My mother-in-law showed up at my restaurant with 38 friends and announced, “Order the most expensive things. I’m treating everyone today,” even though she knew she had no intention of paying. Instead of throwing them out, I looked at the manager and said, “Serve them everything.” Three hours later, when she saw the $23,289 bill and the folder I placed on the table, she stopped smiling.

The entire table fell completely silent, and I froze behind her chair.

Beatrice burst into a loud laugh at their shocked expressions.

“Oh, do not make thosefaces, because Camilla is never home anyway since she lives in this kitchen, and besides, Lucas knows how to enjoy his life.”

 

Another woman looked around the lavish room and asked curiously.

“And with what money is he funding all this fun?”

Beatrice raised her glass high in the air with total confidence.

“With money from this restaurant, of course, because in the end, it all stays right here in the family.”

I remained standing behind her, completely motionless.

I had spent the last three months secretly investigating strange, unauthorizedwithdrawals from my commercial business account. There were receipts for luxury hotels, designer gifts, wire transfers, and massive personal debts that Lucas had never explained to me. But until that exact moment, I had not realized something far worse: Beatrice was fully aware of her son’s infidelity, and she knew precisely where the stolen money was coming from.