Seeing me admit fault, Savannah smiled, satisfied.
"At least there's hope for you, knowing enough to own your mistakes."
"From now on, work harder around here and stop trying to squeeze out little perks all day."
I gave a small smile and said calmly,
"Don't worry. It won't happen again."
My daughter shot me a startled look but said nothing.
It was my son-in-law who couldn't wait to speak up.
"Mom, since you're not coming out to eat with us, you can clean the back kitchen, wash all the dishes, and then close up and lock the door."
"Olivia and I are taking my mother out for a late-night meal first."
I nodded. "All right."
Then I turned and walked straight into the back kitchen.
As I stepped into the kitchen, I could still faintly hear Savannah grumbling outside.
"Olivia, your mother really has no sense at all."
"We only fined her ten thousand. What's with the sour face in front of the staff?"
"She's the one who did wrong in the first place, and she's acting like we abused her."
My daughter sighed, unbothered.
"That's just how she is. Don't stoop to her level."
Savannah said nothing more.
But Bernard still wasn't at ease. He suddenly lowered his voice and asked,
"So we're just going to leave like this?"
"What if your mother gets light-fingered again, alone in here?"
At that, my daughter was quiet for two seconds, then said flatly,
"Relax. We've got twenty-four-hour cameras in every part of the restaurant."
"I review the footage every day. Whether she takes anything or not, I know exactly."
Hearing that, I smiled.
No wonder that on the very day I came to help out at the restaurant, my daughter couldn't wait to have cameras installed in every corner.
So they were there to watch me.
What was even more laughable was that she had already seen through the footage that in five years I had never once taken anything, and yet she still let Savannah's slander stand, joining in to pin a dirty little thief's name on me.
This was my daughter.
The good daughter I had poured everything into loving.
