My Daughter-In-Law Got Promoted. She Took The Whole Family To A Fancy Dinner… Except Me. Hours Later, She Texted Me: “If you’re hungry, warm up the leftovers in the fridge so they don’t go to waste.”

I made myself some instant soup, the kind they sell in packs of three for $2.

I sat at the kitchen table, not in the dining room.

The help doesn’t eat in the dining room.

And that’s what I was now, right?

The help.

The help who paid $68,000 for the privilege of working for free.

At 7:00 in the evening, I opened Instagram.

I don’t know why I did it.

Maybe I needed to confirm what I already knew.

Maybe I’m a masochist.

There they were.

The first photo: Emily, radiant in her red dress, holding a glass of sparkling wine.

“Thanks to everyone for joining me on this special day.”

The second photo: my grandchildren with huge plates of breaded shrimp and French fries.

Michael had sauce on his chin.

Sarah was making a victory sign with her fingers.

The third photo: the whole table.

I counted nine people.