It started as one of those family habits everyone whispers about but never confronts. My husband’s wealthy parents had a long-standing reputation for “forgetting” their wallets at restaurants — a trick that left others footing the bill for their extravagant meals. I’d seen it happen too many times to count. So when they invited my mom to an upscale Italian restaurant for a birthday dinner — while my husband and I were away — I felt uneasy.
