Woman’s Flatmate Keeps Stealing Her Food From the Fridge, So She Devises a Plan to Keep Her Food From Constantly Disappearing.

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In this gripping narrative, the Original Poster (OP) navigates the delicate intricacies of a shared living situation marked by mounting tension and a looming food crisis. The conflict escalates as OP cleverly devises a vegetable-laden strategy to safeguard her meals from her roommate and her vegetable-averse child, leading to a dramatic confrontation. As resentment and defiance fill their shared spaces, will they find common ground, or will their cohabitation crumble under the weight of stolen food and violated boundaries?

New Roommate

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OP, a 26-year-old woman, lives in a rented house with a single mother and her six-year-old son after a previous roommate moved out. Despite their colliding work schedules limiting their interaction, they cohabitate peacefully, each leading their individual lives. An underlying issue begins to surface when OP notices her food starting to go missing or portions taken from it.

The Initial Request

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Assuming the child was responsible for the missing food, OP calmly addressed the matter with the mother. The mother agrees to monitor her son’s eating habits, promising to put a stop to the food thieving. The problem, however, persists and begins to annoy OP when she returns home expecting a meal only to find it missing or picked through.

Heightened Tensions

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As OP continues to find her food missing and repeatedly brings up the matter, the mother starts growing annoyed. Despite the agreement to keep the child away from OP’s food, the issue continues to occur. The increasing tension around the subject of food begins to strain their otherwise peaceful cohabitation.

An Observant Twist

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Observing the mother and her son’s food habits, OP discovers an aversion to vegetables. She deduces this from noticing that any food containing green elements or anything that’s not a potato is left untouched. This revelation opens a new way for OP to keep her food untouched – integrating more vegetables into her meals.

The Vegetable Strategy

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Embracing her fondness for vegetables, OP begins to include them in all her meals, taking advantage of the mother and son’s dislike for them. Even dishes like mashed potatoes and cheesy bacon fries now include green beans and broccoli, respectively. OP begins to find her food remaining untouched in the fridge.

A Cheesy Confrontation

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OP’s new food strategy catches the attention of the mother, notably when OP prepares a pot of mac n’ cheese – the kid’s favorite – laced with roasted Brussels sprouts. The mother accuses OP of being greedy and annoying, yet OP defends her food choices, explaining that she simply enjoys Brussels sprouts. The situation grows tense as OP’s food strategy is now openly challenged.

The Food Argument

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Despite the mother’s protest, OP stands her ground, suggesting she should buy more cost-effective, non-prepackaged food. The mother sees this as a revenge act, but OP merely wants to be able to enjoy her own food without fearing it would disappear. The conflict around food escalates, affecting their previously stable living arrangement.

A Clarification

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OP isn’t against sharing but is upset about the uncertainty of having her food in place when she needs it. She expresses her frustration over coming home after long workdays or waking up to find her ready-to-eat meals gone. OP has no choice but to skip meals or prepare something else, burdening her daily routine.

The Communication Problem

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OP expresses her willingness to share food if the mother asks for permission. She describes the distress of being caught off-guard, coming home to an empty fridge when she expected a meal. The lack of communication becomes another source of contention between them.

The Last Serving Issue

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OP addresses another problem – eating the last of someone else’s food without permission. She sees this as incredibly rude and disrespectful. This point further intensifies the conflict around food in their shared living situation.

Intensified Food Tactics

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In response to the ongoing issue, OP intensifies her vegetable-infused food strategy. She adds vegetables to every dish she prepares, making them unappealing to the mother and her son. The battle over food in the household takes on a new level of intensity.

Growing Animosity

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The mother’s resentment grows as she sees OP’s actions as a deliberate move to keep food to herself. OP insists that she only wants to enjoy her own meals without them disappearing. The tension in the house grows, putting their cohabitation agreement under pressure.

A Breaking Point

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The situation reaches a boiling point when the mother confronts OP about her behavior, accusing her of being selfish. OP retorts, stating she is only trying to protect her food, and expresses how her expectations have been repeatedly violated.

A Final Ultimatum

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Fed up with the food thievery, OP issues an ultimatum to the mother – stop eating her food without permission or face further consequences. This ultimatum exacerbates the tension in the house but establishes a clear line of what OP will tolerate.

Was The Woman’s Behavior Appropriate?

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OP posts her story online for feedback. The readers in the forum had a lot of mixed views on the matter. Here are some of their responses:

Forum Responds

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One reader said, “It sounds like the mom is very eager to hand you the job of buying their groceries and feeding her kid. No way. Not your job.”

Another Commenter Thinks

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Another responder wrote, “She and her kid are NOT your responsibility. You could make a million dollars a year, and they still wouldn’t be your responsibility. It’s the mother’s job to provide for her child, not yours.”

A Third View on The Story

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A different person stated, “Back when things were tight for our family, we hit the food pantries. We cooked everything from scratch to stretch everything out. We made it work. I cannot imagine feeling entitled to someone else’s food like that.”

A Final Perspective on the Matter

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Another reader commented, “While the food stealing is certainly an issue, I’m more worried about that poor kid. From the sounds of this, he’s never eaten any vegetables, which is no good for a growing kid!”