I let my college roommate take the blame for breaking our landlord's vintage dining table

Senior year of college, four of us were renting an old two-story craftsman house near campus. The landlord was this super strict guy who made a huge deal about the dining set in the alcove. It was an authentic mid-century teak table that belonged to his late aunt, and he explicitly made us sign an addendum promising we wouldn't put anything heavy or hot on it without felt mats.

Two weeks before graduation, I was hosting a pre-game for my intramural basketball team. I got overly excited showing off a stupid trick shot with a heavy cast-iron skillet I was using for dip, tripped over the rug edge, and slammed the corner of the pan straight onto the center leaf. It split the wood grain wide open down the middle and left a three-inch dent that was impossible to hide.

I panicked because my lease was ending and I couldn't afford to forfeit my $800 security deposit. My roommate Dave was out of town that weekend visiting his girlfriend in Chicago. Knowing he had brought a bunch of heavy music equipment into the house the week before, I shifted two of his amp cases right next to the table before anyone else came home, leaving a faint scratch near the leg with my pocket knife to make it look like a hauling accident.

When our landlord did the final walk-through, he saw the damaged table and immediately accused Dave, referencing the scratch near where his gear had been staged. Dave was so confused and swore up and down he had nothing to do with it, but the landlord refused to return his $800 deposit and threatened small claims court if he argued further. Dave was so stressed about finals that he eventually gave up and paid out of pocket.

It’s been almost three years now. We still hang out occasionally when he's in town, and every time he complains about that "crooked landlord who stole his deposit," I just sip my beer and agree with him. I transferred $800 into a separate savings account last month, but I still haven't found the courage to send it to him.