Before the flight takes off, my fiance, the pilot, boards the plane with a suitcase.

He says it's a gift from his childhood sweetheart and warns me not to touch it.

I can't shake the uneasy feeling creeping into my heart, so I sneak inside. To my shock, I find high-risk contraband hidden in the luggage.

I report it immediately and use my commendation to cover for Edward's mistake and save his career.

However, his precious childhood sweetheart is arrested, detained, and sentenced.

He doesn't say a word after the incident. However, during another flight, he cuts the cord to my parachute.

"Jade, I know you're jealous of Cindy! You sabotaged her during her flight attendant training and framed her afterward! Do you think this will make me love you? Dream on! I would never marry a petty woman like you!"

I plunge from ten thousand meters above the ground, leaving nothing but blood and broken bones behind.

When I open my eyes again, I see Cindy sending Edward off, and he's carrying the same suitcase.

I quietly step back and decide I won't save him this time.

"Mr. Crowley, according to protocol, this luggage needs to go through security and be registered," one of my crew members reminded him politely.

Edward Crowley frowned and snapped, "Inside this luggage are gifts from Cindy, so there shouldn't be a problem. Just put it under my name and save yourself the time."

"I've had proper training, and I know the rules. There's no way I'd make a mistake about something like this," Cindy Austin said sweetly beside him.

The flight attendant let out a soft chuckle but said nothing, still refusing to let it pass.

Nearby, the other crew members whispered, "She doesn't know the rules! She failed the training three times, and if Jade hadn't pulled strings to get her a retake, she wouldn't be here at all. Nonetheless, she still failed that retake."

Upon hearing this, Cindy's expression sank immediately.

"That's only because Jade purposely made things hard for her!" Edward defended her angrily. "I should've filed an appeal long ago! Cindy's amazing. There's no way she could've failed!"

As he spoke, he suddenly turned to me and gritted his teeth. "Look at your subordinates! How dare they ridicule Cindy in front of me! God knows what they're saying behind our backs!"

I remained expressionless as I stared at him.

Meanwhile, Cindy stood off to the side, looking pitiful, yet her eyes gleamed with provocation. "Edward, who has more power here? Is it you, the pilot, or the lead flight attendant? From what I'm seeing, it seems like Jade has more say than you right now."

Her words set Edward off even more. He kicked the boarding stairs and shouted, "If you won't let me on, then I'm not flying this plane!"

I lowered my gaze as memories of my past life flickered.

Back then, I bit back my doubts because I was scared his fury would delay the flight. But I secretly went through his luggage after takeoff and found contraband. Fearing it might destroy his career, I used my commendation to cover the penalty and shield him from the consequences.

And how did he repay me? By cutting my parachute cord and sending me to my death. My so-called loyalty was nothing but a cruel joke.

I lowered my gaze and muttered, "Edward is the captain, so he knows the rules. We won't check it if he says it's under his name. Just let him board the plane."

Cindy's eyes brightened when she saw me give in and added coyly, "I want to fly with Edward, too! It's been so long since I've been on a plane."

Edward nodded without hesitation. "Since Cindy hasn't flown in almost a year, she should experience the route this time." His tone was full of entitlement.

"That's against the rules." I finally looked up. My voice was cold and firm.

His expression darkened at my words, and he glared at me as fury burned in his eyes.

"What did you just say? Do you not wish to fly anymore? If so, then you're done!"

"The same goes to them! All of you are done flying!"

The attendants' expressions fell instantly. A few were ready to stand up for me, but I silenced them with a glance.

At that moment, the intercom crackled with the dispatcher's voice. "The pre-flight checks are completed. Cabin crew, please be prepared. Boarding will begin shortly."

Upon hearing this, Edward gave a cold snort. "I couldn't care less about missing one flight. But after this, don't even dream of boarding my plane again. So choose wisely."

I pushed down the storm rising in my chest and answered quietly, "I understand."

At the same time, I shot a look at my aide, and she caught on instantly and nodded.

Since Edward had a death wish, I wouldn't save him this time.

…

Cindy continued to cause trouble even after boarding.

"I haven't worn a flight attendant uniform since my training days," she said, clinging to Edward's arm with a bright smile. "I want to put one on today for the experience and be your attendant."

"We don't have spare uniforms." I frowned.

She pouted and refused to back down. "I've been through training, and I know there are backups."

My voice turned cold as I refuted, "The backup uniforms are for official crew members, not for your little games."

Edward's brow furrowed, but his tone softened as he tried to justify her request. "Cindy isn't a stranger. What's the harm in letting her wear one?"

At this point, I lost control of my rage. My voice cut sharply and coldly. "She can wear it, but she has to work. She'll be in charge of pushing the meal cart."

Cindy burst out laughing at my words. "No way! That type of servant job is not for me. If anybody has to do it, it's all of you. I'm not here to play waitress."

The attendants' expressions soured, and one of them almost snapped at her, but I stopped them.

I stood firm and stayed calm, though rage burned in my chest. Inwardly, I scoffed, "Fine, keep playing your games. We'll see who's laughing when this plane lands."

Using his authority as captain, Edward escorted Cindy into first class. "There's nothing great about being a flight attendant. Passengers in first class have it best. Sit here and enjoy the ride."

Before long, the service bell rang.

A crew member went to respond, but moments later, she returned with a grim expression. "Ms. Henson, the passenger requested you personally."

My heart sank, and I could already guess who it was.

Sure enough, it was Cindy.

She sat leisurely in her seat. She had a blanket over her shoulders and a smug smile tugging at her lips. Her voice dripped with mockery. "I'm the passenger, and you're the flight attendant. Serving me is your job, isn't it?"

I kept my cool and responded calmly, "Good afternoon, ma'am. What can I get you?"

She giggled as if she'd heard the funniest joke. She toyed with the edge of her blanket as she ordered, "Bring me another blanket with a different color and a softer pillow. I heard there's a new toiletry kit, so I'll take that too. Oh, and bring me three kinds of drinks so I can compare them."

I fulfilled each request without letting emotion show on my face, but I could sense my colleagues silently raging behind me.

"She's just purposely causing trouble!" one of them growled in the back cabin.

"Stay calm and remember who we are," I reminded them.

Cindy ordered red wine a short while later, and I brought it to her.

A smirk tugged at her lips as she asked, "I heard first-class passengers can have the flight attendants do anything they want. Is that true?"

Behind me, one of the crew members couldn't hold back and cursed under her breath.

Cindy instantly put on the look of a victim. Her voice turned soft and pitiful. "Is this how you treat your passengers? I'll be filing a complaint against all of you. I've had training before, and I know too many complaints can ground you for good."

I drew a deep breath, forcing my anger back down. Then, I slowly bent into a half-squat before her.

With the wine glass in hand, I wore the perfect professional smile and spoke evenly. "Of course, ma'am. We'll serve you."

Cindy's face brightened like she'd just won a glorious battle. She let out a shrill peal of laughter. "During training, you kept telling me I wasn't fit and didn't meet the standards. But looking at you now, I realize you fit the job better than I do."

She suddenly leaned forward. Her gaze was sharp, and her grin dripped with scorn as she spat, "You're only fit to kneel and serve me!"

My fingers tightened on the glass, and I was about to respond, but she moved faster.

"Oh my! I'm sorry. My hand slipped."

The wine splashed over me, soaking into my hair and uniform. It trickled down my temple and to my face like threads of blood, cold and cloying. Each drop was a sting of humiliation that cut to the bone.

I couldn't keep it in anymore. I spun around and sprinted for the restroom.

My hand wouldn't stop trembling as the door slammed shut behind me. In the mirror, I caught sight of my drenched uniform and a disheveled figure staring back at me.

Meanwhile, Cindy's mocking laughter pierced through the walls from outside, and each giggle drove into my ears like nails.

…

Cindy was gone from her seat when I came out with water still dripping from my hair.

The crew exchanged nervous glances. Their gazes were filled with a mixture of emotions.

"What happened?" I asked, instantly on guard.

Just then, the co-pilot stepped out of his cockpit, and he seemed uneasy. "Nothing happened. It's just that Cindy's inside, and Mr. Crowley asked me to come out."

One of the attendants mumbled beneath her breath, unable to keep her anger back anymore, "Ms. Henson, he doesn't respect you at all. You're working yourself up for this flight, yet he…"

"Don't let people like him interfere with our work," I cut her off with a sharp whisper while digging my nails hard into my palm.

I took a deep breath and braced myself. We were only halfway through the flight, so we couldn't afford chaos now.

When meal service came around, I pushed the food cart to the cockpit as per procedure.

The moment the door opened, I heard a burst of flirtatious laughter.

Cindy sat on the co-pilot's seat, wrapped in Edward's jacket and posing dramatically for pictures.

When she spotted me, she waved with a smile. "I know the rules, Ms. Henson. I'll ask the co-pilot to return very soon. I just wanted to experience being a co-pilot for a while."

Edward leaned back in his seat, and his expression was cold. "Don't act so self-righteous. Are you going to report to the higher-ups again? If you really want to marry me, you should stop playing petty games."

Then, he stood up and walked toward me. His voice dropped to a mocking whisper as he warned, "I'll treat you well if you behave. But if you dare target Cindy like before, I won't let you off!"

I wanted to fling the meal tray at his head for a split second. The words 'I don't want to marry you anymore' nearly escaped my throat, but rationality pulled me back. Hundreds of passengers were on this plane, and I couldn't let him jeopardize their safety.

"I understand," I answered through clenched teeth.

Edward was satisfied with my response and smiled. "That's more like it. Since you understand, stand guard at the door and do not let anyone in."

So I stood outside the cockpit and listened to the murmurs and soft laughter within. The thick air of intimacy seeped out, piercing my chest one needle at a time.