My ex married a rich guy. One day, I ran into her on a plane. I assisted the troubled flight, then..

the view from the plane headed to Hawaii was breathtaking but I never expected that my ex-girlfriend from middle school would be sitting next to me on top of that she started bringing up the past going on and on about how worthless I am and then without me even asking she talked about how happy her life is now how she's married to a rich man and how much she's needed by her husband just then an announcement came over the intercom is there anyone on board who can fly a plane it seems there was a serious issue

it's shocking that they're looking for a pilot not a doctor passengers began to realize the gravity of the situation with murmurs of pilot is this plane okay then a flight attendant while looking around saw me and exclaimed oh it's you that's when an incident to shut my ex-girlfriend up occurred my name is Jake ever since I was a kid I had an unusual fascination with airplanes to be honest I was interested in anything that could fly seeing birds and insects soaring freely in the sky always looked beautiful and cool I wished I could fly too

thinking if I tried hard enough maybe I'd grow wings I genuinely believed that but sadly no matter how hard I'd ride Wings didn't Sprout when I was five and feeling pretty down about it I saw an airplane for the first time it was amazing to see this non-living chunk of metal flying through the sky it happened during a family vacation with my parents that gigantic bird soaring in the sky left such an impression it became a symbol of freedom for me since then my affection shifted from cars and trains to airplanes I became a boy

who deeply loved airplanes I'd memorized names of aircraft and Airlines spending my days looking at them in books seeing my passion my parents would drive me to the airport every week although they didn't take me on a flight they thought seeing planes in action would be better for me my parents and my much younger siblings never gazed at planes with the same admiration I did but they always listened with a smile when I excitedly talked about them naturally my dream was to become a pilot I wanted to control an airplane and fly in the skies

it was the first Dream I ever had in my life even now I think it's a bit unusual for a kid to have such realistic dream from the get-go my dad would say to become a pilot you have to study hard and I was a bright student for my age I felt that studying was a small price to pay if it meant flying a plane Someday my teachers always said said the secret to improving in your studies is to have a clear vision of your future dream I truly felt that way if what it took

to become a pilot was studying then I'd gladly dive into my studies moreover when my dad said I heard that if you have cavities you can't become a pilot I brushed my teeth harder than anyone else I reckon I got so good at it that I could have become a dental hygienist mind you is not true for all Pilots that having cavities is a deal breaker only those flying certain fighter jets can have them due to the effects of air pressure if someone said that you need to be physically fit to be a pilot then

I'd double down on weight training and exercise anyway my childhood was more about planes than playing around once I reached Middle School I began seriously considering my path towards becoming a pilot I believed that when without attending a reputable high school or college I wouldn't be able to fly an airplane so I continued to work hard in both my studies and physical activities during Middle School years I was also concerned about my friendships I may an effort to get along with everyone trying not to make unnecessary enemies while I avoided people who brought unnecessary stress

I aim to connect with as many people as possible absorbing everything I could and making it a part of me though it's a bit embarrassing to say I was relatively popular among girls getting attention from girls became more frequent and honestly it felt good guy friends would ask how I got so much attention from the girls but since I wasn't studying or exercising to be popular I couldn't give them a satisfying answer amidst all this a girl confessed her feelings and wanted to date me her name was Susan she was the most beautiful girl in

our grade popular among both students and teachers being approached by such a beauty I was over the moon and couldn't find a reason to refuse her I said yes without thinking seriously it was my first time dating a girl and I had no idea that Susan would be so much trouble she became upset whenever I talked to someone a male or female whom she didn't know I'd often buy her something just to to improve her mood she demanded things like deleting contacts of the girls from my phone and expected immediate replies to her texts she

was incredibly self-centered and seldom thought of others out of the blue she'd say things like I want you to be my ideal boyfriend and this cut into my study and exercise time she insisted you should spend every week can just for me oh and you're paying for our dates of course it's terrible to make your girlfriend pay such demands were too much for middle school student over time being with Susan felt increasingly suffocating One Summer during Middle School my father tragically passed away in an accident losing my dad who looked forward to and had high

hopes for my future more than anyone else was really tough for me in Middle School often I would see my mom once vibrant and full of life look worn out and lifeless although I wanted to cheer her up I was so overwhelmed with my own feelings that I couldn't offer much help our family was engulfed in profound grief after losing our beloved father a man we all admired every one of us had to fight harder to live our lives my mom who had been a stay-at-home mom until then started working outside consequently she couldn't take

care of my younger brother anymore so I stepped in naturally this meant less time for studying and sports but it was a necessary sacrifice it wasn't a hardship if it was for the sake of the family of course the time I cut back wasn't limited to just that I also reduced the time I spent with Susan why haven't you been in touch Susan asked me when I explained my family's situation she retorted so what if your mom's working that's fine and you don't need to take take care of your younger brother she can do that

when she gets back from work I couldn't believe my ears I was horrified that she could act so callously for a family grieving the loss of a father just because she felt neglected by me I told her I don't need a girlfriend who can't show compassion during such tough times and broke up with Susan I didn't want my mental stability jeopardized by her anymore however later at school the story had Twisted into Susan dumping me on top of that she spread all sorts of rumors and badmouthed me to everyone I saw her true colors but

honestly with everything going on I just felt indifferent to help my family out even a little I thought about skipping high school and getting a job my mom was against it but after some persuasion she tearfully gave her permission all I can really do is physical work and study so I thought about finding a job that would utilize those skills on graduation day Susan somehow finding out I wasn't going to high school tease me about it you're not going to high school without making eye contact by simply replied Y and tried to distance myself from

Susan from behind she said in this day and age not going to high school you must have such low Ambitions you'll be at the bottom forever I figured I'd probably never see her again no need to get worked up over someone like her so I ignored her and left the school now time has passed and I'm currently going through domestic flight checking procedures I'm on a personal trip heading to Hawaii I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've never been to Hawaii so I'm really looking forward to it from deep within my impression of Hawaii

is that it has beautiful beaches and a a lot of Rich flavored dishes but it's quite a far place so I just never found the time to visit even thinking about sightseeing there I'd be torn about where to go and I probably would have just ended up staying in the hotel which is why I never had the courage to go alone however one of my friends opened a restaurant I decided to go there to celebrate I decided to have a friend show me around Hawaii during this visit so I planed to take my time time

and see the sights I couldn't help but feel like a giddy kid with this much excitement but oh well I comfortably settled into my seat there's something about the slight hustle and bustle inside the plane right before take off that I genuinely enjoy I placed my carryon under the seat and found myself gazing out the window lost in the view outside even before taking off the view from this window offered sights that you just can't see any where else and I'm already a little thrilled I must say I snag one of the best seats located

a bit away from the wing I had a clear unobstructed view it was just awesome with a little time before take off I let my imagination wander picturing the breathtaking views above the clouds the plane I'm on was pretty much full almost packed to capacity yet nobody was sitting next to me I wonder if no one booked the seat or maybe they were running late either way I had mixed feelings considering how crowded it is I feel a bit guilty enjoying this extra space all to myself for now I decided to just gaze out the

window and ride out this Awkward Moment bang There was a loud sound as someone hurly took the seat next to me this last minute passenger from with her belongings even after sitting down bumping their elbow into me yet not a single sorry came out of her mouth on top of that she rre of strong perfume and cosmetics I hadn't encountered someone this inconsiderate since middle school she reminded me of unpleasant people catching a faint reflection of the adjacent seat on the window glass I noticed something dark over her eyes probably some glass glasses that's all

I could discern however wearing Su glasses on a plane struck me as rather snoody might be a bit judgmental though after some fidgeting the classless passenger next to me sneaked a glance at my face I inadvertently responded by looking back I regretted it instantly though she was heavily made up and looked quite flashy I had seen her before someone I'd rather forget well well if it isn't little Dropout boy how you been I felt a chill as I wondered if my journey which was already taking a bad turn would continue this way taking off under

stormy skies if I do say so myself that was a pretty apt comparison seeing my silence she said forgot about me surely you haven't forgotten how I dimed you and took off her and glasses it was in indeed Susan from middle school whom I dated her face remains strikingly beautiful but it's clear from her first words that her attitude hasn't changed one bit hasn't it been since graduation long time no see never thought I'd run into you he of all places flying in Planes for a Dropout like you how bold oh or maybe you're off

to join a tuna fishing boat looks like her attitude is unchanged good to see she's well Susan ever the chatter box with her sarcastic remarks she's so Adept at belittling people that it seems she forgets to breathe firing off insults at me one after another truly a piece of work that woman I simply replied just a vacation and focused on The View outside wanting to minimize any further interaction with her the plane seemed ready for take off and began to slowly move I was was looking forward to a pleasant flight but now it feels like

I'm plunging straight into hell because of one seatmate I'd rather be peacefully asleep on the wing at this point Susan seemed offended by my cold demeanor after an audible TSK she started rattling off things TW work me about how awful I was as a boyfriend how her High School boyfriend was way more handsome how the time with me was a waste she bombarded me with comments that begged for response mons After High School Susan apparently married into wealth through some circumstances I wasn't paying much attention so all I remember is she married someone wealthy apparently

Susan who hit the jackpot is going on a luxurious trip to Hawaii I'm going to stay in a fancy hotel you could never afford in a lifetime and enjoy the resort she said by the way her husband seems head over heels for Susan and he revolves his life around her well I guess some people are like that I hope he cherishes Susan forever since he's a strange individual if she ever lost him I doubt she'd ever marry again tuning out Susan's self-centered chatter it's me just going along with it even in moments like this the

view from the plane was breathtaking soon after take off the view below turned completely white as we Rose above the clouds No matter how bad the weather is if you wait a bit and Rise Above the Clouds a bright blue sky always shines the beautiful blue sky always sits above the clouds peeking through gaps to see the ground below but I wonder when will these neighboring clouds clear up people like you the lowly ones rarely get the chance to fly so this view must be unique to you she mockingly says not missing a beat furthermore

Susan claimed she's flown many times before and has grown tired of the same old view so she can't be bothered to look out the window anymore why does she go to such lengths to degrade herself it's good to have high self-esteem but I just couldn't grasp why she would actively lower her worth in the eyes of others I can't believe I once dated someone like her if I ever have kids I'll drill this into their head it's just too bad to have a blotch on one's life as early as Middle School honestly I find it

hard to believe that just because you've flown many times you'd get tired of the view outside the scenery shows a different face depending on the day and time so you'll never truly see the same view twice seems like such a waste to me it was while she was passionately going on about how amazing she is is there a doctor on board came the announcement it's a line you often hear in TV shows but this was the first time I've heard it in real life I wonder if someone's Fallen ill and needs medical attention I was

worried but there wasn't anything I could do I decided to wait quietly but the Airhead next to me had a different idea wait what's going on it's like something straight out of a drama what's got this woman so riled up such Behavior especially when someone on board might be seriously ill and in need of a doctor I knew it she definitely has a few screws missing with those thoughts as I scan the plane another announcement came through is there anyone on board who can pilot This Plane even I was taken aback by that one when

the announcement was made that a doctor was needed passengers were a bit Restless not as much as Susan though but when they called for a pilot the cabin truly erupted in commotion is this plane even okay with the pilot like this and does the pilot Need A Doctor voices calling for the flight attendance could be heard throughout the cabin it's understandable first needing a doctor and then the pilot something must have happened to him Susan's face grew increasingly pale and she began to panic what the heck is this plane going to crash or what why

does she say something unnecessary mentioning a crash in a situation like this could cause a full-blown panic in the cabin that's why I dislike people who can't read the room unsurprisingly a flight attendant hurried over to Susan who was loudly using the word crash ma'am nothing of the sort will happen please wait in your seat Susan was arguing with the flight attendant but the attendant skillfully urged her to sit back back down then the flight attendant looked at me are you by any chance Jake I locked ties with her and asked oh is it that

serious oh thank goodness you are here I'm truly sorry to ask but can you help I see it must be a big deal considering she's gone this far maybe what Susan said isn't entirely wrong I nodded in agreement and stood up from my seat what are you doing if you're just going to be in the way better sit here and shaking your boots the pathetic one here is you Susan I almost snapped back but managed to hold my tongue the flight attendant asked is she with you to which I firmly denied just an old acquaintance

we just happened to sit next to each other nothing more she's no relation to me I explained I wanted to head to the cockpit right away but Susan gripped my arm tightly and wouldn't let go where do you think you're going in this situation even though I asked her to let go Susan showed no intention of doing so I was wondering what to do when the flight attendant intervened ma'am I apologize for the inconvenience but Jake is one of our Pilots there's an urgent matter he needs to attend to saying that she exerted a polite

yet forceful pressure to detach Susan's hand you're the pilot Susan said Eyes Wide in Surprise I replied with a simple yes and headed to the cockpit around the cockpit a group of flight attendants had gathered and were visibly alarmed I learned that both the captain and the co-pilot were showing symptoms of food poisoning by chance there was a doctor on board who was examining the two however they showed no signs of recovery and their symptoms were getting worse therefore it became clear that piloting the plane under the these conditions would be challenging leading to an

urgent announcement from the cockpit acute gastroenteritis can strike out of the blue so perhaps it was unavoidable but for both of them to get gastroenteritis that's either incredibly bad luck or a miracle the odds seem pretty low many familiar faces were around the cockpit and when they saw me they said wow how lucky that Jake was on board too both Pilots having gastroenteritis a doctor happening to be on that plane and even a pilot being present it feels like I've used up a lifetime's worth of luck just on these astronomical odds according to the doctor

the co-pilot's symptoms seemed milder than the captain's but he was just barely able to hold a conversation however he seemed really rough with sweat on his brow I managed to get in touch with the control tower and took my seat in the cockpit the tension and EXC excitement never get old having passengers on board brought immense pressure upon me when I first started flying the thought of having the lives of passengers in my hands made me so nervous I felt like throwing up but at the same time there was a breathtaking view that only Pilots

get to see a beautiful scene that passengers can't quite experience from the cabin the Warm Rays of the sun lit up the surroundings even the thick clouds below looked like a beautiful backdrop that sense of exhilaration only a pilot feels always filled my heart I often wonder if some kind of hormone is flooding my brain being here is pure joy well for me at least I once mentioned this to a flight attendant and was immediately dismissed as weird I feel bad for Susan she never experienced such a sight and still got tired of it the

plane landed safely in Hawaii ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board immediately after that the captain and the co-pilot headed to the hospital the doctor who had been attending to them said I'm glad you were there if I was alone everyone would have ended up in the hospital just those two going is enough chuckling and stroking his beard what an inappropriate thing for a doctor to say but well he's probably trying to show his appreciation in his own way even though the landing was safe from the company's perspective it's still a big

deal as a result after arriving in Hawaii paperwork and reports took so long that I was only free by Sunset as initially planned I headed straight to my friend's new shop at top speed of course I drove safely the store was already bustling with many customers my my friend and the owner Bob saw me and immediately burst into a wide grin exclaiming glad you could make it and giving me a hearty pat on the back I heard you had quite the day steering a passenger plane on the Fly where did he get that info I

didn't feel like bragging so I hadn't intended to talk about it but if he already knew I guess I should explain the forceful pad from the muscular Bob left my back tingling rubbing the sore spot I sat down and recounted the days events that's an incredible story can't believe it's been 5 years since you retired time flies Bob laughed indeed the passing of 5 years does make me feel the cruel March of time are you a friend of the owner a gentle voice inquired from behind me turning around a distinguished looking gentleman was smiling at

me next to him was a rather excuse me Susan Bob replied to the gentleman with a smile it seems he's Irregular at this place he was my body back in the service days this guy was topnotch you know he was stationed at the Langley Air Force Base with the fourth airwing 11 flight Squadron he explained thoroughly I thought the gentleman wouldn't understand such detailed information but his eyes lit up as he exclaimed wait you mean the Blue Angels turns out he had once dreamed of becoming a pilot however due to an accident when he was

a child he almost lost Vision in his right eye and had to reluctantly give up that dream same as me to remember names of aircraft airline companies and even military divisions this guy must be a serious Aviation Enthusiast it had been a while since I'd met someone so passionate about planes so I couldn't help but chat an admittedly with him even though I was here for Bob's celebration I got sidetracked with this engaging conversation the gentleman was particularly fond of the Blue Angels he raved about their air shows saying they are truly spectacular interrupting her

heated conversation was none other than Susan excuse me she chimed in gracefully oh I'm sorry the gentleman scratched his head I got a bit carried away there I thought she didn't deserve an apology but from their interaction it seemed they were a couple so I held my time in the course of our chat he learned Susan and I went to the same middle school which once again piqu the gentleman's interest he bombarded me with various questions so where are you now he inquired I told him I'm a commercial pilot he seemed puzzled by my answer

well it makes sense Bob and I are buddies from our military days and if you look PLS youd naturally want to fly fighter jets the thing is I had a car accident a while back and couldn't fly fighter jets anymore but I still loved the sky so I switched to the commercial sector I explained the whole situation 5 years ago on a rainy day I was crossing the street at an intersection when a car ran the red light and hit me the driver was distracted looking elsewhere though I received compensation and settled the matter it

doesn't mean I hold a grudge however because of that accident I fractured my left leg and had to spend a significant amount of time in rehab because of this I didn't meet the required flight hours and I lost my pilot's license I also developed complications from the accident meaning I could no longer fly the more demanding fighter jets at that time I I was truly devastated it was a dream I had since I was a child and my late father had always been my biggest supporter but this was all thanks to my dad's teachings he

always used to tell me the past is the past no use dwelling on it just do your best in the present if I kept dwelling on the past I wouldn't be able to achieve even what I could when I found out I couldn't fly fighter jets anymore the hireup suggested I moved to a department primarily dealing with paperwork but I couldn't give up on flying so I left the military and transition to the private sector becoming a commercial pilot was more challenging than I expected facing various obstacles but I never gave up the sky is

where I belong there's nowhere else for me after finishing my story Susan's husband Tey he said I've never met someone as incredible as you your never give up spirit is truly admirable um would you mind if we kept in touch as he took out his cell phone I couldn't possibly refuse after such a heartfelt request plus being praised felt pretty good not going to lie after that we continued to talk about planes engrossed in our conversation throughout that time Susan looked down appearing rather diminished Susan's husband introduced himself as Mike he owns several properties in

resort areas like Hawaii and was a well-known wealthy man in that realm it seems that what Susan told me on the plane about marrying into wealth wasn't a lie honestly I was quite skeptical Mike even after our meeting in Hawai kept in touch quite frequently and was a straight shooter kind of guy he had a sticka for details kind of attitude didn't tolerate any wrongdoing and seemed to be trusted by many that such a man chose Susan as a life partner I wondered if she had somehow drugged him then I received a message on my

phone from Susan please never tell my husband that we dated in the past don't jeopardize my happiness it read for my part I had no desire to have any more involvement with Susan but considering Mike maybe it would be best to Spill the Beans it's quite a dilemma however Susan probably has some awareness that she wasn't entirely honest with me back then I doubt her character changed just because of that plain incident but she likely played her cards right to marry into money if she went to those lengths I guess I shouldn't be the one

to ruin it although it's quite comical when I think about it but to be honest even if I don't tell Mike about Susan's true nature sooner or later he'll see her for who she really is until then I hope he enjoys the happiness he has I replied with a simple understood after that I received no further messages from her it seems Susan will continue to hide her past from her husband in other words she probably can't live any other way now she likely live in fear of her past and those she harassed being exposed that's

the responsibility and consequence of her past actions the past never truly goes away some time had passed since I traveled to Hawaii I happened to bump into Mike at the airport but the mic I saw there looked considerably thinner and appeared quite worn out when I spoke to him he said that he and his wife Susan had divorced some time after the incident in Hawaii a friend of Susan's visited their home due to work commitments Mike was at home thinking not to disturb the two he was working on his computer in a room next to

the guest room the visiting friend was from Susan's middle school days and they spoke so loudly that Mike couldn't help but overhear in between crude laughter they mentioned people probably classmates from middle school using derogatory nicknames it turned out I was one of them hearing Susan and her friend laughing about men with money being the best Mike clost his temper he stormed out of his study and yelled at them to get out right now he tossed both Susan and her friend out of the house and didn't let them in that day later he found out

that Susan had been spending their savings without permission and wasting money when confronted Susan retorted that he was stingy for a rich man initially Mike felt that if she changed they could try again but Susan just said things like I never thought you'd be so tight-fisted and I'm embarrassed not to have designer things well hearing that I wasn't very surprised at all the more Susan bued Mike the further his heart drifted away from her Mike cran out of patience and brought up divorce interestingly her attitude changed drastically she began saying things like she didn't want

to split and that it was just a play on words did she think he wouldn't consider divorce up to this point it seemed her mind was really only focused on herself when Mike threatened to take her to court with a lawyer because of her persistence she reluctantly signed the divorce papers they continued to have disputes over the division of assets but Mike said they finally settled everything recently Mike sighed I thought she was a wonderful woman but I never expected her true nature to be like that I wholeheartedly agreed it's not about appearances while it's

understandable for good-look people to be popular when young as adults being with someone whose personality doesn't mesh becomes a pain regardless of their looks after divorcing Mike Susan went back to her hometown and is now living with her parents being a stay-at-home wife before she's having difficulty finding a work and she's living modestly especially since she's being asked to pay back the money she squandered what goes around comes around I believe it's not just with Mike throughout her life she seemed to have looked down on others and now it seems all that karma is coming

back to her after hearing Mike's story at the airport I bid him farewell as I left the airport I looked up at the sky unfortunately it was overcast but I knew above the gloomy overcast Sky the clear blue stretches on endlessly I believe that the view from the cockpit is a privilege reserved for Pilots if Susan could be moved by such SES I think she might finally find her Humanity there are many challenges in continuing a pilot's career but feeling motivated by the beauty of that view makes the effort worthwhile today I'm determined to keep

pushing forward to witness more beautiful Vistas and ensure the safety of my passengers