When I opened Sugar & Spice, my dream bakery, I never imagined my in-laws would become my worst customers. At first, their support seemed sweet—until the “family discount” turned into outright theft.
It started small:
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“Can we just grab a few cupcakes for the kids’ school party?” (50 cupcakes, never paid)
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“We’ll mention you on Facebook!” (While clearing out my entire case of macarons)
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“You’re married to our son—this is basically ours!” (Said while taking a $200 wedding cake without asking)
For months, I bit my tongue. Then came the final straw: my sister-in-law hosted a 50-person baby shower using:
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3 tiered cakes
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100 custom cookies
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6 dozen cupcakes
All “on the house” because “family supports family.”
The Revenge Plan
I waited until my father-in-law’s 60th birthday banquet—the event they’d been bragging about for months.
When they arrived, the venue was decked out with my most extravagant desserts:
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A 5-tiered fondant masterpiece
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Chocolate fountain with fresh berries
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Custom sugar sculptures of his golf clubs
The look on their faces when I handed them the $3,200 invoice was priceless.
“This… this is a joke, right?” my mother-in-law stammered.
“Business is business,” I smiled. “You taught me that.”
The Aftermath
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They refused to pay, so I sent it to collections
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My husband tried to play peacemaker—until I showed him security footage of them stealing inventory
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Now they pay full price—in advance
And that baby shower sister-in-law? She had to explain why her “gifted” cake showed up on Judge Judy’s worst cheaters episode.