They Ordered a Black Woman to Give Up Her VIP Seat — Then She Revealed She Owned the Airline...
Chapter 9
Theme:
Font Size:
24px
"Yes, CEO," Maria said, relief washing over her face. This, at least, was a command she knew how to follow.She and the rest of the crew scattered, performing their duties with a new, terrified precision.Captain Matthews nodded, impressed. "Ms. Jordan, we'll be ready." He retreated to the cockpit, no doubt to log the most insane delay report of his career.That left one problem. Serafina turned back to seat 1B.Margaret Covington was still sitting there, rigid with fury and humiliation. Her husband, Richard, had finally taken off his headphones, his face a mask of confusion. "Mags, what the hell is going on? Why did that man call her CEO?"Margaret didn't answer; she was staring at Serafina with pure, unadulterated hatred.Serafina walked back to her seat, 1A, and sat down. She looked across the aisle at Margaret."Mrs. Covington," Serafina said, as if explaining rules to a difficult child, "your lifetime ban is being processed as we speak. It will be active the moment we land in New York. However, you are still on my aircraft. You will not speak to me again. You will not speak to the flight crew, except to request water or for a safety-related issue. You will sit in your assigned seat, 1B, and you will remain quiet. If you cause any disturbance, if you so much as raise your voice, I will have Captain Matthews divert this flight to Chicago and have you arrested for interfering with a flight crew. Am I perfectly, crystal clear?"Richard Covington, a man who built his empire by knowing when to fold a bad hand, finally understood. He turned to his wife: "Margaret, shut up."Margaret Covington, for the first time in perhaps her entire adult life, did as she was told. She sank back into her seat, her face burning, and turned toward the bulkhead.The plane door was sealed. The safety video began to play. Serafina Jordan, CEO, buckled her seatbelt in 1A. It was going to be a very long, very quiet five-hour flight to New York.For Serafina, the silence was work. She pulled out her laptop: she didn't watch a movie; she didn't sleep; she typed. She drafted a new company-wide mandate: the True Meridian Initiative. She wrote a personal commendation for Ben Miller, the gate agent. She scheduled an emergency 8:00 a.m. board meeting for the next day.She sent a message to Frank Dempsey:I want a full audit of Thomas Brody's four-year record. I want every complaint, every performance review, and the name of the manager who oversaw his promotion to senior attendant. I suspect the rot goes deeper.And across the aisle, Margaret Covington stewed in a silent, humiliated rage on the last flight she would ever take with Meridian Airways.The moment the plane's wheels touched down at JFK, the karma began to metastasize.As the jet bridge connected, Serafina remained seated. Maria, the new purser, made the arrival announcement, adding: "All passengers, please remain seated. We will be deplaning row by row, and we have authorized personnel who need to board the aircraft first."