After a tough shift at the hospital, I just wanted to get home and relax. But a toothpick stuck in my front door lock stopped me. When it happened again, I didn’t turn to the police—I decided to catch the prankster myself, and the plan I came up with turned their game into my victory.
As a nurse, I’m used to handling chaos, but a stuck key after a long day was too much. I tried twisting it, using a hairpin, even muttering at the lock in frustration. Then I saw the toothpick, clearly shoved in on purpose. This wasn’t a random act.
I called my brother, Tom, who arrived with a toolbox and a suspicious look. “Someone did this on purpose,” he said, pulling out the toothpick with tweezers. My key worked, and I hoped it was just a silly prank. Tom wasn’t convinced. “Call me if it happens again,” he said, heading home.
The next night, another toothpick. I texted Tom, who showed up, intrigued. “This is personal,” he said, suggesting a security camera. He set up an old one in a tree by my porch, linking it to my phone. “You’ll catch them red-handed,” he promised.
That evening, I stared at my phone, waiting. At 7:18 p.m., a video showed my ex, Matt, creeping up with a toothpick. Matt, who I’d dumped after his “work friend” became too close, was sabotaging my lock. I watched, shocked at his childish plan.
I called my friend Dan, a mechanic with a love for theatrics, instead of the cops. “Toothpicks? That’s pathetic,” he said, already plotting. We’d dated briefly but stayed close, always ready for a good stunt. “Let’s spook him,” Dan said, his plan making me laugh.
The next night, I faked leaving, shouting about plans while parking around the corner. I sneaked back, finding Dan in my pink bathrobe, tattoos peeking out. “Showtime,” he grinned. We watched until Matt appeared. Dan flung open the door, waving a wrench. “Hey, toothpick man!” he yelled.
Matt ran, but I shouted, “Matt, why?” He admitted he hoped I’d call him for help, thinking it would restart things. “That’s absurd,” I said. Dan told him to scram, and Matt left. I posted the video online: “My ex tried toothpicks to win me back. Here’s what happened.” It went viral.
Matt emailed, whining about his image. I sent the video to his boss, tied to his “friend.” Matt soon “moved on” from his job. Tom changed my locks, and Dan brought pizza to celebrate. My phone buzzed with views. A toothpick started it, but a clever trap ended it.
