They Called Me a Freeloader at the Reunion, But I Paid Every Bill

Eight years into running my restaurant, my old high school class president sent me a hundred dollars in the group chat, then called me up.

Denys Dickerson, tomorrow's reunion is still at your place. Bump the food up a tier from last year, and throw in a few more bottles of top-shelf liquor so we don't run dry. I already sent you the deposit.

This was the eighth time Austin James had thrown a reunion at my restaurant, and every single time he only paid a hundred-dollar deposit.

I couldn't help pointing it out.

"You never settled the balance on any of the last ones."

Austin's voice turned impatient.

"We're old classmates. Do we really need to keep count that carefully?"

He hung up before I could answer, then tagged everyone in the group chat.

"Tomorrow's reunion is all set, same as always, the Grandview Restaurant. I'm covering everything, no splitting the bill, just show up hungry."

The chat lit up with praise in seconds.

"Austin, you're the man! Treating us every year, and always at the fanciest restaurant in the city!"

"Right? Great liquor, great food, every year. A meal there runs at least a hundred grand, minimum. We're lucky to have a classmate with the means and the heart to do it!"

"We'll all be there on time tomorrow!"

The next day, when everyone walked into the private room and saw the table piled with instant noodles, every last one of them froze.

The moment Austin announced another reunion at the Grandview Restaurant, the group chat blew up.

"My god, Austin, you're too generous. Every year you take us to the most luxurious restaurant in the whole city."

"For real. I hear the Grandview is packed all the time. Everyone who eats there is either loaded or connected."

"And a meal there is a hundred grand minimum. After all these years of treating us, Austin must've dropped close to a million just on these dinners, huh?"

Austin went quiet for two seconds, then replied.

"Money's a small thing to me. As long as everyone has a good time."

That message only cranked the praise higher.

"That's real money right there. Austin doesn't even blink at a million."

"Not like some people. Broke, stingy, and always playing deaf and dumb. Austin puts up the cash and the effort to feed everyone, and this guy just trots over to mooch a free meal every time, can't even say thank you. No manners at all."

Then someone tagged me directly.

"@Denys, yeah, you. It's been years since graduation, can you learn some basic decency? You eat on someone else's dime, the least you can do is say something in the chat and thank Austin."

Watching the whole group swing its knives toward me, I found it almost funny.

All they knew was that Austin treated everyone to good food and good liquor at the Grandview year after year.

What they didn't know was that I was the one fronting every dollar of it.

Eight years ago, I'd just opened the Grandview Restaurant.

The food, the service, the decor were all solid, so business took off fast, and the place made a small name for itself.

Then one day I happened to see Austin out front, handing out flyers.

It was the dead of summer. He was soaked through, close to keeling over from the heat.

I helped him up, brought him inside, and stood him a meal.

Austin looked around at the upscale interior, the packed dining room, and asked me almost on reflex.

"Denys, you work here at this restaurant?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No. This restaurant's mine."

Austin's eyes flashed for a second.

He didn't say much after that, just kept scanning the place.

That night, back home, he posted in the group chat.

"Everyone, it's been a while since graduation. Tomorrow I'm putting together a reunion, so come on out, everything's on me."

At the time I thought it was strange. Here was a guy sweating out flyers on the street just to earn a living, nearly passing out for it, and suddenly he wanted to host a dinner.

The next second, he sent me a hundred dollars.

"Denys, the food at your place today was pretty good. I want to get the old crew together to try it."

"This hundred's the deposit. I'll transfer the rest once the reunion's done. Set up a private room tomorrow so everyone can catch up and talk about old times."

I didn't overthink it and arranged everything the way he asked.

At that first reunion, to show off, Austin deliberately ordered a mountain of expensive liquor and pricey signature dishes, close to a hundred grand's worth.

But when it was over, he never sent me the balance.

And from then on, he organized a reunion just like it every single year.

Every time, that same hundred dollars as the deposit.

The balance, he never once paid.

Every time I asked, he had an excuse ready.

"My card hit its limit today. I'll transfer tomorrow."

"I'll pay it all together after the next reunion."

"We're old classmates. You think I'd actually stiff you?"

And so he dragged it out, one time after another.

Eight years of reunions came to nine hundred and eighty thousand dollars.

He'd paid eight hundred in deposits.

Watching the entire group pile on me, Austin stepped in to smooth things over, all fake sincerity.

"It's fine. We're classmates. Those with the means should look out for the ones who don't. That's just how it should be."

"I don't hold it against him. Denys is probably just the introverted type, not good at expressing himself. Everyone go easy on him."

When Austin's message landed, the group only got louder.

"Austin, you're just too easygoing. That's the only reason Denys thinks he can look down on everyone. No manners at all."

"Right. Eight years and he never once said a word in here. He's obviously barely scraping by. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't even qualify to walk through the doors of the Grandview Restaurant."

"A guy like that deserves to be broke his whole life."

The comments kept getting nastier, and I was about to reply.

Then my phone rang. Austin, his voice heavy with concern.

"Denys, don't take what they said to heart. We're all classmates. Just pretend you didn't see it, and whatever you do, don't get into it with them."

"Falling out with everyone is bad for all of us."

He sounded anxious, like he'd worried himself sick over me.

But I could tell exactly what was going on. He was scared.

Scared I'd lose my temper and lay it all out in the group chat, expose what he really was.

So he'd called the second he could, hoping to talk me into swallowing it and taking the blame.

That was the only way he got to keep his big, generous, high-and-mighty image intact.

I gave a faint smile and answered calmly.

"Relax. I won't fight with them."

The moment I promised, Austin let out a long breath, his voice lifting.

"Good."

"So tomorrow's reunion, make sure you set it up right. Don't you dare make me lose face."

I didn't agree outright. Instead, I asked one more time.

"And the balance?"

"The nine hundred eighty thousand you've racked up over eight years, plus this dinner. When exactly do you plan to settle it?"

Austin got impatient at once.

"All right, all right, I'll pay you after the reunion. It's just one meal. Why are you still going on about this?"

Pay me after the reunion.

He'd been saying that line for eight years.

And he'd never once made good on it.

Before, I always kept my patience, reminding him over and over that his tab at the restaurant kept snowballing, that he really couldn't keep putting it off.

But this time, I just nodded and said mildly:

"Fine."

"I'll set it all up. I promise you'll be satisfied."

Hearing me agree so readily, Austin was clearly thrown for a second.

Then he laughed, pleased with himself.

Like he'd finally tamed his prey, his voice full of pride.

"Remember, I want the biggest private room, the top-tier menu."

I gave a small "Mm," and answered flatly.

"Got it."

Austin hung up, satisfied.

I quietly opened my chat with him.

The last message was still the gift money he'd sent a few minutes ago.

Originally I'd meant to turn down his booking, which was why I'd never accepted that hundred-dollar deposit.

But now I'd changed my mind.

I tapped to claim the gift money, then called the manager and told her calmly:

"Set aside the biggest private room in the restaurant. I'll need it tomorrow."

"Oh, and one more thing I need you to handle for me."

Once everything was arranged, I checked the group chat again. Austin was showing off some more.

"Everyone, it's all taken care of. Tomorrow the Grandview Restaurant will host us in their biggest private room, top-tier service all the way."

"I made a point of setting up the drinks too. Premium liquor, all you can drink."

"Just be there on time. Every last cost is on me, so eat and drink to your hearts' content."

The moment he posted it, the flattery and praise came flooding in, one after another.

"Austin's a legend. A spread that fancy must cost a fortune, right?"

"It's not just about money. It's about status and connections. Only Austin could get the Grandview Restaurant to host us in the biggest room with the top-tier treatment."

"Amazing. Getting to be Austin's classmate is honestly the luckiest thing that ever happened to me."

Austin fired back instantly.

"Pocket change. As long as everyone has a good time."

Reading his reply, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Austin. Eight years.

Eight years playing the big man off my restaurant, eight years soaking up the praise, and eight years running up a debt to me.

All of it, tomorrow, I'm going to collect back piece by piece, principal and interest, every last cent.

The next morning I came in early, same as always, to go over the previous day's receipts.

A little past eleven, a commotion broke out at the restaurant's entrance.

I looked up.

Austin came marching in with the whole class trailing behind him.

He had on a designer suit, his hair slicked back and shining, and he was swinging a set of BMW keys in one hand.

And on his arm was my ex-girlfriend, Eudora Fox.

Eudora and I had gotten together back in high school, and through all four years of college we'd been solid.

But after graduation, everything changed.

Instead of taking a job, I'd chosen to start my own business.

Back then I ran myself ragged every single day, worn down to nothing, and life was miserable.

Just as the restaurant was finally getting off the ground, I was about to share the good news with Eudora.

That was when she suddenly told me she wanted to break up.

I asked her why.

She said:

"When we were students, I stayed with you because you had good grades. I figured you'd amount to something after graduation and give me a good life."

"But it's been over half a year since we graduated, and you spend every day scrambling around for nothing. You haven't gotten anywhere."

"What I need is a man with real ability, a man who's going somewhere. Not a loser like you who works himself to the bone and has nothing to show for it."

Now, watching Eudora cling to Austin's arm with that cozy little smile, it clicked all at once.

No wonder that all these years, every time Austin floated the idea of a class reunion, Eudora was the first to jump on it.

She'd cast Austin as that man with ability, the one who was going somewhere, and she wanted to ride him up.

The moment the group walked in, every head swung toward me where I sat in the lounge area.

"Denys, you've got some nerve. The second you heard Austin was picking up the tab, you couldn't wait to get here first. Been drooling over this meal for a while, huh?"

"It's disgusting. Same thing every time. Beats everyone else to the restaurant, wolfs it all down, then bolts the second he's done, not even a thank-you. Textbook freeloader."

"It's only because Austin's generous that he gets invited year after year. If it were me, I'd have blocked him ages ago."

They came right up to me, piling on one after another, tearing me down without mercy.

Like I was some pathetic little parasite who couldn't survive without leeching off Austin.

Even Eudora, up on her heels, looked down her nose at me.

"Denys, all these years later, and look at you, still the same broke, sorry mess. Not an ounce of progress."

"Thank God I dumped you when I did. Chained to a penniless nobody like you, I'd never have four dishes on my table in this life."

With that she lifted her hand, flashing the sparkling diamond ring on her finger, showing it off to me.

"See this? Austin and I are engaged. He gave me this ring."

"Look at him. Young, successful, doesn't blink at spending. Every single year he treats the whole class to a place this upscale."

"And you? You're destined to be a freeloading dog your whole life. No matter how hard you try, you'll never measure up to one of Austin's fingers."

I looked at the ring on Eudora's hand, and I couldn't help but smile.

Just yesterday, I'd had someone dig carefully into Austin's background.

And once they did, I found his situation was far messier than I'd ever imagined.

Oh, Eudora, Eudora.

I found myself starting to look forward to it. To the look on your face once you find out exactly what kind of man this fianc is, the one you schemed so hard to marry.

Eudora saw me smiling and saying nothing, and her brow shot down at once.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Realizing you'll never afford a diamond ring like this in your whole life, and you'll never land a woman like me, so there's nothing left to do but grin about it?"

"Denys, take my advice. Face reality, and stop lusting after things that were never yours."

I shrugged and said it straight.

"Relax. I don't want anything to do with you."

A flash of displeasure crossed Eudora's face.

But the next second she straightened her back, laid a hand over her belly, and lifted her chin.

"Good. Keep it that way."

"Let me tell you something. I'm already carrying Austin's baby, and we're getting married next month. I'm the one woman you're destined never to have."

The words set the classmates off. Faces lit up with delight, and the congratulations came pouring in.

"God, Eudora, you're so lucky. You actually get to marry a man like Austin and have his kid."

"Right? Half the girls in our class had a secret crush on Austin, and you quietly went and locked him down."

"I'm so jealous. Austin drops a hundred grand on a single dinner. Marry him and you're a genuine rich man's wife."

Eudora soaked up the flattery and envy, and pride was written all over her face.

"What can I say. Maybe it was just meant to be."

"Ever since that first class reunion, I couldn't stop thinking about Austin."

The way I saw it, it wasn't Austin she couldn't stop thinking about.

It was his fake money and his fake generosity.

For the sake of what we once had, I couldn't help giving Eudora a warning.

"Marriage isn't a game, and having a child even less so. Eudora, my advice is to open your eyes and find out how things really stand before you decide. Don't end up regretting it."

At that, Eudora's face darkened, and she glared at me.

"Denys, what's that supposed to mean?"

"So it bothers you that I'm with Austin, but do you really have to stir up trouble like this?"

"You just can't stand to see me do well, can you?"

The classmates jumped in right behind her.

"Exactly. Austin drops a hundred grand every year just to treat everyone to dinner. A man that generous, that capable. Why would Eudora ever regret it?"

"I think you're just jealous. Jealous that she landed a man as impressive as Austin, jealous that you're a bigger loser than him, so you smear other people on purpose."

"So gross. Can't make anything of yourself, so you can't stand anyone else being happy. That's a nasty heart you've got."

"Austin's treated you to dinner every year, and instead of being grateful you stand here trying to poison things. What an ungrateful snake. No upbringing whatsoever."

Watching everyone tear me down and lift him up, Austin wore a thick, satisfied smirk.

Clearly, he was loving the feeling of having one up on me.

He watched coldly for a good while before stepping in with fake concern, playing the bigger man.

"All right, all right, everyone calm down. Denys is probably just confused for the moment, blinded by his jealousy."

"Let's not let a little thing like this ruin the mood. Come on inside. Good drinks and good food are waiting for us."

"I promise everyone eats well and drinks their fill today."

It looked like he was covering for me, but really he was cementing the idea that I was jealous, and showing off his own generosity.

With that, Austin turned to the restaurant's greeter and asked.

"Where's your biggest private room? We booked it ahead of time."

The greeter courteously led the whole group to the Grandview Restaurant's largest and finest VIP room.

I trailed along at the very back of the crowd.

On the way there, Austin didn't forget to check with the greeter.

"I already spoke with your boss and told him to prepare the drinks and dishes at your top tier. Is it all set up?"

The greeter nodded and smiled.

"It's all set."

At that, Eudora's eyes lit up and she gripped Austin's arm tighter.

"Austin, you even know the owner of the Grandview?"

Austin's smile came out a little strained.

"Yeah."

The other classmates rushed to fawn.

"Austin's connections really do reach everywhere. He even knows the owner of the Grandview."

"Right? That man's practically a god, way up above the rest of us."

"Incredible, just incredible. Now I'm even more excited for today's food. Top tier at the Grandview. There'll be plenty of priceless showstopper dishes."

With everyone waiting eagerly, they arrived at the largest VIP room.

Austin couldn't wait to push the door open, calling out to everyone smugly.

"This is the top-tier spread I booked specially for all of you. Dig in, don't hold back!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Austin froze in place, staring at the table in the room with shock all over his face.

There were no fine drinks, no fine dishes on that table. Just rows and rows of cheap instant noodles.

The classmates filing in behind him took one look and were dumbstruck.

"Am I seeing this right? Where's the premium liquor? Where are the showstopper dishes?"

"Yeah, weren't we supposed to get the Grandview's top-tier food and premium liquor today? Why is there nothing on the table but instant noodles?"

Eudora stared at Austin, disbelief on her face too.

"Austin, what's going on here?"

Just as everyone stood there confused, the restaurant manager walked in calmly with a bill in hand.

She fixed her eyes on Austin and spoke in a steady voice.

"Mr. James, over the past eight years you've held eight class reunions at our restaurant, and you never paid for a single one. You now owe us a total of nine hundred and eighty thousand dollars. How will you be settling it?"