Horror
It was such a good night! To be able to spend time with her family over delicious food in a nice restaurant was a rare occurrence. And as far as she knew, everybody had a fantastic time.
But now, as she looked at her bank account, she gasped in horror. It's the morning after their meal out and Whitney is livid. She thinks back to the overly polite waitress in disbelief. Could she have scammed her? After everything she did?
A Doting Mother
Whitney Anderson was an ordinary woman from a small town in Ohio. A single parent to three children, Whitney worked hard to ensure her children were happy and healthy at all times.
So when Whitney treated her family to a meal at their local restaurant, never in a million years did she think it would be the catalyst to a horrific nightmare.
Working Single Parent
Whitney was aware of the struggle of being a working, single parent. Every dollar she earned, she put towards her kids' needs and bills, and very rarely did she have anything left over to treat herself or her three children.
So when this doting mother received a bonus at work, she knew straight away what she wanted to spend it on. She was going to take her kids out for a nice meal. But soon, she was going to seriously regret it.
The Restaurant
It was a cold Friday night when Whitney and her family headed over to their local restaurant. It was a nice Mexican place downtown. A restaurant Whitney had visited a couple of times before.
As the excited family walked inside the restaurant, Whitney had no idea her trust and compassion was about to be seriously taken advantage of.
Surveying The Room
As Whitney and her kids stood inside the door, waiting for the host to bring them to their seat, she looked around the room. Coming from a small town, she wanted to see if she knew anyone dining.
She scanned the room and surprisinly, didn't see anyone she recognized but she did see something strange. The waitress was young and pretty, but something was wrong with her.
Waitress In Distress
She had just finished collecting the bill off of a table. She looked at the receipt, looked up to the ceiling, bit her lip and held her head in her hand. She looked upset, or annoyed, Whitney couldn't tell.
But she wondered what had caused her reaction. Did the table leave no tip? A small tip? Or was something written on the paper? Either way, Whitney was about to discover the 'truth'. Or so she thought.
Finding Their Seat
After a short wait, Whitney and her kids were greeted by a friendly waitress who showed them their seat. "The waitress will be with you in a while", she said as she handed them their menus and ran through the specials.
Whitney and her kids were famished. They were ready to order as soon as they saw the menu, and the waitress must have sensed it because she came straight over. It was the same waitress Whitney saw earlier.
Radiant Waitress
She greeted their table with a big smile, her warmth seemed dazzling. If Whitney didn't notice her stealing a moment to herself earlier, you could have sworn she was the happiest person in the world.
She spoke softly and welcomed them to the restaurant. She joked with the kids and they immediately took to her. As Whitney ordered their food, she asked her if she was from around here as she never saw her before.
Open And 'Honest'
Her name was Marcilla. She was super friendly as she explained to Whitney her back story. She just moved to town to study. She was trying to make a better life for herself and her son. Whitney was completely taken aback by how open she was with her.
She continued to tell Whitney that she had no support. She told her that she moved to be closer to college but that times were extremely tough as she had no friends or family near by to help her. Money was a struggle. Whitney's heart bled for her, and Marcilla knew it.
She Knew The Struggle
As Marcilla left with their food order, Whitney couldn't stop thinking about Marcilla. She knew all too well just how hard being a waitress can be, especially during college. Whitney herself paid her way through college by waiting tables. But she couldn't imagine how much harder it would be supporting a baby boy as well.
Whitney had already made up her mind to tip her generously. She always tipped well but this time she wanted to do more for Marcilla. Little did she know, she was about to turn Whitney’s world upside down.
Explanation
Soon, Marcilla returned to Whitney's table with food for her and her kids. Marcilla left them to it but returned shortly after to ask if everything tasted okay.
Whitney got talking with her again and asked her what had happened earlier, she admitted that she saw she was upset. Marcilla seemed flustered but quickly recomposed herself to explain that they didn't tip her. But that wasn't what happened.
Disbelief
Marcilla shrugged it off and said it happens all the time at this restaurant. But Whitney couldn't believe someone wouldn't tip her. Afterall, she was probably one of the friendliest waitresses she had ever come across.
She was constantly checking on her and even gave her kids colouring books and pencils while making sure their glasses were always full and their meals were satisfactory. But soon, she was about to find out that it was nothing but an elaborate plan.
Shocked And Upset
Marcilla asked if they'd like any dessert to which the kids begged yes! With Whitneys approval, Marcilla retrieved their order and cleared their table to make room for desert. Then she disappeared into the back of the restaurant where the kitchen and bathrooms were.
Whitney left her oldest child in charge as she went to the bathroom. But while she was in her stall, she heard something as shocking and upsetting, from the woman in the stall next to her.
Unpleasant Surprise
The woman in the stall next to her was on her phone. To Whitney's shock, she was talking about her and her children. She couldn't hear her very clearly but she could hear enough to understand that the "lonely, loud, over-talkative single mom and messy three kids was her and her kids.
There was no one else that fit that description in the restuarant. She washed her hands, and returned to her table with a stiff lip. But something else was bothering her.
Sneaking Suspicion
Whitney returned to her seat, welcomed by her loving children. How could anyone give out about them? They were being so well-behaved. Sure, they're a little messy but what kid isn't?
Whitney sat in quiet silence as she tried to put her finger on what was bothering her. Did she know the woman in the bathroom? She didn't see her but her voice felt familiar. She watched the bathroom door, hoping to see who walked out but wished she didn't.
Culprit
Whitney watched as two woman came out at the same time. Surprisingly, one was Marcilla but there was no way that was her. The other girl, who was still on the phone, was someone who had been sitting a couple of tables down from her.
Since she was still on the phone, Whitney presumed it was her. She scoffed at her as she left the restaurant. Whitney knew people could surprise you, but she was about to learn just how much people can decieve you.
Dessert
Whitney was waken from her reverie by the smell of delicious warm chocolate and coffee. Marcilla had arrived with their dessert just in time for a perk-me-up after her bathroom incident.
Marcilla said that she asked the chef to add extra chocolate powder on top and told them to enjoy. It was probably one of the best desserts Whitney had ever tasted. She didn't remember this restaurant being this good. As she finished she told herself she'd have to come back. But she'd never set foot in this restaurant again.
Asking For The Bill
After Whitney and her kids finished their desserts, Whitney asked for the bill. Whitney put on everhyone's jackets and took a moment to take pictures of their outing. Who knows when they could do this again!
Although money was tight for Whitney, she was adament to help Marcilla out with a generous tip. But once she learnt the truth, she was going to seriously regret doing this.
A Smirk
Whitney paid for her meal and left a $10 tip using her credit card. As she swiped it through the card machine, she saw a smirk creep across Marcilla's face.
"That's for taking such good care of us this evening", Whitney said. "I hope to see you around again". Marcilla thanked her as she continued to smirk. Whitney felt glad she made Marcilla smile, but that wasn't what Marcilla was smiling about.
Payment Successful
After her card payment had gone through successfully, Marcilla handed Whitney back her credit card, but she had ripped the customers receipt. Laughing at her clumsiness, she apoligzed to Whitney.
While crumbling up the receipt, she asked Whitney if she really needed it. Whitney laughed along and told her it was fine to toss and not to worry about it. As they parted ways, Whitney noted an odd, excited gleam in Marcilla's eyes. If only she knew then what she knew now.
Creepy Smile
As Whitney and her kids walked away, Whitney couldn't help but notice that Marcilla's big warm smile now looked a little eery and creepy. It was still bright as she made her way to her car.
Before driving home, she took a moment to savour the memory of the rare and beautiful, much-needed meal with her kids. But the next day, Whitney was going to wake up to a horrible surprise.
The Day After
The following day, Whitney woke up ready for a day of relaxing. A day of Sunday chill if you will! She had a few errands to run but she was going to be chillin' like a villain at home.
One errand she could take care of right on the couch however, was paying the electricity bill, so she checked her bank account and prepared to make a transfer. At first nothing seemed amiss but then she looked closer.
Double-Checking
At first, she went straight to making payments so she didn't even realize something on her account was wrong. But as soon as she checked her statements, she gasped out in horror. Was this some kind of joke?
Alarmed and thinking it mught be a fault with her device, she logged out and logged back in again. She held her breath as she hopped her eyes had played tricks on her but tey didn't. What was wrong?
Money Missing
Whitney looked at her deminished account, horrified to see that she had money missing from her bank. She took a closer look and realized that the missing amount was from the restaurant she went to the day before.
She thought back to the total amount she saw on the receipt before paying, and wondered if it could have been a simple mistake. But Whitney wasn't a fool and she knew how waitress systems worked. This was no accident.
Piecing Together
Now, everything started to add up; Why she was so friendly it threw her off guard. Why she was flustered when Whitney admitted she saw her reaction about the previous bill, and most importantly, why she put the customer copy receipt in the bin.
It was just too obvious. It must have all been planned. Suddenly, she thought back to the woman in the bathroom. C0uld that have been her? Was that familiar voice she heard hers? Whitney felt completely dupped.
All Planned
She remembered Marcilla's creepy smile and gleam in her eye as she paid. It was so subtle, but Whitney couldn't stop thinking about it. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Was everything she told her all a lie? That's why Whitney tipped her so generously. But it obviously wasn't enough for her. Although she didn’t have her own customer receipt, Whitney was sure she knew the total amount. But what she saw in front of her wasn't it. She had well and truly conned.
Ripped Off
Whitney was 100% positive that the total meal cost came to $45.50, and then she tipped the waitress $10, bringing the total amount to $55.50.
But that wasn’t the total Whitney saw on her bank account and statement. No, what she saw on her bank account was much much more. She had to do something about this.
Disgusted
The total charge on Whitney’s bank account was not $55.50 but instead $65.50. The waitress had completely ripped her off, even after she had tipped generously.
Whitney wasn’t going to stand for this. She posted the incident online but felt that it wasn’t enough. Not even close. Full of anger and betrayal, she went back to the restaurant, ready for a showdown.
Gaining An Audience
Whitney barged threw the doors. She looked around as her anger seemed radiating. The customers rose their head from eating, sensing that something was about to go down.
It's not often that public displays of anger or tension are witnessed in this small, sleepy town. But Whitney didn't care about the onlookers. She had a bone to pick. One she felt was too important to not say anything.
Calling The Manager
The host greeted Whitney with a smile, asking her if she could help her. Whitney demanded to see her manager immediately. The hostess was firm and repeated if she could help.
This only made Whitney more angry as she said, "Ma'am, with all due respect, you can't help me with this issue so please let me speak to your manager". But things were about to go from bad to worse.
The Manager
The manager soon approached Whitney, asking her if everything was okay. She was a polite woman. Her demeanor made Whitney calm down. Calmly, she asked if Marcilla was working today.
The manager replied that she wasn't but told her that she could help with anything she needed. "I was hoping to say this to you with Marcilla here to demand an explanation but I guess I'll just tell you", Whitney said and continued to tell her what happened.
Speaking Out
Whitney told the manager what her suspicions were about Marcilla. She went into detail about her convenient unfortunate story, the bathroom call and the torn up receipt.
As Whitney talked, the manager listened but Whitney could see that she didn't believe her. Afterall, who would? She comes across so polite and friendly, who would think she's so calculative and manipulative? Whitney had to prove it.
Drastic Measures
Whitney needed proof to back her story, so she demanded to see the receipt. However, the manager refused to show it, because she had trashed it and ripped it up. But Whitney kept pushing, until finally, the manager gave in.
She opened the case of the merchant's copy recipts and found her receipt from the day before. Whitney couldn't believe it as she saw a $20 tip instead of the $10 tip she offered. But that wasn’t all.
Jaw-Dropping
Whitney's Jaw dropped as she looked at her signature and realized it had been forged. She couldn't believe the waitress forged her signature! Who does that?
How could she think she'd get away with this? Or most unnervingly, she was probably so confident because she knew she could. If she has done this before, Whitney was going to find out.
Evidence
Whitney rose her voice incrediously as she exclaimed to the manager that that wasn't her signature. The manager grabbed a pen and paper and asked her to proove it.
More customers watched as Whitney caused quite the stir! She happily grabbed the piece of paper and pen off the manager and showed her the difference. The evidence was undeniable. She could feel a change in the air.
Request To Fire
Whitney’s signature on the receipt was nothing like her own. Which meant that the waitress had forged it! Whitney was furious and adamant that the scheming waitress should be fired.
The manager apologized but was still adament that there must be some misunderstanding. She asked Whitney to allow her some time to deal with this situation accordingly, before getting any police involved.
Failed Deception
Whitney agreed to let her deal with the situation privately and secretly hopped she was wrong and that there was some crazy big misunderstanding. She didn't like to think people were capable of such deception.
But she couldn't ignore the facts. She really felt like her compassion and kindness was taken advantage of. She wondered if Marcilla was speaking the truth at all about her son and college? The look on the managers face seemed to indicate a lot of confusion when she mentioned it earlier.
More Than Meets The Eye
The manager asked Whitney for her contact details and said that she'd call her with an update as soon as this was all sorted out. But it was as they Whitney feared.
The following day, the manager called Whitney to let her know that she would be getting a refund of her extra $10 tip. She also admitted that she looked into Marcilla's background more and found out that there was a lot more to Marcilla than meets the eye.
Con Artist
Marcilla had indeed made up her back story to gain the compassion and in turn the generous tip off Whitney. She didn't have a son and she wasn't in college. But she did recently move to town.
It also turns out that this wasn't the first time she was fired from a restaurant for conning customers. Whitney had heard of this kind of thing happening but she never believed she'd fall victim to it. She was so convincing.
Lesson Learned
The manger told Whitney that Marcilla was fired and that she should expect her refund within two weeks. Although Whitney didn't know Marcilla, she felt sorry for her. She wondered why she would do such a thing.
Either way, Whitney learnt the hard way to not be so trusting towards perfect strangers. Ultimately, she was just thankful she spotted it in time and could prove her case. She was also relieved that no one else would be scammed by her. Not in that restuarant anyway...