I Was Single Until A Restaurant Handed Me My Mother In Law’s Debt Chapter 01

I Was Single Until A Restaurant Handed Me My Mother In Law’s Debt Chapter 01

My company was hosting clients, so we went to a restaurant I visited often.

After dinner, the server handed me two checks. One was for $3,000, which was ours. The other, to my shock, was for $30,000.

“Ms. Carter, this is the bill your mother-in-law ran up at our restaurant. She said you’d take care of it!”

The server looked at me with a practiced smile.

I just frowned.

I was single. Since when did I have a mother-in-law?

And what was I supposed to make of a $30,000 bill being shoved at me out of nowhere?

“This bill isn’t mine. Take it up with whoever ordered that meal. I’ll only pay what I actually owe.”

I was about to settle the $3,000 check when the server suddenly raised her voice. “Ms. Carter, you can’t dine and dash!”

The moment she said that, every guest nearby turned to look at me. I just let out a cold laugh.

Then I picked up my phone and made a call.

“Officer, I’m dining at The Harborview, and someone is trying to extort me with a $30,000 bill.”

“And I’d also like this reported to the state consumer protection office. I suspect this place is inflating its prices.”

***

The moment I finished speaking, the room fell dead silent. The clients sitting around me all looked over.

A few clients I had a good working relationship with asked what had happened. Once I explained the bill, they also thought it was absurd.

They all demanded an explanation from the restaurant.

The manager arrived soon after.

I glanced at the name tag pinned to her uniform.

Zoey Gray. She was the manager here. I came to this restaurant often, so I knew her.

Normally, whenever Zoey saw me, she would always greet me politely.

But right now, there was a flicker of urgency in her eyes.

She looked at me and asked, “Ms. Carter, what happened?”

“It’s just a dinner bill. There’s no need to call the police, is there?”

“You invited clients here. We don’t want this to blow up, either.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just paid?”

“Ms. Carter, this isn’t exactly a huge amount of money for you, is it?”

She looked at me and said it with complete seriousness.

I simply stared coldly at Zoey.

“Ms. Gray, if this were my bill, I would absolutely pay it.”

“But it isn’t.”

“Then explain this bill to me.”

As I spoke, I pointed at the $30,000 bill in my hand and stared at Zoey coldly.

They had shoved a $30,000 bill at me and claimed it belonged to some so-called mother-in-law of mine.

There was no way I was accepting that.

Zoey’s expression darkened. She looked at me and said, “Ms. Carter, that woman is definitely your mother-in-law.”

“I’ve seen you come here with her more than once.”

She sounded absolutely certain, and my expression immediately hardened.

I only ever came here for business dinners, and every time I came, I was meeting clients.

Yet Zoey was claiming I had eaten here with that woman before.

She kept insisting the woman was my mother-in-law.

I frowned and said coldly, “Zoey, you must have made a mistake.”

“I know exactly how many times I’ve eaten here.”

“And when have I ever brought anyone here for a $30,000 meal?”

I pointed at the bill with a scoff. “There are eight bottles of premium wine alone, each one over $1,500.”

“Do you really think I’m going to pay for this?”