My packages kept disappearing, and my sweet neighbor Linda always seemed to “find” them. I tried to be patient, but when my limited edition Christmas ornament went missing, I had had enough. So I left her a special Christmas gift she would never forget.
There’s something infuriating about seeing your name on a package and realizing someone else opened it. But when it happens over and over again? You start to get suspicious.
I moved to this neighborhood looking for peace, not parcel wars. But thanks to Linda, that’s exactly what I got.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
When I moved to this neighborhood three months ago, I thought it was the fresh start I needed. My eight-year-old son, Mike, and I had been through a lot.
Separating from my husband had been hard, but that’s a story for another time.
We found a cozy little house on a quiet street, not far from a park. It was quiet, safe and perfect for us.
An aerial view of houses | Source: Pexels
Every morning, Mike and I would walk to the park, enjoying the fresh air and the welcoming atmosphere. I remember thinking, “This is it. This is where we’ll finally be happy.”
And we were. For a while.
The house was great, the neighbors seemed nice, and life was starting to feel normal again. Until I actually met Linda.
Linda lives next door, and at first she seemed lovely. The day we moved in, she was at my door with a tray of cookies and that big neighborly smile you see in Christmas commercials.
A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
“Welcome to the neighborhood,” she said. “I’m Linda, the girl next door. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me.”
“Thank you so much,” I said, genuinely touched by his warmth. “It’s been a crazy week, but we’re finally settling in.”
Linda smiled. “Moving is always stressful, but you’ll love it here. And if you ever need a helping hand, I’m just a tap away.”
She was chatty and sweet, and I was grateful to have someone to talk to in those early days. She even offered to watch the house when I was away.
A woman talking to her neighbor | Source: Midjourney
“You know, packages can get lost if they’re left out too long,” he said nonchalantly. “If I see anything on the porch, I’d be happy to pick it up for you.”
At the time it seemed like a thoughtful gesture.
At first, everything seemed normal. But then things got weird.
It started with a package going missing. An educational toy I had ordered for Mike. I remember coming home from work and not seeing it on the porch, even though the delivery confirmation said it had been delivered.
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
Maybe he was late, I thought.
But when he didn’t show up the next day, I decided to ask Linda if she had seen anything.
“Hi, Linda,” I said, knocking on her door.
He replied with the same wide smile. “Meredith! How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I said, a little embarrassed. “I was wondering… Did you happen to see a package on my porch yesterday? It was a toy for Mike, and it’s gone.”
Linda’s expression did not falter.
A woman looking ahead | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, that’s it? I think the delivery guy must have gotten confused and left it at my door by mistake.” He went inside and came back with my package.
It was OPEN.
“I just opened it and I was wondering who it was for,” he said with a light laugh, handing it to me.
I stared at it, confused. The package had my name and address clearly printed on it. There was no way she couldn’t tell it wasn’t hers.
A person delivering packages | Source: Pexels
“Thanks,” I said, forcing a smile. “Next time, you can leave it on my porch.”
“Of course!” she said. “I’m always willing to help.”
I walked away, trying to shake off that strange feeling. But deep down, something didn’t fit.
And then it happened again.
And again.
Each time, Linda would return the opened packages to me, with the same innocent giggle and the same excuse: “Honey, I thought this was mine!”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
At first, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. But after the third time… I realized. Linda wasn’t confused. She was stealing them.
At first, the packages I picked up were small. It was annoying, but not something that completely drove me crazy.
But then larger, more expensive items started to disappear.
The first big one was a pair of boots I had ordered. I was really looking forward to them. Winter was coming and I had been saving up for weeks to buy something nice.
A woman counting money | Source: Pexels
When the tracking app indicated they had been delivered, I rushed out of work to find… nothing.
I knew where to go.
I took a deep breath and knocked on Linda’s door. I wasn’t going to be so polite this time.
“Hi, Meredith!” she greeted me with her usual bubbly smile. “What can I do for you?”
“Hi, Linda. I was wondering… did you see another package on my porch today? A box of boots?”
Linda tilted her head as if she was deep in thought. “Hmm… Let me check!”
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
She disappeared inside and I could hear her rummaging around. A few minutes later, she reappeared with my box in her hand.
Of course, it was already open.
“I didn’t realize it wasn’t for me!” she said with a chuckle. “I thought it was the jacket I had ordered.”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.
“Sure,” I nodded. “Well, thanks for bringing it to me.”
“Oh, no problem, honey! These delivery guys should be more careful. They always mix things up.”
A woman smiling at her neighbor | Source: Midjourney
I left fuming. By now, it was obvious he was lying. He knew what he was doing. And he didn’t care.
But the straw that broke the camel’s back came a few days before Christmas.
I had ordered a limited edition ornament for my mom. She collects Christmas ornaments, and this one was special. It was hand painted and hard to find. When the tracking indicated it had been delivered, I rushed home, excited to wrap it up and surprise her.
But the porch was empty.
An empty porch | Source: Pexels
Furious, I checked the tracking information again. Delivered to the porch at 12:34 p.m. I was home by 1 p.m.
There was no way it could have disappeared so quickly.
I stormed over to Linda’s house, not bothering to hide my frustration.
She opened the door, smiling as if nothing was wrong. “Hi! Can I help you?”
“Have you seen a package for me today?” I asked, trying hard to remain calm.
Linda feigned confusion for a moment. “Oh! Let me check.”
A worried woman | Source: Midjourney
She came back with the box in her hand, already opened. The ornament inside was unwrapped, as if she had been admiring it.
“I didn’t realize it wasn’t for me!” she giggled.
That was all. His smug little smile told me he wasn’t sorry at all.
I decided right then and there.
If Linda loved stealing packages from me, I would give her one she would never forget.
Linda had crossed the line one too many times. It was time to teach her a lesson.
A woman in front of her house | Source: Midjourney
So I came up with the perfect plan. A glitter bomb.
One night, after putting Mike to bed, I sat down at my laptop and ordered a spring-loaded glitter bomb kit. Ironically, it was one of the few packages Linda hadn’t intercepted.
When it arrived, I couldn’t stop smiling as I put it together.
The kit came with a spring mechanism that shot glitter everywhere as soon as the box was opened.
A close-up of glitter | Source: Pexels
And to add a personal touch, I included a note inside that said, “If you’re reading this, you’re a thief. Next time, I’ll call the police. Happy Holidays!”
To make the package look even more tempting, I wrapped it in festive paper and clearly wrote my name and address on the front. Then I placed it on the porch, where everyone could see it.
Now he just had to wait.
And it didn’t take long.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
A few hours later, I saw Linda strolling casually down the street, pretending to admire the Christmas lights. She slowed down as she passed my house, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and picked up the package.
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Gotcha.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of screaming.
I looked out the window and almost burst out laughing.
A woman looking out the window | Source: Pexels
Linda was standing on the porch, covered from head to toe in glitter. Her hair sparkled like a disco ball and her clothes were torn to shreds. She looked like she had been dipped in glue and rolled up in a craft store.
She shook the box furiously to get the glitter off, but it was no use. Glitter sticks to everything.
Moments later, she stormed toward my house, clutching the box like it was a grenade.
“HOW DARE YOU!” he shouted, pounding on my door.
I opened it with my sweetest smile. “Oh, Linda! Did you pick up my package by mistake again?”
A woman smiling while looking ahead | Source: Midjourney
“Do you think this is funny?” he snapped, shaking the glitter-covered box at me.
I crossed my arms. “Funny? No. Satisfying? Absolutely.”
He stammered, trying to find an excuse. But I didn’t give him the chance.
“You know, Linda, if you don’t want surprises like this, maybe you should stop stealing my packages,” I said, keeping my tone calm and pleasant. “Just consider it a courtesy notice for the holidays. Next time I’ll call the police.”
A woman confronts her neighbor | Source: Midjourney
She wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Finally, she turned around and stormed back to her house.
The news spread quickly through the neighborhood.
It turned out I wasn’t Linda’s only target. Other neighbors told similar stories of “lost packages” that magically reappeared when they confronted her.
Some had been too polite or nervous to report her, but after my feat, they felt emboldened.
Three women standing in the neighborhood | Source: Midjourney
After that, Linda tried to keep a low profile. For the rest of the holiday, she barely left the house. And every time she did, I could see little flecks of glitter in her hair, no matter how hard I tried to brush them away.
And me? Since then I haven’t lost a single package.
Sometimes all it takes is a little sparkle to fix things. Happy Holidays!
A woman standing inside | Source: Midjourney
When sleep-deprived mom Genevieve discovers her car covered in eggs, she thinks it’s a prank—until her smug neighbor Brad admits he did it because her car blocked the view of his elaborate Halloween display. Furious, but too tired to argue, the woman vows to teach him a lesson.
This work is inspired by real people and events, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or the depiction of characters, and are not responsible for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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