Emily's finances are so desperate, she leaves London and returns to her home town, to visit her old friend, Chloe, in the hope she can stay a few nights. Her hopes are dashed when she learns that Chloe emigrated to Australia. However, Chloe's mother, Mrs Jackson, takes Emily under her wing, giving the twenty-year-old the same care she would have given her own daughter. The bond between the two deepens, with Emily happily settling into her role of substitute daughter. Mrs Jackson is kind but firm, with old fashioned values; spankings are the order of the day for disobedience and bad behaviour, but Emily soon learns to accept her chastisements, understanding that discipline is a vital part of her transformation from unhappy failure to glowing success.

There is a slight regression element to this story, as Emily returns to school as a mature student, studying for her A-Levels to secure a place at university and a bright future. As a member of the sixth form, she is subject to school discipline, and as always, her bottom pays the price!