The roar of the airplane engines faded into the background as I stepped off the plane, two tired toddlers clinging to my legs. I scanned the crowd, expecting to see Tom, my husband, his familiar smile a welcome sight after a long flight. But he wasn’t there.
I called him, my heart sinking with each unanswered ring. Finally, he picked up, his voice casual, almost breezy. “Hey, honey! How was the flight?”
“Where are you?” I asked, my voice tight. “You were supposed to pick us up.”
“Oh, right!” he said, a hint of sheepishness in his tone. “Mike called. He’s in town, and we decided to grab a drink. Just for a few hours. You can manage, right?”
“Manage?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Tom, I have two toddlers, a stroller, and three heavy suitcases. I can’t ‘just manage’!”
“Come on, it’s just for a few hours. You can manage,” he replied again, dismissing my concerns with a wave of his voice.
I hung up, my anger a burning ember in my chest. He had abandoned me, his family, for a few hours of drinks with a friend. I felt a surge of resentment, a feeling that had been simmering for years, now boiling over.
The next few hours were a blur of chaos. I struggled to wrangle the kids, their tired whines echoing through the airport. I wrestled the stroller, a monstrous contraption designed to fold with the dexterity of a Rubik’s Cube, and lugged the suitcases, each one a testament to the sheer volume of “essential” items toddlers require.
By the time I finally made it home, I was exhausted, my body aching, my patience frayed. But as I collapsed onto the couch, a plan began to form in my mind. Tom had underestimated me. He had assumed I would simply accept his dismissive attitude, his blatant disregard for my time and effort. He was wrong.
The next day, I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. I packed a small bag, kissed the kids goodbye, and left a note on the kitchen table.
“Gone to visit a friend. Will be back when I feel like it. You can manage, right?”
I drove to a nearby spa, a place I had always wanted to visit but never had the time or money for. I spent the day indulging in massages, facials, and manicures, reveling in the quiet solitude.
I turned off my phone, ignoring the barrage of calls and texts from Tom. I wanted him to experience what I had experienced: the feeling of being abandoned, of being taken for granted.
The next day, I went shopping, buying myself a new outfit, a pair of designer shoes, and a luxurious handbag. I spent the evening at a fancy restaurant, savoring a delicious meal and a glass of wine.
I returned home late that night, to find Tom pacing the living room, his face etched with worry. The kids were asleep, the house a mess.
“Where have you been?” he demanded, his voice laced with anxiety.
“Out,” I replied, my voice cool.
“Out? All day? All night?”
“Yes,” I said, “I needed some time to myself.”
“But… but the kids,” he stammered. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“You managed,” I said, a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with confusion and a dawning realization. “You… you did this on purpose.”
“Yes, Tom,” I said, “I did. I wanted you to understand what it feels like to be left alone, to be taken for granted.”
He looked down at his feet, shamefaced. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t think…”
“That’s the problem, Tom,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “You didn’t think. You assumed I would always be there, always manage, no matter what.”
He nodded, his eyes filled with remorse. “I understand,” he said. “I won’t do it again.”
I looked at him, searching his eyes for sincerity. I saw genuine regret, a flicker of understanding.
“Good,” I said. “Because I won’t tolerate it again.”
From that day on, Tom was a changed man. He became more attentive, more considerate, more appreciative of my time and effort. He learned that partnership meant sharing the load, not dumping it all on one person.
And I learned that sometimes, a little bit of payback can go a long way in teaching a valuable lesson.
Woman tries to take her seat on a plane – but she refuses, and what happens next has the internet is divided
Not everyone finds flying to be a pleasurable experience. Some make care to take precautions for their comfort before they leave on their journey. However, not everyone pays attention to the same item.
This woman traveled with knowledge of her needs and fulfilled them. Others, nevertheless, did not share that perspective.
Both physically and symbolically, a woman found herself in a very unpleasant situation. She struggled to put her comfort before what society expected of her. She had to decide whether to be giving or assertive about her personal space.
In order to spend Christmas with her family, she was traveling across the nation. She was aware that she needed to feel comfortable when flying. She always reserves an additional seat on a flight because of her stature. She always pays more to make sure she’s comfortable.
She breezed through security and boarding, and everything about the check-in happened without a hitch. The terrible encounter started just when she settled into her seat. Sitting next to her was a mom and her eighteen-month-old child. When she noticed that one seat was empty, she asked the woman to quickly make room for her toddler by squeezing herself onto one seat. She declined, though, since the original occupant had paid for both seats.
A flight attendant saw that the encounter was getting attention and stopped by to find out more. The flight attendant was asked if she could accommodate the youngster after the scenario was described to her. The woman respectfully rejected and reiterated that she had paid for both seats in full.
Thankfully, the flight attendant understood and told the mother to place her child on her lap, as is customary for most youngsters of that age. However, the mother made care to give the woman unpleasant stares and passive-aggressive comments during the trip.
The woman subsequently questioned whether she had been unjust in their exchange and ought to have granted her extra seat. She asked the Reddit community if she had made a mistake.
“I’ve taken 9-hour flights with an infant in my arms and shorter flights with a toddler in my lap, who was capable of sitting in his own seat and very much did not want me to hold him,” wrote one response, a woman who had experienced a similar circumstance. Was it a disaster? Indeed. However, that was just my issue, and I decided to hold my child as long as he was under 24 months old and I wasn’t required to pay for his seat. Not every parent is this entitled, I promise!
“She’s wrong for not buying a seat for her son and assuming someone else would give up a seat they paid for,” said an additional commenter. It’s likely that she took use of the lap thing as a loophole and hoped there would be spare seats available on the aircraft to avoid paying.
Another enraged Redditor said, “I’d go so far as making a complaint to the airline about their employee supporting another passenger harassing you.”
“You should always do what you can to be as healthy as you can, but being fat isn’t a character flaw or a moral failing,” remarked another irate user. Even if you aren’t currently reaching your goals, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your body or yourself because everyone has their own struggles in life. The mother ought to have bought an additional seat if she wanted one for her children. She has no right to the seat you bought, and you shouldn’t feel sorry for her inappropriate actions.
However, others could also be able to understand the mother’s desire for a comfortable flight. If that had been crucial to her, though, she would have made sure to secure her child’s seat first.
In this exchange, who do you believe is in the right? Tell us in the comments below! Talk about this with others so they can add their thoughts as well.
Leave a Reply