Exploitation takes many forms.

So does entitlement.

The thing is that when someone is taking advantage of you, they may try to make it look like it’s no big deal and gaslight you if you disagree.

Does this story qualify as a power trip?

Keep reading and see if you agree.

AITA For Stopping My Manager From Stealing My Charger?

My manager Mike is in the office down the hall from me.

He always seemed like a pretty nice guy and he’d stop by my office just to chat at least once a day.

We had a good relationship.

But this changed a couple months ago when he stopped in my office to ask if I had a phone charger because he’d left it at home by accident.

I said “Sure, I always keep one plugged in by my desk,” and I handed it to him.

But it wasn’t as simple as that.

He thanked me, used it, and gave it back the next morning because he’d forgotten to return it.

No worries.

Since then, he’d ask to borrow my charger a couple times a week.

I’d say sure and hand it to him.

Lending it didn’t bother me, but he would always forget to give it back.

So I’d always have to walk down the hall to his office and ask for it back if I needed it.

Not a big deal, but a little annoying.

Then, about a month ago, I went on vacation for a couple days.

When I came back into the office that morning, you guessed it, my charger was gone.

The thing is, I lock my office every time I leave.

And the only other person with a key is…you guessed it…my manager.

Mike.

And it might not just be about the charger.

Lo and behold, I walk into Mike’s office to check in, and my charger is there.

Plugged into the wall. Charging his phone.

He sees me looking at it and just says “Hope you don’t mind I borrowed it while you were gone,” and tosses it back to me.

Since then, it’s become a pretty common thing for him to just walk into my office -locked or no- and grab it without asking.

This was starting to get on my nerves so I went on Amazon and found this thing called a LockSocket, which locks your charger in place so it can’t be moved or taken.

I got it the next day and it only took me a minute to install it on the outlet in my office.

Since then, my charger is always right where I need it, but some of my coworkers think I overreacted and should just buy another charger.

So, AITA?

Here is what folks are saying.

This is so sketchy. I doubt he would do this to a male staff member.

This is what I would do. Just remove the opportunity.

Haha! I doubt he would replace it, though.

Because Mike is manipulative and cheap. That’s why.

It’s definitely a game. He’s trying to make sure she’ll be submissive.

What a creep.

Seriously overstepping bounds.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.