A server at the Mason Jar Café in Benton Harbor, Michigan, was left jobless just eight days after receiving a life-changing $10,000 (R192 000) tip from a generous customer.
The heartwarming gesture quickly turned sour as the tip led to a dispute among staff members about its distribution, ultimately resulting in the server's termination.
The story began when the café announced on Facebook on February 6 that a customer had left an astonishing $10,000 tip on a modest $32.43 (R624) bill for a late breakfast.
The customer, who had travelled from out of state to attend a friend's funeral, intended the generous tip to be shared among the café's servers as a tribute to his late friend's memory.
However, Business Insider reported that the splitting of the substantial tip sparked conflict among the café's workers.
According to Jennifer McManus, an attorney representing server Linsey Huff, kitchen staff also sought a share of the tip, leading to tensions in the workplace.
When Huff informed the café's management about the discontent among the kitchen staff regarding the tip distribution, she was allegedly asked to identify the disgruntled workers.
Refusing to do so, Huff was subsequently fired by the café, McManus stated.
Although Mason Jar Café's co-owner, Jayme Cousins, insisted that Huff's dismissal was unrelated to the tip incident and characterised it as a "purely business decision", the timing of the termination raised suspicions among patrons and online commentators.
Following Huff's dismissal, she reportedly posted about her ordeal on Facebook, detailing her sudden termination.
However, the post has since been deleted, allegedly after a member of the café's management threatened legal action against her if she did not remove it.
In response to the public backlash, the café deactivated its Facebook page and set its Instagram account to private.
Despite attempts to reach out for comment, both Linsey Huff and the Mason Jar Café remained inaccessible at the time of reporting.