For years, I stored my lunch in the company refrigerator in the break room, just as everyone else. But a few months back, things changed. At first, I noticed my apple was missing. Then a slice of pie. Then, entire containers of food. At first, I thought maybe I’d forgotten to pack them, but Marie would shake her head and say, “No, I made that for you this morning.” That’s when I realized someone was stealing from me.

I didn’t want to believe it. 35 years, and I’d never had a problem like that. We were a team, weren’t we? But the thefts continued. I’d open the fridge at lunch and find nothing but a space where my food had been.

I brought it up casually to a few co-workers, trying not to make a fuss. Most shrugged. A few said, “Happens to me too, sometimes.” The truth is, nobody wanted to deal with it. So I tried talking to the shift manager. He offered me a polite nod, said he’d “look into it,” and that was the end of that. Nothing changed.