Before the meal, the before the pedicure, before I dressed that night, when I had obediently left Tony and Mr. Sun in his receiving room and sought out Tuan, my ass was beaten. It would seem that the punishment was in response to my outburst—although I have no idea how Tuan would have known about that unfortunate mistake. Whether it had been preplanned beating, or the result of my slipup, the effect was the same. I found Tuan in her room by the kitchens. She ordered me to strip off my clothes, and reach for a hoop embedded high on the wall, which was all I had to cling to as she paddled my behind with her thick wooden slat. The beating was as harsh as any I’d been subjected to.
I’m sure Tuan was ecstatic as she watched my lily white behind turned scarlet, as she saw the bruises form and
