Frank had always prided himself on his sneaky ways of scoring freebies, but karma caught up with him in the most public way at a high-end restaurant. What started as a typical meal turned into a humiliating spectacle that would finally teach him a lesson he never expected.
My father-in-law, Frank, has a habit of scamming his way through life. I’ve seen him pull stunts to get free meals and services countless times, but I never thought I’d witness the day when one of his tricks would backfire so spectacularly, leaving him scrambling for a way out.
I met Frank about nine years ago when I started dating Ethan. I was introduced to him over dinner at a restaurant, and that was the first time I saw Frank in action. The meal began like any other: I ordered pasta, Ethan got a sandwich, and Frank went for sesame chicken with rice.
He took a bite and said, “This chicken is delicious!” Ethan and I nodded in agreement, thinking he was just enjoying the meal. But moments later, Frank’s tone changed dramatically.
“Watch this,” Frank whispered to us with a mischievous grin. He then called the waiter over and complained loudly, “This chicken is awful—bland, undercooked, and tasteless!”
The waiter, clearly panicked, apologized and offered to replace the meal immediately. As the waiter walked away with the half-eaten dish, Frank flashed a satisfied smile, proud of his ploy to get more food for free.
I sat there, stunned. It wasn’t like Frank was short on money—he just enjoyed taking advantage. I didn’t say anything that night, but I questioned Ethan later. “Why does your dad do that?”
Ethan sighed. “He’s always been like this. We’ve tried to tell him it’s wrong, but he never listens. He thinks it’s funny.”
Over time, I learned that this was just how Frank operated. Whether it was at restaurants, hotels, or anywhere else, he was always looking for a way to cheat the system. But I never imagined that his luck would run out in such a spectacular fashion.
It happened last weekend. Frank called Ethan and invited us to dinner at a new, upscale restaurant. “I’ve heard the food’s expensive, but I want to see if it’s worth it,” Frank said. Ethan and I agreed, thinking it would just be another ordinary meal.
When we arrived, I couldn’t help but notice the prices. “Wow, this place is pricey,” I said, scanning the menu. Ethan and I both settled for simple pasta dishes, but Frank—true to form—ordered the most expensive item on the menu: lobster.
Our meals arrived, and we started eating. Halfway through dinner, I saw Frank staring at his lobster, a look of calculation in his eyes. Then, to my horror, he reached over, plucked a hair from my head, and placed it on his plate.
“Frank, what are you doing?” I whispered, but before I could stop him, he called the waiter over and loudly complained, “There’s a hair in my food! This is unacceptable!”
The waiter looked horrified and immediately apologized, promising to speak with the manager. As I sat there, mortified, Ethan shot his father an angry glance, clearly fed up with his antics.
Moments later, the manager arrived, full of apologies—at first. But as the waiter whispered something in his ear, the manager’s demeanor shifted. He looked Frank straight in the eye and said, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Frank was taken aback. “Leave? I found a hair in my food, and you’re kicking me out?” he shouted, causing heads to turn in the restaurant.
The manager remained calm. “Sir, one of our staff members recognized you from another restaurant where you pulled the same stunt. We take food safety seriously, and we don’t tolerate attempts to deceive us. If you don’t leave, we’ll have to involve the authorities.”
Frank’s face turned beet red as whispers and snickers spread throughout the restaurant. People were watching, some even laughing, and for the first time, Frank had no clever comeback.
As he stood up to leave, the manager added, “We’ll also be sharing your photo with other high-end restaurants in the area. You won’t be welcome at any of them.”
Frank’s face drained of color. Humiliated and defeated, he grabbed his coat and stormed out without another word. Ethan and I stayed behind, stunned into silence. As the embarrassment wore off, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “Frank finally got what he deserved.”
Ethan chuckled. “I think he just learned the hard way that cheating doesn’t pay.”
That night, I realized that sometimes, karma is just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And for Frank, it came when he least expected it—right in the middle of an overpriced lobster dinner.
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