For her 85th birthday, Grandma wanted a simple dinner. I planned exactly that—until the family hijacked it. Suddenly, it was a lavish event at the fanciest steakhouse in town.
At dinner, they went all out. My cousin Katie posed for pictures, her brother Mark sampled all the expensive drinks, and Aunt Linda loudly recommended “only the premium options.”
Then the bill arrived.
Aunt Linda gasped. “Oh wow, look at that total…”
“I spent all my savings on concert tickets. Live music is important for my mental health,” Katie sighed.
“My dog’s vet bills are insane,” Mark added.
“We figured you’d cover this one,” Uncle Joe said and turned to me, grinning. “You work at the bank, have no kids, live alone. What else are you spending money on?”
And then the guilt trip—”It’s for Grandma. We might not have many more of these.”
Oh. What a plan.
I smiled. “Let me take care of something and we’ll get back to this,” I said and walked off.
When I returned, the table was empty—except for Grandma, clutching her purse and looking scared. “Where’d everyone go? They said they’d be right back. Are we okay? Is everything paid for? I can cover some if I need to, sweetheart… I don’t have much with me but I’ve been saving up…”
I hugged her. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Everything’s under control.”
We finished our meal while the staff handled the rest.
The next morning? My phone was blowing up.
My grandma is the kind of person who makes a house feel like home. Fresh cookies, birthday cards, and hugs that fix everything. So when she wanted a small dinner for her 85th birthday, I was all in.But the family had other ideas. Aunt Linda insisted that Grandma deserved something special, so they booked the fanciest steakhouse in town—and expected me to pay for it,
I would’ve happily paid for a nice meal for Grandma, but not when they acted like I was their personal bank.When we got to the restaurant, Grandma was glowing, but the rest of the family was acting like it was a celebrity event. Katie was snapping selfies, Mark was tasting every whiskey, and Aunt Linda was pushing the most expensive items.Then the check came, and the manipulation started. They all suddenly “couldn’t pay” and turned to me, expecting me to cover it all.
When Grandma went to the restroom, I had a word with the manager—an old college buddy. By the time I came back, the table was empty except for Grandma, who was left behind. The family had ditched her.I reassured Grandma everything was fine, and we had dessert (which the staff comped). Meanwhile, my friend Eric made sure to collect their info, and I only paid for me and Grandma. The rest?
They’d be paying with interest.The next morning, the family freaked out in the group chat. Aunt Linda said the restaurant was “harassing” them. Katie blamed me for ruining the vibe. Mark called me a traitor.I just laughed.Later, Grandma thanked me again. I told her not to worry, and next year we’ll be celebrating quietly, just the two of us.
