I supported Grace as we made our way to the economy-class seat that had originally been Belinda’s. I then swapped seats with the passenger next to her, allowing that passenger to move to first class.
It wasn’t long before the plane took off, and as soon as Grace sat down, she held my hand and thanked me.
“Thank you so much for earlier. I don’t know what I would have done without you. I’m at an age where my health isn’t what it used to be—especially my heart. I get so anxious and get palpitations in cramped, crowded spaces. I feel so much at ease with you by my side.
“You see, my grandson is quite well-off, so if there’s anything you ever need, please don’t hesitate to ask. If it’s in our power, we’ll make it happen.”
I listened as Grace talked, eventually waving my hand to refuse her offer. “It’s alright, ma’am. It was really no trouble at all. You shouldn’t blame yourself. The blame lies entirely with those people and their lack of basic decency.”
I then opened my hand to show her the pearls I had managed to gather from the floor earlier. “I found a few more for you. I’m actually quite handy with crafts, so I’ll help you re-string the necklace in a bit.”
Grace’s eyes welled up with unshed tears again once she noticed the pearls in my hand. “Thank you so much. I truly have no idea how I’ll ever be able to repay you for this…”
I took the rest of the pearls from her and changed the subject with a smile, but before long, the man who had swapped seats with me suddenly returned. “Your husband refuses to let me take your seat, so would you mind going over there and having a word with him?”
I was stunned. I went back to first class with the passenger and noticed Lucius occupying my seat with a dark, brooding expression.
Lucius glanced up as I approached. His voice dripped with irony as he said, “I honestly don’t get you, Zoe. You’re willing to give up your seat for a complete stranger, yet you refused to give it to Belinda, even though she’s pregnant.”
I had no idea what kind of game he was playing this time. “Isn’t this my seat? I have every right to swap with anyone I please.”
Lucius snapped, “I’m the one who paid for these tickets, so no one is taking this seat without my permission!”
I was beyond words at that point. I really couldn’t be bothered to keep fighting him over this, so I just walked over to where Belinda was lying down. “You should take my seat if that’s the case. I’m giving you both exactly what you want. Is that good enough for you?”
Belinda put on her panicked act again. “What’s that supposed to mean, Zoe? Lucius and I are just friends. I have a husband and a baby on the way! Why do you insist on doubting me and making my life so miserable, Zoe?”
She burst into a fit of sobbing before I could get a word in. “You would always turn around and text me, calling me a shameless homewrecker if I so much as talk to Lucius. You would leave thumbtacks right in front of my door whenever Lucius gives me a ride home.
“You even poured oil on the floor when you saw him helping me up the stairs once. I nearly had a terrible fall because of you!”
Belinda was a wreck. Tears were streaming down her face in a hauntingly convincing performance. She was, however, framing me for things I hadn’t even thought of doing, let alone actually carried out.
In the cabin, the other passengers started whispering among themselves, casting judgmental looks and pointing in my direction.
“It’s no wonder she wouldn’t give up her seat. It turns out she’s just a spiteful person who’s been bullying that poor woman on purpose.”
“Isn’t that poor woman already married and expecting? How could the other woman still act so paranoid and insecure about her husband? She’s bound to develop persecutory delusions sooner or later!”
There was also a passenger who went as far as to pull out their phone, pointing the camera directly at my face. “Did you hear that, everyone? There’s some piping hot tea today! I can’t believe we’ve still got these kinds of toxic, entitled wives running around in this day and age!”
I was absolutely furious. I reached out for Belinda to confront her, but before I could, someone caught my forearm, stopping me dead in my tracks.
Without any hesitation, Lucius slapped me across the face. “I had no idea you were capable of this, Zoe! I had no idea you were doing all these horrible things to Belinda when I wasn’t looking. I must have been blind to ever marry such a malicious woman like you!”
I was hurled to the floor by his sheer strength. I instinctively reached out to catch myself, but I only succeeded in sweeping the tableware off the stand. The tableware shattered when they fell, sending red wine splashing all over my clothes.
I was still dazed and lightheaded from the fall when I looked up to see an elderly silhouette positioning itself as a barrier before me. “I won’t let you hurt her!”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
