Chapter 4 Everything Is Too Late

The heat of his breath brushed against her neck, making Kathleen shiver slightly as though she had been shocked. She quickly took two steps back to distance herself from him, exclaiming, "No, no, wait!" Trying to keep her feelings in check, she clarified, "I understand that a person like you must cost a lot, and as for everything else ... if you still want it, I can only promise to pay you later." "What do you mean by a person like me?" Arthur questioned, raising an eyebrow. Kathleen gestured towards him and then towards the extravagant car parked behind him, saying, "With your designer outfits and that fancy car, your price must be sky-high." Arthur clenched his teeth in frustration. What is this foolish girl thinking with her dirty mind? Does she believe that all my wealth comes from being with wealthy women? "Typically, it's 60,000 per time and one million for a night," he said, leaning casually against the car while raising an eyebrow at Kathlee. "So, are you considering paying per time or for the whole night?" Kathleen was too stunned to feel any shame. Her eyes were widened in disbelief. "That's so pricey! Why don't you just go out and rob someone instead?" "Why rob when I can make that amount in a single night?" "You ... " Kathleen was left at a loss for words by his reply. However, she wasn't in the mood to negotiate with someone about paying for prostitution. "Alright! Just tell me your name, and I'll look into your rates. If it's really that high, I promise I won't skip out on payment!" Kathleen said, taking out her phone. "Please give me your name and phone number." In this world, there are two types of debts that one should never ignore: gambling debts and fees for prostitution. Even though she is in a tough spot, she won't refuse to acknowledge what she owes. The man raised his eyebrows with intrigue and said slowly, "Arthur Franklin, my phone number is 123 ... " As Kathleen typed the number and name into her phone, she mumbled to herself while dialing. With a striking face and an appealing name, he could have easily earned a lot of money in the entertainment industry as a pretty face. Why did he opt for this instead? She showed no response when she heard his name. A flicker of uncertainty crossed Arthur's dark eyes. Had she really forgotten my name? When his phone buzzed on the car's dashboard, Kathleen ended the call. "I'm Kathleen Dawson. I've shared my number with you. Don't worry. Even if I'm broke, I won't skip out on my debts." Just as Kathleen finished her sentence, her phone started ringing. It was her mother calling. She quickly gathered herself and took out her phone. As soon as she picked up the phone, her mother, Caroline Solace, frantically shouted, "Kathleen, where are you? Come quickly to the hospital ... your dad, your dad is trying to jump off the building. Please hurry ... " The next time Kathleen saw her father, Howell Dawson was in the hospital's morgue. She couldn't wait for the ride-hailing car that was only two minutes away, so she asked Arthur to drive her to the hospital. But she still arrived too late. Her father, who had jumped off the building, was declared dead at the scene, and his body was taken to the hospital. "Slap!" As Kathleen entered, her mother, who had been weeping on the ground, suddenly rose and slapped her hard. Caroline, tears streaming down her face, shook with anger and clenched her teeth. "You ungrateful daughter! I never wanted you to marry Rhett, but you insisted! Now he not only rejects you but also drives your father's company to ruin, leading him to jump from the building. How could I have given birth to such a useless daughter like you?" Her mother's words felt like sharp knives, piercing deeply into Kathleen's heart. She paid no attention to her burning cheeks, feeling stunned. "Rhett ... why does he have the right?" "Why does he have the right? It's because you're foolish! You deserve this treatment!" Caroline shouted in anger. Suddenly, she shoved Kathleen toward the morgue. "Go see your dad's body and remember how tragic his death was! You'll never find peace in your life again!" Kathleen was forced to stand in front of her father's body by her mother. As she gazed at the figure covered in a white sheet, her heart tightened painfully, leaving her breathless. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Several times, she extended her trembling hands, only to withdraw before she could touch the white cloth. How could she accept this? Just yesterday, her father was fine, and her father's company, Howell Builders, was fine too. How could everything vanish in a single night? Rhett, you were incredibly heartless! She had already let him go and had sacrificed so much for him and his mistress, so why did he still feel the need to ruin her family? Why? Kathleen was consumed by rage, her eyes burning with fury as she gripped the edge of the morgue table tightly, her body weakening and threatening to collapse. Rhett Oatrun! She felt an urge to confront him, to find out if she had somehow disrespected the Oatruns, prompting him to treat her in such a cruel manner. In the end, she couldn't summon the courage to look at her father one last time. As she stood up and headed toward the morgue door, Herman Conrad, the assistant manager of the Howell Builders' Legal Department, and her father's personal attorney approached her. He retrieved two documents from his briefcase and handed them to Kathleen. "Ms. Dawson, these are the agreement and property mortgage certificate for Monroe Group's acquisition of Howell Builders. Your assets have been frozen, and both your house and car are mortgaged to the bank. Your aunt, Mrs. Elena Dawson, stated that since you are her niece, she will only allow you and Mrs. Dawson to leave without any debts, and she will assist in repaying the other obligations."