Chapter 34

Finally, it was her turn to check in and she approached the receptionist with a forced smile, determined to enjoy her spa day despite the rude encounter.

But as she headed towards the locker rooms, she heard Lisa's voice again. "Can you believe some people?" she was saying to a lady who stood beside her, "No manners at all."

Mel had heard enough. She turned around and marched back towards Lisa. "Excuse me, I don't appreciate your attitude," she said, her voice low but firm. "I apologized already. There's no need to be so rude.

With a scowl on her face, Lisa replied "Please, like you're any better. Who do you think you are?" she sneered.

As Mel mulled over the encounter, she couldn't help but question the sanity of this stranger she had just met. With a sharp tone, she responded, "I'm just someone who doesn't tolerate rude behavior," she replied, her tone biting.

Lisa rolled her eyes, attempting to provoke Mel, "Whatever, lady. You're not even worth my time." With that, she turned and stormed off, leaving Mel seething.

To Mel's surprise, she felt a sense of satisfaction as Lisa departed. She may not have won the argument, but at least she had stood up for herself.

As she made her way towards the locker rooms, she couldn't help but wonder who that woman was and why she was so angry.

After the argument with Lisa, Mel decided to put the unpleasant encounter behind her and fully immerse herself in the relaxation experience. She changed into the soft, plush robe provided by the spa and made her way to the quiet room.

As she lay down on the heated massage table, soft music playing in the background, she felt her tense muscles begin to relax. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting herself fully sink into the moment.

The massage therapist came in and began working on her shoulders, applying just the right amount of pressure. Mel felt her body melt under the skilled touch of the therapist's hands.

As the massage went on, she drifted in and out of sleep, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. When the massage was over, Mel felt like a new person. She thanked the therapist and made her way to the sauna.

In the sauna, she let the heat wrap around her, feeling the sweat pour out of her body as she detoxified. After a while, she moved to the hot tub, letting the bubbles massage her body. She couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.

After a while in the hot tub, Mel made her entrance to the steam room. She felt her pores open up, cleansing her body of toxins. As she stepped out of the steam room, she noticed a cold plunge pool and decided to take a dip. The cold water was a shock to her system, but it felt refreshing.

Mel spent the rest of the afternoon in the Spa shop, enjoying the different facilities it had to offer. When she was done, she felt like a new person, her body and mind completely rejuvenated. She felt grateful for the experience and looked forward to returning soon with Maya of course, Speaking of Maya, Mel couldn't help but feel guilty for not contacting her since the start of the week due to being so consumed with work. Retrieving her phone from a bag she had left nearby, Mel dialed Maya's number.

After a few rings, Maya answered, her voice sounding clearer than before. "Hey Mel, how's it going?" she asked in a lively voice.

Mel was relieved to hear her friend's voice. "Maya, it's good to hear from you. How are you feeling? Hope your treatment is going all well?" she asked, her concern palpable.

Maya chuckled in response. "Thanks for asking Mel, I'm feeling much better now. My doctor's treatment plan is really helping and I'm getting the care I need," Maya replied with a hint of relief in her voice.

"That's great to hear, I can't wait for you to get perfectly fine" Mel replied sincerely.

"Yeah, me too. Maya said. As they continued chatting, Maya suddenly paused and asked, "Wait, where are you?" she asked, her ears perking up at a sound in the background.

Mel smiled. "I'm at the spa," she said, unable to resist a little giggle. "Can you hear the sound of the water?. Well guess what. "I took a whole day off." Mel.said and Maya replied immediately, feeling quite surprised. "You're joking right, I mean it's really unlike you, did you get forced" Maya asked. She knew it was close to impossible for Mel to get up one day and take such decision, especially that of missing a work day. She was always buried in her work and it was quite obvious.

"Well if you put it that way, But the CEO suggested it and I agreed with him" Mel said resulting in a giggle from the other end.

"Oh my goodness, you both ride on, it's what I love to hear. Maya said trying to shuffle her giggle but it was still loud enough to be heard.

"Whatever, Mel said as a smile crept to her face.

Maya could tell her friend was getting shy again, so she switched topics. "Well, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. And when I get back, you're definitely taking me to that spa." she said

Mel grinned, feeling happy at the prospect of spending more time with her friend. "Absolutely, we'll make it a spa day to remember. Just focus on getting better, and I'll take care of the rest." she said

Maya grinned and replied "Sounds like a plan. Take care of yourself, Mel."

"You too, Maya. Talk to you soon," Mel said, ending the call. Just then an email appeared on her screen and she stared at it for a while, It was from the Post office. They were notifying her off her package which she had not yet picked up. Thinking about it, Mel nodded her head, this was her chance to finally pick up her package. She was usually only free during the weekend and by then, the postal offices were usually closed. But today been a Wednesday, she was sure she could get her package.

****

Meanwhile, at the treatment room, Lisa's negative attitude persisted. She was becoming increasingly impatient with the masseuse, criticizing them for not applying enough pressure and insisting that they do better. Additionally, she complained about the music being too loud and requested that it be turned down, despite the fact that other customers were enjoying it. Her behavior was making it difficult for the other patrons to relax and enjoy their treatments.

Finally, Lisa's session came to an end, but not without her making a final complaint to the receptionist about the temperature of the room. The receptionist apologized and promised to address her concerns. Lisa left the spa feeling slightly better than before, but still not completely satisfied.

Lisa walked out of the treatment room, scanning the area for any sign of Layla. But Layla was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, Lisa picked up her phone to call her friend. However, she was surprised to see a text from Layla on her screen. In the text, Layla explained that her mother had fallen ill and she needed to go visit her. She apologized for not being able to make it to the spa that day.

Seeing the message, Lisa couldn't help but feel disappointed that Layla couldn't make it to the spa. She let out an exasperated "oops, it just had to be today" as she read the text message. However, as she drove towards home, a sudden idea struck her mind, causing a smile to spread across her face.

She took a sharp turn and began to drive towards LIM.

As she drove, her mind wandered, thinking about what to say to Ethan. She kept going back and forth on what to say to him and how to apologize, rehearsing her speech, she hoped to get Ethan to agree to help her with her new request.

Finally, she arrived at LIM and parked her car. Taking a deep breath, she got out of her car and walked towards the building.

Once she was inside, she walked towards the elevator and pressed the button to go up to Ethan's office. As she waited for the elevator to arrive, she fidgeted with her hands, trying to calm herself down.

Lisa knocked on the door and waited for Ethan to answer.

"Come in," Ethan's voice called out.

She opened the door and walked in, her heart pounding in her chest but she managed to keep a calm and recollected face. She looked at Ethan, who was sitting at his desk, his eyes scanning through some documents as usual.

"Hey Ethan," Lisa greeted, trying to sound casual.

Ethan looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he saw her. "You shouldn't be here," he said coldly, his hoarse voice cutting through the air.