My roommate’s constant demands for gourmet groceries with promises of repayment that never came were pushing me to my breaking point. The final straw was when she asked for a whole list of premium items for a party. I knew I had to teach her a lesson, and boy, did I ever!I never thought I’d find myself plotting revenge against a roommate, but here we are. It all started about a year ago when Taryn and I moved into our cozy little apartment in the city.
At first, everything was great. We split chores, had movie nights, and even went out for drinks a few times. But then, slowly, the cracks began to show. Taryn was one of those people who seemed to have a knack for getting others to do things for her. She had this way of asking that made you feel guilty for even thinking of saying no. It started small. “Hey Kelly, could you grab some milk on your way home? I’ll pay you back,” she’d ask. No big deal, right? But then it escalated. See, part of the problem is that Taryn has expensive tastes. “Kelly, could you pick up some of that fancy truffle cheese for me? It’s for a study snack.
I’ll pay you back, I swear!” Spoiler alert: she never did. At first, I brushed it off. Taryn was busy, or at least she claimed to be. She was always whining about her demanding study schedule, how she was stuck at home buried in books. But I knew the truth. While I was out busting my butt at work, she was home throwing parties and lounging around with her friends.One evening, after a particularly grueling day at work, I came home to yet another request.
Taryn was perched on the couch, scrolling through her phone. She barely looked up as she said, “Hey Kelly, can you pick up some things for my party this weekend? You know, cheeses, nice fruits, imported chocolates, and some good wine. The list is on the fridge.” That was it! It wasn’t just the money; it was the principle of the thing. She was taking advantage of me, and I was done playing the fool. I stood there, clutching my keys, feeling a mix of exhaustion and frustration bubble up inside me. “Sure, Taryn. I’ll get right on that,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm that she, of course, didn’t catch. That’s when I decided to get creative. If Taryn wanted premium items, she was going to get them, just not in the way she expected. I headed to the store with Taryn’s list clutched in my hand. Premium wines, gourmet cheeses, exotic fruits, imported chocolates. I chuckled to myself as I imagined the look on her face when she realized what I was about to pull off. Instead of hitting up the upscale grocery store, I went straight to the bargain aisle.First up, wine. Instead of the fancy, imported bottles Taryn loved to show off, I grabbed the cheapest boxed wine I could find. It was the kind of wine that made you cringe just thinking about it. Next, I made my way to the cheese section and picked up a pack of processed cheese slices. You know, the kind you slap on a kid’s sandwich—definitely not what she had in mind. Then came the fruits. I bypassed all the exotic stuff and grabbed the most common, bland apples and bananas I could find. No one was going to be impressed by these. Finally, I strolled down the candy aisle and found some off-brand chocolates. Perfect. I headed home, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. When I walked in, Taryn was still sprawled on the couch. She glanced up briefly.
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