A man revealed that one of his most prized possessions had disappeared from his house, so he checked the hidden cameras and could not believe his eyes. He tried to stay calm but eventually took action.
The man shared that his 9-year-old nephew had a habit of stealing things. He used to pick items from shops, and then his parents had to apologize to the shop owners. Fearing that his nephew might steal his engagement ring, he hid it at a place he thought the boy couldn't reach. However, his plan failed, and his ring disappeared.
A man going through his closet | Source: Shutterstock
A Redditor posted his story in the "AITA" sub, explaining what happened after watching the hidden camera footage. He had installed a cheap spy camera in his room to keep an eye on his nephew.
Even after noticing their son stole things from shops, the man's brother and his brother's wife refused to do anything about it. They always thought their son forgot to return the items.
One day, the school principal called the man's brother and informed him about his child's stealing habits. The man felt embarrassed but still didn't teach his son not to steal.
A young boy. | Source: Unsplash
OP (Original Poster) felt his brother should talk to his son and teach him that stealing isn't right. However, he never interfered in his nephew's life until his engagement ring mysteriously disappeared.
OP revealed his brother had recently moved in with his family because he had lost his job and couldn't afford to pay rent anymore. While searching for jobs, he earned money as a cab driver.
A person in traffic | Source: Unsplash
OP didn't have a problem with his brother's family living with him because he knew they would move out soon. However, things turned different when he saw the empty ring box in his room. He had recently bought a beautiful engagement ring for his girlfriend.
He had saved $4,000 to buy it to make his partner feel special. Since he knew his nephew was habitually stealing things, he hid the ring in a box under his drawer. His nephew had once taken his wristwatch from his room, so he wanted to be extra cautious.
A hidden camera | Source: Unsplash
He bought a cheap spy camera and installed it in his room facing the drawer. He wanted to protect his precious ring at any cost. One day, he saw the ring box empty and headed to his laptop to check the camera footage.
He wasn't surprised to see his nephew digging through his drawers. However, he was furious because this was his last wish. He barged into his brother's room and asked his nephew to return the ring.
He told his brother about the camera footage and demanded his ring back. His brother and sister-in-law yelled at the child and asked him to return the ring. The boy said he left it in the guest room, but it wasn't there when they checked it.
A ring. | Source: Unsplash
"I know for a fact he's lying about not having it because that's the same thing he said about one of my watches he took then ended up finding it," the man stated. The next day, his brother told him they couldn't find the ring.
He apologized, but OP insisted the ring be returned, or his brother would have to pay him back $4,000 so he could buy another one. He also warned his brother that he would kick his family out of the house if he didn't pay him back in a week.
A man on his laptop | Source: Unsplash
Since the man had no job, he couldn't repay him and had to move into a motel after a week. He kept begging OP to let him return, but he refused. After his brother called him heartless, OP posted his story on Reddit and asked other users if he was at fault. Redditors assured OP he was not at fault for kicking them out.
"I can imagine that gut-clenching feeling when an item you saved an entire year for goes missing and the person responsible won't say where it is," the user stated, while another wrote, "NTA - they sold the ring."
Soon after, the man wrote another Reddit post to update his readers. "Yes, I found the ring!!" he happily revealed. He shared that after reading comments asking him to look for the ring in places his nephew would use to hide the ring, he checked the sink in the guest room bathroom.
He saw his precious ring sitting in the sink. However, he still had to remove the trap to reach the ring. It took him some time, but he finally got the ring. He proposed to his girlfriend that night before something else happened to the ring. She loved the ring and said yes.
A bathroom sink. | Source: Unsplash
Meanwhile, he also informed his brother that he had found the ring. His brother thought that meant he could move back with him, but OP refused. He also talked to his nephew and asked him why he didn't tell everyone about the ring's whereabouts.
The boy said he feared they would get angry at him for hiding the ring in the sink. OP was disappointed but decided not to think much about it and let his brother handle the situation.
"The fact that the kid refused to tell you where it was and his parents refused to make him means you are absolutely in the right and would be crazy to let them back in," stated a Redditor. Most commenters agreed that the OP's brother needed to do something about his son's habit of stealing before it was too late.
A man proposing. | Source: Unsplash
If you enjoyed reading this story, you might like this one about a girl who installed a hidden camera in her room and caught someone stealing her money.