I have severe allergies, so I always bring my own food and drinks to work. Like I have a massive dairy allergy, so I always bring oat milk to the office, to be able to make my coffee. Lately, someone’s been dipping into my clearly labeled supplies. Whether it’s food, or my milk, things kept disappearing, and I had to go without my daily coffee. I asked around, but no one confessed.

I even sent an official mail to everyone on my floor, offering to share my stuff if they’d only let me know, but everyone denied or ignored it. The theft continued. So, I got petty, and filled a milk carton with very special stuff: toothpaste and baking soda. The next day, I caught the thief because they filched my stuff, again. I heard gagging in the break room. To my horror, it was one of my co-workers, who was going through a financial crisis.

She paled when she saw me, and I mumbled something about a bad batch of milk and fled. Since then, we have been avoiding each other, and while the theft has stopped, I feel like I went too far. Was I wrong? Should I reach out to her and do something? I’m just feeling miserable for her, and the situation I inadvertently created.

I am a bit confused how to move further, so any advice would be appreciated!