I got married young, and even though my husband had money, I often felt isolated while my peers were in college. I tried making friends my age — big mistake. Amber, a friendly high school senior, began visiting often and once brought a friend over for dinner. That night, the friend excused herself to use the bathroom. A week later, I noticed my pearl-and-diamond wedding earrings were missing. Around the same time, our joint account showed $1,000 in mall purchases, and the debit card was gone from our bedroom.

Amber’s friend had taken everything. I called the stores, but most had no cameras. One did, and they offered footage if I filed a police report. The bank warned me to act fast to avoid losing the money — it was a felony-level issue. So, I came up with a plan.

I told Amber there was “bad news” and casually mentioned felony charges. Her face went pale. She gasped, “Good luck proving it. They don’t even have cameras.” I smiled. “Actually, one does. And they’re ready to hand it over to the police.”

Amber cracked. She returned everything the next day and begged me not to press charges. I got my earrings back, the money was refunded, and I learned the hard way that not everyone who smiles at your dinner table is really your friend.