In a small office, Sunita left her lunch in the fridge with a note on it asking not to be eaten by others. Elio saw the note but was in a rush and forgot to bring a lunch. He decided to eat Sunita's lunch thinking he would replace it before she noticed. However, Verena, who did not see the note, saw Elio eating the lunch and thought it was his. Later that day, Sunita asked Verena if she knew what happened to her lunch, but before Verena could answer, Elio confessed to Sunita that he had eaten it. How would Sunita, Elio, and Verena each think or feel about the situation?

Provide a short response.
Sunita would likely feel upset or frustrated initially because her lunch was taken despite leaving a note, which is a breach of her trust and expectation that her request would be respected by her coworkers. However, upon hearing Elio's confession, depending on her personality and her relationship with Elio, her feelings might shift toward forgiveness, especially if Elio showed remorse and made sincere efforts to replace the lunch. She might also feel relief at getting an explanation and not having to wonder about what happened or who might be responsible.

Elio, who knew of the note but proceeded to eat Sunita's lunch anyway, might feel guilty for disregarding her request and for the potential harm his actions caused to their working relationship. He also might feel anxious about facing Sunita and his other coworkers upon the discovery of his action. His decision to confess could be driven by a desire to alleviate his guilt, to prevent Verena from being falsely implicated, or to demonstrate honesty in facing the consequences of his actions.

Verena, who did not see the note, initially may not have any feelings of wrongdoing, given her belief that Elio was eating his own lunch. Upon witnessing the exchange and learning that Elio ate Sunita's lunch, she may feel surprised and possibly disillusioned with Elio for doing something against office etiquette. However, she might also empathize with Elio if he confessed under pressure or stress. Verena's view of the situation could largely depend on her perception of Elio's character and the reasons he provided for his actions.