I handed over another card while she rolled her eyes, still smirking in front of strangers. When it cleared, she dropped the check with fake cheer: “You’re lucky this one worked.” I stared at the bill, pen in hand, and wrote a quiet message with numbers a $0.83 tip. Not out of cruelty, but principle because respect should never be conditional.
Outside, Sarah squeezed my hand as I called the bank and learned the truth — fraud alert. A simple mistake, easily fixed. But what lingered wasn’t the glitch, it was her cruelty. Cards fail — people shouldn’t. She chose humiliation over understanding, arrogance over kindness. And in that moment, a small tip became the loudest response I could give.