I had spent my entire life sacrificing for my son John, living frugally while he built his dream restaurant. When I decided to surprise him with a visit one afternoon, I never imagined I’d be humiliated in his own establishment. Dressed in my simple but neat clothes, I sat quietly enjoying tea when a young woman approached with a sneer.
“This table is reserved,” she announced, looking me up and down. “For people dressed… appropriately.” Her words cut deep as I gathered my things and left, too embarrassed to tell John what happened.
The next day brought an even greater shock when John introduced his fiancée—the same woman who had kicked me out of his restaurant. Sarah’s smug smile faltered when she recognized me, but she quickly recovered, pretending nothing had happened. Over lunch, she manipulated John into asking me for money to start her own café. When I refused, she issued an ultimatum: “It’s her or me.”
Watching my son choose her broke my heart. But I wasn’t done fighting. At their café opening, I tricked Sarah into revealing her true motives—which played over the speakers for everyone to hear. The look on John’s face when he realized she’d only wanted his money was worth every painful moment.
