Of course, always call Fred

You open up a laptop on the couch and video call into Fred's 24/7 support line, A receptionist greets you and within seconds Fred's face is coming through. His sharp features and easy confidence come in crisp on the screen like every bit the lovable financial mercenary he is.

"Good morning Mrs. Sudkik, and who is your lovely friend?"

"Hello Fred, it's nice to finally speak with you and my friend here is what we are calling about"

"Hi Fred, I uh, was Trevor Sudkik, I go by Penny now."

Fred's expression doesn't even faulter.

"I see. Gender change, classic, we have a boilerplate for this. I must say your people do excellent work, I have some clients that would be very interested in a recommendation."

He makes a hand gesture and you hear shuffling off screen and someone passes him a short form.

"So, uh, what do we do?"

"Already in process, now is that P-E-N-N-Y or are you getting clever with it?"

"That spelling is right..."

"Excellent, that'll be legal in a few hours, you have new cards coming by courier, should be at your address in an hour or so. Now do you want to be out as Trevor turned Penny or would you like a new identity?"

You were a little dumbfounded at how easy this was. You had expected to spend some time answering prying and incredulous questions.

"Uh, we were thinking... new identity... Also we're kind of doing a separate marriage thing."

"Yup" he says performatively checking a box on the standard form muttering "open" before returning to scribbling.

"So we can go in a few directions for the new identity but it's my professional opinion given the circumstances you are Penny 'pick-a-last-name', Sudkik LLC's previous CFO who somehow walked out of the deal with half the valuation. Which is also how you met your-" He looked back and forth between you as he sounded out the next word inquisitively. "-Friend? Alice here."

"CFO? we didn't have a financial office."

"You had whatever offices your official company documents say you had. Documents controlled by your LLC. Your LLC under our management."

"Isn't that fraud?"

Fred looks at you like he's mortally offended. "Fraud?! No, never. Miss Penny as the acting board of SudKik LLC I'd like to offer you a job as our Chief Financial Officer, the pay is a one time equity transfer of half the company. Do you agree with this primary stakeholder Alice Sudkik?" she nods as pulled into Fred's plot as you were "There now you can say you were the CFO, totally above the board, perfectly legal."

"Huh, it's that easy" Almost disappointedly.

"That's practically our motto, now about that new last name."

The two of you look at each other, you had put zero thought into coming up with a last name.