“My son deceived me, too!”
“You can explain your side of the story to the proper authorities,” I replied firmly. “But the outstanding debt for this meal remains unpaid.”
Gavin walked up beside me.
“Should I call security, Camilla?”
“Just to keep the peace, Gavin. Nobody is going to be harmed, but if anyone refuses to pay their portion or attempts to leave without providing full identification, please dial the police immediately.”
When Beatrice realized that I was not going to back down, she began desperately begging me.
“Just write it off as advertising, Camilla! This restaurant makes so much money, so twenty thousand dollars is not going to ruin you!”
Her desperate plea proved everything I had ever thought about how she viewed me. My endless hours of hard work meant nothing to her. The fresh ingredients, my staff’s hard-earned wages, and my skill were worthless in her eyes simply because she believed I could just work harder to make the money back for her convenience.
