When I went out of my way to get one of the best seats on my flight, I didn’t expect to be swindled out of it by a manipulative couple. But what they didn’t know was that they messed with the wrong person, and in the end, I was the victor!
As soon as I settled into my aisle seat, feeling quite pleased with the extra legroom I had carefully selected for this long flight, I noticed a couple approaching. Little did I know that my interaction with them would lead to me teaching them an important lesson. Here’s my tale that can teach you how to stand up for yourself against bullies. Read on…
A woman at the airport | Source: Midjourney
The woman who approached me was in her late thirties, dressed in a designer outfit that screamed wealth. But her expression was anything but pleasant. Her husband, tall and broad-shouldered, walked slightly behind her with an air of arrogance that matched her demeanor.
They stopped right next to me, and the woman’s eyes zeroed in on my seat. Without so much as a polite greeting and while exuding entitlement, she rudely demanded, “You need to switch seats with me. I accidentally booked the wrong seat, and I refuse to sit away from my husband.”
A mean couple trying to swindle a premium airplane seat | Source: Midjourney
I blinked, taken aback by her tone. She spoke as if her mistake was somehow MY problem to fix! I glanced at her boarding pass, which confirmed my suspicion. It was a middle seat in row 12, not even close to the premium one I had chosen!
When I didn’t immediately comply, the woman rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Come on, it’s just a seat. YOU don’t need all that space,” she scoffed dismissively at my hesitation, her tone dripping with condescension.
A rude and arrogant woman on a plane | Source: Midjourney
Her husband, standing behind her with his arms crossed, smirked as he added, “Yeah, be reasonable. We need to sit together, and you don’t really need to be up here, do you?”
The audacity of their request left me momentarily speechless. They were clearly arrogant and hadn’t even bothered to ask nicely. They just assumed I would give in to their demands. I could feel the other passengers’ eyes on us, some curious, others sympathetic.
I took a deep breath, weighing my options. A confrontation wasn’t something I wanted to deal with, especially not at the start of a six-hour flight.
An upset woman sitting in her seat | Source: Midjourney
“Alright,” I said with as much calm as I could muster. Standing up, I handed over my boarding pass while trying hard to hide my irritation. “Enjoy the seat,” I told them without meaning it.
The woman snatched the ticket from my hand with a satisfied smirk. She muttered something under her breath about people in premium seats being “So selfish.” Her husband supported her by saying, “Someone like her doesn’t even need it.”
A happy couple sitting on a plane | Source: Midjourney
As I made my way toward the back of the plane, where her assigned seat was, I could feel my blood boiling. But I wasn’t one to make a scene. I had a better idea. Just as I approached row 12, a flight attendant, who had been watching the whole exchange, intercepted me.
She leaned in, her voice low as she whispered, “MA’AM, YOU DO REALIZE THIS WAS A SCAM, RIGHT? THEY TRICKED YOU OUT OF YOUR BETTER SEAT! THEY’RE BOTH MEANT TO BE IN ROW 12!”
I smiled at her, the anger simmering down to a cool resolve. “I know. But I’m about to turn the tables.”
A woman talking to a flight attendant | Source: Midjourney
“I actually have a little trick up MY sleeve. Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” I said as I winked.
The flight attendant raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t press further as she quickly put two and two together and tried stifling a laugh. She directed me to my new seat. So, as soon as I reached my middle seat and sat down, I started forming my plan.
The premium seat had been booked using my frequent flyer miles, and with that came certain privileges that most passengers wouldn’t be aware of. I knew exactly what to do to teach those two bullies a lesson they’d never forget…
A woman plotting while sitting in her seat | Source: Midjourney
My middle seat in row 12 wasn’t close to being as comfortable as the premium one I had given up, but I knew it would all be worth it. I allowed the mean couple to enjoy the seat and think they’d won.
About an hour into the flight, when the cabin had settled into a comfortable hum of quiet conversations and the occasional clink of glasses, I signaled for the flight attendant who had spoken to me earlier. She approached, and I asked to speak with the chief purser.
A flight attendant talking to a passenger | Source: Midjourney
She nodded with a knowing smile and disappeared, returning moments later with a woman who exuded authority.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. I understand there was an issue with your seating,” the chief purser said, her voice professional but warm.
I explained my situation calmly, emphasizing how I had been moved from my premium seat due to the couple’s deception. The purser listened carefully, her expression serious.
When I finished, she nodded and said, “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Please give me a moment.”
A chief purser talking to a passenger | Source: Midjourney
I noticed a few passengers paying close attention to what was happening. They must have figured that I was retaliating in some way and didn’t want to miss anything. They hilariously kept throwing glances in my direction and at the departing purser.
When the head stewardess walked away, she left me wondering what my next move should be. A few minutes later, she returned, but instead of an apology, she offered me a choice.
A chief purser talking to a passenger | Source: Midjourney
“Ma’am, you have two options. You can either return to your original seat, or we can compensate you for the inconvenience with a significant amount of airline miles, equal to upgrades on your next three flights.”
I pretended to consider it, but I already knew what I wanted. “I’ll take the miles,” I said, smiling inwardly at the thought of the extra benefits this would bring. I knew fully well that the miles were worth far more than the price difference between premium and economy on this flight.
A woman thinking | Source: Midjourney
The purser smiled and made a note on her tablet. “It’s done. And as a token of goodwill, we’ve upgraded your next flight to first class.”
“Thank you,” I replied, genuinely pleased. As she walked away, I settled back into my seat, a sense of satisfaction washing over me. I knew the couple up front had no idea what was coming.
The flight continued without incident until we began our descent. That’s when I noticed a flurry of activity around row 3, where the couple sat. The chief purser, accompanied by another flight attendant had made their way to them, their expressions serious.
A chief purser and a flight attendant walking together | Source: Midjourney
“Excuse me, Mr. Williams and MISS Broadbent,” the purser began, her tone no longer friendly. She pronounced the woman’s title with emphasis, making it clear to all aboard that the couple weren’t even married!
“We need to address an issue with your seats,” she continued looking quite stern.
Broadbent’s smile faltered, and Williams looked genuinely puzzled.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice tinged with irritation.
Shocked passengers | Source: Midjourney
The purser glanced at her tablet before continuing. “We’ve been informed that you manipulated another passenger into switching seats with you, which is a violation of our airline’s policy. This is a serious offense.”
The color drained from the woman’s face, and she stammered, “But… but we didn’t do anything wrong! We just asked to switch seats!”
“Unfortunately,” the purser interrupted, “we have clear reports of your behavior. Upon landing, you’ll need to go with security for further questioning.”
A serious chief purser talking to passengers | Source: Midjourney
All the passengers had wide eyes as they absorbed all the drama!
“Also, lying about being married when you are not to manipulate other passengers, is problematic in its own way. Additionally, due to this breach, you will be placed on our airline’s no-fly list pending an investigation,” the purser continued.
Williams opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. The flight attendants, already poised to act, ushered them out of their seats and toward the back of the plane. As they were escorted, Broadbent felt the need to defend herself.
An angry passenger shouting on a plane | Source: Midjourney
“I might not be his wife now, but I will be in a few months! He is going to divorce his wife to be with me!” she yelled frantically.
A collective shock settled among all of us as we realized the two were having an affair!
The crew took them where they would be the first to be escorted off by airport security.
As I gathered my belongings after landing, I couldn’t resist glancing at the couple one last time. Their smug expressions were gone, replaced by a mix of anger and humiliation.
A happy woman gathering her luggage before disembarking from a plane | Source: Midjourney
They had lost more than just a seat as they were now facing consequences that would follow them long after this flight. Walking through the airport, I couldn’t help but smile to myself.
In my 33 years of life, I’ve realized that sometimes, getting even isn’t about making a big spectacle to get your way; it’s about patiently watching those who think they’ve won realize just how badly they’ve lost!
Newborn Baby Cries All Day No Matter What Parents Do, after a While They Check His Crib – Story of the Day
Walter returns home from work to find his baby son crying. His wife has tried everything to quiet their son, but nothing works. Walter decides to check the crib and is shocked by what he finds there.
An ear-splitting wail echoed through the house as Walter entered from the garage. His wife, Abby, sat in the kitchen, and by the distressed look on her face, he knew Logan’s cries were bothering her again.
“Oh, honey,” he says and hugs her from behind. “How long has he been crying like that?”
“I’ve tried everything, Walter!” Abby broke down into sobs. “He’s been fed, changed, bathed, and burped! I even took his temperature! I don’t know what to do now. He keeps crying!”
After becoming parents a month ago, everything in the couple’s lives changed. And if there was something that really distressed Walter, it was Logan’s cries.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Come, we’ll figure this out together,” Walter said and took Abby to Logan’s room.
He cheerfully approached Logan’s crib. But all he saw in the crib was a dictaphone and a note. Walter pressed the stop button on the dictaphone, and Logan’s cries stopped.
“What did you do?” Abby called from behind. Walter wasn’t listening. He held the note and zoned out. It wasn’t until Abby snatched the note from his hand and opened it that he realized what had occurred.
“I warned you that you’d regret being rude to me.
If you want to see your baby again, leave $200,000 in the luggage storage lockers near the pier.
If you go to the police, you’ll never see him again.”
“Oh my God!” Abby gasped. “What does it mean? Was I rude to someone? Were you? Who would kidnap Logan?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Walter recalled the janitor he’d mistreated at the maternity hospital. He was bringing a cute bear-shaped pot for Abby while she was admitted to the hospital, but the pot broke when he tripped over the janitor’s broom.
Furious, Walter called the man awful names, and the janitor said, “You’ll regret it!”
“We’ll have to go to the police, honey,” Walter said, snapping out of his thoughts. “It must be him!”
“What? The note says we’ll never see Logan again if we go to the police, Walter. We should just pay the ransom!”
“We don’t know if he’ll return Logan if we do that. Think about it, honey. This guy is a janitor… there’s no way he’d know if we went to the police, and since we know where he works, they might be able to go straight to the maternity hospital, arrest him, and bring Logan home to us.”
Abby agreed.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Walter parked their car outside the station. He and Abby were about to exit the vehicle when Walter’s phone buzzed with a message.
“This is your first and last warning. If you enter that police station, your kid’s going into the bay. Get the money to the location mentioned below.”
Abby gasped as she read the message, and Walter looked around, trying to spot the kidnapper. But there were too many people. The only way to rescue Logan now was to pay the ransom.
Walter decided to drive to the bank right away, but Abby’s condition deteriorated. She threw up once and was about to throw up for a second time. It was better to drive her home, Walter decided.
“Don’t hate me for it, honey, but that’s the best for you,” he said. And Abby didn’t protest.
“Fine…But Walter…does that kidnapper even know about caring for a newborn?” she asked and broke down into tears.
Walter said nothing and drove her home. But his imagination wasn’t immune to dark thoughts. He kept imagining Logan in a dark room, crying for help that never came.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Somehow pulling himself together, Walter drove to the bank. Then he visited the storage locker mentioned by the kidnapper and placed the money inside it.
There were too many people around for him to spot the janitor, but Walter knew he would be somewhere nearby, watching him. So Walter returned to his car, drove a short distance, and parked around the lockers again. It wasn’t long before he spotted the janitor from the maternity hospital.
The janitor opened the locker. Walter sat up straighter, but then a tourist group walked past, hiding the janitor from view.
“Move it!” Walter snapped.
Painful minutes stretched out as the tourists headed toward one of the statues. After the last few people in the group eventually passed the lockers, Walter swore. The janitor had disappeared.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Walter barely dared to breathe as he scanned the crowd. The man had been wearing the sort of flashy shirt sold in the more eclectic, hippie-themed stores, so he shouldn’t have been hard to spot.
There! A wave of relief washed over him as Walter spotted the janitor crossing the road. He was carrying the bag of money Walter had placed in the locker. Walter leaped from his car and followed him.
The man led him around a parking lot, past a variety of restaurants and several museums before he turned into a bus station. They were heading toward another row of lockers.
The janitor placed the bag inside a locker. When he turned around, Walter was ready. He shoved the janitor up against the lockers and held him there with his forearm.
“Where is my son?” Walter demanded. “I’ve done everything you asked, you jerk; now return Logan to me!”
“Look, I was offered $100 to collect the package and then drop it off here,” the man said. “I don’t know about your son!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Don’t you dare lie!”
“I’m not! Some guy paid me to deliver the package! I ran into him in the parking lot after work one day, but he was standing with the light behind him, so I didn’t see his face. I have two kids of my own. I’d never hurt someone else’s child.”
Something about the janitor’s eyes told Walter the older man wasn’t lying. He let the man go, then opened the locker. But it was empty. Somebody had cut a hole in the back.
Walter jogged around to the back of the lockers. The hole was covered from the back with a thin steel plate, loosely secured by two screws. Nobody around was carrying a bag like the one he’d placed the money into.
Walter didn’t know how to break the news to Abby. Logan was their miracle baby. They’d been struggling for years before they conceived him. And now, he had lost his only chance to get Logan back.
Walter entered his home. He checked all the rooms downstairs but didn’t find Abby anywhere. He went upstairs to check their bedroom and noticed Abby’s things were gone.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
At first, Walter suspected she was kidnapped. He called her. Countless times. But she never answered. Then it dawned on him that the kidnapper wouldn’t have taken all of Abby’s things. Even her hand lotion was missing.
Walter was crushed, to say the least. How could Abby do this to them? No wonder she’d been so eager to return home after feeling sick. She had also insisted they pay the ransom. Abby was Logan’s kidnapper. Did she have an accomplice?
The only thing that consoled Walter’s heart was that the ransom money was fake. He would find a way to get his son back.
Walter drove to the maternity hospital where Logan was born, and near the vending machine, he found the man he was looking for—a doctor.
“Hi,” Walter approached him. “I hope you can help me. I need someone to call my wife—”
“I’m not a phone service,” the doctor replied sharply.
“You don’t understand. I’m willing to pay you handsomely for your assistance, doctor, and your silence.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The doctor studied Walter through narrowed eyes. He slowly smiled as Walter explained his situation and told him what he wanted the doctor to tell Abby.
Walter then retrieved his wallet and furtively showed the doctor the dollar bills inside it. The man nodded. “Okay, we have a deal. Come with me!”
Walter followed the doctor to a nurse’s station on the second floor. All the nurses were checking on their patients, judging by the activity in the hallways. Nobody took much notice as the doctor lifted the phone and dialed Abby’s number.
“Good morning, Mrs. Taylor; this is Dr. Jones from the maternity hospital. I’m calling to inform you that we just discovered something very serious in one of the routine tests we performed on your son after he was born. He needs to come in for treatment immediately.”
Walter heard Abby’s emotional outcry from the other side of the nurse’s station but couldn’t make out her exact words.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t discuss the details over the phone. All I can say for now is that he has a rare genetic condition. I’m sure he does seem fine now, but that could change at any moment. He’s at a higher risk for SIDS and several other life-threatening conditions. You really need to bring him in today, Mrs. Taylor.”
Dr. Jones ended the call a few minutes later and showed Walter a thumbs-up.
“She’s going to bring the baby in ASAP.” Dr. Jones held out his hand and wriggled his fingers. “I did my bit. Now it’s time for you to pay up.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Walter paid the doctor and went back downstairs. He wandered around for a few minutes before his phone started ringing. His lip curled in disgust when he checked the caller ID.
“You have some nerve to phone me after what you did, Abby,” Walter said. “Where’s Logan? I demand you bring him back.”
“Says the man who doesn’t even care enough about him to pay the ransom!” Abby shrieked. “That money was all fake, you tight-fisted jerk. Logan needs to see a doctor urgently, and I can’t take him because of you. Where’s the real money, Walter?”
“In my account, where it’s been all along. What’s wrong with Logan, or is this just another scheme to get my money?”
Abby swore at him and began to cry. “I told you; he’s sick! You’ve got to send me the money so he can receive treatment. He’ll die without it.”
“I won’t let my son die! I’ll pay,” Walter replied and hung up.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Hearing Abby confirm she was behind Logan’s kidnapping broke his heart all over again. It took a few minutes before he pulled himself together enough to send her an immediate payment via his money transfer app. Now, all he had to do was wait.
***
Tears trailed down Walter’s cheeks when his little brother, James, entered the hospital with Abby. James held Logan against his chest while Abby spoke to the receptionist.
It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion as the police officers and FBI agents came forward and surrounded Abby and James. Walter had informed the cops beforehand.
“You’re under arrest for kidnapping!” an FBI agent called out. “Hand the child over, nice and slowly, and raise your hands.”
“Get away from us!” Abby shrieked as she moved to stand between the FBI agent and Logan. “My son is sick. He needs to see a doctor.”
“No, he isn’t,” Walter called out as he approached the group. “There’s nothing wrong with Logan at all.”
Abby’s gaze locked onto him. Walter watched as the fear and uncertainty in her eyes shifted into red-hot fury. She rushed forward as though to attack him. But the police tackled her. She and James were arrested.
Walter hugged his son, relieved to have him back. But Abby wasn’t done yet.
“You think you’ve won? Logan isn’t even yours! You couldn’t get me pregnant, remember? But whatever’s wrong with you clearly doesn’t run in the family!” she yelled.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Walter froze. He looked at his brother, who wouldn’t even raise his head to look at him. It pained Walter. But nothing mattered because he had Logan with him.
“I will adopt him if that’s what I have to do!” he shot back. “I will watch him grow up while you two rot behind bars!” he said and left with Logan.
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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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