At a restaurant, a woman made fun of me, but the following day, she showed up at my door as my DIL.
I made the decision to go to my son’s restaurant as a surprise. I was excited to visit the place, dressed simply and neatly. I was asked to move by a haughty woman who believed my outfit was inappropriate. I was ashamed. My son introduced his fiancée the following day. Guess who it was, if you can?
I’ve always led a frugal life, putting away every dollar for my son. My life was straightforward; I had a small house and wore the same clothing for many years. Raising my son alone, I gave my everything to his education and future.
John became a clever and diligent adult who eventually opened his own restaurant. I was quite pleased with him. I went to his restaurant one day without telling him. I rode the bus there, dressed simply as usual, with the intention of having a modest cup of tea while I waited for him.
There was a lot going on in the restaurant. I sat at a comfortable table beside the window to take in the pleasant light. A smug-looking young woman came up to me while I was sipping my tea. She exuded confidence as she went, wearing clothing of high quality.
“Pardon me,” she remarked in a patronizing tone. I’ve reserved this table for me and my boyfriend. You’ll need to relocate.
Startled, I graciously said, “Oh, I didn’t realize.” On the table, there was no trace of a reservation.
That is irrelevant, she sneered. This table is suited for a more adequately attired person. You wouldn’t want to make anyone or yourself look bad.
Her remarks hurt. Humiliated, I quietly got my things and departed the restaurant. It made me feel small to be walking to the bus stop at a place that symbolized my son’s labor of love. Thoughts of the embarrassing encounter did not leave me on the bus ride home.
I made the decision not to tell John about the incident. I didn’t want to ruin the mood for our planned lunch the next day. Still, the humiliation bit me.
I got ready for lunch with John and his girlfriend the next day. I cooked his favorite dishes and laid the table with my finest china. My heart dropped when they got there. Here at my door was the same young woman from the restaurant. Although she acknowledged me, she exuded confidence as though nothing had happened.
“Hello, Mom!” John gave me a cordial welcome. “This is Sarah.”
Insincere, Sarah said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I forced a smile and said. When we took our seats to eat, the mood was tense. John was happy to talk about his restaurant and his goals, and every now and then Sarah would join in in the same arrogant way.
John said, “Mom, I wanted to ask you something.” Sarah’s dream is to own and operate her own café. We were hoping you could give us a small loan so we could get going.
I was shocked and said, “A café?”
Sarah joyfully nodded “Yes.” “This is a wonderful opportunity.”
Sarah stood up, avoiding the important money topic. I grabbed the opportunity to talk to John.
“Are you sure about this? It’s a lot of money,” I said.
“Mom, Sarah has big dreams. She wants to grow, not just rely on me,” John replied, looking frustrated.
“I don’t trust her, John. I clarified that she had treated me badly at your restaurant.
“Why didn’t you tell me then? It seems like an excuse now,” John said.
“John, I just want you to be careful,” I pleaded.
Sarah returned, sensing the tension. “What’s going on?”
“Mom says she won’t give us the money,” John said, unhappy.
“Why not?” Sarah demanded, looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t trust you, Sarah. You treated me badly,” I said.
Sarah’s expression shifted. “Oh, dear, there must be a misunderstanding. I would never do such a thing,” she said sweetly. After pretending to be innocent, she pouted and turned to look at John. “Our relationship is over if your mom rejects me.”
“Sarah, hold on.” She refused to listen to John’s attempts to calm her.
Sarah gave me a glare and declared, “It’s her or me.”
John looked torn but finally stood up. Taking Sarah’s hand, he said, “Let’s go, Sarah.” They left, leaving me alone at the table. John needed to see the truth before it was too late, I hoped.
I got an invitation to the café’s opening a month later. John had found the money for Sarah. He wanted reconciliation, so I decided to go with a plan in mind.
On the day of the opening, I dressed carefully. As I approached the café, I saw the cheerful crowd and beautiful decorations. John greeted me warmly, hopeful that everything would be fine.
During the celebration, I asked Sarah to talk outside. We stood near the back entrance, and I casually asked about her plans for the café. Sarah boasted about the money and her intentions, revealing her true colors.
Inside, everyone heard her through the speakers, as I had set up a recorder connected via Bluetooth. John was startled and ashamed. Sarah tried to justify herself, but it was too late. The damage was done.
A few days later, John asked me to the restaurant for supper. He apologized, acknowledging his mistakes. He had ended his relationship with Sarah but couldn’t recover the money. It was a hard lesson, but he had learned from it. We enjoyed the evening, surrounded by friends and family, knowing John had grown stronger and wiser from the experience
