My smug husband booked first class tickets for himself and his mother, leaving me and the kids in economy class.
But I didn’t let him enjoy his luxurious trip in peace.
I made sure his ‘pampered’ experience was a bit of a frazzle, and turned his flight into an unforgettable lesson.
My name is Sophie, and let me tell you about my husband Clark.
He’s a typical workaholic, always stressed and seems to think his job is the most important thing in the world.
Of course, I understand that, but being a mother is far from a holiday either.
But this time? This time he’s really outdone himself.
Are you ready?
We were flying to his family to spend the holidays and hoping to get some rest.
The goal was to create some fond memories with the kids.
Clark volunteered to book the tickets, and I thought, ‘Great, one less thing to worry about.’
But I had no idea what was in store for me.
As we walked through the crowded airport with our baby and a bag of nappies, I asked Clark where our seats were.
He barely looked away from his phone and mumbled something unintelligible.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Finally he put the phone away and smiled awkwardly.
‘I managed to get an upgrade to first class for me and Mum. You know how hard she takes long flights, and I really need the rest…’
My jaw dropped.
An upgrade for him and his mum? And I was supposed to suffer with the kids in economy class?
I couldn’t believe such insolence.
‘Let me get this straight,’ I hissed. ‘You and your mother are sitting in first class, and I’m in economy class with the kids?’
He shrugged, ignoring my anger.
‘It’s only a few hours, Sophie. You’ll be fine.’
At that moment, his mother Nadia walked up with designer luggage and a smug smile.
‘Oh, Clark! Ready for our luxury flight?’ – she purred, clearly pleased with her ‘victory’.
They headed for the first class lounge, leaving me with two cranky kids and a burning desire for revenge.
‘Luxurious it sure is going to be,’ I muttered to myself while an idea was already maturing in my head.
When we finally got on the plane, the contrast between first class and economy was more than obvious.
Clark and Nadia were already sipping champagne while I tried to place our carry-on baggage on a shelf.
Our five-year-old son whined: ‘Mummy, I want to sit next to Daddy!’
I forced myself to smile. ‘Not this time, honey. Daddy and Grandma sit in a special part of the plane.’
‘Why can’t we sit there too?’ – He asked.
I muttered quietly: ‘Because Daddy’s an idiot.’
But I wasn’t going to just leave it at that.
Oh, no.
Luckily, I had a trump card up my sleeve.
Earlier, at the security check, I had secretly removed his wallet from his carry-on and put it in my bag.
He didn’t even notice.
While I calmed the kids down, I cast a glance towards first class, where Clark was leaning back in his seat relaxedly and looking all too pleased with himself.
A smile spread across my face.
What happens next is going to be interesting.
Two hours into the flight, the kids fell asleep and I had a moment of calm.
That’s when I noticed the stewardess bringing haute cuisine to first class.
Clark spared no expense and ordered the most expensive dishes on the menu.
He was enjoying the pure luxury world.
But then, about 30 minutes later, I saw it – a moment of panic.
Clark was frantically going through his pockets and his face went pale when he realised his wallet was gone.
The stewardess was standing nearby, waiting for payment.
I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I saw Clark gesticulating vigorously and trying to explain something.
‘But I swear I had him… Is there any way we can work this out?’
I relaxed back in my chair and started gnawing on my popcorn.
It was better than any in-flight entertainment programme.
Finally, Clark returned to economy class and took a seat next to me.
‘Sophie,’ he whispered with desperation, ’I can’t find my wallet. Can you lend me some money?’
I looked at him with a most sympathetic look.
‘Oh, no! How much do you need?’
‘About $1500…’ – He muttered, clearly embarrassed.
I almost choked on my water.
‘Fifteen hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Did you order the whole menu?’
‘Look, it doesn’t matter right now,’ he hissed.
‘Do you have that money or not?’
I pretended to carefully rummage through my bag.
‘Let’s see… I have about $200. Will that help?’
The look of desperation on his face was priceless.
‘Should be enough.’
As he turned to leave, I sweetly christened him, ‘Maybe your mum can help. She probably has a credit card.’
The look on his face spoke volumes.
Asking his mother for help was the last thing he wanted to do.
The rest of the flight?
Deliciously awkward.
Clark and Nadia sat in icy silence, their first class experience utterly ruined.
And I was enjoying my seat in economy class with a new sense of satisfaction.
As we prepared to board, Clark made one last attempt to find his wallet.
‘Have you seen it? I can’t find it anywhere.’
I made an innocent face.
‘Are you sure you didn’t leave it at home?’
Irritated, he ran his hands through his hair.
‘This is a nightmare.’
‘Well,’ I said, patting his arm, ’at least you enjoyed first class, right?’
The grim look on his face was priceless.
After boarding, Clark was still grumbling about his missing wallet.
I carelessly closed my bag, in which his wallet was safely tucked away.
I wasn’t going to return it to him right away.
As we walked out of the airport building, I couldn’t contain a slight feeling of joy.
A little creative justice hadn’t hurt anyone yet, had it?
Maybe next time Clark would think twice before getting an upgrade and leaving me behind.
So, dear travellers, if your partner ever tries to leave you in economy class while he himself enjoys first class, remember: a little clever revenge can make any flight a winner!
