Cecelia, a successful 27-year-old accounts manager, was tired of two freeloaders in her friend group—Samantha and Arnold—who always ordered the priciest meals at group dinners, then conveniently forgot their wallets. After years of silently covering their tabs, Cecelia hit her limit.

When invited to another dinner with them, she first declined—then had a brilliant idea. She showed up, ordered only a $3 iced tea, and quietly watched Samantha and Arnold rack up lavish bills. When the check came, Arnold suggested splitting it six ways. That’s when Cecelia stood up and said, “Actually, only the three of you ordered meals. The rest of us paid for our drinks at the bar.” The table went silent. Samantha and Arnold were shocked, and Jason—who only ordered a burger—was stuck with a massive share of the bill. The next day, Cecelia received angry texts from the freeloaders and a sheepish one from Jason, admitting maybe it was time to rethink how they split bills. Cecelia didn’t feel bad. “Sometimes,” she said, “you have to teach people how to treat you.”