Melanie wrinkled her nose the moment she stepped into her new office. Gosh! She could tolerate the flashy furniture, the over-polished surfaces, and even the overly extravagant décor that felt more suited to a five-star hotel lobby than a workplace. But what she absolutely could not bear was the cloying, suffocating scent of Madam Collins' perfume. The heavy floral fragrance clung to the air making her head ache already.
For a brief moment, she considered lighting a few incense sticks—something calming, maybe sandalwood or lavender, anything to neutralize the air. But then she hesitated. That would make it seem like she was trying to cleanse the space of ghosts or bad omens. And even though she firmly believed her mother in law was no less than an evil spirit, she thought it would be too dramatic. Better to open the windows to let the breeze do its work.
