Grounded，My Husband’s Flight to Ruin

I was the most unsociable person at Horizon Airlines. Because I rarely joined after-work hangouts, everyone assumed I was difficult to get along with. Summer, the new flight attendant, was my polar opposite. Bubbly, charming, and outgoing, she won over the entire company the moment she arrived. Yet my husband—with whom I was secretly married—always scoffed whenever her name came up. Every single time, Austin would roll his eyes and complain about how utterly annoying she was. I even tried talking him down a few times, telling him they were colleagues and he should be a little more patient. Until Summer sent an invite in the company group chat for her birthday party. I had just finished an intense, emergency flight dispatch shift. My head was pounding, and I was dizzy with exhaustion. Out of nowhere, my phone blew up with dozens of angry DMs. All from Summer. "No wonder everyone says you're an antisocial freak. You actually dare to decline my invite?" "My husband is the biggest shareholder in this entire airline. Believe me when I say I can get you fired with a snap of his fingers." "If you come to my party tomorrow and work as a waitress, I might just forgive you." Then, she dropped a photo of herself and her husband straight into the main company SnapChat group. I froze. The groom smiling proudly in that wedding photo was my husband, Austin. The very man who only became a chief captain because of my money was cheating on me—and throwing a lavish birthday bash for his side piece? I typed a direct reply right into the group chat: "Sweetie, I'll be there on time tomorrow. And I've got a huge surprise ready just for you!" When I got home, the house was completely empty. Clearly, Austin was still busy playing party planner for his little mistress. When I first met him, he was just a broke college kid who had to skip meals to get by. My family funded his tuition, paid for his flight hours, built him up step by step into a captain, and branded him as our "star pilot." I took another close look at the venue address on the invite. The luxury hotel was owned by one of my family's business partners. A cold smirk tugged at my lips. I dialed our family butler, Uncle Arthur. "Freeze every single asset under Austin's name immediately. Cut off all his credit cards. Also, prepare a special delivery for me—send it straight to that birthday party tomorrow." The next morning, just as I was heading out the door, Austin texted me. "You've been working so many shifts lately, babe. You must be exhausted. As soon as I land from this flight, I have a special present for you!" Acting like the doting, considerate husband. Same old act. I texted back: "Sounds great. I have a surprise for you too." Later that evening, I put on an evening gown and arrived at the venue. The second I walked in, I saw Summer dressed in a glittering designer dress, preening smugly among our airline colleagues. "My husband is the biggest board member here. I promise he'll make sure everyone gets promotions and raises!" Someone caught sight of me and immediately sneered. "Well, look who finally showed up! Dispatcher Brooke, weren't you too busy? How did you find the time?" A sycophantic flight attendant next to her chimed in at once. "Word is, she came specifically to wait tables for Summer's party." I didn't bother wasting my breath on those pathetic clowns. Summer, however, zeroed in on my couture gown. Envy flared in her eyes. "Wearing knockoffs? Honestly, cheap fakes are all you're worth." She grabbed a stained, grease-smeared flight attendant uniform and slammed it against my chest. "This is what actually suits you. Hey, somebody strip that fake dress off her right now!" Terrified of offending her supposed connections, a few coworkers actually lunged forward and grabbed at my clothes. I fought them off furiously, but my shoulder strap tore loose, exposing a large patch of bare skin. Gasps rippled through the room. Several pairs of sleazy, disgusting eyes instantly glued themselves to me. Summer crossed her arms, looking down at me with pure triumph. "Old hag, nobody wants to look at your body anyway. Why don't you just change right here in front of everybody?" I shoved her back hard, clutched my neckline shut, and whipped around, dragging her straight toward the person-sized crate near the entrance. A faint, foul stench was already wafting from inside it. Slowly, deliberately, I tore it open. Inside sat a beaten-up, rusted, filthy second-hand scooter. And stacked neatly on top was a thick pile of formal complaint letters and safety violation reports—every single one detailing Austin and Summer's misconduct.Summer's face turned completely gray. "Brooke!" I gave her a cool, mocking smile. "Don't you love riding other people's men? A used-up ride like this fits you perfectly, doesn't it?" "Skipping queues using your pilot boyfriend's authority, illegally upgrading seats, bullying crew members... Don't worry, there are plenty of complaints here to keep you busy for a while." Summer's voice hit a screeching pitch. "Brooke! Watch your mouth! Who violated regulations? You came here just to cause a scene, didn't you?!" "Who are you calling used goods? You're just a washed-up, dumped spinster! You're jealous because I'm young, gorgeous, and married rich!" "Let me tell you, my husband is on his way right now! One word from him and you're kicked out of this company for good!" Trembling with rage, she lunged forward to slap me. I dodged smoothly, watching her with a deadpan stare. "We'll see who gets kicked out." Summer went ballistic. "Brooke! You crazy bitch!" "You're pathetic! You're so desperate because you could never land a billionaire like Captain Miller, so you resort to dirty tricks like this for attention!" I tapped my ear, finding her screeching grating on my nerves. "Summer, let me ask you one last time. Are you sure you're marrying this man?" She jutted her chin out arrogantly. "Obviously! My husband, Austin Miller, is the biggest shareholder in this company, worth billions! Money you couldn't make in ten lifetimes as a low-level dispatcher, he makes with a snap of his fingers!" "When I marry him, I'll be the official Mrs. Miller! A queen you all have to bow down to!" The colleagues behind her eagerly backed her up. "Summer was born for luxury! Unlike some people who try to latch onto wealthy men when they're already past their prime!" "Brooke, pulling a stunt like this... how do you expect to show your face at work tomorrow?" "Offending the captain's wife? Kiss your dispatch career goodbye!" It was almost hilarious. Me? Latching onto a wealthy man? If they knew that I was the entire fortune behind Austin, I wondered what kind of looks would be on their faces. I love flying. I love the sheer freedom of soaring through the clouds. It was my only dream growing up. Horizon Airlines was simply a graduation present from my father when I finished flight academy. He bought it just so I could pursue my passion in a pure environment, free from office politics. Austin? A major investor? He was nothing more than a stray dog I could toss out into the cold whenever I pleased. Seeing my silence, Summer thought I was intimidated. Her smugness peaked. She pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and deliberately hit speakerphone. "Babe, where are you? Someone's bullying me! Hurry up!" "It's that dispatcher Brooke! She crashed my birthday party and is causing a huge scene!" Austin's voice crackled through the speaker, frantic and panicked. "What? Brooke? Baby, don't panic, I'm almost there! Please, whatever you do, don't get into a fight with her!" Hanging up, Summer tilted her head up even higher. "Hear that? My husband is almost here! Brooke, you're dead meat today!" "Not only are you fired, but I'll make sure you're blacklisted from the entire aviation industry!"The coworkers around us began pointing fingers and whispering nastily. "She's done for. Austin is definitely furious." "Brooke always seemed so calm and composed. Why lose her mind like this today?" "She's in her thirties, fighting over a man with a girl in her twenties. Look at her—how could she ever compete with Summer?" Summer gave me a taunting glare. "Brooke, I'll give you one last chance. For the sake of having been coworkers, get on your knees, bow your head, and apologize to me right now." "Then eat these disgusting complaint letters. Do that, and maybe I'll ask my husband not to throw you out on the street." "Otherwise, you won't like what's coming to you!" I took a step forward, staring right into her eyes. "Get on my knees for you?" "Who do you think you are?" The next second, I pulled two marriage certificates straight out of my purse and slapped them across her face. "Open your blind eyes and look closely! That billionaire prince charming you're bragging about, Austin Miller, is my legal husband!" "You're nothing but a pathetic side piece who can't even stand in the light!" The papers struck Summer's cheek before fluttering to the floor. She froze for a few seconds, then burst into exaggerated, mocking laughter. "Hahahaha! Brooke, have you completely lost your mind over men?" "Photoshapping fake marriage certificates to fantasize about my husband? Do you have any shame at all?" She scooped up the papers, didn't even bother reading them, and ripped them to shreds. "I always heard some older women in the company were desperate sluts, but I didn't realize it was you!" "Knowing my husband is a major shareholder, you threw away all dignity. If you saw him in person, would you just spread your legs on the spot?" She turned toward the guests and colleagues. "Everyone, look at this! This woman thinks because she has seniority, she can forge fake documents and claim my husband is hers! Isn't that the most pathetic joke you've ever heard?" A first officer who always sucked up to Summer immediately stepped out. "Brooke, we've worked together for years. I had no idea you were this vile!" "Who is Captain Miller? Why would a man like that ever look at an old woman like you? Get the hell out of here! Stop embarrassing yourself!" A chorus of jeers erupted, and people began shoving me toward the door. "Get out! Don't ruin Summer's party!" "Shameless bitch!" I was shoved off balance, my lower back slamming hard against the sharp corner of a buffet table. A sharp pang shot through me. The sheer exhaustion from ten hours of high-stress dispatching hit all at once, making my vision swim with dark spots. I braced myself against the wall, barely able to stay upright. Summer grabbed a full glass of champagne from a tray and splashed it straight across my face. "Get on your knees and beg, and maybe I'll leave you a desk in the basement!" Just then, an unexpected voice cut through the chaos. "Brooke? What are you doing here?"I turned my head, momentarily stunned. Standing there was my mentor, Peter Vance—the head of flight operations. Ignoring the champagne dripping down my face, I straightened up. "Mr. Vance, what brings you here?" Peter was the person I respected most at the company. When I first joined the operations center, he was the one who trained me step by step. To me, he was both a mentor and a father figure. Peter gently patted my arm, letting out a heavy sigh. "I heard one of the junior crew members was celebrating a birthday, so I stopped by to offer my congratulations." "I didn't expect..." His gaze drifted to the scattered complaint files and Summer's venomous expression. His brow furrowed deeply. Summer immediately threw herself toward him, bursting into tears. "Mr. Vance, you have to stand up for me! This woman is using her seniority to bully me!" Peter was well known for being fiercely protective of younger crew members. "Brooke, what on earth is going on? Even if you have personal differences, you shouldn't cause a scene at someone's birthday party." Before I could even speak, Summer launched into her accusations. "Mr. Vance, she's a lunatic! She has a crush on my husband, so she crashed my party to throw a tantrum! She even forged fake violation reports to slander me!" The surrounding colleagues immediately jumped in, twisting the truth to back her up. Listening to them, disappointment settled over Peter's face. "Brooke, you're a core pillar of our operations. You're supposed to set an example for the younger crew. How could you behave with such a lack of decency?" "Apologize to her right now, pack up this mess, and leave." A chill swept through my chest. Even the mentor I respected most had chosen to believe the seemingly fragile Summer without bothering to look into the facts. Emboldened, Summer snatched an empty champagne bottle from a nearby table and smashed it straight over my head. "Ruining someone else's happiness earns you a special place in hell, Brooke! Didn't your parents teach you that?" "I'm already three months pregnant with Austin's baby! It's too late for you to try and climb into his bed now!" Summer and a couple of coworkers grabbed me, trying to shove my head down onto the floor. A shard of broken glass slashed across my cheek, sending a sharp sting through my skin. Instead of crying, I suddenly burst out laughing. Pregnant? She actually claimed she was pregnant? I pulled out my phone, ignoring the sting of blood running down my face, and sent a single text to Uncle Arthur. Summer froze, unnerved by my laughter. I used the opening to shove her off and pulled myself up. I looked around at every single person in the room, my eyes finally settling on Summer's flat stomach. "Since you want this baby so badly... and you're so desperate to be Mrs. Miller..." "Then let me give you one more gift." Summer's expression shifted nervously. "What cheap trick are you pulling now?" A few seconds later, the massive LED screen at the front of the banquet hall flickered to life. The moment Summer saw what appeared on it, all the color drained from her face. And right at that moment, Austin burst through the double doors—only to freeze dead in his tracks as his eyes hit the screen.