"Let me make one thing clear: even if you chopped Shirley Cobb into pieces and sold her by the pound, she still wouldn't be worth me lifting a finger!"
Neil's face went cold instantly.
"Who told you to humiliate Shirley in front of everyone yesterday? This is the compensation you owe her!"
"Drop the act. How much do you even make teaching calligraphy classes all day? I promised you the position of Mrs. Sanchez. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"
"This is the anniversary gift Shirley wants most, and I'm going to give it to her!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a bamboo calligraphy brush and sneered.
"Kathryn, I believe this means a lot to you. Am I right?"
"If you don't want me to snap it in half right now, you'll do exactly as I say."
My fists clenched instantly.
That brush wasn't worth much money, but it was the last birthday gift my father ever gave me.
He'd made it with his own hands.
Shortly after that, he died in a car accident.
I drew a deep breath and forced the words through my teeth.
"Fine. I'll wash them."
Then I bent down and picked up the plastic basin they'd prepared, my expression blank.
"Can I go to the bathroom to fill this up now?"
Only then did Neil curl his lips in satisfaction.
"Good girl. Keep Shirley happy, and I'll give it back. I'll even restore your old lifestyle."
He posted his bodyguards at the door to make sure I couldn't run.
Water rushed from the faucet, reflecting my ice-cold eyes.
I pressed the hidden button on the back of my mechanical watch.
A faint crackle of static lasted two seconds before Denys Mason's voice came through, roguish yet tinged with something almost wounded.
"I thought you'd thrown that watch away. What's this about? Finally decided I'm not so bad after all?"
"Fair warning: if you're about to tell me you went and got a marriage license, I'm jumping off the nearest building. Try me."
My voice came out steady.
"No marriage license. We broke up. Now he wants me to wash his mistress's underwear in front of a crowd."
"If you still want this arrangement between us, don't make me waste my breath."
The other end went silent for half a second.
When Denys spoke again, the excitement and the lethal edge in his voice were almost tangible.
"The Imperial Monarch Hotel?"
"Sit tight. I'll make that bastard swallow every last pair."
I was brought back to Shirley.
Neil had his arm around her waist, his tone tender.
"Shirley, today, as long as you don't say stop, Kathryn will keep washing until you're satisfied."
"How do you like your present?"
"Oh my God, I love it! You're always so good to me, Mr. Sanchez!"
The two of them locked lips in a long, shameless kiss, as if no one else existed.
Shirley sauntered over to me with a beaming smile.
"So it turns out you didn't like barking like a dog, but you prefer doing this kind of thing? Wow. You're even trashier than I thought."
"You should've just said so. I've got plenty more at home. But wait, you're not planning to wash them standing up, are you?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Neil flicked his wrist in a signal.
The bodyguard behind me drove his foot into the back of my knee, forcing me to the ground.
Mocking laughter erupted from every direction.
"There we go. That's the proper position for getting things clean."
Shirley picked up a bottle of imported liquor with an elegant sweep of her hand, blinking innocently.
"The thing is, I'm a bit of a germaphobe. Someone as filthy as you really grosses me out. You won't mind if I use a little alcohol to disinfect you first, right?"
I didn't look at her. My gaze went past her, straight to the man behind her. My voice was level.
"Neil. Do I need to remind you that my skin is allergic to alcohol?"
"I'm only going to ask you once. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Something flickered across Neil's face. Hesitation.
Before he could open his mouth, Shirley's eyes rimmed red, her voice pitching into a wounded whimper.
"Mr. Sanchez, don't tell me you feel sorry for her. You promised you'd help me get my dignity back today."
