“Oh drat! I’m so stupid! Why can’t I do this?”
“Arianna, that’s enough.”
She heard Bain call out a warning in a low voice. But she ignored him. This was a child’s crossword. It should be easy. Why couldn’t she get it? She was procrastinating. She knew she should ask Bain for her phone back. There had to be messages and emails she needed to deal with.
But instead, she was trying to figure out this stupid game that even children could do.
“Urgh!” She thumped the crossword down on the floor where she was sitting. “I’m such a moron!”
“Enough.” Bain rose from his seat then walked over and grabbed hold of her around the waist, pulling her onto her feet.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He sat on the sofa then drew her over his lap.
“Daddy?” she asked.
“What’s your rule about putting yourself down?”
“I’m not allowed to say bad things about myself. But I wasn’t!”
“Heard you call yourself stupid and a moron.”
“But you didn’t give me any warnings! Shouldn’t you give warnings?”
“Gave you one warning. From now on, that’s all you’re getting, little miss. You should already know not to call yourself names. I’m going to pull your pants and panties down because this is a serious transgression. Understand me?”
To her mortification, he tugged off her pants and underwear. This was the first time she was going to be partially naked around him. And she was not expecting it to be like this.
“Want me to hold your hands?” he asked.
“No! Daddy, don’t spank me!”
“Sorry, baby. Putting yourself down isn’t acceptable. Ever.” He smacked his hand down on her bottom. “Don’t want to hear you speak about yourself like that again.”
Smack! Smack!
“My girl does not call herself a moron.”
Ouch.
Smack! Smack!
“Or stupid.”
Smack! Smack!
Ow. That hurt!
“If she gets frustrated, then she can ask her Daddy for help.”
Two more smacks. By now her backside was throbbing. And this was just from his hand! What would it feel like if he was to use something else on her poor bottom?
He stopped, rubbing her butt.
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said, guessing that was the end of it. Thank God! That was awful.
“Glad to hear that, baby girl. How are you doing?”