Mark: Evelyn! Get back here right now!
Beatrice: Have you lost your mind, girl?! You don't walk away from your husband!
Evelyn: Watch me, Beatrice.
Mark: Server, don't listen to her! Take her card back and use mine!
Server: Sir, the black card has already processed for her half and the child's meal.
Mark: Cancel it! Put the whole thing on my card!
Mark yanked his leather wallet from his jacket pocket and slapped a shiny blue credit card onto the waiter's tray.
Server: Of course, sir. Give me just one moment.
Beatrice: Unbelievable! The disrespect! After everything our family has done for her!
Mark: She's just throwing a tantrum, Mom. She'll be waiting in the car in five minutes, crying and begging for forgiveness.
Beatrice: You need to put your foot down, Mark. A wife should never speak to her husband like that in public.
Mark: Don't worry, Mom. I run this family. She has no money of her own anyway.
Mark folded his arms, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile as he waited for the waiter to return.
Server: Um... excuse me, sir?
Mark: What is it? Did you process the payment?
Server: Sir, your card has been declined.
Mark: Declined? Don't be ridiculous! Run it again!
Server: I tried three times, sir. The system says 'account closed by primary cardholder.'
Mark: Primary cardholder?! What are you talking about?!
Beatrice: Mark, what's going on? Why is your card declined?
Mark: There must be a glitch with the machine! Let me try my corporate card!
Mark quickly pulled out a silver business card and handed it over, his forehead sweating under the bright lights.
Mark: Use this one! It has a fifty-thousand-dollar limit!
Server: I'll try it right now, sir.
Beatrice: This is so embarrassing! Everyone is looking at us!
Mark: Calm down, Mom! It's just a banking error! Evelyn probably forgot to transfer the monthly allowance!
Server: Sir... this one is declined as well. The message says 'authorization revoked by account owner, Evelyn Montgomery.'
Mark's breath hitched in his throat as the entire room seemed to spin around him.
Mark: What... what did you just say?
Server: The primary owner on both accounts is Evelyn Montgomery, sir. She just removed your authorized user status from every account linked to her firm.
Beatrice: Evelyn's firm?! Mark, you told me you were the primary owner of the company!
Mark: Mom, please! Not here!
Beatrice: You told me you bought her that dress and paid for her lifestyle!
Mark: I... I didn't think she would actually cut me off!
Server: Sir, your total for the remaining steak, wine, and appetizers comes to four hundred and eighty dollars. How will you be paying today?
Mark: I... I don't have another card on me...
Server: Sir, if you cannot settle the bill, I'll have to call our general manager and security.
Beatrice: Security?! Are you insane?! Do you know who my son is?!
Server: Right now, ma'am, he is a guest who cannot pay for his meal.