My Wife Killed Her Parents
My in-laws, Melvin Gardner and Sharon Murphy, kept it a secret from us and traveled all the way to Metoville to surprise their daughter, Vivian Gardner.
I brought them to the restaurant where Vivian worked as head chef, thinking she would give them a proper welcome and a great meal.
However, Vivian called over her favorite pretty-boy apprentice, Tyler Lambert, and had him handle a batch of wild-harvested oysters from the deep sea. These rare specimens were notorious because they may carry Tetrodotoxin if not purged with extreme precision—a high-stakes task that even the seasoned chefs usually avoided.
Tyler frowned and whined at her, "Oh come on, Chef, these oysters are so tricky to prepare. I'm not sure I can handle them..."
Vivian just laughed it off. "Just give them a quick rinse, and you're done. They're just a couple of old country folks. There's no need to fuss."
Melvin and Sharon ate the oysters. Within ten minutes, they were foaming at the mouth and collapsed on the table.
When Vivian rushed over, she did not even bother to look at the two elderly people. Instead, she was busy comforting Tyler, who had gone pale and fallen into her arms.
She said, "If they got food poisoning, send them to the hospital. But make sure they sign a liability waiver before they leave."
She glanced at me casually, her tone suggesting the poisoned elderly couple had nothing to do with her. "Your parents are from the countryside, so they're probably not used to city food. Don't try to pin this on the restaurant or Tyler!"
It hit me that she still had not realized the people who had collapsed at the table were her own parents.
I looked at her helplessly and confirmed, "Are you sure you want to clear 'Tyler' of all responsibility?"