{"id":9179,"date":"2026-04-01T11:09:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T11:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=9179"},"modified":"2026-04-01T11:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T11:09:18","slug":"an-entitled-guest-wanted-extra-time-then-it-backfired-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=9179","title":{"rendered":"An Entitled Guest Wanted Extra Time\u2014Then It Backfired"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Entitled Guest Wanted Extra Time\u2014Then It Backfired<\/h1>\n
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When a hotel guest demanded special treatment after hours, I didn\u2019t expect the night to spiral into chaos. But the rules existed for a reason, and karma made sure she learned that the hard way.<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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The night had already been long, but I was unaware that it was about to be even longer because of an entitled guest. But what she didn\u2019t anticipate was that justice would be served short and sweet.<\/p>\n

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I was two hours past my shift, waiting for maintenance to finish some overdue repairs to the water filtration system near the pool pump. That\u2019s the only reason I was still on-site after closing up that fateful day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Normally, I\u2019d be home by 10:15 p.m., but my manager, Ray, had asked me to stick around in case the maintenance guy needed access to the storage closet that held the chemical logs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A pool maintenance man | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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By 9:55 p.m., I\u2019d already given the usual reminders to the pool guests. First, a friendly walk-by at 9:00 p.m., then a clearer announcement at 9:40, and one final \u201cfive minutes left\u201d at 9:55. Most people nodded, one or two grumbled, but they rounded up their kids and toweled off. One dad even thanked me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019d learned to give the guests, especially parents, early and repeated reminders when I was about to close the pool, because of past complaints. They\u2019d usually act surprised when I suddenly came just before 10 p.m. and told them I was locking up.<\/p>\n

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\"People<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

People in a pool | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Some people asked for an extension, some kids would cry, and some drunk guests would even put up a fight. So, the new method worked best and didn\u2019t cut too much into my knockoff time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But this time, Linda showed up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman with two children | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Linda was a guest, maybe in her early 40s, with sun-fried skin and a puffed-up red face that said she\u2019d had just enough chardonnay to think she was invincible. Her curly, frizzled hair was plastered flat from the chlorine, and she stomped up to me barefoot with a dripping child on each hip.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Her voice hit like nails on a whiteboard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe paid GOOD MONEY to be here! My kids want to continue swimming! You need to keep the pool open another hour!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I glanced at my watch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man looking at his watch | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m sorry, ma\u2019am. Pool closes at 10 p.m. sharp. It\u2019s policy, and we\u2019ve got cleaning and chemical treatment scheduled tonight. It\u2019s not safe to stay longer. Plus, there\u2019s usually noise complaints from other guests who are closer to the pool if it stays open too late.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Linda rolled her eyes and scoffed like I\u2019d asked her to leave a five-star dinner early. She was behaving like she owned the place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShow me something OFFICIAL. It doesn\u2019t make sense that I leave for five minutes to let the kids grab a bite to eat, then we come back and the pool is closed,\u201d she snapped, adjusting the sagging towel under her arm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She definitely wasn\u2019t gone for just five minutes, but I wasn\u2019t going to add more fuel to the fire. I gladly, and practically, skipped to the posted sign behind the entry gate and tapped it with one finger.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man pointing | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201c\u2018Pool Hours: 8 a.m. to DUSK,\u2019\u201d I read aloud.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat doesn\u2019t say 10 p.m.!\u201d she shrieked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo, but dusk is considered anywhere from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., depending on the time of year. We\u2019re giving folks a bonus hour, really,\u201d I said, smiling sweetly. \u201cHonestly, you\u2019re getting more than you paid for.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She didn\u2019t like that one bit! Her jaw clenched, and she huffed off, yelling to her children to follow her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An unhappy woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t think she\u2019d get far. I figured she\u2019d go back to her room, cool off, and curse me to her friends over a microwaved pizza. Instead, she stormed straight into the lobby and took aim at the front desk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I stayed out of it. Wasn\u2019t my circus, not my monkeys. But 10 minutes later, my radio buzzed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cUh, hey, Liam?\u201d It was Kyle, the new night clerk. He was barely 20, doe-eyed, way too eager to please, and apparently into saving desperate moms. \u201cSo, um, I gave Linda the gate key.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man handing over a key | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou what?!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe said her kids were crying. She promised they\u2019d only be in for 30 minutes. Said she\u2019d bring the key back right after.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDid you check with Ray?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo, he\u2019s off tonight. I just thought\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou thought wrong, dude,\u201d I muttered, then rubbed my eyes. \u201cAnd how did you give her the key if the spare key is with Ray, and I have the other one?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2014I thought,\u201d he began, but I cut him off, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s not my problem anymore, Kyle. You handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man on a hand-held radio | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I should\u2019ve walked away completely. Instead, I stuck around, arms crossed near the maintenance shed, pretending I didn\u2019t see a parade of beach towels march back through the now-unlocked gate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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They cannonballed into the water like it was the 4th of July.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I counted 10, maybe 12 kids and four moms, all splashing like maniacs before I sauntered away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But I soon heard that the laughter didn\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Kids<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Kids swimming | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cEWWWWW IT SMELLS!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMY SKIN BURNS!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I turned slowly, watching as Linda shot up from her lounge chair and ran toward the pool\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat the\u2014Kayla, get out! Get out now!\u201d she screamed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Too late. Every one of those kids was already in the middle of what we called a chlorine shock treatment. The same treatment I\u2019d already told her was scheduled for that night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Someone<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Someone in a pool | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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See, after hours, we dump in a high-concentration chemical mix. It takes four to six hours to balance out, depending on temperature and circulation. We post warning signs and lock the gate. That\u2019s why the policy exists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The chlorine is the kind of stuff that needs HOURS to settle, so the kids were going to stink for a while.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A child standing in water | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When panic set in, Linda marched off to Kyle, with teary kids in tow, yelling, \u201cWHO PUT CHEMICALS IN THE POOL?!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She screamed at him so much that when she demanded he give her my number, Kyle did just that!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Within an hour of getting back into the pool, Linda whipped her phone out like she was summoning a lightning bolt and called me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman on a call | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou did this on purpose! Where are you? Come back here!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMa\u2019am, what\u2019s wrong now?\u201d I asked, annoyed as I answered my phone from an unknown number, only to realize it was Linda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After she hysterically explained what happened, I replied, \u201cMa\u2019am, the pool closes at 10 p.m. We begin chemical treatment immediately after, every single night. I told you this earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man on a call | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She turned redder than the emergency flotation ring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI want the manager RIGHT NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe\u2019ll be in tomorrow at 8 a.m.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She stomped back toward the lobby, shrieking at Kyle and blaming everyone but herself. I arrived at the front desk just as my phone buzzed with a voicemail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A hotel front desk | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou petty little creep,\u201d her voice hissed through my headset. \u201cYou little brat, you never mentioned that the chemicals would be this bad! I let the kids go in because I thought you were bluffing! You\u2019re gonna pay! I\u2019m calling the police. I hope you like jail!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t respond. Just saved the voicemail and forwarded it to Ray, who was making his way to the hotel after being alerted about the situation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man driving | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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An hour later, two patrol cars rolled up. I watched from the break room window as Linda ranted dramatically on the curb, arms flailing, kids huddled in towels around her like damp ducklings. Kyle looked like he might pass out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When they asked for my statement, I showed them the voicemail, the schedule log, and most importantly, the security footage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A security camera | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Turns out, Kyle had given her the wrong gate key but didn\u2019t accompany her back to the pool. Technically, she wasn\u2019t supposed to have it unsupervised. It obviously didn\u2019t work, but in her drunk state, she\u2019d picked the lock to gain access.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She also hadn\u2019t returned the key, and at some point, she had actually yanked open the emergency override on the lock when the gate auto-latched behind one of the kids. That counted as tampering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A locked gate | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The icing on the cake? The camera by the pool caught her screaming at me over her phone. The audio was clear enough for the police to hear her threaten me twice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll ruin you,\u201d she\u2019d spat. \u201cI\u2019ll tell them you poisoned my kids!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One of the officers turned to her slowly after listening to the clip.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A policeman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMa\u2019am, are you aware that pool access is restricted after 10 p.m.?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI was given a key!\u201d she barked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut you tampered with the main lock and the emergency lock. That\u2019s considered unauthorized access,\u201d the officer replied, cool and direct.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She paled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut\u2014but I\u2014he\u2019s the one who\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another officer asked, \u201cAnd who initiated the idea of re-entering the pool after hours?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A diving board at a swimming pool at night | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She glanced at Kyle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He stared at his shoes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cLinda told me her husband was sick and the kids just needed to relax,\u201d he mumbled. \u201cI thought it would be okay for a few minutes. I didn\u2019t know the chemicals were already in.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I should\u2019ve felt bad for him, but I was too busy holding back a grin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man looking sad | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In the end, Linda was charged with trespassing and filing a false police report. Management banned her from the hotel chain. Her kids? Totally fine after a rinse and a glass of water. They experienced no burns, just itchy skin from jumping into a chlorine-heavy pool like it was bath time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I walked back to my office to clock out just as the officers were finishing up. Kyle trailed behind me, looking like a kicked puppy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A sad man | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHey,\u201d he said, barely above a whisper, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou\u2019re new. You\u2019ll learn. But don\u2019t ever hand over a key again without backup, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He nodded quickly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThanks for not throwing me under the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I shrugged. \u201cLinda did all that herself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We shared a small laugh before I added, \u201cNext time someone demands something unreasonable, just point to the sign.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Two<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Two happy men | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Entitled Guest Wanted Extra Time\u2014Then It Backfired When a hotel guest demanded special treatment after hours, I didn\u2019t expect the night to spiral into chaos. But the rules existed … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-life-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9179"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9183,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9179\/revisions\/9183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}