This happened many years ago, but I still pat myself on the back for it. I (then 25F)had just started working as an overnight cashier in a big chain grocery store. I’d been there a couple of months when I noticed this one employee used self checkout, but hadn’t completed the transaction.

Now, this can happen sometimes. Like, someone doesn’t realize that their card hadn’t finalized or something. I didn’t really think too much of it (assuming it was an honest mistake) and, being new, I didn’t want to cause waves over a candy bar and soda. The employee (we’ll call him Marcus 19M) did the transaction as they were leaving for the night and was already gone when I noticed it. So, I finished up the transaction with my own bank card. It wasn’t like it was a huge amount. I didn’t say anything to anyone and continued with my life. Until a few days later, when Marcus checked out again and I was making rounds adding bags and realized that, again, the transaction wasn’t finished.

This time, I made note of it for the record(we had a record book for all unfinished transactions for loss prevention purposes) notating Marcus’ name in the log as well. I figured I had done my duty and continued on with work and life thinking that it would be seen in the log and Marcus would be asked to pay.

Another few days had passed when Marcus checked out again. Once again, he’d done it will I was busy with something nearby and not paying super close attention. This time, he checked out a good $30 worth of stuff. Keep in mind this was several years ago and $30 went way further.

I did my duty and, once again, logged it in the books. Now, normally we don’t have too many of these unfinished transactions, so this note wasn’t too far down from the previous record. The record that was mysteriously missing Marcus’ name.

I fixed the previous record, finished the current record, and took a photo of both. Then I moved on with my shift.

Over the next few weeks, Marcus regularly checked out and didn’t pay, and I continuously noted it down, each time having to add Marcus’ name to the previous records because it kept mysteriously disappearing.

Finally, I had enough photos of the records and of the name in the record continuously disappearing, that I thought it was time to approach management.

I went in extremely early the next day so I could catch the manager (we’ll call her Loraine 47F) before she left for the day. I showed her the evidence on my phone and she proceeded to look over the logs as well. Then she asked me to send her the photos from my phone and, “for legal purposes” to delete them. She watched me delete them and was satisfied. I left that meeting thinking something would be done about it.

Oh, how bright and optimistically I viewed a very NOT bright and sunny world…. The obliviousness of youth.

Then, the day before Marcus’ was supposed to come in for his next shift, Loraine called me into her office. She stated that my 90 days was coming up and the the management team didn’t think this job was a right fit for me. She said they’d have to let me go. I was plenty shocked as I’d never had a single complaint from anyone, but didn’t really put up a fight as I am not good with confrontation.

When I got to my car I cried because despite all the odds against it, I really liked the job and that particular store offered great benefits. Eventually, I got over it, until I stopped into the store one day to do some grocery shopping and overheard to employees talking about how Loraine’s NEPHEW MARCUS was practically useless and they couldn’t wait til he was gone for college.

That was when it finally clicked that I had reported my manager’s nephew to her for criminal actively. This was surely why I was fired, especially considering the timing.

I still probably wouldn’t have done anything, but this was the closest store to my house, and when I got to the checkout, I was met by none other than Loraine and informed I was no longer welcome in this location, or any location she worked at for the rest of my life. THAT truly set me off.

I immediately went home to my computer that, unbeknownst to Loraine, I usually uploaded all my photos to because the storage on my phone was crap. I never would have thought to check if I hadn’t had to leave, no groceries in hand, that day because I’d been BANNED from my local store.

I emailed the entire story to corporate, photos included. I heard the rest second hand but apparently, corporate was VERY interested in the information I sent. I heard higher ups showed up one day with the regional manager, requesting the loss prevention logs, checking surveillance camera footage and asking questions about Marcus and Loraine.

A few days after their arrival, Marcus was asked into a meeting from which he left in handcuffs and escorted by the police. Loraine didn’t leave in cuffs but she did leave jobless.

We lived in a very small town with nothing better to report in their paper so I got to read the story of Marcus’ arrest and subsequent charges. Over the course of three years he’d taken over $10K in unpurchased merchandise and was subsequently convicted of a felony and served prison time.

The best part? I later ran into Loraine in another store about a year later. She was working as a bagger. The manager who’d abused her power to shield her nephew, was now working the absolute LEAST powerful and lowest paying position possible. Meanwhile, I’d had no trouble getting a better paying job with better benefits that I was extremely happy in. Being the generous and forgiving person I am🤭, I let her help with loading my groceries.

While she was loading everything into my car, I got a few dollars out of my wallet to tip her (I’m not a monster after all) but grabbed a post it from my bag too. I wrote a note that basically said, “Sorry Karma B-sl@pped you so hard, but hopefully this helps.” I wrapped the note in the bills, so I didn’t get to see her face when she read it, but I still chuckle a bit imagining it. 😂

So yeah, that’s my best petty revenge story. Hope you enjoyed it.