Beautiful Picture

“This is way too much.” Mel said, clutching the envelope Jordan had handed her an hour ago over breakfast. “You’re in college, you shouldn’t be spending money like this.”

“I used my student grant refund.” Jordan admitted with a grin. “It’s bronze tier, basic massage, facial, maybe a foot soak. You deserve to be pampered, Mom.”

Mel rolled her eyes but smiled. “Well, when you put it like that…”

Behind the counter, the receptionist’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “Let's see here... Mel... Mel...” Her eyes flicked over the screen, slightly puzzled. “Ah! There you are. Mel Astor. Double platinum member. Welcome, you're going to love our exclusive elite package.”

Melanie blinked, that wasn't their last name. “Wait, I think there’s been a mistake, that's not my name, I-”

“What my mother means is that she prefers to be referred to as Melanie.” Jordan quickly said, kicking her mothers foot under the counter.

“Of course.” The receptionist said with a dazzling smile. “And do you have a name preference too?”

Jordan was suddenly caught off guard and quickly blurted out the bitchiest sounding name she could think of. “Jordanna.”

“A gorgeous name.” The receptionist said and typed it into the computer while Jordan looked over to her mother with a shrug. “Well Ms. Astor it's wonderful to have you finally join us after all these years of such generous donations. As such you will receive the top most service with us today. Please, follow me ladies.”

As they trailed behind the receptionist Mel whispered into her daughters ear. “I don't like this sweetheart, what if they catch on that we aren't these... these socialites. We don't exactly look like we ooze money.”

Jordan however seemed unfazed. “She said it herself, she hasn't visited in years so I doubt the real Mel will show up, so we just have to act the part and we get a day to remember for the rest of our lives. Come on, don't you deserve a bit of 'me' time... Melanie?” Jordan said with a cheeky grin.

Mel smiled back. “Fine but when they arrest us and throw us in jail I get the bottom bunk, 'Jordanna'.” She said jokingly.

Their day began with a “Evaluation Session” in a softly lit chamber. A digital screen scanned their whole bodies, highlighting “areas of potential.” Mel chuckled nervously at the red marks covering her cheeks, her crow’s feet, her roots, her flabby tummy, her sagging boobs. A soft AI voice chimed in.

“Detected: compassion fatigue, under appreciated self-image, chronic humility.”

“Subject potential: untapped superiority, hidden dominance traits, suppressed aesthetic confidence.”

Jordan frowned. “You understand any of this?”

Mel shook her head. “You're the sci-fi girl, I hoped you would know.”

“Beats me.” Jordan said looking at the red marks across her own body with a frown. Mel sensing the discomfort in her daughter, tried to change the subject.

“How is school going honey?” She asked as the AI continued its scans.

“It's going. Honestly I thought my junior year would be easier, what with my workload and my raise at the cafe but I feel like I don't have any time to myself you know? I guess we can't all be like Sienna and have life handed to us on a silver plate.” Jordan said somewhat scornfully.

Mel's brow furrowed. “Sienna? Who's that?”

Jordan rolled her eyes. “Sienna Hartley. She’s the president of Delta Theta Pi. Platinum credit card, convertible BMW, three million follower Insta account. She’s the kind of girl who walks into a room like she owns it, and everyone lets her. She's a toxic narcissist who only cares about herself and she gets away with it.”

“Sounds exhausting.” Melanie said compassionately.

“She’s a nightmare. Fake blonde, fake lips, fake everything. She cut the line in front of me in the cafeteria once and said, ‘I don’t wait. People wait for me.’ What a brat.”

Melanie chuckled. “Well thankfully you're nothing like her sweetheart.”

Jordan scoffed. “Yeah, I'm not a vapid, manipulative Barbie with a personal brand.” Before Jordan could complain more there was a ding sound to indicate the assessment was done.

From there they were ushered into the Aural Contouring Suite, where reclined chairs cocooned them while gentle whispers played through sleek white earbuds. The lights above flickered in sync with their heartbeats.

“You’ve given enough.” “Goodness is a weakness.” “Kindness is a leash others pull.” “Beauty deserves obedience.” “You don’t owe anyone sweetness.” “Let them worship. Let them serve you.”

Mel's lips parted in a soft gasp. Jordan’s fingers curled slightly, as if grasping some invisible power. When they awoke an hour later they felt refreshed and enegized but also something more.

This was no more evident then at their next station. They sat back in large plush seats as manicurist and pedicurists got to work massaging their fingers and toes to perfection. Jordan continued about Sienna.

“I guess when I think about it, I'm just kind of jealous of Sienna.” Jordan said, her previous thought of Sienna shifting from hate to admiration.

“How could you not? She sounds like she has the world in the palm of her hand.” Mel added. Like her daughter, her previous thought of Sienna as a monster wrapped in a tight dress had soften to the point of envy.

“She’s still awful.” Jordan muttered, almost to herself. “But… Sienna gets things. She doesn’t worry if people like her. They just do. Or they don’t. Either way, she wins.” Jordan said unable to hide her wistfulness as she examined her new perfectly done manicure.

Next up they had a 'Self Image Reinforcement Massage', where robotic fingers smoothed their muscles sending them into another deep trance and a female voice cooed softly through lavender scented steam.

“You’ve played the background role long enough.” “Selflessness is camouflage.” “Let the others carry guilt, you carry greatness.” “Sweetness is a cage.” “Let vanity liberate you.”

Mel and Jordan exhaled slowly. “Yes.” They murmured involuntarily in unison. When the session ended and they opened their eyes, their lashes were somehow longer, blue eyes colder, their stomachs toned and tightened by the robot arms.

They stood in front of the mirror, looking at their reflection. This time they weren't self conscious or ashamed by how they looked, they were growing infatuated with the women staring back. It certainly helped that they looked much more like models than the over worked women they had walked in as.

“Sienna wouldn’t know what to do if she saw me now.” Jordan said as she giggled at her reflection.

“She’d feel threatened.” Mel purred. Her own cheekbones shimmered with contour. “She’d know her reign is over.”

Jordan tilted her head. “You really think so?”

Mel stood beside her, both of them draped in gleaming robes, reflections glowing. “Sweetheart, of course I do. You're my daughter and I didn't raise you to settle for less. You’re better than her. You should be her.”

Jordan’s eyes narrowed with hunger. “No.” She leaned closer to the mirror, smirking. “I want to be worse.”

Mel grinned proudly at her as the door opened and they were led to their final session. A golden chamber, filled with warm light. As they lay back in reclining chairs, soft tendrils of plasma began to shift their melanin, reconfiguring follicles, cheekbones, vocal tone.

The affirmations came sharper now, like champagne in the veins.

“Blonde is brilliance.” “Blonde is dominance.” “Kind women are trampled.” “Cruel women rise.”

Jordan felt her lips swell, her curves fill out, her brunette curls dissolve into icy platinum silk. Melanie let out a breathy giggle as her face softened, her nose refined, her eyes shimmered under sculpted brows. The light pulsed harder now:

“Feel how they’ll look at you.” “Feel how they’ll hate you.” “Good. Let them.”

The final phase of the treatment concluded in a brilliant pulse of golden light. The chamber hummed with warmth, then slowly dimmed to a soft, reverent glow.

Mel and Jordan stirred from their reclining thrones, no longer Mel and Jordan. They rose.

Mel was now Melanie. Her usual aversion to her full name now vanished. Her once tired, selfless gaze had sharpened into something colder, regal. Her platinum waves cascaded in smooth perfection past sculpted shoulders, lips glossed like glass, lashes like blades. Her figure, once modest and maternal, now flaunted hourglass arrogance with every step.

Beside her, Jordan was gone, replaced by Jordanna. A name perfectly suited to her new bitchy appearance. Taller somehow, sharper, with high cheekbones and bedroom eyes. Her every breath was a practiced pout, her expression locked in a faint, smug smile. Her new body moved like it had never known clumsiness, only choreography.

They stood before the full length mirror wall, admiring their reflections in silk pink spa robes clinging to their transformed forms.

Jordanna ran a polished hand along her hip. “God, I look… expensive.”

Melanie’s smirk curled. “Thanks because we are darling.”

A soft chime rang. The door slid open, and two attendants entered, expressionless, reverent. Behind them, several others wheeled in ornate gold racks filled with revealing garments. Latex dresses, stilettos, micro skirts, furs, sheer bodysuits, shimmering heels, gold trimmed corsets. Designer tags gleamed under the lights.

“The final luxury.” One attendant announced softly. “For only our most esteemed guests. Please choose whatever you like.”

Melanie’s eyes lit up with hunger.

“Oh.” She whispered, brushing her fingers along a skintight, wine-colored dress. “Yes.”

Jordanna tore off her robe with zero modesty, selecting a gold revealing dress that barely left anything to the imagination, pairing it with a gold purse. “This is so me.”

Melanie peeled into red lingerie, admiring how it lifted her chest into commanding prominence. She draped herself in the softest fur she had ever felt. She stepped into tall heels and struck a pose, running her tongue over her teeth.

“You know what’s sad?” She said, adjusting a diamond choker from a nearby tray. “We used to hate pretty girls like us.”

Jordanna slipped on a pair of sky high heels, laughing cruelly. “Ugh. So tragic.”

Fully dressed, made up, and reborn, they turned toward the doors. Melanie gave the mirror one last smirk. Together, they strutted out of the chamber, hips swaying, heels clicking, no longer ordinary women. They were divine and untouchable. Melanie and Jordanna strode into the lobby like they owned it. The spa’s golden light kissed their perfected figures, their heels clicking in sync against the marble floor.

At the reception desk, the same woman who had checked them in stood waiting, hands clasped, smile unwavering. But now, there was something in her eyes, reverence.

“My God.” she said breathlessly. “You both look… exquisite.”

Melanie ran a manicured hand through her platinum waves, smirking. “Of course we do.”

Jordanna leaned on the counter, her dress glittering like temptation incarnate. “We looked like this all along. You people just helped pull it out.”

The receptionist nodded enthusiastically. “It’s been an honor having you here. On behalf of the Hyde Springs staff, thank you for your patronage. We truly hope you’ll return again soon.”

Melanie and Jordanna exchanged a glance, smug and silent. “Oh,” Jordanna said, lips curving. “We’ll definitely be back.”

“Absolutely.” Melanie added, her voice like silk and steel.

The receptionist gestured toward the doors. “There’s a limousine waiting just outside. It will take you anywhere you wish to go.”

Melanie turned without a word, hips swaying as she passed. Jordanna followed, flipping her hair with a smirk. As they stepped into the warm night air, the limo door swung open for them.

The limousine purred softly as it rolled down the mountain road from Hyde Springs, the city lights beginning to glitter below like jewels spilled across velvet. Inside the tinted windows, Melanie and Jordanna lounged in sinfully luxurious silence, their curves poured into their designer dresses, their heels crossed with lazy entitlement.

Jordanna reapplied her gloss, puckering slightly at her reflection. “I’m going to take everything that little bitch Sienna has.”

Melanie arched a brow, intrigued.

“She walks around campus like she’s royalty.” Jordanna continued. “That ends now. I’m going to take her spot, her friends, her followers, her frat boy toy. All of it. I’ll smile as she watches me rule everything she built. I’m going to make her watch me become queen.”

Melanie chuckled lowly. “Good girl.”

Jordanna tilted her head, eyes gleaming. “What about you, Mommy? What are you going to do?”

Melanie stared out the window for a long moment, the lights of the city below reflecting like stars in her icy eyes. Her lips parted in a slow, sinful smile.

“I think if we are going to enjoy this life of luxury from now on then it's high time I find a rich suitor to fund us don't you think?” Melanie said coolly.

Jordanna grinned. “So what’s the plan?”

Melanie reached over and brushed a strand of platinum hair from her daughter’s flawless face. “Well there is a Melanie Astor out there somewhere. One with wealth and power. I think I'll take it off her hands.”

“Oh mommy you're so bad.” Jordanna purred.

Melanie’s grin gleamed. “I'm only getting started.”