My Bio Mom Tried To Sabotage My Trip To Japan By Giving Me The Wrong Airport Terminal. She Didn’t Realize My Stepdad And Brothers Would Choose Me Over Her. Aitah For Refusing To Forgive Her Until She Went To Therapy?

Left at the Airport

The morning of the flight, Linda told me the taxi was full and I’d have to meet them at the airport. Then she gave me the wrong terminal number. When I got to Terminal A, they weren’t there.

I called Tom, and he said they were at Terminal C and boarding was starting. I ran across the airport and made it just as they were about to close the gate. Linda looked shocked to see me.

She actually asked the gate agent if my ticket was real. Frank told her to stop making a scene and get on the plane. On the plane, Linda tried to sit next to me, but Tom and Bobby had already claimed the seats.

She had to sit alone two rows back. The boys spent the flight teaching me card games, and Frank joined us while Linda sat by herself, sulking.

Tension in Tokyo

In Tokyo, Linda tried to control everything. She’d say we were going one place then get upset when Frank took us somewhere else from our planned list. She’d try to split us up for activities, but the boys wanted to stick together.

She suggested I was old enough to explore alone, but Frank said we stayed as a family. When Linda tried to book separate rooms at the hotel, Frank found out and made her cancel. She had to explain to the desk clerk why she tried to change a reservation secretly.

At the Robot Restaurant, Linda told the host we were a party of four. I held up my ticket and said five. The host looked confused, and Linda claimed she had forgotten me.

Tom said loudly that she’d been forgetting his sister all week. People stared, and Linda went red. She spent the rest of the show in silence while we cheered and took pictures.

The Temple Incident

The temple visit was the worst for Linda. The guide spoke English, but I’d been practicing Japanese greetings. When I bowed and said thank you properly, the guide complimented Frank on raising such a respectful daughter.

That’s when my mother lost it. Linda’s face went bright red, and her voice got loud enough that other tourists turned to stare at us. She started saying that I wasn’t really Frank’s daughter and the guide made a mistake.

Frank put his hand on her shoulder and told her firmly that I was his daughter in every way that mattered. The temple guide shifted from foot to foot and looked uncomfortable as Linda kept going.

She insisted that I was just a stepdaughter and shouldn’t be praised like I was really part of the family. Tom stepped between Linda and the guide and told her that she was embarrassing everyone and needed to calm down right now.

His voice was sharp, and I’d never heard him talk to her like that before. Linda’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Frank apologized to the guide in halting Japanese that sounded rough and wrong, but the guide nodded and smiled a little.

Frank took Linda’s arm and led her away from the group toward a quiet corner of the temple grounds near some stone benches. Bobby stayed close to me and whispered that his mom had been acting crazy this whole trip. He said he was glad someone finally called her out on treating me badly.

I watched Frank and Linda near a stone lantern and could see them having an intense conversation. Linda gestured wildly with her hands, and her face was still red. Frank’s posture got stiffer and more rigid, with his arms crossed over his chest.

The guide asked if we’d like to continue the tour, and Tom said yes. He said we’d catch up with our parents later because we wanted to hear about the temple’s history. The guide seemed relieved to focus on the three of us without the family drama.

She led us down a stone path toward the main building and started explaining how old everything was. I practiced more Japanese phrases with Bobby and tried to remember the ones I’d been teaching him on the plane. The guide complimented my pronunciation and said I had a good ear for the language.

That made me feel proud despite the awful scene Linda just caused. Bobby pointed at different statues and asked questions about what they meant. Tom took pictures with his phone and made jokes about how we’d remember this trip forever.