Chapter 1: The Airport Incident

The air in JFK Airport was thick with frustration. Delays were mounting, passengers were restless, and everywhere you turned, you could hear the familiar murmur of complaints and sighs. But none of those sounds were louder than the one that pierced through the chaotic noise.

A voice rang out, sharp and grating, like nails on a chalkboard. “Yeah, yeah, I told her I wasn’t gonna do that. It’s not my job. I don’t care if she cries!”

The woman in the red coat, standing near the Hudson News store, was speaking into her phone without any headphones, making sure that every single person in the terminal could hear her conversation. It felt like she was trying to assert her dominance over the whole place.

Behind her, a small white dog was squatting on the floor in the middle of the terminal. The dog’s rhinestone collar sparkled under the harsh airport lights. I watched as a man in a tan cap approached her, trying to politely address the situation.