When Ada’s husband’s family stopped hosting the traditional monthly dinners, she knew something was wrong. But what she discovered at a local restaurant changed her relationship with her in-laws and revealed a shocking truth about her sister-in-law.
I’ve been married to Max for three years, and we were a couple for two years before that. His family has this wonderful tradition of getting together once a month for dinner with his parents, his two brothers, and their partners.
A smiling bride in front of a smiling groom | Source: Midjourney
They had a particular restaurant they adored, with warm lighting and cozy yet chic chairs that made each dinner feel special. I loved those gatherings. The warm buzz of conversation, the clinking of plates, and the laughter filling the air made me feel like I belonged.
Until it isn’t.
A smiling woman sitting in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
Recently, the monthly dinners have stopped and have been replaced by Max’s sudden weekly work outings.
“Sorry, honey. This project is taking longer than expected. I still have dinner with the partners and my coworkers,” he said one evening, adjusting his tie in our bedroom mirror.
A man arranges his clothes while a woman sits on the bed | Source: Midjourney
I sat on the edge of our bed and looked at him. “This is the third time this week. Is everything okay at the office?”
“Yes, yes. We just have to close this deal, and these people love to talk business over food, so I can’t skip them,” he clarified, without looking at me in the mirror.
This had never happened before. I didn’t really distrust him, but I felt something was wrong. We’d been having some relationship problems lately. Nothing serious, but just that distance that sometimes sets in when you’re too busy with life.
A woman looks worried while cooking as a man stands behind her, looking distant | Source: Midjourney
Our relaxed conversations had shortened, and our once comfortable silences had become awkward.
“Perhaps we could have dinner together tomorrow night?” I suggested. “I could make the pasta you like.”
“I can’t make it tomorrow. There’s another meeting, and I’m sure it’ll last a long time.” He kissed me quickly on the forehead. “Don’t wait up.”
I let him go without another word because honestly, I knew the plan was real. But I was starting to feel… alone.
One evening, a few days later, I got tired of staying home alone, so I decided to meet my friends at a local cafe. I laughed with them, realizing that it had been a long time since I had felt so light. Then, I turned to the window
A cozy cafe with warm lighting | Source: Pexels
The restaurant across the street was Max’s family’s favorite place for monthly dinners. The food is amazing. Maybe for our next girlfriend get-together, I’ll suggest going there instead.
While I stirred my latte, my best friend, Sarah, was telling a story about her latest romantic disaster.
“So he tells me his pet python is actually in the car and I’d like to…” She stopped mid-sentence. “Ada? Are you okay?”
A woman smiles while sitting in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t hear. A familiar figure had caught my eye, and through the restaurant’s wide window, I finally noticed my husband sitting there. But he wasn’t with colleagues. He was surrounded by his entire family, laughing and talking as if it were a regular dinner… as if my absence had gone unnoticed.
My coffee turned bitter in my mouth. “I… I have to go,” I mumbled to Sarah, throwing some bills on the table. I considered confronting them but ultimately decided to go home.
A cup of coffee on a table | Source: Pexels
The following week, when Max said he had another work dinner, I waited 30 minutes before getting in my car and following him. I parked down the street from the restaurant and waited.
Of course, I saw them arrive in their respective cars and go inside. They sat down by the window, as if no one was missing.
I got out of the car and quietly walked into the restaurant to get a better look.
The entrance to a restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere | Source: Pexels
Roseanne, my mother-in-law, was passing around a basket of garlic knots. Daniel, Max’s older brother, was showing something on his phone that made everyone laugh. Even Franklin, Max’s other older brother, and his fiancée Karina were there, looking relaxed despite their eternally stalled engagement.
“Can I help you?” The hostess appeared in front of me, making me jump.
“No, I… I just remembered I left something in my car,” I stammered, backing away before anyone could notice me.
A woman looking embarrassed and a little surprised | Source: Midjourney
Outside, I leaned against the brick wall, taking a deep breath. What could I do now?
And then Karina came out, clutching her phone to her ear. She hadn’t noticed me. When she finished her call, I approached her.
“Why wasn’t I invited?” I asked her. “What happened to the monthly dinners?”
She jumped and turned around. As soon as she noticed it was me, her gaze turned cold. “You don’t belong here!” she said, then walked to the door, stopping me. “Some of us have been part of this family longer than you.”
An angry woman with her arms crossed in front of a brick wall | Source: Midjourney
“His words hurt, and I drove home in a daze, barely able to see the road through my tears. But anger replaced the hurt when Max persisted in using the excuse of meeting work colleagues the following Saturday.
When he left, I followed him only 15 minutes later, and burst inside the restaurant.
“So family gatherings are without me now?” I asked, my voice carrying over their laughter.
They all froze. Max’s face went pale. Robert stopped mid-bite of pasta. Olivia, Daniel’s wife, suddenly focused on her glass of water.
Man caught looking up in restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Ada, I can explain to you…” Max began, standing up.
“Spare me the trouble,” I said, raising my hand. “I thought I was part of this family. I thought that’s what this ring meant. But I guess I was wrong.”
“Oh, honey, no,” Roseanne said quickly, grabbing her purse. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pulled out an envelope. “We weren’t going to show you this yet, but…”
An elderly woman in a restaurant rummaging through her purse | Source: Midjourney
“Mom, wait,” Max protested, running his hand through his hair. “This isn’t how I meant it…”
“It’s time,” she said firmly. “We can’t let her think we don’t want her… here, my dear Ada.”
I took the envelope, biting my lip as I opened it. Inside were two plane tickets to a beautiful island resort, along with hotel and activity reservations.
“What is this ?”
A woman standing in a restaurant, looking confused, holding papers | Source: Midjourney
“Max came to us to plan this surprise for you,” Roseanne explained as her eyes softened. “He wanted to do something special to reconnect with you. He’s really bad at keeping secrets, you know, so we had to be careful.”
“I noticed things weren’t going well between us,” Max said quietly, moving closer to me as a smile formed on his face. “The way we hardly speak anymore, the way we’re like ships passing in the night. I wanted things to get better, but I’m terrible at planning these things. I needed help, and everyone had different ideas, so it took longer than expected.”
A man smiling warmly, standing in a beautiful restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“You could have just talked to me,” I said quietly, looking at the bills. “Lied to me about the work meetings…”
“I’ve actually had a lot of business meetings, but at the restaurant bar near the office. This is only the third time we’ve met about this, and today they were supposed to help me plan how I was going to surprise you,” he continued. “But you’re right. I should have talked to you instead. I’m sorry.”
“I thought your family didn’t want to see me anymore,” I mumbled through a tight throat.
A woman touching her face in surprise, standing in a restaurant holding papers | Source: Midjourney
“I’m so sorry,” Max said, touching my face. “I should have realized. I’m really horrible at surprises, but I wanted our spark back. I want us to be together again.”
“Oh, honey,” I finally smiled, even though my eyes were still full of tears.
Max kissed my cheek as the others smiled, but a harsh laugh cut that moment short.
A woman with angry eyes laughs harshly in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, this is just perfect,” Karina spat. She stood up, her chair scraping the floor. “Nothing like this has ever been done for me, even though I’ve been with Franklin much longer. But precious Ada gets a vacation planned by the whole family?”
“Karina, please,” Franklin said, holding out his arm. “This isn’t about you.”
She snatched his hand away. “It’s never about me, is it? I’ve been with you for eight years, Franklin. Eight years! You won’t even set a date for our wedding, yet your whole family is getting together to plan a trip for her?” She grabbed her glass of soda, her hand shaking, and turned her hateful gaze on me. “That’s why I told you, you don’t belong here!”
A glass of soda with ice cubes | Source: Pexels
As she was about to throw the glass at me, Max acted quickly, pushing me behind him. The soda splashed all over his shirt and face. There were collective gasps from everyone in the restaurant.
“Karina!” Roseanne shouted.
“Don’t ever speak to my wife like that again,” Max said quietly, wiping his face. “I don’t care what happens between you and my brother. Ada will be treated with respect!”
A man covered in soda yells and points angrily while standing in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
Karina stood there, stewing, as the entire restaurant fell silent except for the soft music playing overhead.
With a heavy sigh, Franklin stood up slowly. “Karina,” he said, “I think… I think that’s why I can’t set a date. It’s not working. It hasn’t worked for a long time.”
“What? What are you saying?” Karina whispered.
“I’m saying I can’t marry you. Not when you’re so angry all the time, so jealous of other people’s happiness. That’s not the person I fell in love with, and that’s not the person I want for this family.”
A man standing in a restaurant, touching his hair, looking sad and tired | Source: Midjourney
Her face crumpled with sadness at first, but then, seeing everyone staring at her, pure rage pooled in her eyes. Her face reddened, but in the end, she just grabbed her purse and ran out of the restaurant.
“I should go get her,” Franklin said, but he didn’t move.
“Let her go,” her father, Robert, said quietly. “Some things just have to end without much explanation.”
We stood there frozen for another second until Roseanne asked me to sit down. Dinner resumed, and Max told me everything he had planned for our trip that had sparked ideas.
A couple sitting at a table in a restaurant, smiling and looking at papers | Source: Midjourney
After that night, Franklin and Karina broke up for good. It was apparently ugly, but Franklin was sure of his decision.
Monthly family dinners were scheduled again, as if nothing had happened.
Eventually, Max and I went on vacation to this island and managed to rekindle our love. It was like a second honeymoon.
But we also learned to talk more and share our fears and hopes. We never lied to each other like that again, even when planning surprises.
A couple strolling peacefully on an island beach | Source: Midjourney
Read also: My marriage ended after my husband and I attended a high school reunion ten years later
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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