CHAPTER 40
The water was warmer than Mee-Kyong expected and almost scalded her leg when she first stepped in. She gasped.
“Is it all right?” Mrs. Stern was out of her fancy chair and to the side of the tub in half a second.
“I’m fine.” Mee-Kyong forced a smile, if only to make up for her comments earlier when Mrs. Stern had tried to help her get ready. She hadn’t intended to lose her composure like that, but she was already prostituting her soul to the Sterns and their American God. There was no way she was going to do it looking like she just stepped out of the Round Robin Inn.
Mee-Kyong put her second leg over the side of the tub. Mr. Stern was already waist deep in the water. “Well, we all know why we’re here today, don’t we?” He talked as if he were addressing a room full of witnes
