After the soup arrived, Mother refused Derek’s offer to make her meal free. She placed thirteen dollars on the table and explained that accepting a complimentary meal from someone apologizing to his landlord was different from accepting an apology as a customer.

Then she ate every spoonful.

When she finished, she invited Derek to sit down. She reminded him that forty people had heard his cruel remarks, and most had laughed because he had given them permission. She explained that she had spent thirty-one years teaching children and had watched countless boys discover that cruelty could earn applause.

“Did it make you feel good?” she asked.

Derek stared at the table. Finally, he admitted that he had felt sick almost immediately after saying it.

“Then you have a conscience,” Mother replied. “That’s useful. I can work with a conscience.”

That afternoon, she delivered a formal Notice of Default under the lease. She gave him ten days to correct the problem. Her attorney, Priya Raman, was astonished that Mother had served the notice herself during lunch.

“I’m telling you I had it ready,” Mother answered.