My son’s wife didn’t know I spoke Korean. When I heard what she said about me at that dinner…

The Language of Betrayal and the Silent Witness

The week crawled by. I debated what to wear and finally settled on a simple navy dress, pearls, and low heels.

It was professional but not flashy. I didn’t want to give Lisa any reason to criticize.

Friday evening, Daniel picked me up.

“He gave me a quick hug” “Thanks for coming, Mom. This deal is really important.”

“I said” “I know, honey. I’m happy to be there.”

Lisa sat in the front seat scrolling through her phone. She glanced back at me.

“She said” “You look nice, Margaret.”

“I said” “Thank you.”

The drive downtown was quiet. Daniel talked about the contract and the expansion opportunities.

Lisa occasionally interjected with comments about the restaurant and the wine list. I sat in the back and watched the city lights blur past, wondering why I felt more like a prop than a person.

Bansong was elegant with modern Korean decor and soft lighting. We were led to a private dining room where three Korean executives were already seated.

They stood immediately when we entered. Mr. Kim was probably in his late 50s and looked distinguished in a dark suit.

“He bowed slightly” “Mr. Reeves, Mrs. Reeves, wonderful to see you again.”

“Daniel said, gesturing to me” “Mr. Kim, this is my mother, Margaret Chen.”

Mr. Kim’s face lit up. He bowed deeper to me than he had to Daniel or Lisa.

“He said” “Mrs. Chen, it is such an honor to meet you. Daniel has spoken of you. Please accept my condolences for your husband’s passing.”

His English was good but accented. His respect seemed genuine.

I bowed back, suddenly grateful for all those hours of Kdramas where I’d watched the proper etiquette.

“I said” “Thank you, Mr. Kim. It’s an honor to meet you as well.”

The other two executives were introduced. Mr. Park was the CFO and Mrs. Yun was the director of international relations.

We sat down and Daniel and Mr. Kim immediately launched into business talk. Lisa played the perfect hostess, smiling, nodding, and asking polite questions.

I sat quietly as instructed. The food arrived in waves: banchchan, Korean barbecue, and stews.

Everything was delicious. Mr. Kim insisted on explaining each dish, making sure I tried everything.

“He said” “Mrs. Chen, you must try the kimchi jig. It’s the restaurant’s specialty.”

“I said” “Thank you, it’s wonderful.”

About an hour in, I noticed Mr. Kim and Mrs. Yun starting to speak in Korean to each other. They were making small comments and laughing about something.

Mr. Park joined in occasionally. Lisa suddenly leaned forward.

“She said” “I’m sorry, I should have mentioned I speak Korean. I minored in it at Northwestern. I thought it might be helpful for business.”

This was news to me and apparently to Daniel, who looked surprised.

“He said” “You never told me that.”

“Lisa waved her hand” “It never came up. But yes, I’m conversational.”

Mr. Kim looked delighted.

“He said” “Mrs. Reeves, this is wonderful. Please, then we can speak more comfortably.”

Just like that, portions of the conversation shifted to Korean. Lisa translated occasionally for Daniel, summarizing what was being said.

The Koreans seemed more relaxed. I sat there picking at my food, feeling increasingly like furniture.

At one point, Daniel turned to me.

“He said” “You doing okay, Mom?”

“I said” “I’m fine, sweetheart.”

Lisa shot me a look.

“She asked” “Margaret, would you like more tea?”

“I said” “No, thank you.”

The conversation continued swirling around me. Then I heard Lisa say something in Korean and all three executives looked at her with surprise.

Mrs. Yun responded and they all laughed. My Korean wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.

I understood every word Lisa had said.

“Lisa had said in Korean” “The old woman doesn’t understand anything we’re saying. We can speak freely.”

“Mrs. Yun had responded” “Are you certain? That seems disrespectful.”

“Lisa had laughed” “Trust me. She barely understands English sometimes. She’s nearly senile.”

My blood went cold. I kept my face neutral and my hands steady on my teacup.

Years of teaching difficult teenagers had taught me how to control my reactions. Mr. Kim frowned slightly but said nothing.

Mr. Park looked uncomfortable and Mrs. Yun’s expression was unreadable. Lisa continued in Korean, emboldened by their lack of pushback.

“Honestly, she’s become such a burden, Lisa went on in Korean” “Always showing up unannounced, wanting to babysit, hovering over the children.”

“She added” “Daniel’s too soft-hearted to tell her to back off.”

Daniel, oblivious, was checking his phone.

“After this deal closes, Lisa went on in Korean” “We’re going to have enough money to finally do something about her. There’s a very nice assisted living facility in Aurora. I’ve already toured it.”

“She continued” “We’ll tell her it’s for her own good, that we’re worried about her being alone. She’ll resist of course, but she has no choice.”

“Lisa said” “Daniel will agree with me eventually. He always does.”

Mrs. Yun set down her chopsticks.

“She said quietly in Korean” “This is not appropriate dinner conversation.”

Lisa misread the room and switched back to English.

“She asked” “I’m sorry, were we being rude? Margaret doesn’t mind, do you, Margaret?”

All eyes turned to me. I smiled pleasantly.

“I said” “Not at all.”

Lisa smiled back, satisfied. Then she turned to Mr. Kim and said in Korean:

“Lisa said in Korean” “See? I told you she has no idea. Anyway, the assisted living place is really nice. It’s not like we’re abandoning her. We’ll visit on holidays.”

Mr. Park actually flinched. Mr. Kim’s expression had gone from warm to glacial.

“He said in Korean” “Mrs. Reeves, I think perhaps we should return to discussing business.”

But Lisa was on a roll, maybe emboldened by wine or maybe just finally saying what she’d been thinking for years.

“She said in Korean” “Oh, we have time. I just wanted you to understand that Daniel is very devoted to his work. His mother won’t be a distraction anymore. We’re taking care of it.”

That’s when Mrs. Yun spoke directly to me in perfect English.

“She asked” “Mrs. Chen, do you understand Korean?”