Chapter 6098

Jacob was grappling with a profound sense of loss, his reluctance evident in his demeanor. Despite his hesitation, there was no alternative. The person he was searching for had already departed, leaving him without a chance to track them down. In his despair, he resigned himself to enduring this setback and followed Charlie and Claire to the airport. Elaine, too, appeared disheartened, muttering under her breath, “This is unbelievable. I have never experienced such a setback. Back in the day, I would have opened my window and lashed out at the entire neighborhood, and I wouldn't have lost face. Yet today, I’ve been wronged by this fool. It’s infuriating!" Claire, aware of her mother's temperament, tried to soothe her. “Mom, it's just a minor issue. Try not to dwell on it too much. Remember, we’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves on this trip.” Elaine grumbled, “I overheard that dog couple saying they’re heading to the Maldives too. They can’t be on the same flight as us, can they?” Charlie replied casually, “There isn’t a daily direct flight from Aurous Hill to the Maldives. It’s peak season for tropical destinations, so there’s only one flight available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. After the New Year, international travel declines, and those flights will be suspended.” Elaine gasped in surprise, “Are you saying they must be on the same flight as us?” “Yes,” Charlie smiled, “If they’re really going to the Maldives, they will definitely be on the same flight.” Jacob grumbled angrily, “What terrible luck! Why do we have to share a plane with them?” Elaine shot Jacob a disdainful glance, retorting, “What’s there to fear? It’s actually better that we’re on the same flight! I won’t let that loss go unchallenged. Once we’re on the plane, I’m getting my revenge!” Claire was alarmed and quickly grabbed her arm, earnestly urging her, “Please, don’t be reckless. This is different from being on the ground; any trouble on a plane can escalate dramatically. Plus, every flight has a safety officer—essentially an air marshal. If you cause a scene, you could end up in serious trouble.” Elaine scoffed, “They can arrest me if they want. Do you know what nickname your mother has?” At this thought, Elaine recalled her infamous days at Bedford Correctional Institue. Even now, her reputation still echoed within the walls of the correctional facility, renowned and infamous. Claire found herself at a loss for words. Her mother had already faced prison time and had traveled to various places, enduring considerable hardships; scaring her with talk of safety officers on airplanes wouldn’t faze her. In defeat, Claire resolved that she would keep a close watch on her mother from then on. If Elaine engaged in any outrageous behavior, she would need to intervene promptly. This was her first trip abroad with Charlie, and she was determined that nothing would allow her mother’s wild personality to ruin their experience. The four of them entered the airport, and after going through security and customs, they reached the first-class lounge of the airline. The lounge, lavishly decorated, wasn’t crowded; the lack of people was due to the exclusivity of the first-class area compared to the general VIP lounge, which was accessible only to business class passengers or regular airline members. The first-class lounge catered specifically to those who paid tens of thousands for transoceanic flights.

Once they presented their boarding passes, the young airport staff escorted them to a plush sofa area inside. Coincidentally, a middle-aged man and a young woman were already there, having breakfast. The sight of their rivals ignited Elaine’s competitive spirit. Spotting them, she rolled up her sleeves and marched right over. The middle-aged man seemed taken aback by her abrupt entrance, considering that tickets from Aurous Hill to Male, the Maldives' capital, cost nearly $70,000 each. He thought to himself, “This is outrageous; spending $140,000 on airfare is painful. Who would have guessed that this old loser’s family of four could afford first-class tickets? They must have some backbone!” Noticing that Elaine hadn’t taken a seat, Claire rushed toward Elaine. However, Elaine deftly brushed her off and broke free from Claire’s grasp, striding confidently towards them. The middle-aged couple was thoroughly enjoying their meal. With an impressive spread laid out on their table, the woman eagerly snapped photos from various angles, preparing to share them online. The man, upon seeing Elaine approach, instantly set down his chopsticks, eyeing her warily, unsure of her intentions. Elaine, now standing before them, deliberately slowed her pace, halting a meter away, feeling safer at a distance. Jacob, anxious she might get hurt, quickly interjected, “Wait for me, I’ll come with you!” Elaine waved him off dismissively, “No way, I am handling this solo today!” With arms crossed, she muttered disdainfully, “Oh, so is this their first time in first class? It’s like they’ve never encountered anything before. They took an entire table for themselves—do they genuinely think they can recoup the cost of a breakfast?” The middle-aged man was momentarily taken aback, grappling with the sheer volume of food on their table, which his newlywed wife had insisted on ordering. Though he had reservations, she went on to load up on various dishes, from pastries to shrimp dumplings, and even ordered two bowls of wonton noodles from the kitchen. Knowing his wife couldn’t possibly finish all that food, he focused instead on documenting their lavish meal for social media while feeling rather speechless at Elaine’s mockery. The woman beside him raised her head, looking at Elaine with disdain, “It’s you again! I spent my money—what do you care how much I take?” Elaine rolled her eyes and responded, “Oh, I’m well aware. You just want to take pretty pictures and show off on your social media, right? How many times have you been in first class?” The woman shot back angrily, “I’ve flown first class many times! What’s it to you? Besides, my husband used to fly business jets; this time, he didn’t bother getting in touch with you poor folks to share first class!” “Oh, please!” Elaine exclaimed, whipping out her phone with a mocking gaze. “Look at you, bragging without substance! It’s obvious that you can only afford cheap flights in China. Business jet charters start at over a million for international flights. Can your husband really cover that?” The middle-aged man thought to himself, “How does this obnoxious old woman know so much?”