The $300 Manicure

I work at a beauty salon where a client, Marissa, once told her husband a manicure cost $300 when it was only $50. He paid, but she later accused me of lying about the price. Stunned, I clarified the truth. She returned, acting normal, and asked me not to tell her husband if he came back. It became clear she was scamming him to fund an affair.

Weeks later, a different man confronted her mid-manicure, sparking an argument outside. Then her husband asked the real price—$50. He left, looking defeated. Marissa didn’t return for a month, then came in, humbled, and was banned by my boss for involving staff in her lies.

Months later, I met Marissa at a grocery store. She apologized, explaining she’d juggled two lives, lost both men, and was now working at a bakery, rebuilding. Later, she returned to the salon with her daughter, showing growth. Another employee, Rina, a survivor of abuse, taught me kindness persists despite pain. Marissa and Rina showed people can mess up, learn, and change. Forgiveness starts with truth.