He exhaled through his nose. “We’ve been together since kindergarten. I always get what I want.” He pulled her out of the space between the bench and the lockers, wrapping her in a tight hold.
“No, Jerrold, we went to kindergarten together. WE were not together. Let me go. Damn you, you’re still the playground bully.” She struggled against him. “Whatever happened to honesty, kindness, respect and responsibility—our school’s values? Ones you pretended to have. How you managed not to show what a miserable human being you are until we began to date, I don’t know. If I did what you wanted, things were fine.”
He yanked on her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. “Was it so hard? You knew how I liked things. You knew what I wanted. But no. I liked your hair down when we went out. I liked you to wear dresses. High heels. A little makeup. The perfume I gave you,” Jerrold continued making a list of things. “I even understood your obsessive fear of sleeping with me. I was willing to put up with all your idiosyncrasies, but you chose to leave me. And you had that terrible accident. I thought I lost you for good.” He lowered his mouth and forcibly kissed her.
She bit his lip and spit at him. “Accident?! You pounded my head against an exam table and almost killed me by fracturing the bones in my face!” Harper tried to break away.
Jerrold, holding her upper arms tightly, banged her against the lockers. “We made a deal. You were paid well for your silence.”
She shrieked, “Your parents made the deal. They paid my nursing school debt. And, in exchange for my silence, they promised me I’d never have to work with you again, and you’d take anger management classes. It was the same punishment you’d receive if I pressed charges, except you could keep your license. You’re breaking the deal.” She struggled to get free.
His fingers dug into her arms. “Is working with me so intolerable? Even you admitted I’m a good doctor.” Jerrold pressed his lips together.
“Let go of me, before I scream,” Harper threatened.
Jerrold laughed at her. “You really don’t want to do that, do you?”
“Let go of me,” she pleaded.
Jerrold released her arms but remained between her and the doorway. “You won’t ever get your way.”
“I’ll quit. I can find another job,” Harper cried.
“Hmm, that will be hard when they find out you stole narcotics and were impaired during a procedure,” he chuckled.
“You…” She stopped herself. Jerrold Sommerstone’s evil persona had roared to the surface. She knew his threat was real.
“Look at you, all disheveled. You poor girl. I’m giving you a second chance.” He laughed, pulled his phone from his pocket and took her picture.
The door to the locker room opened, and one of the nursing assistants walked inside. “Dr. Jerrold, what are you doing in here?” the woman asked.
“I found Harper’s stethoscope. I wanted to give it back to her.” He pulled it from his lab coat pocket.
Harper grabbed it and ran from the room.
Adelaide Matin, another nurse and Harper’s friend, was sitting at the nurse’s station when Harper joined her. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was running late and hate that. What’s on our schedule?” Harper redid her ponytail and wiped her face with a tissue.
Jerrold walked past the nurse’s station and into an office. “Harper, what did that bastard do to you?” Adelaide pushed.
“Nothing. Seeing him upset me; that’s all.” Harper rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She could feel the bruises begin to form beneath her shirt.
“Why is he back here?” Adelaide opened a chart.
“Some medication trial. I’m assigned to Lourdes today,” Harper sighed.
“Harper, I put Mrs. Janel in Chemo 1. I’ll get her vitals,” another nursing assistant said.
“Thanks, Marie. I’ll be right there.” Harper grabbed the woman’s chart and headed to the treatment room.
Lourdes Sommerstone, in her trademark pearls, red Chanel suit and Louboutin heels, met Harper in the corridor. “Harper, dear girl, come into my office.”
Harper dropped her chin to her chest, took a deep breath and followed Lourdes into her office. The room was decorated in pale wood and expensive art. A vase of fresh magnolias and roses sat on the corner of her desk.
She pointed to a chair and took the seat beside her. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to tell you Jerrold was returning permanently from working at the hospital. It is purely a business decision, and I believe the Center is large enough to keep you two apart. Though, in my heart, now that he has successfully participated in that anger management program, I hope you’d consider dating him again. Rene and I always thought of you and Chantal as part of our family.”
Harper forced a smile. “Dr. Sommerstone, Jerrold and I see things differently. We are not compatible as a couple. I’d hoped, in all this time, he’d find someone else. I also appreciate everything you and Dr. Rene did for me after Jerrold hurt me. If possible, I’d prefer to work opposite Jerrold. This way, you don’t have to second-guess which unit I’m working on. Or if that’s not possible, I’d prefer to work as your regular nurse.” Jerrold’s threat remained in her mind.
