Which brings us back to that dining room table, with Irene uninviting me from a family cruise on my own ship.

“Are you uninviting my wife from a family vacation?”

Jacob’s voice cut through the silence, his knuckles white against the tablecloth.

“Don’t be dramatic, darling.” Irene waved dismissively. “She wasn’t really invited in the first place.”

She turned to me with a smile that never reached her eyes.

“I mean, you work for a cruise line. You can probably get your own discount voyage somewhere more suitable.”

I could see Jacob preparing for an explosion, but I placed my hand on his arm.

This moment belonged to me.

“You’re right, Irene,” I said quietly, pulling out my phone. “I do have some connections in the cruise industry.”

I dialed a familiar number and put it on speaker.

“Royal Crown Cruises’ executive office. How may I help you?”

My father’s voice came through clearly.

“Hi, Dad,” I said sweetly, watching Irene’s face. “Remember that Mediterranean cruise booking for the Gardener family next month? The one in the owner suite? I’m afraid we need to cancel it.”

The silence in the room deepened.

Irene’s expression transformed from smug to confused to horrified in the span of seconds.

“Dad,” she whispered, the color draining from her face.

“Of course, sweetheart,” my father replied. “May I ask why? The owner suite is your personal cabin. Did you and Jacob decide to use it that week instead?”

Irene made a sound like air escaping a punctured tire.

“No, actually,” I continued, maintaining eye contact with my mother-in-law. “It seems there was a misunderstanding about family invitations. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable on their cruise.”

“Understood,” Dad said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “I’ll have their deposit refunded immediately. Will you be joining us for the board meeting tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I replied. “Thanks, Dad. Love you.”

I ended the call and placed my phone back in my bag, then took a deliberate sip of water while everyone processed what had just happened.

“You, your father? What?” Irene stammered, her fingers clutching the edge of the table.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said. “I thought you knew, since you seem to know so much about Royal Crown Cruises. My father is William Kennedy, the owner. I’m not just an employee. I’m the director of Global Guest Experience and heir to the company.”

I gestured to the brochure she’d been flaunting all evening.

“That owner suite you booked. It’s actually my personal cabin reserved for my family’s use. I was going to surprise you all by upgrading your booking to our best family package, but since I’m not family enough to be included…”

Jacob was trying desperately not to laugh.

Natalie had her hand over her mouth.

Robert looked like he wanted to sink through the floor.

Irene opened and closed her mouth several times before managing to speak.

“But… but you work in customer relations.”

“I do,” I nodded. “Along with operations management, environmental initiatives, and strategic planning. Dad believes in understanding every aspect of the business.”

I paused meaningfully.

“Something about maintaining appropriate standards.”

The irony of her earlier comments about standards was not lost on anyone at the table.

Irene pushed back her chair suddenly.