When Pink Ink Strikes Back: The Sweet Petty Revenge on a Pen-Stealing Boss
Let’s face it: every office has a pen thief. But what happens when the serial pen-stealer is the boss himself—a narcissistic, macho cheapskate with a flair for hypocrisy? Enter one of the best petty revenge stories to grace Reddit’s r/PettyRevenge, where a clever employee used nothing but pink ink and a little creativity to give their boss a taste of poetic justice.
If you’ve ever had your favorite pen mysteriously vanish, only to spot it later in the hands of someone who claims, “I have no idea where this came from,” you’ll savor every detail of this tale. But when the culprit is your overbearing, supply-hoarding supervisor—who also happens to be a world-class bigot—the satisfaction is tenfold.
The Mysterious Case of the Wandering Gel Pens
Our hero, Reddit user u/johnboy11a, worked at a company where the boss—let’s call him Mr. Macho—prided himself on being a “man’s man,” though not in any admirable way. This was the kind of boss who pinched every penny, denied staff access to company-branded pens, and forced employees to bring their own office supplies. (You can almost smell the toxic masculinity through the screen.)
So, when u/johnboy11a’s beloved gel pens started disappearing, at first it seemed like an honest mistake in a busy office. But when two of those very pens reappeared on the boss’s desk, the jig was up. The boss was the pen thief.
Pink Pens, Black Ink, and One Genius Plan
We all know the feeling of office supplies being treated like loot in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but u/johnboy11a wasn’t about to take this lying down. Following a friend’s advice, they bought a batch of black pens and pink pens, then swapped the ink cartridges. The result? Six pink pens with stealthy black ink for personal use, and a few black pens loaded with pink ink for anyone bold (or foolish) enough to swipe them.
The trap was set. The pink pens, now less likely to be stolen due to their “feminine” color, would remain safe. The black pens, though appearing innocuous, would surprise any thief with a fabulous burst of pink when put to paper.
The Ultimate Petty Payoff
The pièce de résistance arrived when Mr. Macho found himself in a meeting with an openly gay client—a situation that, according to the story, left him simmering with barely-concealed homophobia but forced to play nice to land a sale. As fate would have it, the boss grabbed one of the booby-trapped black pens to sign an important contract.
From the next room, u/johnboy11a overheard the client’s delighted comment: “Oh, I just love that you signed the contract in pink!” One can only imagine the boss’s internal meltdown—forced to smile through gritted teeth while smoke practically billowed from his ears.
It was a masterclass in poetic justice: a homophobic, macho pen thief inadvertently outing himself as a lover of fabulous ink in front of someone he’d rather impress than offend. The best part? The boss’s reaction wasn’t to stop stealing pens, but to cave in and finally order a supply of black and blue pens for the whole office. Victory, one pink signature at a time.
Why We Love Petty Revenge
What makes this story so satisfying? It isn’t just that the boss got what he deserved (though that’s a big part of it). It’s the cleverness of the solution—using the boss’s own prejudices and cheapness against him, without ever uttering a word. It’s the kind of revenge that’s as harmless as it is hilarious, and it might just inspire you to rethink your own office supply strategy.
More importantly, stories like these remind us that sometimes the smallest acts of rebellion can make the biggest impact—especially when the odds (and the management) are stacked against you.
The Last Laugh
So, next time your favorite pen goes missing, remember: you don’t have to wage war to win the battle. Sometimes, all it takes is a splash of pink ink.
Have you ever pulled off a satisfying act of petty revenge at work? Or do you have your own creative way to keep pen thieves at bay? Share your stories in the comments below—because in the world of office supplies, it’s every pen (and person) for themselves!
Original Reddit Post: Another pen stealer