All Grandma wanted for her 85th birthday was a peaceful dinner. Nothing flashy—just some quiet time with the people she loves. But my family had other plans. They booked a table at a fancy steakhouse and somehow decided I would foot the bill.
Now, Grandma was just happy to be surrounded by family. But little did she know, my cousins were scheming behind the scenes. When the $800 bill hit the table, suddenly everyone forgot their wallets, avoided eye contact, and hoped I’d step up and cover it.
What stung even more? When Grandma got up to use the restroom, they all just… left. They didn’t even wait for her to come back. They left her sitting there alone like she didn’t matter.
I paid the bill—not for them, but for Grandma. I stayed by her side and made sure her night stayed peaceful. What they didn’t know was that I had a little plan of my own. I gave the restaurant manager, an old college friend of mine, a heads-up about the situation.
Let’s just say those cousins didn’t get away with it. Each one was charged for their portion of the meal—with a little extra for their rudeness. The next morning, they were all blowing up my phone in a panic about the charges.
I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to.
Later that day, Grandma called to thank me. I told her next year, we’ll skip the steakhouse… and the freeloaders. Just the two of us. A quiet dinner. No games. No drama. Just love.