My roommate, Ashley, returned from a luxurious vacation and demanded a refund for half her rent, claiming she hadn’t used her room for two weeks. I was taken aback but didn’t give in.
I’m Felicity, 24, living in an overpriced city with Ashley. We shared rent to survive, not just for the company. Ashley loves keeping up with the wealthy lifestyle, often overspending to fit in, which didn’t directly affect me until her vacation.
While away, Ashley posted about her extravagant trip. When she returned, she suggested I refund her rent for the two weeks she was gone. I laughed at first, but she was serious. I explained that rent doesn’t work like a hotel, but she insisted anyway. It seemed like she was struggling financially from her lavish trip, and I wasn’t about to cover for her poor choices.
Over the next few days, Ashley bombarded me with Post-it notes demanding her refund and made passive-aggressive comments. When that didn’t work, she started slamming doors. Then, I had an idea for petty revenge.
I called my best friend Lila, who agreed to visit for a few days. We moved Ashley’s stuff into the living room and set up Lila’s “new” room with a note and a suitcase. When Ashley returned, she was furious to find Lila in her room. I explained that, based on her logic, I was renting out the room when she wasn’t using it. She was livid but couldn’t argue. I handed her $100 in “payment,” which was really my own money, and she stormed out.
After that, Ashley stopped bringing up the refund. The next month’s rent came on time, and while she was still financially strained, things returned to a quiet, tense normal. Eventually, I moved to a new job in Lila’s town. But I’ll always remember out-pettying Ashley.