I’m Bethany, a 35-year-old mother, and what was supposed to be a simple two-hour flight turned into an absolute nightmare because of an entitled mother who thought she could impose her parenting choices on me and my daughter.

Ella, my five-year-old, was quietly watching cartoons on her iPad with her headphones on, fully engrossed and well-behaved. Flights can be long and tedious for young kids, so I always make sure she has her favorite shows to keep her entertained. Unfortunately, the woman sitting across the aisle didn’t seem to approve.

She leaned over with an exasperated look and said, “Can you put the iPad away? We’re avoiding screens, and it’s upsetting my son.”

I was caught off guard. My daughter wasn’t bothering anyone—she wasn’t making noise, wasn’t kicking the seat in front of her, and wasn’t disrupting anyone’s flight. I politely but firmly responded, “I’m sorry, but she’s using it to stay calm during the flight. It’s not bothering anyone.”

The woman huffed in irritation, her expression tightening as if I had just personally insulted her. Meanwhile, her son, who hadn’t seemed interested in the iPad before, suddenly took an interest and whined loudly, “I want that!”

I could see where this was going. The woman glared at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to just hand over my daughter’s device to appease her child. But that wasn’t happening. “I’m sorry, but she’s using it,” I reiterated, returning my focus to Ella, hoping to de-escalate the situation.

Unfortunately, the woman wasn’t about to let it go. She crossed her arms and continued throwing dagger-like glances in my direction while her son whined persistently. I could feel the tension building, but I refused to engage any further. Ella remained focused on her show, blissfully unaware of the ridiculous drama unfolding around her.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

The woman suddenly shifted in her seat and, with a not-so-subtle “accidental” motion, knocked Ella’s tray table—sending her iPad crashing to the floor. The sound of glass shattering filled the cabin, and my heart dropped.

Ella gasped, her big eyes welling with tears as she stared in disbelief at her broken iPad. Her precious device, the one that kept her occupied and happy, was now ruined. She looked up at me, her little face full of confusion and distress.

I turned to the woman, my blood boiling. “Did you just—”

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” she interrupted, her voice oozing with false innocence. “That was an accident. These tray tables are just so flimsy!”

I wasn’t buying it. Not for a second. There was a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes—she knew exactly what she had done.

“That was not an accident,” I said through clenched teeth. “You did that on purpose.”

She gasped, feigning outrage. “How dare you accuse me of that! I said I was sorry. Besides, kids shouldn’t be on screens all the time anyway—it’s bad for them.”

That was the last straw. I immediately pressed the call button, signaling for the flight attendant. When she arrived, I calmly but firmly explained what had happened. The entitled mother tried to play the victim, acting as though I was overreacting, but luckily, other passengers had witnessed everything.

A man sitting behind us spoke up, “Yeah, that wasn’t an accident. She did it on purpose.”

The flight attendant frowned, her gaze shifting to the woman. “Ma’am, we take incidents like this seriously. You damaged another passenger’s property. You will need to provide your contact information so we can resolve this properly.”

The woman’s face paled. “That’s ridiculous! I shouldn’t have to pay for her bad parenting choices!”

The flight attendant remained firm. “Ma’am, either you provide your details, or we escalate this when we land.”

The woman had no choice. With a scowl, she reluctantly handed over her information. She was visibly fuming, but she had no way out of this mess.

The airline later confirmed that she would be responsible for covering the cost of the damage. I made sure to follow up, and within a week, Ella had a brand-new iPad—fully paid for by the woman who thought she could get away with her entitled behavior.

As we disembarked, the woman shot me one last glare, but I just smiled in response.

Lesson learned: don’t mess with another parent’s child, especially when you’re in the wrong.

As for Ella? She got a brand-new iPad and a valuable lesson in standing up for herself. And I got the satisfaction of knowing that sometimes, karma works fast.