The Touching Real-Life Love Story: The Lucky Emerald
Everyone says that emeralds shine with the light of luck, but only Jennifer knows that this light comes from care and love…
On Thanksgiving night, just as Vinny’s restaurant was about to close, a woman walked in. She was beautiful and elegant, but her face showed signs of confusion. She ordered several expensive dishes and opened a bottle of aged white wine, then sat there for a long time, with tears occasionally welling up in her eyes.
This woman was named Jennifer. She came from a poor background but was kind and pure. At 18, she married the heir of a large conglomerate. However, on this Thanksgiving night, she had just discovered that her husband was a selfish philanderer. Not only did he have numerous mistresses, but he also used the prenuptial agreement Jennifer had signed to threaten her. If they divorced, she would leave penniless, with nothing.
Jennifer had lost both love and financial security overnight. She kept drinking the wine, feeling both bitter and sour. Living like this seemed worse than death…
As Jennifer was lost in her thoughts, the restaurant was closing. She was about to pay the bill when she was horrified to find that she hadn’t brought any money with her! Jennifer felt utterly embarrassed.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a suit came over with a friendly smile and said politely, “Good evening, miss. I’m Vinny, the owner of this restaurant. I’m honored to inform you that you’ve become our lucky customer, and your meal is on the house.” Jennifer could hardly believe her ears. She blurted out, “Lucky customer? Why?”
The owner pointed to the emerald ring on Jennifer’s right ring finger and smiled, “Emeralds represent luck. Any guest who wears an emerald is our lucky customer and gets a free meal.” Jennifer never imagined that when she was at her lowest point, luck would really come her way.
Relieved, Jennifer walked out of the restaurant, but as she passed the door, she noticed a hiring sign. The restaurant was looking for waitstaff. A few seconds later, Jennifer returned to Vinny’s restaurant—perhaps this was the sign from the emerald she was wearing, that it was time to start a new life here.
Vinny not only hired Jennifer but also paid her three months’ salary in advance. With that, Jennifer temporarily found stability. She was smart and diligent, always warm and welcoming to customers. Whenever she saw someone wearing an emerald, she would congratulate them on becoming the restaurant’s lucky customer and offer them a free meal. Vinny was very satisfied with Jennifer’s work and often watched her from afar with an admiring look.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and during that time, more and more customers came to dine at Vinny’s restaurant. But despite the increase in diners, the restaurant wasn’t making a profit because more and more guests came wearing emeralds, expecting a free meal. A local journalist even reported on the restaurant’s lucky customer policy, and overnight, it seemed like every emerald in the city made its way to Vinny’s restaurant, with its owner hoping for a free meal.
As the restaurant faced losses, the staff became anxious. Everyone, except Jennifer, urged Vinny to cancel the emerald discount policy. But Vinny firmly shook his head, saying, “No, this is about our credibility and the restaurant’s reputation.”
Seeing Vinny in a tough spot, Jennifer felt heartbroken and bravely stepped forward, saying, “I have an idea!” However, her colleagues responded with resentment, glaring at her as if it was all her fault.
The only person who believed in Jennifer was Vinny. The next morning, the two of them posted a notice outside the restaurant. It said that guests wearing emeralds could still enjoy a free meal, but there was one change: the same emerald could only earn a free meal once!
This notice piqued the curiosity of everyone in town, including the restaurant’s staff. How could Jennifer possibly recognize whether an emerald was making its first or second appearance at the restaurant? Did she really have the ability to remember every emerald as clearly as people’s faces and keep track of them?
Whenever a customer wearing an emerald entered, Jennifer would smile and greet them by saying, “Welcome! How’s your emerald doing lately?” To someone wearing an emerald for the first time, this greeting sounded friendly and respectful, as though the gemstone itself was an honored guest, reflecting the restaurant’s special touch. But for those returning with the same emerald, the greeting came across more like, “It’s been a while since we’ve seen it—how’s your emerald doing these days?” It gave the impression that Jennifer genuinely remembered when it had last appeared. Embarrassed, returning customers hesitated to ask for a free meal again.
With this new rule and Jennifer’s clever greeting, the crisis at the restaurant was resolved. Jennifer not only earned everyone’s trust but also won Vinny’s love—he had long fallen in love with this intelligent and kind-hearted woman.
Thanks to the emerald discount, Vinny’s restaurant became even more popular. People loved dining there because they believed emeralds represented luck, and who wouldn’t want to be lucky? A year later, Vinny’s restaurant was renamed Emerald Restaurant, and its new owner was Jennifer. At the banquet celebrating the restaurant’s renaming, a reporter asked Vinny when exactly the restaurant had started offering this enticing discount. Vinny thought for a moment and replied, “It was last year, on Thanksgiving, if I remember correctly.”
Thanksgiving? Jennifer was stunned—that was the very day she had first entered the restaurant. At that moment, Vinny added, “There’s a legend that emeralds bring good fortune, and I believe it’s true. On Thanksgiving Day, I first saw my beautiful wife, and she was wearing an emerald ring.”
Everyone applauded for Vinny, but Jennifer’s eyes filled with tears. There had never been any lucky customer policy at Vinny’s restaurant. The kind-hearted Vinny had simply made up a story on the spot to spare Jennifer from embarrassment. Little did he know that his kind lie would later become true and mark the beginning of a deep, genuine love.
Everyone says emeralds shine with the light of luck, but only Jennifer knows that the true light comes from care and love…
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
