When Ronnie met Denise on their first date, he didn’t expect her mother Claire to come along.
Throughout the evening, Claire’s intrusive questions and extravagant demands turned out to be part of a deeper plan.
But Ronnie quickly got his bearings and turned the situation around with humour.
I had been using dating apps for a while and had been on a series of disappointing dates, but this one topped them all.
Denise and I matched a few weeks ago and immediately hit it off.
She was sweet, charming, and said my silly jokes really made her laugh.
After a few messages, I asked her out on a date, and we agreed to meet at a popular restaurant in the city centre.
I was excited — more than usual.
As always, I arrived early to make a good impression.
The atmosphere was perfect — dim lighting, modern décor, and the quiet hum of conversation all around.
I imagined the evening going smoothly… until Denise walked in with her mother.
My heart sank.
‘Hi, Ronnie! This is my mum, Claire!’ Denise said cheerfully, as if it were perfectly natural to bring her mother on a date.
I forced myself to smile and tried my best to hide my confusion.
‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ I said.
Claire, stylishly dressed and with a certain authority about her, shook my hand.
‘Hello, Ronnie. I hope you don’t mind me being here tonight.’
‘Of course not,’ I lied, inwardly puzzled by the situation.
Was it a precaution? Was Denise testing me?
We sat down, and Claire immediately took control of the conversation.
‘So, Ronnie, what do your parents do?’ she asked sharply.
I cleared my throat.
‘My mum is retired, a former teacher, and my dad was an engineer.’
She nodded and immediately continued, “Where do you live? Do you rent or do you own your home?”
‘I have a small house,’ I replied, feeling more like I was in a job interview than on a date.
Her questions kept coming — about my salary, my job as a business analyst, and my plans for the future.
I glanced at Denise, hoping she would stop her mother, but she just sat there smiling.
I realised this was no ordinary dinner – it was a trap, and I was the main course.
Claire leaned back in her chair and looked me over critically.
‘You seem to be a good match for Denise, Ronnie. We’re used to a certain lifestyle, and that costs money.’
Before I could respond, she tapped the menu.
‘By the way, we’ll have the lobster. You’ll pay for it, right?’
I was stunned, not only by Claire’s audacity, but also by Denise’s reaction — or rather, her lack thereof.
Now it was clear — they were only interested in my financial situation.
Suddenly, I had an idea.
If they wanted to play, I was more than ready to play along.
I smiled broadly.
“Absolutely! Lobster sounds great. I love to live large.
And since we’re talking about the future, I’m glad you’re here, Claire.
This is the perfect moment to discuss my plans for Denise.”
Claire’s eyes lit up, and even Denise leaned forward with curiosity.
‘You see,’ I continued, “I have several investments that bring in millions every year, so money won’t be a problem.
Besides, I believe in taking care of my family.
Claire, as soon as Denise and I get married, I’ll buy you a house next to ours.
After all, she’ll need help with the children.”
Denise’s eyes widened.
Claire was literally drooling.
‘Really? That’s so generous, Ronnie!’ Claire exclaimed.
‘I’ve always dreamed of a house by the sea.’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ I said with a serious expression.
“You’ll get the house of your dreams, right next to ours.
But, of course, we have to sort something out first.”
Claire leaned forward in anticipation.
‘What exactly?’
‘Well,’ I said, pausing dramatically, “first you need to meet my other wives.
They have to give their consent.”
The atmosphere at the table froze.
‘Other wives?’ Claire stammered, her confident mask beginning to crack.
Denise looked as if she was about to faint.
‘Wives? Plural?’
I nodded.
“Oh yes, I have two other wives.
Wonderful women.
We have a large family – lots of children.
In fact, some of them turned out to be a little spoiled, so we had to send them to foster families.
But don’t worry, Claire, you’ll fit in perfectly.”
The look of horror on their faces was priceless.
Claire was in shock, her mouth open, but no words came out.
Denise, on the other hand, was trembling.
‘Ronnie, why didn’t you mention this before?’
I shrugged.
“Until now, it didn’t seem important.
But since we’re talking about marriage and children, I thought you should know.”
When the bill came, Claire was seething with anger.
‘You’re paying for dinner, right? After all, you’re so rich,’ she hissed.
I smiled.
“Actually, in my culture, women show their independence by paying for their own meals.
I can’t take that opportunity away from you.”
Their faces flushed with indignation as I calmly placed the money for my dinner on the table and stood up.
“It was nice meeting you both.
Enjoy your lobster.”
As I left the restaurant, I couldn’t help but laugh.
I had managed to turn the tables and use their superficial demands against them, and it felt great.
The evening might have started as a disaster, but in the end, I had the last word.
Sometimes the best way to deal with people who want to take advantage of you is to give them a taste of their own medicine.
