Troubling her mom

I wanted to trouble my mom by telling her I missed the flight. As expected, she believed me immediately, and I sensed silence on the other end of the call. But this time, the silence lasted longer than usual. I heard her sigh, a clear sign of her disappointment, but she said nothing.

"Mom... are you still there?" I asked, feeling a pang of regret.

"Okay. I am getting late, bye..." she replied seriously and disconnected before I could explain myself. This time, I had gone too far. She didn't even wait for me to finish what I wanted to say. I stared at the phone, my mind blank. I didn't know what to do.

How would I face her when I saw her? I tried calling her again, but she didn't answer. My anxiety grew. I needed to do something. I decided I would surprise her when I arrived. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back in my seat. Just then, I noticed the elderly woman sitting across from me staring. Feeling embarrassed, I avoided her gaze and looked at my phone, feeling like I was losing my mind and unaware of how much time had passed since the flight began.

To distract myself, I picked up a random book and started reading. I didn't know how long I had been reading when I felt a tug on my t-shirt. I looked down to see a young girl staring at me. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"You're so pretty," she said with a sweet smile. "I've seen you before..."

Just then, the young girl's mother came over and looked at me. "Oh my god! Are you... Miss Isabella Anderson, the top model?" she asked with a smile. I nodded. Instantly, she apologized. "Miss Anderson, I'm sorry my daughter disturbed you."

"It's okay," I replied and resumed reading. I didn't know how long I had been reading when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I looked up, irritated, and saw the same young girl standing next to me with a box in her hand. I raised my eyebrows at her.

She opened the box, which was full of chocolates. "Today is my birthday," she said.

"Happy Birthday," I greeted her and took a chocolate. Then I noticed a middle-aged man approaching, wearing a black suit and tie. He introduced himself as Mr. Lucas Stanley, the young girl's father. I gave a small smile.

"Miss Anderson, I'm a big fan," he said, looking at me creepily. I didn't like the way he was staring. For the young girl's sake, I controlled my discomfort. "Thank you," I said, smiling. "I'm glad to meet you." I hoped to end the conversation.

But he continued. "Can I take a picture of you with my daughter?"

"Sorry, I'm busy right now," I replied, not liking his vibe.

"It's okay. If it's a problem here, we can take a photo after the plane lands," he said, walking away with a creepy smile.

After a while, the crew announced our landing. I called my manager to take care of my baggage as we needed to reach the ceremony on time. I didn't want to be late. As soon as the plane landed, I unfastened my seatbelt and stood up. I hurriedly walked towards the exit as the passengers exited in a queue.

"Will Mom be mad at me for lying?" I wondered as I got off the plane. By the time I reached the main exit gate, my manager was waiting for me.

"Did you book the cab?" I inquired.

"No... Actually, I wanted to..." she began, but then I heard someone say, "Hi Angel..."

I turned and saw a man walking toward us. Covering my mouth in surprise, I exclaimed, "Ethan!"

Without wasting a second, I ran to him and hugged him. "I didn't expect you here."

"Did you think I'd go to the awards ceremony without my beautiful princess?" he asked with a grin.