There was a man sitting next to me on the plane who shamelessly insulted me because of my weight, but by the end of the flight, he deeply regretted his behavior

Business class. A long flight. I bought my ticket in advance and chose a window seat — I just wanted to have a peaceful flight, do some work, and rest a bit. Everything was usual: passengers took their seats, suitcases were tucked into overhead bins, flight attendants offered water.

I had settled into my seat when a man in an expensive suit entered the cabin. He was holding a leather briefcase and confidently approached his seat — right next to me. He glanced at the seat, then at me, twisted his face sharply, and loudly, so everyone could hear, said:

— What the hell is this? I paid for business class, and I feel like I’m in the subway at rush hour!

He dramatically rolled his eyes and gave me a contemptuous look.

— I’m flying to an important conference, I need to prepare, and now I can’t even sit properly, — he said as he heavily sat down next to me.

I understood what he was implying. Or rather — whom.

— Why do they even sell seats here to people like her? — he muttered under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear.

He sat down and immediately began nudging me with his elbow, as if to show his displeasure. It wasn’t just physically painful; it was terribly hurtful. I turned to the window, holding back tears. I never thought a grown, respectable-looking person could be so cruel.

Throughout the flight, he seemed to move deliberately, shuffled papers, snorted, but said nothing else. I endured it. I’m used to prejudiced looks. But not to such blatant hostility.

When the plane landed and we began to disembark, my assistant from economy class approached me. He nodded politely and said:

— Mrs. Smith, would it be convenient for you if, after checking in at the hotel, we went straight to the conference venue? I’ve already prepared everything.

The man sitting next to me froze. I felt his gaze. The assistant left, and he suddenly spoke in a completely different tone:

— Excuse me… are you also flying to the conference? I heard there will be a very respected scientist speaking… Her name is also Smith.

— Yes, — I replied calmly, grabbing my bag, — that’s me.

He was stunned, turned pale, and started mumbling something about how long he’d been interested in my work and heard about my lecture on cognitive technologies.

I just smiled politely and walked away first. He stayed seated as if someone had sucked the air out of him.

I hope this stranger will stop judging people by their appearance after this