The Switched Cup
During a small gathering at her apartment on Friday evening, Helen noticed something strange near the end of the night. She had been drinking tea from a blue mug she usually keeps for guests. After chatting for a while, she stepped into the kitchen to rinse a spoon and check the kettle.
When she returned and took another sip, the tea tasted noticeably weaker.
The mug was still warm, which told her it hadn’t been sitting untouched for long. The flavor, however, was different. Helen looked around the table. Only two people had stayed seated while she was gone. One was her longtime friend Sam, who dislikes strong tea and often adds water without thinking. The other was her neighbor Nina, who is polite and reserved and often avoids asking for things directly.
Earlier in the evening, Nina had commented that the tea “smelled really nice,” but she didn’t take a cup. Sam, on the other hand, had joked that Helen’s tea was strong enough to wake the whole building.
Helen glanced toward the kitchen counter and noticed another identical blue mug near the sink. That mug was empty. She was sure she had only poured one cup.
No one mentioned touching her tea, and the conversation continued as if nothing had happened. Still, Helen felt distracted. She replayed the moment in her head, wondering whether someone had switched mugs by accident, adjusted the tea casually, or assumed it wouldn’t matter.
She didn’t feel angry—just uncertain—and found herself watching small details more closely for the rest of the evening.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What do you think happened?
Who do you think touched the tea?
What are you basing that on?
Which detail matters most?
Which detail matters least?
What assumption are you making?
What detail could point to the other person instead?
Which detail could be misleading?
What information is missing?
What question would you ask Helen first?
How could this have an innocent explanation?
How could this be misunderstood?
If you had to defend the other person, what would you say?
What would change your mind?
What conclusion feels most reasonable right now?
