Chapter 4

The old me would have felt a headache coming on the second Bernice opened her mouth like that.

But now, I only found it funny.

I looked at her and said, without a ripple in my voice,

"Suit yourself."

When I didn't fly into the rage she'd been counting on, Bernice frowned, and something displeased flickered in her eyes.

The next moment she glanced at the bill on the table, and a sly look crossed her face.

"This whole meal only came to three hundred grand?"

"No wonder you can sit there so calm. Looks like I just haven't spent enough of your money yet."

With that she turned to a nearby server and called out loudly,

"Bring me the menu. I'm ordering more."

The server shot me a questioning look.

I nodded.

Only then did she hand the menu to Bernice.

Bernice flipped through it, taking her sweet time.

"Premium delicacy soup. Another bowl for everyone."

"Premium seafood delicacy. One serving each."

"Caviar. However much you've got, bring it all out."

She finished ordering, tossed the menu down on the table, and grinned at me, daring me.

"Well? Does it hurt yet?"

I tipped up one corner of my mouth and shook my head.

"Not a bit."

Bernice's face froze, sour all over.

"Then bring out that bluefin tuna sashimi too. Two pounds per table."

She swept a look around the relatives and friends packed into the room, lifted her chin, and added,

"And everyone here takes home an Australian lobster and a king crab each, plus a bottle of top-shelf liquor. Call it a midnight snack."

The whole room went off again.

"Wow! Bernice, you're too generous!"

"Not only does everyone get to eat like kings, we each get a doggy bag too. Is this what real money looks like?"

Watching this, my brother finally couldn't take it. He walked up to Bernice and lowered his voice.

"Bernice, that's enough. Keep ordering and the place will be picked clean."

Bernice threw me a taunting glance and sneered.

"Picking every expensive thing in here clean is exactly the point. That's the only way certain people learn their lesson."

My mother came over too, smoothing things for Bernice.

"Althea, your sister-in-law is only doing this for your own good."

"You'd better learn from it. Stop nickel-and-diming everyone the way you do."

Seeing even my mother take her side, the smug look on Bernice's face swelled thicker.

She looked down her nose at me, her eyes full of the pleasure of revenge.

I smiled and said nothing.

It was the server who looked at me, uneasy, and asked in a low voice,

"Miss Simmons, this order, do you really want me to put it in?"

I looked at Bernice, then at my mother, and nodded.

"Put it in."

"Whatever she orders, we bring out."

Seeing me place the order so meekly, Bernice looked like she'd won a war. She smiled down at me, satisfied.

"At least you know what's good for you."

"If you'd been this obedient earlier, you wouldn't have caught a beating."

With that she went back to her seat, pleased with herself, and kept right on eating and drinking.

Soon the server followed the orders, carrying out the premium delicacy soup, the premium seafood delicacy, and the caviar Bernice had ordered, plate after plate.

Then came dozens of packed-up Australian lobsters, king crabs, and bottles of top-shelf liquor, set quietly beside every guest.

At the sight of it, all the friends and relatives couldn't help gushing again.

"Unbelievable, unbelievable, this meal is beyond lavish!"

Bernice waved it off.

"This is nothing. What matters is that everyone eats and drinks well. It's just a little food money, no need to dwell on it."

I glanced at the bill.

Their total had climbed from three hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand.

With every expensive ingredient and bottle in the place ordered clean, Bernice was finally satisfied.

Stuffed and content, she leaned back in her chair and let out a burp.

Then she stood, walked up to me, and said, cocky as ever,

"Althea Simmons, this meal ought to be enough to teach you a lesson, don't you think?"

"Remember it. From now on, don't be so petty."

"Or I've got plenty of ways to deal with you!"

With that she led the whole crowd toward the front door.

Just then a group of people suddenly blocked the doorway, cutting Bernice off, and the one in front didn't mince words.

"Your bill at my restaurant today comes to eight hundred thousand. Pay up."