Man allegedly suspects co-worker of stealing from Xmas fund box. So, he rigs it to give him a Disney surprise: ‘Operation Let it Go’

Revenge is a tale as old as time, and according to a Reddit post by u/AQuietBorderline in r/ProRevenge, an alleged Uncle Dale, once upon a time, concocted the best one to kill two birds with one arrow. The Redditor shared a story their father told about his late friend, Dale, a senior engineer at a small firm where he also reportedly ran the office parties unofficially.

So this Dale kept a tin box outside his office to collect donations for the party fund, and colleagues appeared happy to contribute. According to the Redditor, a month or so before the big Christmas party, Dale checked the container and found it empty. He knew something was wrong, as he had reportedly watched several colleagues put money into the slot.

When Brad, the owner’s nephew and a fellow engineer, walked around the corner, Dale reportedly grew suspicious. Brad allegedly had a reputation for being pushy and entitled around the office. However, his status as the owner’s beloved nephew seemingly helped him skirt the rules and avoid getting fired.

Dale apparently wanted a lot more than a quiet firing

According to the Redditor, Dale used his engineering skills to find out who was emptying the party fund. He reportedly set up a hidden doorbell camera near the box and had a colleague loudly brag about dropping $100 into it. The footage appeared to show Brad opening the empty box, scowling, and throwing the container against the wall.

Instead of taking the video to the owner, Dale apparently decided to have a bit more fun, as the poster suggested a simple firing would have been too easy. According to the Redditor, he asked his engineering students to build a box that made noise when opened, offering them extra credit for the project. The poster joked that engineering students tend to turn any problem into an experience nobody forgets.

The students reportedly built the box around a musical greeting card insert that played Let It Go, the Idina Menzel ballad from Frozen. The class picked the song by popular vote, right as it was apparently becoming unpopular. They reportedly glued the insert down with industrial-strength glue and rigged the hinge so it stayed open until someone pressed a hidden side button.

The next day, Dale apparently announced that someone had donated $50 to the party fund and placed the box on the table. According to the Redditor, he then sat in his office and waited. Soon, the whole office reportedly heard Menzel belting the song while Brad made frustrated grunts trying to close the box.

The noise attracted everyone nearby, including the owner. Brad allegedly threw the box against the wall, leaving a large dent. However, the owner had apparently seen enough and immediately summoned his nephew to his office.

Around 15 minutes later, Brad reportedly left the building with a cardboard box after clearing out his desk. His personnel file allegedly received a note reading “do not rehire. do not recommend,” which the poster claimed ended his engineering career. The post does not say whether Brad ever responded to the accusation.

That Christmas, Dale reportedly showed a video at the party featuring the doorbell footage of Brad’s alleged attempt to take money from the party fund. The video was apparently set to Let It Go, as Dale seemed to want the office in on the joke.

The poster said they shared the story in Dale’s memory ahead of the holidays, and it could find a fresh audience as office Christmas parties and their donation boxes likely return in the coming weeks.