I’m Emma, a junior doctor who works long, grueling shifts. My apartment, shared with Jenna, was my refuge until her boyfriend Ryan started spending almost every day here. Suddenly, my groceries vanished daily—milk, eggs, veggies—leaving me with nothing to come home to.

“Jenna,” I said one night, “Ryan ate all my groceries again.”

She shrugged, “He Venmo’s you the money, doesn’t he?”

“That’s not the point,” I replied. “I come home exhausted, and there’s nothing left. I don’t have time to shop every day.”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “You’re being petty. It’s just food.”

But to me, it wasn’t just food; it was a crucial part of unwinding after a tough day. I decided to confront Ryan directly.

One evening, I found him raiding the fridge. “Ryan, you can’t keep eating my groceries,” I said.

He smiled. “I’ll Venmo you.”

“That’s not the issue,” I replied. “I need the food I buy.”

Man eating | Source: Shutterstock

He chuckled. “It’s just food. Chill out.”

“Just food?” I echoed. “It’s my food. I’m tired of an empty fridge.”

Ryan shrugged. “Fine, I’ll stop. But I don’t see the big deal.”

He didn’t stop. Frustrated, I took action. I bought groceries and labeled everything with absurd prices: $50 for milk, $20 for broccoli. It looked ridiculous, but I was determined to make a point.

That evening, Ryan came over and opened the fridge. His jaw dropped at the price tags. “What is this?” he asked, holding up a carton of milk labeled $50.

“Those are the new prices,” I said calmly. “Since you treat my fridge like a mini-bar, I thought it was only fair.”

Ryan laughed, thinking I was joking. When he realized I wasn’t, he sighed and Venmoed me the inflated amounts.

With the money, I bought a mini fridge for my room. It had a lock and kept my groceries safe. The first night with my mini fridge was a relief. I enjoyed a meal without worrying about Ryan emptying it.

Weeks passed, and my stress levels decreased. Jenna noticed my improved mood. “You seem happier lately,” she said.

“I am,” I replied. “Taking control of the fridge situation made a huge difference.”

Ryan wasn’t pleased. “You didn’t have to go that far,” he grumbled. “It was just food.”

“It wasn’t just food,” I said firmly. “It was about respect and boundaries.”

In the end, the mini fridge taught me the importance of setting and enforcing boundaries. Sometimes, a bit of cleverness is needed to solve frustrating problems. And every time I locked my fridge, I smiled, knowing I had taken control.