“You sit here dressed in luxury, mocking someone who is working hard to serve you. Do you think that makes you powerful?” He paused, letting the silence stretch. “No. It makes you small.”

He looked at the waitress, his expression softening. “And you—don’t you dare believe a single word of what they said. You are not defined by their cruelty. You are stronger than they will ever understand.”

The women shifted uncomfortably, their earlier arrogance crumbling under the weight of so many eyes. One of them tried to laugh it off, but the sound was hollow. No one joined her.

A Room Transformed

The waitress’s lips parted as if to speak, but instead, a single tear slipped down her cheek. My companion gently took the tray from her hands and set it on the table. “Take a breath,” he said softly. “You’re doing just fine.”