I never thought our trip would end like this. Just a week ago, Eric, his family, and I were sitting in the kitchen, and he was assuring me, “Mom, a change of scenery would be good for you, come with us, you’ll relax.” I resisted for a long time—I didn’t want to be a burden, and besides, I had almost no savings. But my son insisted. He said he’d pay for everything: the flight, the hotel, and the food. I believed him.

This was my first time traveling abroad. I was nervous; everything seemed foreign—the language, the people, the airports. But Eric’s family seemed oblivious to me. I spent the entire vacation alone, so as not to disturb anyone.

On the way back, a real nightmare occurred. When we approached the check-in desk, it turned out that my reservation… wasn’t paid for. Just booked, but without a ticket. I was confused, thinking it was a mistake. But Eric immediately flared up, as if waiting for a pretext:

“Mom, I’m not going to pay for you again! You knew you should have wired the money in advance!”

I stood there, confused. We agreed… he offered…

“Eric… but you said…”

“Enough!” he almost shouted, turning around so no one could hear. “I have my own family, my own expenses! I don’t have to drag you out forever!”

The counter employee coldly told me that if the ticket wasn’t paid for in the next few minutes, check-in would close, and I would be left alone in another country.

Eric stood nearby, irritated, clenching his fists. My little grandson looked at me and asked quietly:

“Grandma, aren’t you going home?”

My son’s voice grew louder, blaming me for everything:

“It’s your own fault for not checking! I’m not your nanny! I don’t care, just stay here.”

People turned around. I just wanted to disappear.

I sat down in my seat, my eyes burning. I’d already resigned myself to being alone in a foreign country. That my son would simply leave without me.

But then something happened that no one expected. 😢😲

Eric’s screams weren’t just heard by the passengers. Two airport employees and a police officer approached the counter. The uniformed woman calmly said:

“Sir, please calm down, you’re disturbing other passengers.”

But my son only became more angry, started making excuses, gesturing, and yelling at me again, pointing his hand at me:

“It’s her fault! She always ruins everything! I… I shouldn’t have taken her in the first place!”

After several warnings, the officers announced they were forced to detain him for aggressive behavior and disruptive behavior.

His wife turned pale. His grandson began to cry. Eric was taken aside and told he would face either a fine or a deportation notice—they would decide after the incident was processed.

And that’s when the employee turned to me and said,

“Ma’am, your ticket is already paid for. We’ll pay for it. You can fly home.”

She added quietly but firmly,

“We couldn’t ignore the way he treated you.”