“So, What’s Left After the Party? I Still Need to Feed My Daughter!” – The Aunt Scanned the Table with Greedy Concern.

“So, what’s left from the party? I need to feed my daughter!” The aunt scanned the table with a greedy unease.

Nicholas looked at his mother’s sister, Veronica, and barely held back a sharp reply. Guests were still seated, yet she’d already pulled three plastic containers from her bag.

On the large platter remained a few slices of roast meat; beside it sat salads and a nearly whole pie.

“Aunt Veronica, we haven’t even had tea yet,” Nicholas reminded. “At least wait until the end of the evening.”

“Oh, am I stopping you? Drink your tea. I’ll just take a little so Chloe can eat after work. She’s on until nine, poor thing, won’t have time to cook, my poor girl.”

Chloe was twenty-nine. She lived alone and earned a good salary.

Veronica reached for the meat, but William pushed the dish closer to the guests.

“People are still eating. When everyone leaves, we’ll see what’s left.”

“William, are you really begrudging a bit of meat?” the aunt protested.

Nicholas noticed his mother look away. Julia always tried to ignore her younger sister’s habits.

The moment anyone in the family objected, she’d beg them not to be stingy and ruin relationships over food.

It happened at nearly every family celebration. Veronica would arrive with a cheap box of chocolates or empty-handed, then sit down first. She’d pick the best pieces, ask for salads to be passed, and after dinner pull out her containers.

Once, she took half the pie before the hosts could even cut it. Another time she demanded four portions of hot food packed—said Chloe wanted to treat her friends.

William had been furious then, but Julia quickly dragged him to the kitchen.

“William, don’t start in front of guests, for heaven’s sake! Veronica will be offended, she won’t call for a month.”

“Let her be silent for a year! Why should we also feed her grown daughter?”

“Oh, come on, the food will be left over anyway! Is it so precious? Let her take it.”

Nicholas stayed quiet only for his mother. His younger brother, Arthur, also tried not to interfere, though after every family dinner he grumbled that the aunt stuffed more into her bag than three guests ate combined.

Their mother’s sixtieth birthday approached. Nicholas decided to give her something truly valuable—he’d saved for months.

At the jeweller’s he chose gold earrings with delicate pale stones. Arthur saw the photo on his phone and lit up: he found a necklace from the same set in a catalogue.

As she fastened the earrings with trembling fingers, Arthur presented the necklace. Seeing it was a set, Mum was moved to tears, hugged the boys, and started her usual lament that they’d spent too much.

“Let me see,” Veronica snatched the boxes without ceremony. She examined the hallmark for ages, picked at the clasp with a nail. “Spent a fortune, I suppose? The stones aren’t glass, are they?”

“It’s gold, it’s all on the tag,” Nicholas cut in. “The main thing is Mum likes it.”

The aunt shifted her gaze to her sister, then turned to her nephew with a faint smile.

“So, Nicholas. I have my anniversary in three months. I expect the same set. Only make the stones green—emeralds or something. They’ll match my eyes.”

Silence fell at the table. Nicholas first thought it was a stupid joke, but the aunt was dead serious, spinning someone else’s box in her hands.

“Why on earth would I buy you gold?” he asked directly.

“What do you mean why?” Veronica raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m your mother’s own sister! I also deserve expensive gifts.”

Nicholas mentally scrolled through his childhood birthdays. From his aunt he usually got socks, a mug, or a pack of Rich Tea biscuits.

For his eighteenth she’d come with an empty card, then asked him to drive her across town—the petrol cost more than her ‘present’. Yet now she spoke with such aplomb, as if she’d funded his education.

“You’re not my mother,” Nicholas said flatly. “Let your own close family pick gifts for you.”

“Chloe is struggling,” the aunt shot back instantly. “I won’t demand gold from the girl. But you, a young man with money, could show some respect for your elders.”

Mum tried to smooth things over, though her face showed clear discomfort.

“Veronica, enough joking. Let’s order tea, they’re bringing the cake.”

“What jokes, Julia? So your sons give you gold, but your own sister gets nothing? I expect that set for my birthday! Arthur should chip in too, since you’re all so rich here.”

Arthur put down his fork and snorted.

“Why should we sponsor your whims?”

“Because family should treat everyone equally! Julia gets both earrings and a necklace! Well, if you won’t give me a set, I’ll take the necklace! Julia, you’ll do fine with just the earrings!”

Veronica reached a hand directly toward Mum’s throat. Mum flinched. Nicholas snapped—all the resentment he’d stored for years flooded out.

“Are you seriously trying to take Mum’s gift off her?” He caught the aunt’s wrist. “Have you ever given her anything more expensive than those kitchen cloths?”

“Don’t you be rude to me!” Veronica snapped. “I have different expenses. Anyway, it’s the thought that counts!”

“But you’re a master at counting other people’s money. You arrive at every party empty-handed, you’re first to stuff your face, then you cart food out in containers!”

“And you always hide behind Chloe, who’s a grown woman fully capable of buying her own dinner!”

The aunt’s face blotched red. She shoved her chair back with a clatter and turned to her sister.

“Julia! Do you hear how your little brat speaks to me? Control him! He’s disgracing you in front of everyone!”

Mum looked helplessly from son to sister. Nicholas froze, expecting the usual:

“Nicholas, enough, leave it…”

But then his father spoke.

“Nicholas is right,” William said heavily. “I only kept quiet for Julia’s sake. You come to us not as family, but as a free takeaway diner.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is? You’ve ganged up?” Veronica turned to her younger nephew. “Are you going to count how many pieces I’ve eaten too?”

“I can remind you how you took food from my birthday before the guests even sat down,” Arthur muttered. “Then you pouted because they wouldn’t give you the whole cake.”

“Ingrates!” the aunt shrieked. “Julia, what have you raised? No respect for elders!”

She snatched her bag, pulled out the plastic containers, and furiously began scraping the cold cuts into them.

“If I’m so unwelcome, at least I’ll take food for Chloe! She has nothing to do with this!”

Nicholas calmly stepped over, took the container, and tipped the sausage back onto the platter.

“Today is Mum’s anniversary, not a food bank. You’re taking nothing from here.”

“Give it back, you idiot!” Veronica screamed. “You humiliated me, cheated me of a gift, now you’re starving me? Give back the meat—it’s set aside for Chloe!”

The guests sat frozen; someone was openly stifling laughter. Nicholas glanced at his mother—he feared she’d cry.

But Mum slowly unclasped the necklace at her throat, placed it carefully in the velvet box, and raised her eyes to her sister.

“You know, Veronica… I’m tired. Tired of calculating every party how much food you’ve managed to pocket.

“Tired of shushing my husband and sons so they’d tolerate your quirks to avoid a fight. Nicholas is right! You mistook our kindness for weakness.”

The aunt faltered. She clearly hadn’t expected such defiance from her always-compliant sister.

“You… you take their side? I’m your own sister!”

“They are not strangers to me, Veronica. They are my husband and my children. Pack your things and go.”

“Then at least give the hot food for my child!” the aunt demanded, quieter but still vicious.

William silently pulled out his phone, called a cab, then pushed her bag and the towel-wrapped parcels toward her.

“Take your bag and that rubbish back. The rest stays on the table.”

“I’ll never set foot in your house again! Misers!” Veronica spat, grabbing her things.

The restaurant door slammed shut. Mum stared at the exit for a few seconds, then sighed heavily.

“Mum, I’m sorry,” Nicholas whispered, sitting beside her. “I didn’t want to ruin your party. But damn, it had to come out.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, son,” she gave a weak smile and patted his hand. “I was naive. Should have put her in her place long ago.”

…A few days later, the aunt appeared as if nothing had happened. Nicholas was in the kitchen when Mum’s phone rang, and a loud voice came through the speaker:

“Julia, hi. Is there any food left from the anniversary?”

Mum closed her eyes, exhaled, but this time her voice didn’t waver.

“Veronica, even if there were, I wouldn’t give you any. You’re welcome to visit only when you learn to respect the hosts, not treat our home as a free restaurant.”

On the aunt’s birthday, Nicholas simply texted her in the morning. No gold, of course, was sent.

Veronica waited a long time to be invited to the next family gathering, but Mum simply struck her off the guest list. And that, it seemed, would last a long time…

Do you think the family acted rightly? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to like!