The last thing anyone wants after returning from a relaxing vacation is more stress. Unfortunately, this was what a man went through, thanks to a supposedly good friend he trusted.
According to his story, the friend asked him to let his girlfriend stay at his home for a night. However, the woman refused to leave the home, claiming she would stay for a few more days.
The trespassing drama only got ugly when law enforcement got involved. Fortunately, it did have a satisfying end.
A homeowner’s weeklong vacation was immediately followed by a stressful situation
Image credits: Ahmet Kurt / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
It all began after he asked his friend to house-sit and take care of his dogs
Image credits: Alena Darmel / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The friend then asked for a favor, and this is where the problem arose
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Law enforcement got involved, but they were no help
Image credits: LiThrowaway0
Image credits: SHVETS production / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Having a sense of entitlement is often rooted in misplaced frustrations
It’s quite unbelievable to encounter someone so entitled as to overstay their welcome, much like the trespassing woman in the story. According to psychotherapist F. Diane Barth, such behavior is usually a manifestation of misplaced frustration.
“A sense of entitlement can emerge from feelings of being mistreated or not getting what we need,” Barth wrote. “It can be a way of saying, 'I deserve to be taken care of, or treated with compassion and respect, just as much as anyone else does.’”
Because a sense of entitlement is an ego problem, it can often lead to disappointment when the person realizes they cannot always get their way. According to licensed psychologist Seth Gillihan, the person may engage in self-protective efforts to save face.
“To protect their ego, the person is likely to blame others for the disappointment, which reinforces their sense of entitlement,” Gillihan explained. “What could be a corrective experience actually strengthens one's sense of specialness.”
The self-protective instinct is likely what made the woman gaslight the homeowner and try to change the narrative. Essentially, he lost the rights to his own home.
So, what is his best solution here? According to licensed psychologist Dr. Jade Wu, the first step is to be firm in declining the person’s unreasonable requests using “wish fulfillment” responses.
“Leave the expectation lying there. You don’t have to fulfill it. Make it clear that you can’t or won’t fulfill the expectation, but do so without blame or criticism,” she wrote.
It’s important for the homeowner not to allow the woman to get her way. He may need to call the police again and, this time, provide a clearer explanation of what actually happened.
The man provided more information in the comments
Meanwhile, readers shared their candid reactions and advice
He later shared an update, which involved a “nasty plan” to get rid of the trespassing woman
Image credits: Vitaly Gariev / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Police officers were once again called in, and this time, they took action
Image credits: Kindel Media / Pexels (not the actual photo)
As it turned out, the woman had a prior criminal offense
Image credits: LiThrowaway0
Readers were delighted by how the story ended
