When Stella received an invitation to her colleague’s birthday dinner at an upscale restaurant, she didn’t think twice about bringing a thoughtful gift. What she didn’t expect was the text that followed the celebration: “Thanks for coming. Your part of the bill is $190 + tip.”
Stunned, Stella initially ignored the message. She had already spent money on a nice present—wasn’t that enough? Hours later, she decided to respond politely, hinting that her gift should cover her contribution. “I think I have already paid you with the nice gift I brought ;),” she wrote.
The next day at work, whispers filled the office. A colleague approached Stella, gossiping about how someone had refused to pay their share of the dinner bill. “What a cheapskate!” the coworker exclaimed, unaware she was talking to the very person involved. The real shock came when Stella found the gift she had given her colleague sitting on her desk—returned without a word.
Stella stood by her belief: if you invite guests to celebrate your birthday, you shouldn’t expect them to cover an expensive meal on top of bringing a gift. Was she in the wrong, or was her colleague crossing an unspoken etiquette line?
