“We’ll start with three of the Grand Seafood Towers for the table,” David instructed, pointing at the menu with authority. “And I’ll have the Wagyu ribeye, medium rare. Same for my dad.”
Sarah closed her menu with a sharp snap.
“I want the two-pound whole Maine lobster. Extra garlic butter on the side, please.”
The rest of David’s family followed suit, requesting massive cuts of dry-aged beef, truffle risotto, and side dishes that cost more than my weekly grocery bill.
Nobody glanced at the prices.
They ordered with the reckless confidence of people who had just won the lottery.
When the waiter finally turned his attention to me, the entire table fell silent for a fraction of a second.
“I’ll have the house garden salad and a glass of tap water with lemon, please,” I requested evenly.
David’s mother, Brenda, let out a poorly disguised snicker.
“Just a salad, Georgia? Come on. You have to enjoy life. You can’t take all that real estate money to the grave with you.”
I froze, my hands resting lightly on the table.
There it was.
The missing piece of the puzzle.
Two weeks ago, I had finalized the sale of a small commercial warehouse my late husband had owned on the edge of town.
It was a private transaction, but word travels incredibly fast.
Sarah had clearly caught wind of the sale and deduced that I was suddenly sitting on a mountain of liquid cash.
As the first round of appetizers arrived, burying the table in cracked crab claws and oysters, I ate my simple salad in silence.
I listened to them brag about luxury vacations they hadn’t actually taken and kitchen renovations they couldn’t afford.
I was a ghost at my own reconciliation dinner, but I was a very observant one.
The feast stretched on for nearly two exhausting hours.
The sheer volume of rich food this family managed to consume was genuinely astounding.
Halfway through the main courses, David snapped his fingers in the air to summon the sommelier.
“We need something proper to toast with,” David announced loudly. “Bring us the Cabernet, the reserved tier. Yes, the one with the black label.”
Sarah beamed casually, adjusting her necklace.