The Most Dishonest Thing I've Ever Done

During around my second or third grade in elementary school, I had a very strong sweet tooth and I loved a particular brand of chocolate. Everyday I yearned to get one of those chocolates and imagined the feeling of having a bite of it, and just let it melt in my mouth smoothly. I wanted it so bad that I was eager to grab one or two chocolate right away. The chocolate is quite expensive for a kid that I did not have enough money, and there was no way that I could ask my mother to give me any in order to buy some sweets. Therefore, when I got out of the school, I would pass a convenient store on my way back home. I was sneaky but pretended to act normal as possible as I could, then I rapidly pocketed a chocolate bar from the shelf and walked out of the store immediately. I can't recall when and how that I started doing this, but I thought that since there was no recording monitor and the store clerks seemed to be so busy at all times, I guessed it's almost impossible to get caught. Who would notice a little kid like me and a few small chocolate bars anyway, at the beginning I thought. At that time, I had no understanding that stealing could be viewed as committing crime, all I knew is that stealing is wrong but as long as I don't get caught, I would be safe. However, I believe it was only the third time shoplifting from the same store, I suffered the consequence of what I deserved. While I was walking out casually after I had done stealing, I felt someone tapped on my shoulder so I looked back, it was the clerk! He showed a gesture indicating me to return the bars and reached out his right hand. I felt that my heart had frozen into icebox, so I gave back the chocolates to him and ran out right away without turning my head back and glanced over the store. I was extremely ashamed and felt so guilty. I was even scared that some policemen would come to my house and take me away! By simply imagining that, I got so frightened for a very long time. After that, I'd never entered the convenient store until I grew much older, and of course, I'd never steal anything from anywhere anymore!