‘Can you have a nurse do it?”
Jonathan put on his gloves. “Are you questioning my professionalism?”
I choked on my words and stayed silent. But the moment his fingers touched me, my face still turned red. Without a doubt, Jonathan’s technique was top–notch. I soon felt so comfortable that I was drifting off to sleep.
Toward the end, I think I heard him call my name. But I was too drowsy to open my eyes. He said something to me
or maybe nothing at all–before turning and leaving.
I fell into a deep sleep, and when I woke up, I didn’t go looking for Jonathan. I just asked a nurse to pass along a message for me and quietly left.
Wearing a mask, I kept my head down as I walked out of the elevator toward the hospital entrance.
But as soon as I reached the ground floor, someone grabbed my arm. Then came a slap, hard enough to leave me stunned.
When I snapped back to my senses, I saw the cold, furious faces of my two brothers.
“Katherine, you’re coming with us to see Mr. Sutton right now.”
“I’m not going.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Mr. Sutton said as long as you lower your head, he’ll consider getting engaged to you. You know very well that if we want our business to improve, Mr. Sutton is the biggest shortcut.”
My second brother, Kevin Robinson, was hot–tempered as always. He raised his hand to hit me again. But my eldest brother, Keith Robinson, stopped him.
He looked at me gently, his voice calm. “Katherine, the family is really in trouble right now. If this deal falls through, the Robinsons are finished.
“You’re part of this family too. We have always treated you well–can’t you help us just this once?”
“Then, have you ever thought about how people will look down on me, how they’ll trample on my dignity in the future?” I snapped back.
“You’re young, beautiful, well–educated. Mr. Sutton genuinely likes you–he won’t treat you badly.”
