"Who told you to humiliate Noel in front of everyone yesterday? This is the compensation you owe him!"
"Drop the act. Those hands of yours teach calligraphy all day. How much does that even pay? I promised you the position of man of the house at Sanchez Corp. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"
"This is the anniversary gift Noel wants most, and I will give it to him!"
With that, she pulled out a bamboo calligraphy brush and sneered.
"Laurence, I believe this means a great deal 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 at my sides.
That brush wasn't worth much money, but it was the last birthday gift my father ever gave me.
He'd made it by hand.
Not long after that, he died in a car accident.
I drew a deep breath, grinding my teeth before I spoke.
"Fine. I'll wash them."
Then I bent down, picked up the plastic basin they'd prepared, and said without a trace of expression, "Can I go to the bathroom to fill this up now?"
Only then did Lauren curl her lips in satisfaction.
"Good boy. As long as you keep Noel happy, I'll give it back, and things can go back to the way they were."