I bought a first-class train ticket during my winter break, but I found someone already sitting in my seat when I boarded. I approached her politely and asked, "Ma'am, I believe this is my seat."

"Just because you say it's yours doesn't make it so. Why don't you call it and see if it answers? I'm older than you, can't you just let me have it? If you want to sit, go find a seat in second class."

I was so shocked I could only laugh. I pulled out my phone and showed the old lady the payment receipt. "The fare difference is $100. Would you like to pay with? Card or cash?"

To my surprise, she snatched my phone and threw it to the ground, smashing it to pieces. She grabbed my hair and started slapping me across the face. "I'll teach you to ask for money! You're shameless!"

I ended up in the hospital the day I was supposed to arrive home. It wasn't until my father's employee came to visit with gifts that things changed. Seeing the woman's face turn pale, I smiled slowly. "Dad, she's the one who hit me."

The school was quite far from the station and we'd also run into traffic. I barely made it onto the train in time for boarding.

After stowing my suitcase, I took out my phone to reply to my parents' messages. "Mom and Dad, I'll be home this afternoon. Don't forget to pick me up!" Then, I began searching the compartment for my seat.

Due to the late announcement of the school holidays, most tickets were already sold out when we tried to book. My parents had wanted to pick me up, but it was too far, so I convinced them not to. After waiting a while, I managed to secure a first-class ticket through the waitlist.

Following the flow of passengers, I carefully checked the numbers on the seats with my phone. I felt awkward looking at the older woman sitting comfortably in my seat. After double-checking everything, I finally spoke up. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe this is my seat."

My home was far from school and this train ride would take the entire journey. A first-class ticket wasn't cheap—it cost nearly half a month's living expenses.

The woman glanced at me dismissively and scoffed, "There are so many seats and you're saying this one's yours? Why don't you call it and see if it answers?"

I was momentarily speechless and caught off guard by her rude remark. It was clear she was deliberately taking my seat.

When I entered the compartment, I noticed her looking around and assumed she was waiting for someone. I hadn't realized she was checking if the person whose seat she'd taken had arrived.

I didn't want to cause a scene on my way home, so I calmly opened my ticket app and showed her my booking details. "This is indeed my seat. See? Here's my ticket information," I said patiently, holding my phone up to her.

Her expression changed briefly before she returned to her defiant stance. She raised her voice. "What's wrong with you? There are so many people in this compartment, yet you're picking on an old lady like me! It's just a seat! Do you want to drive me to my death?"

Her sudden outburst left me frozen in place. The entire compartment turned to stare at us and I felt my face flush with embarrassment and anger. "This is my seat! You're the one who took it. How am I the one pushing you to the brink?" I retorted, raising my voice.

I felt a little wronged and speechless in my heart. What bad luck to run into this on my way home for the holidays.

I stood there holding my phone while the old lady snorted impatiently. She pushed my hand away with force. "What are you looking at? Don't wave your phone in front of me. I can't read. I'll just sit here today. Why can't I sit here?"

"Ouch!" I stood there clutching my wrist, my face contorted in pain. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. It hurt like hell!

The old lady's push had sent my hand crashing into the most challenging part of the seat back in front of me. My entire wrist throbbed with a burning pain.

I was so annoyed I wanted to hit something. "Sure, you can sit, no one's stopping you. But this seat? I paid for it! Sit anywhere else, but where am I supposed to sit if you're in my seat?"

Some passengers in the compartment couldn't stand it anymore and started to smooth things over. "It's just a seat, why don't you two just switch? They're both seats, what difference does it make?"

"Exactly," another added. "It's no big deal. Young lady, you're being a bit too stubborn. Learn to be flexible."

I held back a torrent of words. Was it wrong to sit in the seat I paid for?

Finally, after a moment of silence, I said, "Fine, you can sit here. What's your seat number? We can just switch."

I winced as I nursed my aching wrist. It would be fine as long as I could go home.

I looked around the compartment, trying to spot her seat. But everywhere I looked, the seats were occupied. Strange. Was her seat not in this compartment?

The old lady's face twitched slightly, avoiding my gaze. The excitement of going home for the holidays had vanished entirely. Now, I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

After a long pause, under the pressure of the other passengers, the old lady finally muttered reluctantly, "Second class, seat 06F."

"What?" I was stunned. Second class? I was beyond speechless, silently cursing my bad luck for the millionth time.

"I bought a first-class ticket and you're offering me a second-class seat in exchange?" I stared at the old lady, her face indifferent and couldn't believe it.

The price difference between a first-class and a second-class ticket on this train was over $100. I'm not stupid. Why would I trade a seat worth $100 more for no reason?

"It's a second-class seat. Take it or leave it! If you want to sit, go sit in second class," she huffed. "First-class tickets are so expensive. Who knows how a young girl like you could afford one? Aren't you embarrassed to brag about it?"

I was too furious to speak. "There's a $100 difference between the seats. Why should I go to second class when I bought a first-class ticket? Why don't you sit in the seat you bought?"

It would have been fine if I had bought a second-class seat, just like the other passengers said. Changing seats in the same compartment was no big deal, but now the difference was $100.

The old lady was emboldened and clung tightly to the seat. The wrinkles on her face formed a fierce expression. "If you'd gotten on the train earlier, this wouldn't have happened! I thought no one was sitting here, so I did. It's not my fault you came late."

"I'm even giving you my seat now. Why don't you just take it? These days, young people have no respect for the elderly. Didn't your parents teach you any manners? Were you raised by wolves?"

I was so infuriated I felt like I was about to have a stroke. My eyes burned as I choked out, "You're the one with no manners! Give me back my seat, or you have to pay me the difference! You did this on purpose!"

Her behavior was simply outrageous. The old lady retorted arrogantly, "Sit or don't sit, I don't care. This seat is mine now."

The high-speed train began to move and the compartment buzzed with commotion. I glared at the old lady before me, my teeth clenched in frustration. I couldn't hit her; if things escalated, she'd probably turn it all around on me.

The conductor soon approached. "What's going on here? Why all the noise? Everyone, take out your ID cards. We're checking tickets."

I pulled the conductor aside and explained the situation. The conductor examined the old lady's ID and ticket, then sternly said, "Mrs. Zola, your ticket is for a second-class seat. You can't sit in first class. Please return to your assigned seat."

Standing next to the conductor, I watched the old lady's face twist in sudden realization. She stood up and pointed at us. "Ah, I see now. You two are in this together, bullying an old lady like me. Why is my life so miserable?"

"You're all ganging up on me! How can I go on living like this? It's because we're poor and can't afford better tickets. And now, an old lady like me is being scolded to my face." She sat on the floor, wailing and slapping her thighs dramatically.

I had never witnessed such a scene before and was momentarily stunned. The old lady's performance was so convincing; it really seemed like I was the one bullying her.

The conductor's expression remained serious. "Mrs. Zola, these are the rules. Please return to your seat. And don't spread false accusations about us."

The old lady ignored her and continued her dramatic crying.

With no other option, the conductor called for the train police over the radio. As soon as the officer arrived, Mrs. Zola cried even harder, shouting about how she was being bullied and couldn't go on living.

A young woman nearby stood up and spoke on my behalf. "That's her seat. You have your own seat. Why are you bullying this young lady?"

"You're a grown adult. Why are you picking on a young girl? Everyone's ticket costs money!"

"It's just terrible how some bad people grow old. Shameless!"

I glanced gratefully at the woman. Once she had spoken up, others began to voice their opinions.

"Exactly! This old lady took someone else's seat and refused to get up. She wants to swap her second-class seat with a first-class one without paying the difference. Who does that?"

I pulled out my phone and showed her the payment code. "One hundred dollars. Let's round it down to ninety dollars. Transfer the money and you can have this seat."

"Why should I give you money? You young people should give up your seats for us. I'm honoring you by sitting in your seat! I wouldn't even want your seat on a train! You young people just want to be comfortable and have no respect for the elderly anymore."

She remained seated on the floor and I crouched down, holding my phone in front of her. I couldn't help but laugh hearing her words. "If you like comfort, why not try the business class seats? They're even better."

Her face darkened and she glared at me more fiercely. I became even more confident that she knew exactly what she was doing. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been looking around so cautiously when she boarded the train.

She wouldn't have pulled this if she didn't see that I was just a young woman sitting alone. That was why she dared to sit here so confidently.

If it had been anyone else, especially a man, she wouldn't have dared. She was using her age as a shield, assuming that I was too embarrassed to make a fuss.