Greedy Father-in-Law’s Scheme to Get a Free Meal Backfires in a Big Way
My Greedy Father-in-Law Put a Hair in an Expensive Dish to Get It for Free—but Karma Got Him Immediately
Frank had always taken great satisfaction in using cunning methods to obtain freebies, but in a posh restaurant, his luck ran out. A straightforward dinner eventually became a public spectacle as karma finally caught up with him and taught him a lesson he never expected.
Frank, my father-in-law, has always been one of those individuals that seizes every chance to defraud others in order to further their own interests.
I’ve seen him do it a few times, but I never imagined that one day his antics would backfire so horribly that he would be left red-faced and frantically looking for a way out.
Frank and I have been friends for almost nine years. When Ethan and I first started dating, he took me out to supper to a restaurant where we initially met. I had never seen Frank attempting to con a restaurant before that moment.
After the servers brought our food, we started to eat. Frank ordered a bowl of rice with sesame chicken; I chose pasta, and Ethan got a sandwich.
“The chicken is so delicious!” Frank said, savoring his food.
Ethan said, “Yeah, even this sandwich tastes great.”
Frank seemed to be enjoying the food and service at the restaurant, I thought. However, no. Frank had other plans, and I was totally unprepared for what he did next.
He said, “Let me show you how to get more of the same meal for free!” and motioned for a waiter to come talk to us.
The waiter asked in a kind manner, “How can I help you, sir?”
“This chicken tastes awful!” Frank shook his head disapprovingly and stated fiercely. “It’s unbelievable that you’re providing such bland food. It’s undercooked and has a tasteless texture.
“I’m really sorry, sir,” the server said. “I’ll get a replacement right away.”
“Hurry up!” Frank lost his temper. “I have to get out of here quickly. You had better come back with a nicely prepared meal!”
The waiter apologized as though he was at blame, appearing to be in a hurry. Frank claimed not to like his half-eaten meal, and he carried it away, saying he would be back in five minutes.
The waiter left, and Frank gave us a menacing smile as if he’d accomplished something spectacular.
I wanted to question Frank then why he had lied to earn a free supper again. It wasn’t as though he was starving to death or that he was poor.
Though I felt I was in no position to correct him, I thought what he did was really cheap.
I questioned Ethan later that evening about his father’s actions.
Ethan sighed, “He’s always been like this.” “We tell him it’s wrong, but he finds it funny and never listens.” Believe me, we’ve tried a million times.”
“However, did you fail to notice the waiter’s injuries? I objected, saying “He really thought your dad didn’t like the food.” “Ethan, this is completely incorrect. So unjust.”
We were only getting started, so I decided it wasn’t worth arguing over when Ethan instructed me to move on.
I could have made Ethan realize how bad Frank’s actions were, but I didn’t want our relationship to be strained over something so trivial.
But now that I think about it, I wish I had advised Ethan to break his father’s habit.
After Ethan and I got married the next year, I’ve seen firsthand just how cheap Frank is. I have witnessed in horror as he has pulled off ruses to obtain complimentary meals, hotel services, and free anything, wherever!
I attempted to convey to Ethan the wrongness of his father’s actions during our first year of marriage, but it resulted in a heated quarrel. I begged that Ethan at least talk to his dad about it, but he argued that he had no influence over Frank.
That evening, I made the decision to give up on meddling in Frank’s affairs because it was pointless. I had no idea that karma would intervene and give Frank a lesson he would never forget.
Frank contacted Ethan last weekend, and that’s when it all began.
“There’s a new restaurant near my workplace,” he replied. “I wanted to know if Bella and you could come along. I just want to check if it’s worth the money because I’ve heard the cuisine is rather pricey.”
“Yes, Dad,” Ethan answered. “We’ll be there.”
We found ourselves in the restaurant with Frank two days later. It was one of those posh restaurants where you had to make a reservation just to get in and where the servings are ridiculously small.
I glanced over the menu and remarked, “This place looks nice.” “But wow, it’s pricey.”
Yes, it’s rather costly, Ethan said. “I think I’ll stick with a simple pasta.”
“Me too,” I replied. “Pasta with white sauce, please. Frank, how about you?”
Frank was occupied with going over the menu, tracing his finger down to the most costly option.
“I’ll have the lobster,” he said with a smile.
“A lobster? Truly, Dad?” Ethan enquired. “You’ve never ordered one before.”
Frank said, “I knew you’d say this.” “But it’s nice to try new things, isn’t it?”
Ethan said, “You’re right, Dad,” and then he called for a waiter.
While we were placing our meals, I could sense Frank was getting ready to pull off another prank.
Our dinner soon arrived, and we started to eat. But midway through the meal, I saw Frank fixated on his lobster. It didn’t register with me until he removed a hair from my head and put it on his plate.
Frank did really had the audacity to do so. I was in too much shock to speak.
Then, pretending to be disgusted, he beckoned the waiter over.
Frank said, “There’s a hair in my food,” and pushed his chair away from the table, acting as though the hair would fly toward him. “This has to stop! This trash shouldn’t have to cost me money!”
How absurd is that? I pondered. How could he possibly consider doing that?
Ethan looked like he was ready to blow up, and I was humiliated.
The waiter said, “Sir, I’m really sorry.” “I’ll let the manager know.”
At that point, karma started to work.
A few seconds later, the manager came over to our table.
He apologized, saying, “We really apologize for the inconvenience, sir.”
It seemed like he was going to give the manager a free supper when another waiter approached our table and said something in the manager’s ear.
The manager’s expression went from being remorseful to being sternly serious at that point. Taking a big breath, he continued, “Sir, I must ask that you please leave.”
“What? Why should I depart?” Frank objected. “You’re throwing me out because I found hair in my food? Do you handle your customers this way?”
The manager calmly responded, “Sir, I’m asking you to leave because we believe you put the hair in the dish yourself.”
I’ll never forget Frank’s expression. Startled, appalled, and taken aback, he continued to attempt to refute.
He screamed at the manager, “How dare you accuse me of that!” “I’ll have your job for this!”
The entire restaurant was observing by this point.
“Sir,” the manager started, “you pulled the same prank at another restaurant, and one of our employees recognized you.” We will not put up with attempts to malign our company since we take food safety very seriously. We will involve the authorities, so please leave.”
People in our immediate vicinity then began whispering to one another and even laughing. As all was going on, Ethan and I exchanged glances and regretted our decision to have this dinner.
It didn’t stop there, though.
Frank was at a loss for words and realized there was nothing he could do to refute the manager. He got to his feet, grabbed his coat, and started to walk away.
“More than that, sir,” the manager added. “Your picture and information are being shared with a number of other exclusive eateries in the vicinity. At all of them, you won’t be accepted anymore.”
When Frank realized what the manager had just stated, his face went white.
The fact that everyone in the restaurant could hear him and many of them were making fun of him disturbed him further. It was then that he realized he could no longer use his cheap tricks to get free food.
He was vanquished by Karma.
Ethan and I sat there in quiet as Frank stormed out of the restaurant without saying anything more. After the first shock subsided, I couldn’t help but giggle at what had transpired.
“I never thought I’d see the day!” I continued to giggle as I said. “Frank finally got a taste of his own medicine, and it wasn’t free.”
Shaking his head, Ethan laughed. “Maybe he’ll finally realize that cheating his way through life always has a cost.”
It was that evening that I realized the true nature of karma. Sometimes I couldn’t help but feel that karma is simply waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. And just as you’re about to bite into an expensive lobster, that moment might come.
