1 A new spicy noodle bar opened downstairs. Not feeling like cooking, I dragged my boyfriend over to give it a try. When it was time to pay, I was floored. The bill was two hundred and eighty-eight dollars. I immediately confronted the waitress. "I had potatoes and cabbage, not lobster and filet mignon! You've made a mistake with the price." The waitress just rolled her eyes, her chin tilted defiantly high. "If you can't afford it, why are you eating out? Are you trying to dine and dash?" I had no interest in arguing with someone so unreasonable. I told her to get her boss. But before the waitress could even respond, my own boyfriend turned on me, his voice sharp with anger. "You eat, you pay. It's common sense. What's the big deal, bullying a young girl like this? Just pay the bill! You're so embarrassing!" A bitter laugh escaped my lips. When I got home, I threw the bastard’s things out the door. "Get out," I told him. "I'm done being your sucker." — Slumped on the sofa after work, I scrolled endlessly through a food delivery app, unable to decide what to eat. My boyfriend, Nick, thought for a moment. "That new spicy noodle bar downstairs? Want to go check it out?" he suggested. It solved my dilemma. The shop was clean and simple. We were past the dinner rush, so there weren't many customers. The vegetables in the selection bar looked a little wilted, probably because we'd arrived so late. A young waitress approached us with a bright smile. "We also have deluxe options, with fresh seafood. Would you like to try some?" I quickly shook my head, declining. Nick and I filled our bowls with our choices, handed them to the young waitress, and took a number to our table. When the noodle bowls arrived, the broth looked surprisingly light. I like my food with a kick, so I called the waitress over to ask for some extra chili oil and seasoning. She had already turned to leave. "If it's not enough, you can always add more ingredients later," she said over her shoulder. "Any more sauce and it'll be way too salty." Her words left me speechless for a few seconds. Before I could think of a reply, the cashier called out to her. "Fiona, come over here and show me how to ring this up." The waitress, Fiona, called back an "Okay!" and walked away. Nick was already eating. He looked up from his bowl, frowning. "It tastes fine. Stop being so picky." A knot of irritation tightened in my chest. I silently pulled out my phone, snapped a picture of my bowl and Nick's, and sent it to my friends' group chat with a warning to steer clear. Nick finished first and went outside for a smoke. I went to the counter to pay. And that's when it happened. "That'll be two hundred eighty-eight dollars. Credit or debit?" My eyes went wide. I thought I must have misheard. Did she think we'd ordered the deluxe seafood platters? I immediately called Fiona back over. "I had potatoes and cabbage, not lobster and filet mignon! You've got the price wrong." Fiona’s sunny expression instantly clouded over, her face falling into a long, sour mask. I took a deep breath, trying to de-escalate. Fiona waved the cashier away and picked up the bill herself. She glanced at it, then looked at me. "This is the price. There's no mistake. This is what you ate." I couldn't believe it. Was this some kind of restaurant shakedown? 2 I took another deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "Two bowls of noodles for two hundred and eighty-eight dollars? Are your prices even legal? Get your boss out here. I'll talk to him!" It was clear this young waitress, Fiona, was determined to be unreasonable. I didn't want to waste my breath on her; I'd deal with the owner directly. I was trying my best to be civil, but Fiona’s attitude was bizarre. She almost looked… smug. "Our boss isn't here. You ate the food, you pay the money. It's that simple. Don't try to scare me by asking for the manager!" The other customers in the shop turned to stare, their eyes glinting with curiosity. Fiona covered her mouth in a theatrical gasp, her voice suddenly trembling and pitiful. "You're not... you're not trying to dine and dash, are you? I'm just a waitress. I can't afford to pay for your meal." At that, the customers' curious glances turned into full-blown gossiping stares, all directed at me. Nick, noticing I was taking a long time, came back inside. "What's going on? Hurry up and pay so we can go." I quickly explained the situation. "Two bowls of noodles, all veggies and tofu, and she's trying to charge me $288! She's treating me like a complete idiot!" Fiona looked even more wronged than I felt. Her eyes grew red as she looked at Nick. "Sir, I already gave your girlfriend a discount. Is it really that hard for her to pay for two bowls of noodles?" I almost laughed out loud. The way Fiona was looking at my boyfriend, her eyes practically sparkling… "Stop playing the victim with my boyfriend," I snapped. "A scam is a scam!" "Get your boss out here. If he dares to post that price on a sign by the door for everyone to see, I'll pay it right now!" I tugged on Nick’s sleeve, expecting him to back me up. Instead, his next words were a slap in the face. Nick didn't even look at me. His gaze flickered over Fiona's face before he violently yanked his arm away from my grasp. "Just pay for the food!" he hissed. "What's all the fuss about?! Get it over with!" I stared at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. The restaurant was clearly trying to rip us off, and not only was he not on my side, he was attacking me for standing up for myself. "No!" I shouted. "This is a scam, and I'm not falling for it!" As if frightened by my outburst, Fiona looked even more pathetic, tears welling in her eyes as she gazed at Nick. "I'm just a waitress," she whispered. "You ate the food. You can't expect me to pay for it, can you?" Her voice cracked. "You're just picking on me because I'm an easy target. I work so hard, day in and day out… a scam like this would wipe out half a month's wages!" She pressed on, "And now you want to get my boss involved. Are you trying to get me fired? Can't you just leave me with a way to make a living?" 3 As Fiona spoke, tears streamed down her face, making her look innocent and utterly pitiful. It was a masterclass in manipulation. But I was confused. I had made it crystal clear: if her boss confirmed the price and made it public for all customers, I would pay. How was I the one making things difficult for her? Right now, it felt like she was the one deliberately cornering me. Nick's brow was furrowed in a deep frown. He looked at Fiona with an expression that looked suspiciously like… pity? Was I seeing things? He pulled out his phone and started to scan the QR code at the register. "Alright, I'll pay. This is so embarrassing. Why do you have to pick on a young girl like that!" I slapped my hand over the code, pushing his phone away. "Why should you? This isn't over until her boss comes out here and clarifies the price!" I was the one being wronged. If he paid, it would be an admission of my guilt, painting me as the bully. I glared at Nick, furious. I couldn't believe he didn't understand that. Nick’s face grew darker, his patience worn thin. He met my gaze. "Yara, stop making a scene." A chill went through me. With those words, he had officially taken the side of the person who was trying to hurt me. "Fine. Fine. This is my problem. You stay out of it." My voice was ice. I turned away from him, my silence a clear statement. Suddenly, Fiona broke. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hands, her voice rising in a furious shout. "You ate the food and you won't pay! Have you no shame? You just want to bully a poor waitress, is that it?" She took a dramatic breath. "Fine! Have your free meal! I'll pay for it myself, alright?!" That did it. The other customers couldn't stay silent any longer. A chorus of condemnation rose around me. "It's not easy for a young waitress. You ate, you pay. Why make things hard for her?" "Exactly! You're being completely unreasonable. This place is clean, the food is good, the portions are generous, and the prices are fair. How dare you call them a scam?" "Just pay the girl! She's been running around serving everyone, and you're bullying her? That's just awful." "Right? If you don't have money, don't eat out. It's simple." "She looks so well-dressed and put-together. You really can't judge a book by its cover." 4 In an instant, I was public enemy number one. But… two hundred and eighty-eight dollars for two bowls of noodles. That was a fair price? Had I completely lost touch with reality? The people around me were incensed, their glares burning into me. Someone even had their phone out, recording. I fought the urge to scream. In a steady voice, I repeated, "I just want her boss to resolve this. I am not trying to get out of paying." "I don't want a free meal, but I refuse to be a sucker." I looked directly at Fiona. "Your pricing is unreasonable. I'm not trying to cause trouble for you. I just want to speak with the owner." I thought I was being incredibly composed. But Fiona ignored everything I said, her lip trembling. "It all comes down to the same thing. You can't afford two bowls of noodles, so you're trying to dine and dash." I was speechless. It was like she couldn't understand plain English. Nick's face was flushed with embarrassment from all the stares. He just wanted it to be over. "Alright. I'll handle this. You go outside," he said, pushing me towards the door. "I'll pay. I don't understand why you have to pick on this girl. You ate the food, just pay for it! This is so humiliating."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "393572", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel