But as soon as she sat down, an odd sensation caused Olivia to look up. She met the scrutinizing gaze of a white flight attendant named Diane, standing near the entrance. Olivia immediately recognized the look of suspicion mixed with discomfort, as though Diane was trying to figure out if the older woman in worn-out athletic gear had mistakenly taken the wrong seat.
From behind, another male attendant named Richard approached Diane. Richard was tall, with a slender build, his blond hair meticulously groomed, and a constantly warm smile on his face. However, at that moment, his smile suddenly disappeared. He eyed Olivia with suspicion before turning to Diane and quietly asking, "Are you sure she's in the right seat? I think we should double-check."
Diane lowered her voice, trying not to let Olivia hear, though her eyes continued to glance over at her with an air of condescension and subtle racism. "There's no way someone like her could have booked a first-class seat."
This brief exchange reached the ears of Caroline, the head of first-class service. Caroline, with her meticulously styled curly brown hair and sharp, aristocratic beauty, furrowed her brows as she observed Olivia from a distance. Caroline prided herself on her ability to spot wealthy, elite customers at first glance, but this time, Olivia's unremarkable appearance and skin led her to immediately categorize the woman as someone who didn't belong there.
"Check the passenger's name for me," Caroline coldly instructed Diane, her sharp gaze briefly sweeping over Olivia with a judgmental glance. "I don't want any issues as we're about to take off."
Meanwhile, Olivia sat silently by the window, gently opening an old book from her backpack and quietly reading the familiar lines. Despite her best efforts to relax, she couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort as she noticed the watchful eyes of the flight attendants. Having grown all too familiar with such stares throughout her life, Olivia could feel the quiet but sharp discrimination in every small action they took.
After receiving Caroline's unspoken directive, Richard silently took the digital tablet in his hands, pretending to check the passenger information. Every so often, he cast a suspicious glance toward Olivia, whispering something to Diane. Both of them occasionally chuckled quietly, their smiles filled with undisguised contempt. To them, it seemed completely unacceptable that Mrs. Olivia Bennett, a woman dressed in simple clothes, was sitting in the first-class cabin.
Caroline stood silently for a long while, observing Olivia's every small movement. Her gaze shifted from doubt to discomfort as she watched Olivia sit comfortably and calmly, as though she truly belonged in this space. For Caroline, who always believed in perfect luxury, this image was deeply unsettling. The suspicion in her heart grew deeper, and the atmosphere in the first-class cabin became heavier, more oppressive than ever before.
None of the other passengers spoke up, although some of them began to notice the obvious change in the attendants' behavior. Olivia continued to maintain her composure, her determined gaze fixed on the window, as if silently asserting her right to be there. But deep within her heart, a feeling of unease and anxiety began to rise, as if foretelling that this flight would no longer be a peaceful journey.
The tension in the first-class cabin grew thicker, and as Olivia had anticipated, she soon had to face what she had experienced many times in her life: cruel doubt.
From the back corner of the cabin, Richard approached, trying to appear polite, but his eyes clearly reflected prejudice. He stood next to Olivia's seat, speaking softly but with a mocking tone. "Excuse me, ma'am. May I check your boarding pass once more?"