When my colleague invited my husband and me to her birthday dinner at a fancy restaurant, I was happy to join the celebration. I brought a nice gift, thinking it was the right thing to do. The evening was enjoyable, but things took a strange turn when I got home. I received a text from her: “Thanks for coming. Your part of the bill is $190 + tip.” I was shocked. I had already spent money on a gift, and now I was being asked to pay for an expensive dinner? I ignored the text at first, but later, I decided to reply. I wrote, “I think I have already paid you with the nice gift I brought ;).”
The next day at work, things got awkward. As I walked in, I noticed people staring at me. One colleague came up and said, “Can you believe it? Someone refused to pay their share of the dinner last night! How cheap!” I didn’t say anything, not letting on that it was me. But the real surprise was finding the gift I had given her sitting on my desk. She had returned it!
I still believe her actions were unfair. If you’re inviting people to your birthday celebration, shouldn’t you be covering the costs? Asking guests to bring a gift and pay for an expensive meal feels unreasonable. Was I wrong to stand my ground?
