The dinner rush at Sizzling Steak was chaotic, and I was struggling to keep up with the orders as a new employee learning the ropes. Then, a middle-aged man in a kimono and overcoat entered, smiling as I approached his table.
“Steak, with rice… rice bowl!” he said, thickly accented, pointing at the menu.
He seemed kind, but I had to inform him that we didn’t serve rice at our steakhouse.
“How about fries instead?” I suggested, and he nodded eagerly, trusting my recommendation.
I took the order to the counter, but before I could get started, I spotted a cold, half-eaten steak sitting out. I intended to throw it away, but my manager, Andy, stopped me.
“Why waste good food?” he said, holding the plate. “Serve it to him.”
I was shocked—surely, he couldn’t be serious.
“We can’t do that! It’s cold, and it’s been eaten!” I protested, shaking my head.
But Andy just laughed, waving off my concerns.
“He’s just a tourist. He won’t know the difference,” he smirked, clearly more interested in cutting corners than customer service.
I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t want to lose my job. Reluctantly, I took the cold steak and served it to the tourist, whose name I later learned was Higashi.
“This isn’t what I ordered,” Higashi said, looking confused as he stared at the plate.
Before I could explain, Andy barged over.
“Hold on a second, Jackie Chan,” he snapped at Higashi. “This is your order, right? Eat it!”
Higashi, not fully understanding what was going on, quietly glanced at the plate, embarrassment creeping onto his face.
As he stood, his wallet slipped from his coat pocket, spilling a thick wad of cash onto the floor. I watched as Andy’s eyes lit up.
Suddenly, Andy was all smiles, quickly apologizing to Higashi and offering him a “luxurious experience” meal to make up for the mistake.
He even shoved a $100 bill into my hand, telling me to keep quiet and play along.
In a rush, Andy prepared an over-the-top meal of grilled salmon and teriyaki chicken. “It’s on the house!” he declared, trying to act like the perfect host.
Higashi raised an eyebrow. “Free?” he asked, suspicious.
“Absolutely!” Andy replied cheerfully, pouring Higashi a drink. “Not a penny out of your pocket, my friend.”
However, as he reached to pour the sake, Andy’s hand splashed rice wine all over Higashi’s expensive coat.
Andy quickly offered to take the coat to “clean it.”
Higashi hesitated but handed it over, probably too polite to refuse. I followed Andy into the back room, where my worst fears were confirmed. Andy was rifling through the coat’s pockets, pulling out wads of cash.
“What are you doing?” I protested, horrified. “You can’t steal his money!” I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.
“He’ll never know,” Andy whispered, trying to pull me into his scheme.
I couldn’t let him get away with this. Pretending to go along with it, I took the money from him, but my plan was to return it to Higashi as soon as possible.
I waited for the right moment, and when Andy was distracted, I quickly grabbed the money and headed back to the dining area.
Once Andy was out of sight, I rushed to Higashi’s table and handed him the cash.
“This is your money,” I explained using my phone’s translation app. Higashi’s expression altered as he grasped the situation.
Just then, a police officer entered the restaurant, and Andy followed right behind him, grinning.
“They stole my money!” Andy yelled, revealing footage showing me taking money from his locker to make it seem like I was the thief.
Before I could speak, Higashi stepped forward, calmly saying in perfect English, “Actually, officer, it’s Andy who stole my money.”
It turned out that Higashi was a journalist and had marked his bills with a special chemical that turned blue when in contact with water. The police tested the cash, confirming that it belonged to Higashi.
Andy’s face turned white as the police handcuffed him. He tried to apologize, but it was too late. Karma had arrived to deal with him in the most poetic way possible.
2. I Mocked a Heavy Woman on a Plane, But the Captain Set Me Straight
The moment I saw the woman sitting next to me in first class, I knew the flight was going to be uncomfortable. She was large, and her elbow kept nudging me as she buckled her seatbelt.
Annoyed, I snapped, “Watch it!”
Flustered, she quickly apologized, stammering, “I-I’m so sorry.”
But I wasn’t in the mood to let it go.
“Excuse you? Or excuse the 3,000 doughnuts you ate to get to that size?” I sneered.
Her eyes widened in shock, but I kept going, piling on the insults.
“Lady, when you travel, you need to book two seats!” I added, smirking as I watched her face crumble.
When the flight attendant came by with the drink cart, I couldn’t resist another jab.
“Shaken, not stirred!” I joked, then cruelly added, “I don’t know what Moby Dick here will drink…”
The flight attendant shot me a disgusted look and turned to the woman with a kind smile, asking what she’d like to drink.
With tears in her eyes, the woman whispered, “A diet coke, please.”
“A diet coke?” I scoffed, mocking her. “Seems a bit late for that, don’t you think?”
She turned to look out the window, and the flight attendant ignored me completely. I felt smug, thinking I had the final word.
When dinner was served, I couldn’t resist another dig.
“Are you sure that will be enough for her?” I asked the flight attendant, who continued to ignore me. “Looks like she’d need a whole village to feed!” I chuckled to myself.
A little while later, the flight attendant returned, but this time with a smile.
“The captain is a huge fan and would love to invite you to the cockpit,” she said to the woman beside me, who looked stunned but quietly followed her to the front of the plane.
Confused, I shrugged it off, continuing to eat, already planning how I’d complain about the service once we landed. Then the captain’s voice came over the intercom.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special guest onboard! If you’re fans of ‘I Love Opera,’ you’ll recognize the voice of Miss Allison, who is flying with us to perform in a charity concert for world hunger.”
Suddenly, the entire cabin erupted in applause. I realized, with a sinking feeling, that the woman I’d been mocking was actually Allison, a renowned opera singer en route to a charity event.
When the flight attendant returned, she didn’t smile at me anymore.
“I don’t care how rich you are,” she said coldly. “If you upset her again, I’ll move you to economy.”
My heart raced as I stammered, “Sure, I, uh… I’ll be careful.”
When Allison came back to her seat, I stood awkwardly to let her sit down. Once she was settled, I muttered an apology.
“I’m sorry if I was rude earlier,” I said, feeling like a fool. “I didn’t know who you were.”
Allison turned to me, her face calm but firm. “It doesn’t matter who I am,” she said. “You shouldn’t treat people like that, EVER. And you’re not really sorry. If I weren’t famous, you wouldn’t be apologizing.”
I had no reply.
“You can’t judge people by how they look,” she added, her words piercing through my facade. “You need to change your habits.”
For the remainder of the flight, I kept quiet, feeling shame wash over me. She was right—I had to stop judging people based on their appearance.
3. I Denied a Room to a Scruffy Man, Only to Learn He Was the CEO in Disguise
It was a rainy evening at the Grand Lumière Hotel, and I prided myself on maintaining order as the concierge. Everything was running smoothly until a scruffy man walked in, soaking wet and leaving muddy footprints on the marble floor. His clothes were dirty, and his hair was disheveled.
“Excuse me,” he asked, his voice soft but hopeful.
“I need a room for the night. My car broke down, and I’ve been walking for hours in the rain.”
I looked him up and down, unimpressed. “I’m afraid we have no vacancies at the moment,” I replied, trying to keep my tone professional but feeling dismissive.
“I can pay whatever the rate is,” he offered, but I cut him off.
“We have no rooms available for someone in your condition,” I said coldly. “You’d be more comfortable elsewhere.”
The man looked defeated, but I didn’t care. I called for the bellhop to clean up the mess and watched as the man dragged himself back into the rain.
About an hour later, the door swung open again, and in walked a well-dressed man in a tailored suit. It took me a moment to recognize him as the same scruffy guy from before.
“Good evening,” he said with a small smile. “I’d like a room, please.”
My heart sank. “Of course, sir,” I stammered, trying to act as though nothing had happened. “May I ask what happened to your previous attire?”
He nodded casually. “Bloomington,” he replied with a small smile. “Thank you; I’m sure I will.”
Over the next few days, I avoided Mr. Bloomington, unsure of what to say. Then one morning, I overheard him on the phone.
“I’ve been here for three days, observing operations incognito,” he stated. “I think I’ve seen enough to make some necessary changes.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I had turned away the owner of the hotel chain!
I approached him, trying to apologize, but he asked me to sit down. That’s when he revealed the truth.
“I recently acquired this hotel chain,” he said. “and I’ve been visiting properties undercover to assess their operations.”
I was speechless. “Sir… I…” I stammered.
“Your treatment of guests has been unacceptable, particularly how you judged people based on appearance,” he said calmly. “This has to stop.”
I braced myself, thinking he was going to fire me, but his next words surprised me.
“I believe in second chances,” he said gently. “Let’s make sure this never happens again.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, barely able to meet his eyes. “Thank you for the second chance.”
From that day onward, the hotel staff underwent training, and we all learned to treat guests with the utmost respect, no matter their appearance.
Weeks later, a tired traveler entered the hotel on a rainy evening, reminiscent of before. This time, I greeted him with a warm smile and sincere hospitality.
“Welcome to the Grand Lumière,” I said, determined to embrace my second chance.
These stories illustrate the importance of integrity, kindness, and the potential for redemption when faced with our own biases and mistakes. They remind us that the way we treat others can have lasting consequences, and that justice may not be far behind anger or indifference.