Chapter 8 Should I give in

"Wasn't I clear on you not calling her that name ever again?!" Ethan's voice surged with rage, his eyes flaring with outrage as he stared at Lila.

"Is there something inherently wrong with you?! How low can you go?!" He continued, the atmosphere charged with tension.

Lila fired back, her tone filled with nastiness. "I can call her whatever the fuck I want! What's she even doing here huh?!" Her tone dripped with hostility as her powerful body shook with anger.

Ethan's face contorted in disgust. "Body shaming in this time and age?! Seriously?!"

Lila gave out a chilling, sarcastic chuckle, "That's rich, coming from you!"

The atmosphere shifted from tense to explosive as Ethan and Lila engaged in a fierce standoff.

"Hey, hey, hey! Can we all chill?! Please! We are here to have a good time" Robert, Lila's husband, stepped in, his tone steady yet assertive. He positioned himself between Lila and Ethan, preventing any possible chance of physical conflict.

"Let's try and be civil, please. C'mon guys! We are here to have fun! Not fight?!" he uttered, his tone friendly and firm.

Ethan was the first to pull away from the confrontation, his face still twisted in rage. He gestured for Melinda to follow, his eyes still maintained in rage. Melinda walked behind, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear, sadness, and regret.

Lila's malicious presence had intimidated her even at work, and now, seeing her here, Melinda questioned if she had made a heavy mistake. Just then, her phone rang and she immediately knew who it was. Without hesitation, she cut the call.

As they boarded the plane, Ethan's assistant was already inside. She stood up and greeted Ethan but he was too engulfed in anger to respond. Moments later, Robert and Lila arrived and Ethan snapped, his voice raw with anger.

"Get out! I don't want you on my plane, Lila! Just leave!" rage still in his eyes.

"Are you being serious right now Ethan? Just because of her?!" Lila's face showed a perfect blend of arrogance and anger as she shot back.

"You've got your plane, don't you?!"

Robert stepped in, his voice calm and soothing, "Brother, our plane is in maintenance at the private terminal. Let's just stay calm. We don't want to ruin the weekend, please. She's sorry"

"I'm not!" Lila snapped from behind.

Silence hung in the air, broken only by Ethan's hefty breathing. He gave Lila a long stare, anger still very much on his face. Robert's voice broke the silence.

"Brother, please ignore her. You know women" He chuckled in a bid to ease the tension.

"Melinda come with me" Ethan muttered as he marched towards the inner chamber, with Melinda closely following behind.

The flight was quiet, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken words. Ethan and Melinda were the last to exit the plane. A hotel staff member ushered Melinda into her room as instructed by Ethan.

"Ma'am, your room, " the young lady said with a smile as she opened the door to reveal a breathtaking view.

"It's so beautiful" Melinda exclaimed softly, her black gorgeous eyes sparkling as they absorbed the scene.

"Yes ma'am. The boss specifically selected this room for you" the staff said with a smile. With a nod, she left Melinda to her thoughts.

Once the door closed, Melinda shifted her gaze back to the spectacular landscape. The ocean stretched out before her, the colliding waves against the seaside providing a soothing relief to her frayed nerves.

She undressed and entered the bathroom. As she turned on the shower, the warm water flowed over her skin, triggering her emotions to finally let loose. Tears streamed down her cheeks, disappearing into the water as she cried.

"Why would she say that to me?" Melinda thought, her mind consumed by Lila's harsh words. "Did I create myself? Why are people so mean?" She worked so hard to establish herself in the corporate world, to silence the naysayers who assumed a little person wouldn't survive in the corporate world.

Yet, despite her efforts, there were still people who looked down on her and viewed her as less than. Although she was used to it, Lila's words got to her, she hated how it made her feel.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, a sudden knock on the door caught her off guard. She quickly slipped on a shirt and went to answer the door. As she opened the door, it was Ethan. He stared at her, his gaze rich with intensity.

"Hey," he spoke, his tone low and rugged.

Melinda's heart skipped a beat as he entered the room. Before she could say anything, he lifted her into his arms, holding her rounded soft butt delicately, like she was fragile.

"Damn, he's strong," Melinda pondered as she wrapped her little hands around his neck.

She burst into a surprised laughter as he carried her to the bed. "You drive me insane, you know that?" Ethan moaned into her ears, his breath sending tingles down her spine.