“We do not serve extra food,” my daughter in law Kimberly said while she shoved a glass of plain water toward me. I watched her entire family prepare to eat fresh lobster while my son Justin simply added that I should understand my place in the family.
I did not let my anger show and instead offered a small smile while telling them that I had noted their perspective. Kimberly did not even try to be subtle about her behavior while she sat there with a fake expression of kindness.
She wanted to humiliate me in front of everyone without looking like the person causing the trouble. It was incredibly painful to see my son nod his head in agreement as if her words were perfectly reasonable.
Justin would not even look me in the eye when he told me that I needed to remember my position. I stayed quiet because I decided it was better to observe and wait for the right moment to speak.
My calm reaction seemed to confuse Kimberly for a second since she likely expected me to cry or cause a scene. I wanted to explain how I ended up sitting in this exclusive restaurant with nothing but a glass of tap water.
This situation actually began many years ago when I decided to sacrifice everything for the sake of my son. Justin was my only child and I raised him by myself after his father left us when he was only five.
I worked three different jobs for a long time by cleaning houses and waiting tables in various kitchens. I wanted him to have the education and the future that I never had the chance to enjoy myself.
I paid for his entire college tuition and supported him through every change he made to his career path. I even stood by him when he met Kimberly and claimed she was the love of his life.
I never asked for anything in return except for the basic respect that a mother deserves from her child. It seemed that my request was too much for them to handle now that he had reached a higher social status.
The invitation for this dinner arrived a week ago when Justin called me with a voice that sounded unusually kind. He told me that he and Kimberly wanted to fix the distance between us by having a nice dinner together.
I was naive enough to believe him and got dressed in my best silver dress for the occasion. I wanted to look elegant for my son and show him that I was still the woman who gave him everything.
