I furrowed my brows in response to his sarcastic remarks because he was implying that I was stupid or ignorant regarding their business. I informed him, “I don't think I'll be able to dine with you tonight,” as it would be impossible to dine with someone who despised my presence.

“I was joking,” he stated.

I shook my head and replied, “No, you were not joking. You attempted to offend me!”

“I'm sorry,” he expressed regret.

Hearing him apologize was novel to me. It wasn't his style to apologize without a valid reason, but I chose to disregard his apology without further investigation. “You had better feed me well tonight,”...