My best friend and I were celebrating her promotion at one of the city’s most popular restaurants. Everything looked perfect until she froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. Tiny white balls covered with black specks were scattered across the lettuce. At first, we laughed and guessed they were some fancy garnish, but then one of them twitched. Another seemed to wobble. Our laughter disappeared instantly. We called the waiter over, and his face turned pale the moment he saw the salad. Without saying much, he whisked the plate away and asked us to remain seated.

A few minutes later, the restaurant manager approached our table looking visibly nervous. Instead of apologizing immediately, he quietly asked us to follow him into his office. There, he closed the door, lowered his voice, and pulled out a folder marked with today’s date. “Before you leave,” he said, “there’s something you both need to know…”