I Took My Adoptive Grandparents to an Upscale Restaurant and Learned the Truth

A Table for Three

One month after joining the company, I finally received my first paycheck. I felt proud that I had earned money by working for myself.

Senior sales staff recommended a high-end restaurant to me that they had used for business dinners. So, I made reservations for three and invited my grandpa and grandma.

The two of them, who thought we were going to a nearby diner, were surprised when I tried to take them into the fancy restaurant.

“Are we going inside such an upscale place?” Grandma seemed a little confused.

“I got my first paycheck. It’s money I earned as a working adult. I’ve always dreamed of treating you two.” I said.

Grandma had tears in her eyes.

“Let’s enjoy this feast given Mike’s heartfelt gesture. No need to hold back.” Grandpa said happily.

As we nervously entered the high-end restaurant for the first time, we heard a familiar voice from a room in the back. The sliding door of the room opened, and Director Johnson came out.

“Director Johnson, g-good evening.” Instinctively, I bowed deeply.

“Huh? Why are you here?” He looked at me suspiciously.

“Well, just having dinner with my family.” I timidly answered.

“This is a place I use to entertain important clients. It’s not a place for ordinary people like you.” He said.

He continued to scrutinize us.

“Coming to a fancy restaurant dressed so shabbily is totally inappropriate. Even if you ate expensive food, you wouldn’t understand its value. Why don’t you go to some cheap diner around the corner?” He continued.

The words of Director Johnson pierced my heart. It’s okay if it was just me, but this made my grandparents also uncomfortable. This turned out to be a disappointment, not an opportunity to honor them at all.

I was at a loss for words, a mixture of shame and shock. Then my grandpa, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.

“The one who is out of place here is you.” He said.

His tone was colder than anything I had ever heard from him.

“Who do you think you’re speaking to?” Director Johnson, enraged, turned to confront Grandpa.

But when he got a good look at his face, he yelled,

“Mr. Thompson!” And quickly turned pale, collapsing into his seat.

The Secret of the Thompson Family

“Bring happiness to all with the power of food.” Grandpa muttered.

It was the corporate philosophy of Impress Foods.

“I’ve kept this from you, Mike, for a while, but I’ve been thinking it’s about time to talk. Will you listen?” He asked.

And with that, Grandpa began to speak quietly.

“We had a vast tract of land that has been passed down from our ancestors. It allowed us to live without any hardship. Then, one day, the president of Impress Foods came to us asking if we would sell our land. That was over thirty years ago. He said he wanted to build a factory and expand his business. When I listened to him carefully, I found out that Impress Foods had been donating food to children’s homes. The president himself had grown up in a poor family, barely able to eat enough, and was always hungry. That’s why he had a strong desire to provide delicious meals to as many children as possible. He spoke passionately about wanting to expand his business and put more effort into supporting orphans, poor families, and people in need. His feelings struck a chord with me. My wife and I love children, but we were not blessed with our own. So, we decided to help with his cause for the children. We kept only the minimum land necessary for our living and offered the rest to him. I agreed with Impress Foods’ corporate philosophy of ‘Bring happiness to all with the power of food’ and even became a shareholder and invested in the company. I vowed to use my money to help those in need. I’ve kept in touch with him ever since, and one day we went together to visit one of the children’s homes he was supporting. That’s where I met you, Mike. During mealtime, while other kids were fussing over ‘I hate bell peppers’ or ‘I want a hamburger,’ Mike alone was happily eating his meal.”

“Delicious.” You had a mouthful of rice and said.

“You were so cute. I want to share meals with this child, I thought. I wanted you to be part of our family. Overflowing with such feelings, we adopted you. You grew up to be a very kind-hearted boy who could empathize with others. So, I thought you might be able to contribute to a company like Impress Foods, which helps people.”

“That’s admirable.” Said Director Johnson, as he stood up and extended his hand to Grandpa.

“Mike is a truly valuable asset.” He said, forcing a smile as he approached with his outstretched hand.

Grandpa coldly brushed it away, saying,

“It’s too late. You’ll probably never understand the true value of a meal, the value of a dining table shared with loved ones. Impress Foods is a company that rescues people in need through the power of food. You are not worthy of being associated with Impress Foods.”

It was the first time I had seen Grandpa raise his voice.

“I’ll let the president know everything at tomorrow’s shareholders meeting. Even if you go back to the company, you should expect that your seat is no longer there.”

Director Johnson trembled and fled the scene.

A New Legacy

That day, we, the family of three, enjoyed a delicious feast. While eating, they shared with me many stories that I hadn’t known before. I was also able to tell them how hard I’ve been working.

“Do you think I’ve been able to repay you two a little bit?” I asked.

“Of course. Just seeing you grow up and dedicate yourself to your job as a respectable working adult is more than enough payback.” Grandpa said with a happy look.

“Today’s meal is one we’ll never forget.” Grandma said, thoroughly enjoying our family time.

I feel like the bond within our family has deepened much more than before. The following day, there was no sign of Director Johnson at the company.

He seemed to have gone into hiding, presumably for fear that his history of workplace bullying would be exposed. In fact, complaints were lodged by several new hires and disgruntled employees who had also been subject to Director Johnson’s bullying, leading the board of directors to decide on his dismissal.

The person who stepped into the role of the new head of sales was the senior sales staff who had recommended the fancy restaurant to me.

“Nobody has worked as hard as you have in their first month.” The senior sales staff said, praising my efforts.

He even reviewed the proposal that had been rejected by Director Johnson and gave me a lot of advice.

“You might be able to become the president of the company one day.” He said with a laugh, always treating me kindly.

I want to gain a lot of experience and eventually get involved in a business that delivers delicious meals to those in need. For that reason, I want to fully commit to the work in front of me now.

Every day, I work for society so that I can help make the happy times around the dining table with loved ones even more enjoyable.