Refused to Split Dinner

After returning to my in-laws' home for Christmas Eve dinner with my wife, Winona Zachary, only my mother-in-law, Jenny Stroll, was busy while the others were all on their phones.

I had just sat down when Jenny started cursing, "They just sit there and wait to eat. They didn't even offer to help. Are they trying to exhaust me?"

She would even slam the pots and pans from time to time. "How heartless for young people to let an elderly person like me serve them!"

I felt a bit restless and nudged Winona. "Maybe you should go help her?"

Jenny's insults escalated after hearing that.

Remembering it was my first time spending Christmas at my in-laws' house and not wanting things to get too ugly, I got up to help. However, Jenny dumped everything on me as soon as I entered the kitchen.

Suppressing my anger, I finished cooking dinner, served it, and got ready to eat.

Jenny suddenly spoke up. "Wait, we need to settle some accounts before we eat."

I was stunned. Settle accounts? What accounts?

Jenny Stroll took out a pile of receipts and placed them on the table. "The total cost of tonight's dinner is 652 dollars. Everyone should contribute equally."

Everyone needed to split the cost of Christmas Eve dinner? Were my in-laws so cold and distant with their family? I felt a bit uncomfortable, but I did not take it seriously. I thought I had nothing to do with it anyway.

After all, the gifts I had bought cost a few thousand dollars. It would be strange if she were to argue over a hundred dollars with me. Besides, I had travelled for hours and prepared a huge Christmas Eve dinner. I was starving, so I just picked up my plate and started eating.

Unexpectedly, Jenny snatched the plate from my hand, her voice sharp and piercing. "Why are you acting as if you've never eaten in ages? We haven't even split the cost of the dinner yet! Why are you eating? 326 dollars. Pay me now!"

I thought I misheard her. "Did you say 326 dollars? I'm paying half by myself?"

Jenny spoke as though she were utterly justified. "Yes! You're an outsider. You can't just come to our house and eat and drink for free, can you?"

The word 'outsider' pierced my heart like a thorn.

The gifts I brought totaled over 4,000 dollars, enough for dozens of meals like this.

She actually started arguing over a few hundred dollars for the meal, calling me an outsider!

"Jenny, we're a family now that I'm married to your daughter. What do you mean by calling me an outsider? Even if we're splitting the bill, it should be evenly distributed among all six of us. Making me pay half is unreasonable!" I suppressed my anger.

Jenny glared at me with a mean expression. "You have to pay me for this Christmas Eve dinner!"

Seeing the situation escalating, my wife, Winona Zachary, grabbed my arm and pleaded in a low voice, "Darling, forget it. It's just a little over 300 dollars. I'll pay her. Making a scene like this during Christmas will make us a laughingstock."

"No!" Jenny stood up abruptly, spitting as she spoke. "Winona, if you consider yourself my daughter, you won't pay for him! He has to pay!"

She grabbed my laptop bag from the couch and began rummaging through it roughly.

"Jenny! Why are you going through my bag like that? What if you break my laptop?" I stood up too, my anger somewhat subsiding, but my voice still carried some anger.

Jenny did not stop. She dumped everything from the laptop bag onto the floor, yelling, "It's your fault for not wanting to pay up! I'll get my payment myself then!"

I angrily reached out to grab the bag from Jenny.