She Uninvited Me From Her Baby Shower—But Still Asked Me To Cook For 50 People

Two weeks ago, I got invited to a baby shower.
Wanting to do something special, I offered to handle the food for about fifty people. I spent the entire day cooking, only for the mom-to-be to message me the night before and say I was no longer invited—but she still wanted the food.

Her exact message?
“Hey love! Thanks so much for cooking! Just a little update—we’ve had to cut the guest list because of space, but we’d still love if you could bring the food over. Hope that’s okay!”

No apology. No real thank you. Just a smiley face.

And the kicker? This wasn’t some random acquaintance. This was Reva—a girl I’d known since high school. We’d drifted over the years, but when she moved back to town pregnant, I reached out. I thought maybe this was a chance to reconnect.

So when I got the invite, I was touched. Excited, even. I told her I’d cook, and she was thrilled. I planned the menu carefully: trays of biryani, pasta bakes, garlic butter chicken, samosas, salad, lemon tarts. I even took time off work. The groceries cost nearly $200, and I didn’t ask her for a dime.

Then came that message.
Uninvited, but still expected to deliver.

I vented to my cousin, who immediately said, “No way. Don’t let her use you like that. Keep the food, give it to a shelter, but don’t play along.”

But guilt got the better of me. I kept cooking. The next day, I dropped everything off. Reva didn’t even come outside—she sent her cousin, who smiled, grabbed the food, and that was it.

That night, I broke down. Not because of the shower itself, but because I felt stupid. Like I was someone people could walk over without consequence.

I shared a vague post on my private Instagram:
“Cooked for 50. Got uninvited. Still dropped it off. Never again.”

No names, no drama. But people figured it out. Messages started rolling in. Turns out I wasn’t the only one—she’d done the same thing to others. Used them for help, then cut them out.

The final straw? Seeing photos from the shower. The venue was huge. Dozens of guests. My lemon tarts right there on the dessert table. She had lied, plain and simple.

Her mom even messaged me later to apologize on her behalf, telling me what I did was more generous than Reva deserved. That one message made me feel seen.

A few days later, Reva texted me a long paragraph—deflecting, blaming me, calling me “dramatic,” but still refusing to apologize. I replied with one line:
“I thought you were better than this too.”

And I left it at that.

Funny thing is, what felt like humiliation at first turned into something else. My post caught the attention of old friends, some of whom encouraged me to start catering. I laughed it off at first, but eventually made an Instagram page to showcase my food.

Within weeks, I landed my first paying event. Then another. And another. Last month, I catered a fundraiser for 200 people. Paid upfront. Professional setup. My own trays with my logo on them.

Guess who follows my catering page now?
Reva’s mom. She even commented: “Proud of you. Let me know if you ever need referrals.”

And that, more than anything, made me realize—I didn’t lose at all.

Because sometimes being “used” is what pushes you to finally set boundaries. Sometimes rejection is just redirection. And sometimes the best revenge is simply thriving.

So yes, I was uninvited. But I walked away with something better—self-respect, a new business, and a lesson I’ll never forget:
Kindness is a gift, not an obligation. And you never have to give it to someone who doesn’t value it.

If this hit home, share it with someone who needs the reminder.

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