Miranda quickly linked arms with her mother and said, “Since you’re out and about, I wanted to treat you to something special.”
Mindy chuckled and decided not to spoil the moment. But when Lionel entered and saw the menu, he almost jumped out of his seat. “This… this… The cheapest steak is over a hundred?”
Miranda quickly reassured him, “I have a membership card; we get a discount.”
“Oh, oh, that’s more like it…” He settled back down, took a sip of his lemon water, and casually asked, “How much of a discount?”
“Five percent,” Miranda replied.
Lionel almost spat out his lemon water.
“Dad! Remember your image! Your composure!”
Winter was already laughing hysterically at this point.
When the dishes started arriving, Lionel took a bite and had to admit: sometimes, one gets what they pay for.
Meanwhile, Lucy and Franklin had grabbed a quick bite to eat in Old City. Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough, and it tasted terrible. Once they were outside, Lucy shot a look at Franklin, who quickly declared, “I want better Jovanian food! The most expensive, the fanciest! Don’t try to trick me, or I’ll just go somewhere else.”
Evelyn clenched her teeth, wanting to cry, but couldn’t find any words.
In an odd twist of fate, Evelyn ended up choosing the same restaurant where Miranda was dining with her parents. Their tables were in adjacent, semi-open booths. Since the booths were separated by only a thin partition, the clinking of cutlery and even their conversations could be heard clearly.
A waitress came over with a tablet and asked what they’d like to order. Lucy, who’d never had Jovanian food before, instinctively looked to her son for guidance.
But Franklin wasn’t paying attention to the menu—or his mom. His eyes were fixed on the tall, curvy waitress with an expression of sleazy delight on his face.
The waitress felt uncomfortable. She took a step back, distancing herself.
Lucy was oblivious to her son’s behavior. In fact, she wouldn’t have cared even if she noticed. She glanced at the menu, unable to make sense of the curved, confusing Jovanian words. Instead of asking Evelyn, she randomly pointed at dishes. If the picture looked good, she ordered it, unaware of the distinctions between appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
When the food finally arrived, most of it consisted of small starters and desserts, with hardly any main dishes. The waitress gave them a puzzled look as Lucy cheerfully invited her son to start eating.
As Evelyn watched from across the table, she just wanted to cover her face and disappear. Someone, please save her!
Miranda had already noticed who was sitting at the next table, but she couldn’t be bothered. Why waste energy on someone who didn’t matter?
“Dad, try this steak. It’s their specialty, and it’s really good,” Miranda said while cutting a piece and placing it on Lionel’s plate.
Mindy immediately protested, “Why just your dad?”
Miranda sighed playfully, “I’d love to share with my dear mom too, but Madam Mindy doesn’t like eating off someone else’s plate, so I was trying to be considerate.”
It was true that Mindy had her little quirks, however…
“My daughter isn’t just anyone,” she replied.
Miranda quickly placed an even larger, juicier piece of steak on her mother’s plate.
Mindy nodded. “Now that’s more like it.”
Winter watched the family with a hint of envy in her eyes.
Meanwhile, despite their enormous appetites, Lucy and Franklin still had food left over. Franklin asked Evelyn, “Why aren’t you eating?”
Evelyn wanted to snap, “Looking at you ruins my appetite,” but instead, she said, “I’m not hungry. I’m going to the restroom.”
As she got up, she heard the cheerful laughter from the next table. Lionel and Mindy were eating elegantly, seated with grace and confidence. Evelyn’s heart twisted with envy and regret from looking at them. What on earth had possessed her to let go of Miranda and choose Ingrid instead? Now, she was stuck with this peculiar, troublesome family.