Growing up, my parents taught me that a person's character wasn't measured by what they had, but by what they gave.

We weren't rich by any stretch, but we never thought twice about helping others or paying our fair share.

Then I married my husband, and boy, did I get a reality check.

My husband's family had everything money could buy — a sprawling house in the nicest part of town, luxury cars sitting in their heated garage, and vacations to places I'd only seen in magazines.

But for all their wealth, they had a peculiar habit that made my stomach knot every time we got together: they never, ever paid their share at restaurants.

"They did it again," I complained to my husband, Dan, after his parents had slipped out of a restaurant while he was in the bathroom, leaving us with a $300 bill. "Your dad literally pretended to get a phone call!"

Dan sighed, his shoulders slumping as he pulled out his credit card. "I know, I know. They've always been like this."

"But they have more money than they know what to do with! Your mom's purse cost more than our monthly rent!"

"Trust me, I've tried talking to them about it. They just… I don't know. That type of money doesn't mean much to them, so they don't see anything wrong with it."

Over the years, it became a dreaded routine of elaborate orders, expensive wines, and then the clockwork excuses.

"Oh, I left my wallet at home!" his mother would announce, patting her designer handbag.

"I need to take this call," his father would mumble, already halfway to the door.

Even Dan's brother, Tyler, and his wife Jen had adopted the family tradition, and become masters of the dine-and-dash.

Nobody called them out. Not the friends who were stuck with the bill, or their business associates who whispered about it later.

Then came the invitation.

"Mom's planning to celebrate her 60th birthday with a dinner at that fancy Italian restaurant downtown," Dan told me one evening. "She told me about it yesterday. She wants the whole family there."

"When is it?" I asked, already feeling my wallet cringe.

"Next Friday. Which is good news for us since we'll be out of town, but here's the thing — since we can't come, they want to invite your mom."

I froze. "My mom? Why?"

"She mentioned wanting to get to know her better," Dan said, but I smelled a rat.

My mother-in-law had never shown much interest in getting to know my mom before. In fact, she'd mentioned on several occasions that they didn't have much in common.

This was looking a lot like a setup.

Unfortunately, we couldn't even run interference.

Dan and I had planned a weekend getaway in Mexico months ago, a rare chance to celebrate our anniversary without interruption. The dates overlapped, and our tickets were non-refundable.

"We have to warn her," I said, reaching for my phone.

My mom picked up on the third ring.

"Hi, sweetie! How are you?"

"Mom, Dan's parents want you to attend his mom's birthday dinner—"

"Yes! She texted me an hour ago. I'm looking forward to it."

A knot of dread formed in my belly. "Mom, I need to tell you something important about Dan's parents…"

I explained their pattern, their tactics, and how they'd surely try to stick her with the bill. I was getting worked up just talking about it, my voice rising with each example.

But my mom just laughed. "Oh, honey, don't worry so much."

"Mom, I'm serious. They do this every time. They're going to order the most expensive things on the menu and then disappear when the check comes."

"I'll be just fine," she said with a calm that baffled me. "Your mother-in-law seems very excited about her birthday. I wouldn't miss it."

"But—"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll handle it."

When I hung up, I turned to Dan.

"I don't think she took me seriously… she's walking into a trap."

"Maybe they won't do it this time," he offered weakly. "It's a birthday celebration, after all."

I gave him a look. We both knew better.

The night of the dinner, Dan and I were at our bed-and-breakfast three hours away.

All evening, I kept checking my phone, half-expecting a panicked call from my mom. But nothing came.

It wasn't until the next morning that I got a text from her: Had a lovely evening. Call me when you get home.

The suspense was killing me.

As soon as we got back on Sunday, I called her.

"So?" I demanded without preamble. "What happened?"

I could hear the smile in her voice. "Well, it was quite an interesting night."

According to my mom, the evening started predictably enough.

My in-laws arrived at the restaurant dressed to the nines, my mother-in-law draped in jewelry that could've funded a small country.

They were seated at the best table in the house — a corner spot with a view of both the garden and the pianist.

"They ordered everything, honey. Everything." My mom's voice was tinged with amazement.

"They had appetizers I couldn't pronounce, bottles of wine that the waiter had to unlock from some special case. Your father-in-law got the wagyu steak that was literally covered in gold flakes."

"And you?" I asked, already cringing.

"Oh, I just had pasta and water. I wasn't very hungry."

Smart woman. Minimize the damage.

"And then what happened?"

"Well, when the bill came, it was like watching a play where everyone knew their lines. Your mother-in-law suddenly remembered she'd left her purse at home. Your father-in-law patted his pockets and made a show of realizing his wallet was in the car."