My in-laws had a nasty habit that made my blood boil – they’d always find an excuse to skip out on restaurant bills. Despite their mansion and luxury cars, they’d suddenly “forget” their wallets whenever the check arrived. After years of watching them pull this stunt, they made the mistake of trying it on my mom.
When they invited my retired schoolteacher mother to a lavish birthday dinner at the city’s most expensive Italian restaurant, I knew exactly what was coming. I warned Mom, but she just smiled and said, “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart.”
That night unfolded like clockwork. My in-laws ordered gold-dusted steaks and rare wines worth hundreds per bottle. When the $1,500 bill arrived, they scattered like cockroaches when the lights come on – fake phone calls, forgotten purses, sudden babysitter emergencies. They left my mom sitting alone with the check.
But here’s what they didn’t know: the restaurant manager was one of Mom’s former students. When she casually mentioned this to the waiter, everything changed. Suddenly, my father-in-law was getting a very different kind of phone call – one from the manager threatening to report them for dine-and-dashing unless they returned immediately.
The sight of my furious in-laws slinking back to the restaurant to pay the bill (plus a hefty “inconvenience fee”) was sweeter than the chocolate soufflé Mom ordered while she waited. Best of all? They’ve miraculously remembered their wallets at every family dinner since.
