Caden kept his eyes glued to his plate and focused entirely on his food to avoid looking at my empty spot. I stayed silent because I wanted them to continue showing their true colors without any interruption from my side.
“Has your mother always been this quiet during dinner?” Raymond asked Caden while speaking about me as if I were not even sitting there.
“She is just a very simple person from a completely different generation who prefers to stay humble,” Caden replied without looking up from his lobster.
“Humble is certainly one word for it,” Maisie repeated with a tone that was full of deep contempt and hidden insults.
“People of your generation often failed to plan properly for their long-term financial future,” Penelope suggested while pouring herself another glass of expensive wine.
“It must be quite difficult to navigate the modern world when you have no savings and no real long-term purpose left,” Penelope continued while giving me a patronizing look.
“Well, Mom did work very hard in her own way back in the day,” Caden tried to defend me weakly, but it was clear he did not truly believe his own words.
The heavy silence at the table grew even worse as Maisie continued to highlight the massive gap between our everyday lives.
“Caden and I just purchased a brand new luxury condo overlooking the harbor for nearly half a million dollars,” Maisie announced proudly to the table.
“That is a magnificent achievement for both of you,” Raymond said as he raised his glass to toast their sudden financial success.
“We are so happy to finally have a private space without any unexpected visits from people outside our core circle,” Maisie said while looking directly into my eyes.
“Maisie, maybe those kinds of comments are a bit unnecessary right now,” Caden whispered softly to his wife.
“Oh darling, I am just sharing our happy news with everyone,” Maisie interrupted him with a fake sweetness that made my stomach turn.
I realized then that my son was not just a weak coward but also an active accomplice in this deliberate plan to hurt my feelings.
Part 3
The waiter returned a few minutes later to clear the empty dinner plates and asked if anyone wanted to see the dessert options.
“We will take the best sweet options on the menu for the four of us,” Maisie immediately ordered while completely ignoring my presence once again.
“So Morgan, what did you actually do for work before, or have you already retired from your previous jobs?” Penelope asked me directly.
“Morgan only did very mediocre work like cleaning houses and cooking basic meals in local kitchens for other people,” Maisie answered for me before I could open my mouth.
“Well, that kind of simple hard work is quite admirable in its own small way,” Raymond added in a condescending tone that made me feel like a low-level employee.
“Thank you for recognizing my past efforts,” I nodded slowly and kept my true thoughts completely to myself while the fancy desserts were brought out.
The waiter set down beautiful cakes decorated with actual gold flakes, and Maisie sighed with deep satisfaction as she picked up her fork.
“This incredible level of luxury is definitely not meant for everyone’s modest budget,” Maisie mentioned with a smug look on her face.
“Speaking of budgets, Caden is about to receive a massive promotion at his firm very soon,” Raymond announced proudly to the group.
“My personal family connections are the sole reason Caden is moving up the corporate ladder so quickly these days,” Raymond explained while taking credit for my son’s career advancement.
I realized that all my years of hard work to give Caden a good start in life had been completely replaced by a marriage of convenience.
“We are also making some very necessary changes in our family life for the sake of our daughter, Little Sadie,” Maisie said while gently squeezing Caden’s hand.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest when I realized they were planning to keep my precious granddaughter away from me permanently.
“Sadie needs to spend her time with influential people who can actually add real value to her future life,” Maisie explained coldly.
“What other specific changes should I be aware of regarding my role?” I asked while keeping my voice as neutral as possible.
“To be completely honest, your plain appearance is embarrassing to us and you completely ruined the atmosphere at Sadie’s last birthday party,” Maisie stated directly.
“Your simple cheap dress and that plastic grocery store cake made a terrible impression on our wealthy guests,” Penelope added without a shred of hesitation.
“It would be much better if you kept your distance from all our public events and social gatherings going forward,” Maisie suggested firmly.
“We simply want to make sure that no one in our social circle finds out that Caden came from a low-class working background,” Maisie added.
“I may not have wealth to display, but I have always had endless love to offer my family,” I told them softly.
“Love does not pay for elite private school tuitions, Morgan,” Maisie laughed out loud at my words.
“Love does not open doors in high society or earn you a reserved seat at the right dining table,” Maisie added while shaking her head in amusement.
The waiter eventually brought the heavy leather folder containing the final bill, and Caden handed over his card to pay nearly eight hundred dollars for the meal.
“Eight hundred dollars is actually very reasonable for a group of five people,” Caden muttered under his breath even though I had only been given plain water.
“We should get moving now, so hurry up because we need to drop off Maisie’s parents at their home,” Caden told me as they all stood up from the table.
“You go ahead outside, I need to use the restroom first before I leave,” I told them calmly, and they agreed to wait for me near the front entrance.
Part 4
I did not head toward the public restrooms and instead walked down the familiar side hallway that led directly into the bustling main kitchen.
I had walked this exact tiled corridor hundreds of times over the last decade because I was actually the secret sole owner of this entire business empire. I had built this high-end restaurant chain from scratch using my smart investments and hard-earned savings, and no one in my family knew the true extent of my vast wealth.
My general manager, Frank, saw me walking through the swinging doors and approached me quickly with a look of deep concern on his face.
