continued writing, slowly repeating each phrase as I went along.

“Women in Tech… should use… every asset…they have available. What else?”

“Women in Tech should be team players.”

“Right. Women in Tech…should be…team players. Next?”

We repeated the process, going through every piece of advice my sister had told him.

By the time we finished, the room was spinning. I needed to lie down. The jetlag, alcohol, and lack of sleep were all catching up to me, leaving my head buzzing. I looked down at the pages I had written one last time, hoping to have some kind of revelation.

Let’s see…Women in Tech.

Use every asset they have available, are team players, save their energy for serious issues, need to look their best, should give more than they receive, should be respectful, are competitive, and need discipline.

So far, it all made sense. These were qualities Gaby had possessed her whole life. Nothing unusual about that. But further down the list, things started to get weirder.

Women in Tech…

…appreciate pet names, are here to please, are here to serve, need to satisfy clients, love to show off their bodies.

After reading the list a few more times, I started second-guessing myself. Maybe they weren’t as strange as I’d first thought. The more I went over them, the more they seemed to make sense. These were all qualities needed to succeed in the tech industry.

But at the bottom of the page were the final two items. These had to be connected to my sister’s changes. They sent a shiver down my spine.

Women in Tech love to obey.

Women in Tech must submit.

I had a bad feeling about this.

I rubbed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion hit me. I needed sleep. This was too much to process right now. It was better to rest and start fresh tomorrow. But before that, I had an idea.

“Hey, question for you.”

“Hit me,” Mark replied.

“Women in Tech need to be competitive, right?”

“Women in Tech need to be competitive,” he said in the same odd tone as before.

“And Women in Tech need to be respectful.”

“Right, Women in Tech need to be respectful.”

“Women in Tech need to be respectful,” I repeated. “Okay, one more. Women in Tech need to be meticulous.”

He wrinkled his nose at the question: “What?"

“It’s something I’ve heard.”

“Uh, sure,” he shrugged.

“Do you think that’s true?”

“Uh huh,” he politely replied.

It was obvious that he didn’t believe it. Strange, I really thought that would work. I thought I’d figured it out.

“Last one,” I said, staring directly into his eyes. “Women in Tech need to wear big hats.”

Mark laughed. “I haven’t heard that one.”

“But is it true?”

He shook his head. “I mean. No? It doesn’t really make sense.”

“Just wanted to check.”

Well, there goes that idea. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe that phrase had nothing to do with this.

“I need to get some rest. We’ll pick this up tomorrow.”

“Great. Hey, uh, Steph?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks…” Mark said softly.

“No problem. We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

I went into the guest room and collapsed into bed. I was exhausted.

Women in Tech… Women in Tech…

There was something about that phrase…

***

The next day, I got on my laptop and started looking up Flynn Parson and Women in Tech. It was strange how little information there was available. You’d think someone so high-profile would be more public.

What was he hiding? I kept staring at his picture. Such an intense gaze…

I jotted down some questions. Writing my thoughts always helped me think.

who? Flynn Parson—possibly more?

what? brainwashing my sister and dozens of other women? (maybe Mark too)

where? Women in Tech meetings? Vision?

when? at least the past few months

why? ???

I heard the front door open. It was my sister. I hadn’t expected her to be home so early. Mark had mentioned she’d been staying late at work every night with “important meetings.” I hid my notepad.

“Helloooooo?” Gaby called out. “Anyone home?”

“I’m in here.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“Fine… you know. As good as you can on a blow-up mattress.”

“I’m sorry. I wish we had an actual guest room. But with Mark not really working…”

“Are you mad that I came to visit?” I asked bluntly.

“…No, I’m not upset. A little bit annoyed, sure. But it’s good to see you. It’s been a while… I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

There was a moment of awkward silence. My sister grabbed some glasses from the shelf.

“Wine?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes, please!”

We spent the next couple of bottles catching up. It felt good to reconnect with my sister. I took the opportunity to gently probe for more information, asking about her work and the Women in Tech mixers.

“They’re amazing,” she said excitedly. “I don’t know where I’d be without them. They really helped me fit in. Actually, we’re having a Christmas party soon. You should come. I told my coworkers you were in town, and they insisted I bring you along.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please? It’ll be fun,” Gaby pleaded.

I considered the idea. It could be the perfect chance to investigate the company. Then suddenly, a brilliant idea came to me.

“Sure, I’ll go."

“You will? That’s great! I can’t wait to tell everybody! They’re so excited to meet you. They couldn’t believe I have a twin sister.”

“We could even wear matching outfits,” I casually suggested.

Gaby always hated when our parents dressed us alike as kids. It often felt like she resented being a twin. She was far too independent to have a sister who looked exactly like her.

“Oh my god! That’s a great idea!” she exclaimed. “We have to go shopping for dresses! It’s going to be so much fun. I can’t wait.”

I found myself smiling too. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Just then, Mark entered the apartment.

“Hey, honey.”

Gaby briefly shuddered. “Hey babe. I told the guys at work my twin was in town and they insisted I bring her to the Christmas party!”

They traded jokes about California’s overly PC culture. It was strange, her personality still seemed the same. It wasn’t like she was a different person or anything. Sure, there were the skimpy, new outfits, and all the other weird stuff, but deep down, she was still the same old Gaby.

My sister’s gaze pulled me back to the conversation.

“It gets better,” Gaby said, her smile growing.

Mark raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

“I’m going to get her a dress to match mine!” she said, barely able to contain her excitement.

“That sounds fun…What made you—”

“—Women in Tech love to dress up,” Gaby interrupted.

I focused closely on the expression on her face. It was so… mesmerizing.

“Women in Tech love to dress up,” I heard myself repeating,

There wasn’t anything unusual about what she had said—it seemed pretty normal. Women in Tech love to dress up: most women did. My sister’s recent outfits were proof.

“Women in Tech love to dress up,” Mark agreed. “But… why is Steph going to match you?”

I was annoyed. Just because I wasn’t a Woman in Tech didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy dressing up. Unlike my sister, I never felt the need to hide my body. I always embraced it and had fun with fashion.

Gaby stood up and stumbled towards Mark, clearly drunk. We both were.

My sister wrapped her arms around his neck. “Women in Tech like to excite men,” she whispered. “Women in Tech like to make men hard. Women in Tech will do whatever they can to turn men on and get them off.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. What was she talking about? It didn’t make any sense.

She leaned in and kissed Mark, deeply and passionately. I quickly looked away, embarrassed. This was so unlike her—the old Gaby would have never acted this way. She always hated public displays of affection.

“Women in Tech like to make men hard,” she repeated.

I noticed the growing bulge in Mark's pants and knew I should leave.

“Women in Tech love to get men off,” she whispered seductively.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. A warmth filled my head. I knew I should get up and go but…

Wait—something was wrong. There was something strange about what she had just said. Women in Tech like to excite men? Clearly from the look of things that was true. 

Then what was it? Women in Tech like to make men hard? I could tell by the bulge in Mark’s pants and the look of lust on my sister’s face that was also true.

Women in Tech will do whatever they can to turn men on and get them off? Maybe that was it…. They’ll do whatever they can? That couldn’t be right… Could it? It seemed…extreme.

“Women in Tech love to get men off,” Mark echoed.

Hearing it from him made me realize it was true.

Women in Tech love to get men off.

Mark brushed his thumb against her crotch. Gaby shuddered and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Women in Tech love to suck cocks,” Gaby purred, her words slurring.

Not all Women in Tech love to suck cocks…do they?  Obviously my sister did—but all Women in Tech? Every single one of them? That didn’t seem right…

“Women in Tech love to swallow cum,” she continued.

Did Gaby love to swallow cum too? My breathing was getting heavy. My chest rising and falling with each deep breath. I really needed to get out of here but…

The warmth had spread through every inch of my body. My pussy tingled with arousal.

“Women in Tech love to suck cocks,” Mark repeated.

Gaby’s eyes lit up as she made her way down his body.

“Women in Tech love to swallow cum,” my sister said, dropping to her knees.

I gasped as I watched her pull his cock out. Was she really going to do this right in front of me? I knew how much my sister loved to suck cocks…but I was right there…watching.

“Women in Tech like to make men hard,” I mindlessly echoed. “Women in Tech love to get men off.”

My sister playfully brushed the tip with her tongue. She wrapped her lips around it and moaned.

Gaby loved to suck cock. She loved to make men hard. She loved to get men off. I’d always known that.

She started sliding up and down his shaft, taking him as deeply as she could.

Oh god, it was so… fucking hot. My own sister. Why was this so hot?

Having a twin is surreal—seeing someone with the same face and body your own. Watching her, it was easy to imagine myself in her place.

A loud moan escaped my lips.

What’s wrong with me? I’m not even attracted to Mark…So why had I just imagined myself going down on him?

I must’ve had too much to drink. A dozen different thoughts raced through my head. The room was spinning.

She started to deep throat his cock, stroking his shaft with one hand, while the other hand rubbed her clit.

Oh fuck… I’m so horny.

My heart pounded and my breathing grew faster. Why couldn’t I look away?

It wasn’t my fault. Gaby chose to do this in front of me. She must want people to watch her. She must love to be watched.

“Women in Tech love to be watched,” I said without thinking, unaware of my own words. They both turned to me, their eyes lighting up in agreement.

They both looked at me and their eyes lit up in agreement.

“Women in Tech love to be watched,” Mark repeated.

“Women in Tech love to swallow cum,” I continued.

Gaby’s head was bobbing up and down on Mark’s cock. He looked at me and nodded.

“Oh fuck,” I moaned.

I was so turned on. It took all of my willpower to resist the urge to pull down my shorts and start touching myself. Would she even mind if I did? We all know how much she loves being watched…

Mark stared at my breasts which were nearly spilling out of my tight top. I tried adjusting them in a brief attempt at modesty.

“Women in Tech love to swallow cum,” Mark said, staring into my eyes, while my sister continued sucking his cock.

I tightly gripped the couch as I squirmed back and forth. So fucking horny…

“Women in Tech love to swallow cum,” I whispered.

I bit my lip as another wave of arousal washed over me. My entire focus was on my sister: watching her bounce up and down. I’d never been one for voyeurism, but I couldn’t deny the whole thing was so fucking hot.

“Women in Tech love to get men off,” Mark grunted. It was clear from the look on his face that he was about to cum.

Women in Tech love to swallow cum.

“Women in Tech love to swallow cum,” Gaby moaned.

It was like she could read my mind. She quickly stroked Mark’s shaft—her mouth wide open in anticipation.

Mark groaned as he exploded into my sister’s eager mouth. She licked up every last drop of his cum. Her expression was filled with overwhelming ecstasy.

Mark collapsed onto the couch and Gaby climbed into his lap, giggling as she nuzzled up next to him.

“Wow…” I managed to say, completely dazed. I was so lightheaded. That was so wrong. So hot. So wrong and so hot. So fucking hot.

Slowly, my senses started coming back to me. Why did she do that? Why did I do that? I should’ve left.

Something strange was happening, and I needed to figure out what. But the more I investigated, the more everything seemed to make sense.

“Go clean up, baby,” Mark commanded.

My sister shivered at the nickname and left the room.

Mark looked over at me. “Are you okay?”

“Mm-hmm. That was… that was pretty hot,” I admitted. “I mean, I know I shouldn't have… we shouldn’t… but…”

“Women in Tech love to be watched,” he stated, staring at me with glazed eyes.

“Women in Tech love to be watched,” I agreed.

“But I meant, like… with the Christmas party.”

I jumped up, suddenly remembering the plan. “Oh, right. I mean, yeah. I figure it’s the best way to learn what’s happening. Go into the belly of the beast, y’know?”

“Of course. But… why’d you agree to dress the same?”

“We’re identical twins. When we dress the same, not even you will be able to tell us apart. And that means I can go anywhere she’s allowed to go.”

Mark smiled excitedly. “You’re a genius!”

That was nice to hear. I’d spent my whole life always being compared to Gaby. But I could be smart too, and I was going to prove it.

We were going to stop them and get my sister back. No matter what.

***

My sister agreed to take the week off work to spend time together, which surprised me. Women in Tech need to be team players. Women in Tech need discipline. But as she reminded me, Women in Tech also need to make time for fun.

After years of barely any contact, I was worried she wouldn’t want anything to do with me. But I was wrong—she was genuinely excited for us to spend time together. It brought me back to when we were young, back when we were best friends. I didn’t know what had caused this sudden change of heart, but whatever it was, I was glad.

We spent the first day at the mall, searching for cute clothes. Gaby stepped out of the dressing room in a skimpy outfit. Her breasts seemed like they were about to spill out, and her tight miniskirt was so short that with every spin, her bare bottom flashed into view.

I’d always been the more daring twin, but I never would’ve had the confidence to wear something that bold.

Gaby giggled. “What do you think?”

“You look…incredible!”

Maybe it was narcissistic for me to say that about my twin sister, but it was true. She looked great. Everything about her was flawless.

As we wandered around the mall, all eyes were on us. With breasts like ours, you get used to being stared at. But with Gaby beside me, the attention was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It was a constant stream of men approaching us, and each time, my sister would flirt right back.

Women in Tech like to excite men.

“Hey Gabs?“

“Yeah?”

“What’s with all the new outfits?”

She gave me a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

“You were always… well, not exactly a prude, but you’ve always been pretty conservative.”

There was a brief silence. I was worried she might’ve taken offense at my comment, but instead, she just smiled.  “Women in Tech need to look their best,” she said, as if it were completely obvious.

As if I was dumb for even asking. Honestly, I felt a bit stupid. It was obvious. Of course, they needed to look their best—it’s a tough industry for women.

“Women in Tech love to dress up,” she continued.

“Women in Tech love to dress up,” I repeated, staring into her big brown eyes.

She smiled and nodded. “Women in Tech love to show off their bodies.”

She was right. Hadn’t I always thought she was ridiculous for dressing so frumpy? So why was it strange that she’d suddenly realized the importance of looking her best? Why was I making such a big deal about it? There’s nothing wrong with the way she dressed. Women in Tech love to dress up. Women in Tech love to show off their body.

Mark came home later that night. “Anything new?” he asked, when we finally had a moment alone.

“Not yet,” I replied. “There’s still something off about her, but I can’t quite figure out what it is.”

“I saw the new outfits she bought.”

“Aren’t they great!”

“Don’t you think the way she’s dressing is a bit unusual?”

“Not really. Women in Tech love to show off their bodies,” I reminded him.

“Women in Tech love to show off their bodies,” he agreed. “But what about the cheating? Her sex drive?”

He had a point. Gaby was definitely much more… sexual than she used to be. My sister never would have flirted with every guy she ran into at the mall. That wasn’t like her at all.

Women in Tech like to excite men.

“I have a theory,” I told him. “But it won’t make sense to you.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’ll sound crazy. And because… well, I think that…” I said, trailing off.

There was something strange about the phrase “Women in Tech.” The way they kept repeating it and their vacant expressions.

Women in Tech should be respectful.

Women in Tech are here to please.

Women in Tech need to be competitive.

Women in Tech should be respectful.

Women in Tech are here to serve.

So far, the advice had all been pretty reasonable. But what if they could manipulate it to give commands that weren’t? What if it could be used to change her?

The next day, we went to the nail salon. I closed my eyes as the technician worked on my nails, feeling completely relaxed. This was the life.

“What color should we get?” my sister asked.

For my plan to work, we needed to look completely identical. “You choose.”

“How about red?” she suggested.

After that, we went to the hair salon and got matching hairstyles as well.

When we got back home, I got onto my laptop. It’d been a while since I had fake nails. It made it hard to type. I searched for more information on Flynn Parson. There he was, with his big smug smile. There was definitely something off about him.

I was still convinced he was somehow involved in all of this. I had to be careful. The last thing I needed was for this craziness to spread to me. Then we’d never get my sister back.

We went the gym later that night. It seemed like every exercise my sister did was more about showing off her body than actually working out. All the guys were staring at her, and just like at the mall, she flirted back. She even disappeared for a quick “personal session” with one of the trainers.

We went to pick out our dresses for the party. I hadn’t even thought about how matching her meant I’d have to wear some super skimpy dress too.

Women in Tech love to show off their bodies.

I’d never been shy about showing off my body, I liked to be admired. But the dresses Gaby was picking out were extremely revealing—just a sliver of fabric held together by a few thin straps. We might as well have been wearing nothing at all.

I giggled at the thought of Gaby showing up to the party naked. Given how she’d been acting lately, it wouldn’t be entirely out of character for her.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked absolutely stunning.

“How much are these?” I asked.

“Two thousand,” the sales associate replied.

My jaw dropped. “Just for two dresses? That’s insane.”

“Two thousand each.”

“That’s almost three months’ rent...”

Gaby watched with amusement as I panicked over the price. “Women in Tech have expensive tastes,” she smirked.

My sister never used to be into fancy things, but it made sense. California is ridiculously expensive, so naturally, Women in Tech would develop expensive tastes.

“Are you sure you want to spend this much on a dress?” I asked.

“Women in Tech know the value of money,” she replied, sounding annoyed.

Of course they do. What was I thinking? Why would I question her? She knew the value of money. The value of looking good. Women in Tech need to look their best.

“You’re right, sis. I’m sorry.”

“Pardon me for interrupting. Why don’t I buy the dresses for you,” said an impeccably dressed businessman. “You two have the perfect figures for them,” he added, his gaze lingering on our bodies.

Gaby giggled, twirling her hair. “That’s so sweet. Are you sure?”

“I insist.”

“Such a gentlemen,” she said with a flirty smile.

“A beautiful woman like you deserves to be spoiled. How about we go try on another?”

Gaby smiled, took his hand, and led him over to the changing rooms.

Several minutes later, they both emerged, my sister now wearing a new dress.  “You look incredible,” he said, admiring her as she modeled the dress for him. Her chest looked glazed over.

Women in Tech love to suck cocks.

The handsome man glanced in my direction. “What about your sister? Would she like to try on another dress?”

“I’m fine…” I mumbled nervously.

Gaby shot me an angry glare. People often think twins can read each other’s minds, and in that moment, I could. Her eyes were clearly saying, don’t you dare embarrass me like this.

“You should thank him for being so polite,” she urged in an annoyed tone.

Did he think we were a couple of escorts? Well, if Mark was to be believed, technically one of us was.

“I’m okay, really. I can pay for the dress myself,” I said. I wasn’t going to trade my dignity for a dress, no matter how expensive.

“I’m so sorry,” Gaby apologized. “Let me make it up to you.”

“That’s quite alright,” the man said with a grin. “With an attitude like that, it might be the last one anyone ever buys her.”

The two of them laughed together while I blushed with embarrassment.

After buying our dresses, he handed Gaby his business card and left.

“Why would you do that? You make really good money.”

“It’s not about the money,” she stated.

“Then why?”

“Women in Tech are attracted to wealthy men,” she replied matter-of-factly.

I considered what she said. It made sense—the businessman was rich and handsome. I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me for passing up the opportunity to suck his cock.

“Women in Tech are attracted to wealthy men,” I repeated.

My sister nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, it all made sense. That’s why she cheated on Mark. How could he compete? There was something so irresistibly sexy about a man with money.

Women in Tech are attracted to wealthy men.

That night, I saw the look of total despair in Mark’s eyes when I told him what I had learned, though I decided not to mention her encounter with the wealthy businessman.

“Don’t worry. We’re going to fix this,” I said, trying my best to comfort. “We’re going to get my sister back.”

Mark shook his head. “It isn’t Gaby’s fault… Women in Tech are attracted to wealthy men. That’s just a fact. It’s just… something I never wanted to notice.”

Poor Mark. I felt bad for him. But my sister deserved someone who could take care of her. She deserved a wealthy man. Women in Tech are attracted to wealthy men.

“I’ll see if she lets anything slip tomorrow,” I said encouragingly.

***

In the morning, we headed to a luxury spa.

Women in Tech deserve to pamper themselves.

Life for Women in Tech was incredible. I could see now why Gaby always wanted to be a programmer. Maybe I should’ve considered a career in tech too.

Gaby scrolled through her phone while we relaxed in the hot tub. “Smile,” she said, taking a selfie. “Oh my god, we look so cute. Can I post this on Reddit?”

“What’s that?

“It’s like a message board. I even have my own subreddit!”

“Is it like Instagram?”

The pictures she’d been posting lately were all so sexy and provocative. I figured whatever Reddit was, would probably be similar. I didn’t expect it to be even worse.

Gaby handed me her phone. “Check it out.”

As I scrolled through the pictures, I recognized one of them. It was the topless photo her ex had leaked. She was completely devasted when that happened.

…Now she’s proudly showing it off for everyone on the internet to see? That didn’t make any sense.

Over the past few days I’d started to become complacent, but seeing this picture reminded me that something was wrong after all.

She always seemed to have a reasonable explanation for her new changes. I was starting to think that Mark had been overreacting, that everything was fine. Sure, my sister had changed a little, but what was wrong with that? People change. But there was no logical explanation for how she could be okay with showing off that picture.

It seemed like every time I noticed something strange about her, she always had a good explanation. It was weird how she could explain away everything so flawlessly. Things that seemed outrageous only a week ago now felt perfectly normal.

Like her new outfits. When I first saw them, I was shocked—she looked like a stripper. The old Gaby never would have worn something like that. But now it made sense. Women in Tech love to dress up. Women in Tech need to look their best. Women in Tech love to show off their bodies.

But there was no way she could explain this one away.

“Why would you let them do this?” I asked.

“What do you mean? I’m the one who posted them.”

“Huh? But why?”

“Women in Tech deserve attention,” she said, staring into my eyes. “Women in Tech need to self-promote online. Women in Tech need to maintain an active social media following.”

I blinked a couple times, feeling dizzy. The heat from the sauna must’ve been getting to me. I was being ridiculous. I wasn’t thinking straight.

Obviously Women in Tech deserve attention. My sister is an incredible person. I don’t know that much about the tech world, but it makes sense that you’d want to promote yourself and maintain a following on social media.

How else were you supposed to climb the corporate ladder? How else were you supposed to excite men?

“Women in Tech should make themselves available,” she added.

I nodded. Women in Tech should make themselves available. That’s exactly why Gaby’s career had taken off so much.

Women in Tech should make themselves available.

Of course she’d wanna share her nudes. Her tits looked great in it. There’s no use in hiding them. Everyone knows they’re there. Of course she would want those pictures online. Women in Tech deserve attention. My sister must be so proud of all the men who were getting hard from looking at them.

Women in Tech like to make men hard.

I felt relieved. I was overthinking things. Everything made perfect sense. I’d gotten myself worked up over nothing.

Later that night, I told Mark about the Reddit page.

He gripped my phone when I showed him the pictures, gritting his teeth. “What the hell is happening here?”

“She explained it to me…and look, it made sense,” I said.

“How?” he yelled.

“Lower your voice,” I demanded.

“How could it possibly make sense? You know your sister? In what possible universe could this possibly make a lick of sense?”

“You’re telling me that there’s no explanation I could give that would make this make sense to you?”

“Of course not!”

“That this is so out of character for my sister—”

“—Yes! And why would she tell you about this before me?”

“She wanted to post a photo of the two of us,” I explained.

Mark looked down at the phone and continued scrolling.

I rolled my eyes. “I told her no.”

Mark was red with anger. Then I realized I didn’t know anything about him. He was practically a stranger. I’d been much too trusting of him. Believing the things he told me over my own sister. I felt foolish for letting him wrap me into his crazy conspiracy theories. Somehow, he’d actually made them seem believable in the beginning.

Clearly there was no diabolical tech company brainwashing women. Just a delusional boyfriend who couldn’t accept that my sister had outgrown him.

“So what’s this explanation,” he said. “What on earth did she say to you that made the whole thing make sense?”

I looked into his eyes and calmly repeated everything Gaby told me.

“Women in Tech deserve attention. Women in Tech need to self-promote online. Women in Tech need to maintain an active social media following. And Women in Tech… should make themselves available.”

We sat in silence, as his breathing gradually steadied.

“So… you’re okay with it?” I asked

“Of course,” he answered, looking down in embarrassment. “I totally overreacted. I’m sorry, I… I wasn’t being reasonable.”

“And now you are?”

Mark nodded. “Women in Tech deserve attention.”

“Women in Tech deserve attention,” I agreed.

I almost felt bad for him. It wasn’t his fault he’s not wealthy. It wasn’t his fault that he’s not good enough for my sister anymore.

He shouldn’t…. take it personally.

***

Early that morning, I laid in bed, wondering if it was time for me to head back home. The trip hadn’t been a total waste. At least I was able to reconnect with my sister.

I should’ve been relieved. I couldn’t believe I let Mark convince me that my sister was being brainwashed by a tech company.

I heard a knock at my door. “Are you up?” Mark asked. “I saw the light on.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Can I come in?”

“I guess.”

Mark opened the door. He looked like shit but had a big smile on his face.

“Great, he’s finally lost,” I thought. I prepared myself for another outburst. If he raised his voice at me again, I was going straight to my sister and telling her everything.

“You look happy,” I said dryly.

“Check this out,” Mark replied. “You gotta see this.”

He handed me his phone. It was the Women in Tech Instagram page.

I scrolled through the posts. “Women in Tech are perfect trophy wives. Women in Tech never wear pants. Women in Tech need to belong to a man...”

“Holy shit…” I gasped. This was it…

This was how they were doing it. It was hiding in plain sight the entire time. I’d finally found the Women in Tech phrases that didn’t make any sense. My heart was pounding.

“This is it!” I said, waving his phone triumphantly. “This is the missing piece!”

“What is?”

“This Insta,” I said, scrolling down. “Women in Tech are perfect trophy wives. Women in Tech never wear pants. Women in Tech need to belong to a man.”

They were all incredibly sexist and absurd, with no possible explanation.

“Why?” he asked.

“This is how they’ve been doing it,” I gushed. “They just… they just posted it all online! It’s all here.”

“Maybe it’s because I only got a few hours’ sleep, but I’m not following. What’s all here?”

“This!” I said pulling up an image at random — Women in Tech appreciate pet names.

“Women in Tech do appreciate pet names,” Mark replied. “That’s just true.”

“Women in Tech appreciate pet names,” I agreed. I rolled my eyes in frustration. Bad example. Obviously that one was true, but still. “That’s not the—"

The door opened and we both froze. Gaby poked her head in, looking confused. “What are you two doing in here?”

My sister wore just a pair of blue pajama shorts, her breasts swaying as she stepped into the room, clearly unfazed by her lack of a top.

Women in Tech love to show off their body.

“We’re, um…” Mark stammered.

“Gaby, we found the Women in Tech Instagram account.”

“Oh, isn’t it great?” she beamed, her tits bouncing as she jumped with excitement. “I’ve been following it for a while.”

Mark showed her one of the posts. “Great? Women in Tech should be owned by men — does that sound great to you?”

Gaby’s brow furrowed as she leaned in closer to see for herself. “No, okay, that doesn’t sound right... are you sure this is the real account?”

“You’re following it!” Mark shouted.

“I just searched Women in Tech,” she shrugged. “I didn’t, like, get it off the website.”

I took the phone back. “C’mon, Gaby. You’ve got to admit there’s something going on here. Look at this crap. Women in Tech should wear high heels? It’s ridiculous!”

My sister held her hand out. “Let me see that. Women in Tech should wear high heels,” she read out loud, her voice deliberate and slow. She looked up at me. “Women in Tech should wear high heels. What’s wrong with that?”

I felt confused. I was positive that had been one of the ridiculous ones. But when I heard my sister say it, I realized it made perfect sense.

Women in Tech should wear high heels.

Women in Tech should look their best, and everyone knew high heels looked good on women. It accentuated their legs, and made their butts look great. A smart, professional woman should always wear heels.

“Women in Tech should wear high heels,” I repeated.

“Women in Tech should wear high heels,” Mark agreed. “Okay, well that one’s obviously true, but—”

“—Guys,” my sister interrupted with a laugh. “Can we talk about this another day? Steph and I need to get ready!”

“For what?” asked Mark.

“Tonight’s the Christmas party!"

“I really think we should—”

“—Women in Tech need to be the life of the party,” Gaby said, staring Mark in the eyes.

Like always she was right.