AITA for refusing to let my stepson move back in after his “prank” ruined my work setup?

My adult stepson wrapped all of my work equipment in duct tape before a major presentation, and after the fallout, I told him he couldn’t live with us anymore — now my wife says I’m being too harsh.

My wife Karen and I have been married for five years. She has a son, Dylan, who’s 22. We’ve never been extremely close, but we’ve had a decent relationship — enough that I supported him financially and emotionally through college, and he knows I’ve always tried to treat him like my own. After graduating, he moved back home temporarily while looking for a job. Things were mostly fine until he started spending time with a new group of friends who like “pranks.” Two weeks ago, while Karen was visiting her sister, Dylan decided to pull one of those pranks on me. I work from home, and on the morning of a major presentation I’d been preparing for weeks, I walked into my office to find every single one of my work items — computer, files, notebooks, even my chair — wrapped completely in duct tape.

He laughed it off as a harmless prank — but it trashed my work materials and nearly ruined my presentation.

Removing the duct tape destroyed some of my files, left sticky residue everywhere, and cost me precious time I needed to finalize my presentation. I had to scramble to salvage what I could, and the stress was unbelievable. When I confronted Dylan, he literally laughed and told me, “Relax, it’s just a joke.” He treated it like I was the problem for being upset that he sabotaged my livelihood. Even after explaining how much damage he’d caused, he brushed me off and acted like I was being dramatic.

"It’s just a joke, chill out."

When Karen got home, I told her everything and said I didn’t want to live with someone who had so little respect for me or my work. I told Dylan he needed to move out and stay with friends until he found his own place. He left — but now Karen is furious. She says Dylan is “just a kid” who made a dumb mistake and that I overreacted by kicking him out. Dylan has apologized since, but I told him that being 22 means learning that actions have consequences. Karen, however, thinks I’m prioritizing my pride over family.

"He’s just a kid — he made a mistake."

I disagree. He’s a grown adult, not a teenager. And his “prank” didn’t just inconvenience me — it jeopardized my work, my income, and my reputation. I don’t feel comfortable letting him move back in unless he shows real accountability. Karen says I’m being unfair. I think I’m drawing a necessary boundary.

🏠 The Aftermath

Dylan is currently staying with a friend, and Karen barely talks to me except to say I’m “overreacting.” She wants him home, but I don’t feel safe having someone in the house who interferes with my work and mocks me when I explain the damage. Dylan apologized, but it felt half-hearted — more “sorry you got mad” than “sorry I messed up your job.”

At home: tension between me and Karen, irritation from Dylan’s mother, and pressure to let him move back in. For me: the lingering stress of almost blowing a huge work opportunity and the feeling that no one is acknowledging how serious this was.

The consequences now include a marital conflict, a strained stepfather–stepson relationship, and the realization that Dylan doesn’t understand professional boundaries. I’m not sure what happens next.

"Actions have consequences — especially when you’re 22, not 12."

I’m not shutting the door on Dylan forever. I just don’t want him living under my roof unless he proves he respects the home and the work that pays for it.

💭 Emotional Reflection

This wasn’t just a harmless joke — it was an intentional disruption of your professional life. Work-from-home setups rely on trust and structure, and Dylan violated both. Karen sees this as a parenting moment; you see it as a breach of respect and responsibility. Both perspectives can exist, but only one person faced real consequences from the prank: you.

Could you have given him a second chance under strict boundaries? Possibly. But your reaction wasn’t coming from pride — it came from real-world stakes. At 22, Dylan is too old to dismiss serious damage as a “prank,” and Karen calling him “just a kid” minimizes the impact on you.

Reasonable people may debate whether kicking him out immediately was too severe, but most will agree: he needed a consequence, and your home and livelihood deserve protection. Respect isn’t optional — especially in shared living spaces.

Here’s how the community might see it:

“A 22-year-old sabotaging someone’s work isn’t a prank — it’s reckless and disrespectful.”

“Karen undermining your boundary is part of the issue. Dylan needs to grow up, not be coddled.”

“He can come back — when he proves he respects your work and your home.”

Reactions will likely focus on adult accountability, relationship boundaries, and the difference between harmless fun and harmful behavior.

🌱 Final Thoughts

You’re not wrong for setting limits in your own home. Dylan endangered your career, mocked your reaction, and only apologized after consequences hit. That’s not kid behavior — that’s immaturity from an adult who needs to learn healthier boundaries.

Whether he moves back in someday is up to you and Karen, but it should only happen with clear expectations and respect — not pressure or guilt.

What do you think?
Should he be allowed to move back in soon, or does he need more time to grow up first? Share your thoughts below 👇