I had no idea that my rich daughter-in-law’s offer to a fancy dinner would turn into a nightmare. I knew I had to teach her a lesson she’d never forget when she left me with a $5,375 bill, but I didn’t know how it would end.
My name is Ruth, and I’m no longer teaching after 40 years. Veronica, my son Michael’s wife, asked me to come out to party with her. She is a famous lawyer who wears expensive clothes and goes to fancy lunches.
She told him over the phone, “Don’t worry about the cost.” “This is my treat.”
I knew I should have been smarter, but the act made me feel so good that I ignored my gut. I had no idea that this dinner would make everything different.
I told her, “That’s very nice of you… ” “Are you sure?”
“Certainly,” she insisted. “Being a teacher for so long has earned you this.”
The restaurant had the kind of menu where prices were not written on it. As we walked in, the maître d’ looked me over several times and raised an eyebrow at my reasonable shoes and department store outfit.
We were sitting at a table by the window and could see the skyline of the city. With the white tablecloths and crystal cups, I didn’t feel like I belonged.
Veronica looked over the wine list and asked Ruth, “So, Ruth, how does it feel to be retired?”
I played with my napkin. “Really?” A little strange. “I don’t know what to do with myself.”
She gave a vague nod and then looked at the sommelier. “The 2015 Château Margaux will do.”
We talked about relatives, my old job, and hers. I thought we were getting closer for once.
Veronica said as she sipped her wine, “You must be glad to be done with all those bad kids.”
I said, “Oh, I’ll miss them.” “Being a teacher was my life. They were all different, like puzzle pieces.
Even though she said yes, I could tell her eyes were getting tired. She didn’t even look at the menu when the waitress came over to take her order.
She waved her hand and said, “The usual.” “And for my mother-in-law—” she stopped and looked at me with interest.
To calm down, I said, “Oh, um, I’ll have the chicken, please.”
The waiter gave a nod and then left. Veronica opened up about her most recent court case without stopping to catch her breath.
My mind went off as I tried to follow along. I thought about my classroom, which was now being taught by a younger person. Would she care about it like I did?
“Ruth? Are you hearing me?” I woke up when Veronica’s voice became sharp.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I was thinking about something for a moment.
She sighed. I said, “As I said, the judge ruled completely in our favor.” There was a huge win.
I didn’t really understand what she was saying, but I smiled and nodded. As the night went on, I started to feel uneasy in my stomach. I knew something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t place it.
Veronica walked away after we were done eating. She said, “I’ll just go to the ladies’ room.” “Come back soon.”
It had been fifteen minutes. Then thirty. I kept getting the side-eye from the waiter, and his nice smile was getting tense.
He finally came up to her. “Are you ready to pay the bill, Madam?”
The amount of $5,375 almost stopped my heart.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a shaky voice. “My daughter-in-law asked me to come.” She said she would pay.
The waiter’s face turned serious. “Maybe you’d like to call her?”
Yes, I did. To voicemail right away.
That’s when I knew. She had this planned from the start. The truth hit me like a punch in the gut. But after the shock went off, a new feeling started to take its place: determination.
I smiled at the waiter and took a deep breath. “It looks like you’ve left me,” I said in a calm voice. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
When I gave them my credit card, I hoped it wouldn’t be rejected. It wasn’t, but I knew I would be eating ramen for a long time.
My mind was already full of plans as I left the restaurant. Even though I’m old, I can still do things.
I called my old friend Carla in the morning. The woman runs a cleaning service and is very funny.
I told Carla, “I need a favor.” “Would you like to clean the town’s biggest house?”
“Ruth, what are you doing?” She laughed. “This doesn’t sound like a request you usually make.”
She was happy to help after I told her about my plan.
She told him, “Oh, honey, I have just the team for this job.” We’ll leave that place spotless and maybe hide some treats.
I had a small smile on my face as I hung up the phone. The first part was done, but I wasn’t done yet.
Then I called Charmaine, a lawyer friend from our book club. Since I helped her daughter do well on her English tests, she’s always liked me.
“Charmaine, how much would it cost to sue someone for making you feel bad?”
She laughed. “Ruth, you’re silly, right?” “That’s not like you.”
I told them, “Dead serious.” “But I don’t really want to sue.” I only want to scare someone.
Not long after, she said, “Ah.” If that’s the case, I think we can make something scary enough. Of course for free.”
After a week, I asked Veronica to come over for tea. Her shoes clicked on my linoleum floor as she walked in like nothing had happened.
She said, “Ruth, it’s so nice to see you.” “I hope you had a great time at our dinner.”
I gave a sweet smile. “Yes, I did.” I even have a little something to thank you for.
She got an envelope from me. Her beautifully trimmed nails tore it open.
Her face changed from proud to shocked to pale as she read.
“You—you wish to sue me?” She stuttered, and her calm broke.
I used my best strict teacher voice and said, “Unless you agree to my terms.”
She gave me a mean look and pursed her lips together in a thin line. “What terms?”
“First, you’ll say sorry for what you did in public.” The second part is that you will pay back the bill and any court fees. Third, you’ll behave properly toward me.
It looked like Veronica had eaten a lemon. “You must be joking.” Is there anything bad this could do to my name?”
I said in a rough voice, “Try me.” “Even though I’m retired, I still know how to handle people who cause trouble.”
She looked at me for a long time and then became sad. “Okay. I’ll do it. But this is just between us, okay?”
I put out my hand. “Give it a shake?”
She did, but her grip was weak and wet. I wasn’t sure if I had gone too far as we shook hands. Would this plan go horribly wrong?
Veronica’s social media was full of her sorry posts the next day. Suddenly, I had $5,500 more in my bank account. But that wasn’t the best part yet.
Carla’s group swarmed into Veronica’s house like a swarm of cleaning bees. They cleaned every surface, put everything in its place, and didn’t miss a corner.
They also left a beautifully wrapped package in the master bedroom.
The list inside had every mean thing Veronica had said to me, every eye roll she had given me, and every praise she had given me in a sneaky way. And a note that says, “A blank slate for a new start.” From now on, let’s be nicer to each other.
As I sipped my tea, my phone rang. It was Veronica. As I spoke, my heart jumped into my throat.
“Ruth,” she said in a deep voice. “I have nothing to say.”
“May I say ‘I’m sorry?'” I recommended, making sure my tone was light.
There was a long pause. Then, to my surprise, I heard someone laugh.
“You got me really well, didn’t you?” She said. “I didn’t believe you could do it.”
“Just to remind you to be respectful,” I said. “And never think less of a retired teacher.”
She said, “I deserved it.” “May I ask that we begin again?”
When I smiled, I felt a weight fall off my shoulders. “That sounds good to me, Veronica.”
Things changed after that day. More and more, Veronica called me and asked for help. She even invited me to casual dinners, which she paid for.
She asked me to help her plan Michael’s surprise birthday party last week.
She said, “I need your help.” “Finally, you know him best.”
I couldn’t help but be amazed at how far we’d come as we sat at her kitchen table making party plans.
“You know,” Veronica said out of the blue, “I never properly thanked you.”
I was shocked when I looked up. “What for?”
She answered, “For teaching me a lesson I’ll never forget.” She then reached out and squeezed my hand. “Ruth, you’re stronger than you seem.”
I laughed. “Well, I did deal with middle schoolers for forty years.”
She smiled. “Remind me to never go against you again.” I still can’t believe you did all that.
“Let’s just say I dealt with troublemakers before,” I said with a wink.
I felt warm in my chest as we went back to making plans. When things go wrong, sometimes tough love is just what the doctor ordered.
Also, who knows? I might even tell Michael about our little trip one day. But for now, it’s a secret. It’s a warning that you have to earn respect.
No matter how hard it is, you have to teach them that lesson. This is my last day as a teacher, but I’m still here.
What would you have done?