as luck would have it, happened to be one of her former students. He was now the owner of the place. Together, they cooked up a plan. The manager personally called each of my in-laws and told them, in no uncertain terms, that they needed to return immediately to settle the bill—or the police would be notified. Mortified and caught red-handed,

they rushed back to the restaurant, red-faced and flustered, and not only paid the full amount—but were slapped with a 25% “inconvenience fee” on top. After that night, something remarkable happened. For the first time ever, my in-laws began paying their own way. No more vanishing acts. No more mysteriously forgotten wallets. Turns out, even the rich can change—if the lesson hits them squarely in the wallet.