'AITA for my roommate failing my thief test that I made because I suspected her of being a thief?'
"AITA for leaving a fake "engagement ring" out to test my roommate’s honesty?"
PrestigiousSummer788 writes:
I (25F) live with my roommate, Jenna (24F), who I met through a friend. We split rent and utilities 50/50 and mostly get along, but I’ve noticed some of my jewelry and makeup items have gone missing over the last few months.
I didn’t want to accuse her outright, so I came up with a plan. I bought a $15 fake engagement ring online that looks like a real diamond. I left it on the bathroom counter before I went to work and made a note of exactly where I placed it.
When I came home, it was gone. I asked Jenna if she had seen it, and she said no. I pressed a bit harder, and she got defensive. So I said, “That’s odd. It was my late grandmother’s, and it’s worth about $5,000.”
Suddenly, Jenna “found” it in the couch cushions. I told her the truth—that it was fake and I was testing her because things had been going missing. She flipped out. She said I was manipulative and paranoid, and that I had “entrapped” her. Now she wants to move out and is telling mutual friends that I’m toxic and can’t be trusted. AITA for baiting my roommate with a fake ring?
Here are some of the responses to OP.
Ok-Value1420 says:
NTA. She got caught red-handed and is now trying to flip the script to make you look bad... classic deflection. If she hadn't taken the ring, she'd have nothing to be upset about.
IamWhatIAmStill says:
NTA. Former Military Police here. Roommates, like anyone else, can only be trusted up to a point. If you had not done that, what else would she have eventually stolen that was actually worth something?
Or something not worth much monetarily, yet important to you. I'd kick that one out. She's an evil, twisted human. She is going to do whatever she can, as con artists and grifters do, to ensure people think she's a saint.
Beautiful-Peak399 says:
NTA, let's hope she moves out sooner rather than later.
anna_replika says:
Tell mutual friends stuff was going missing and you laid a test and hoped she wasn't taking stuff, but it seems she was. Ask them how is that toxic, and who is the thief. Stand up for yourself.