This happened years ago. I had a fantastic job as a private caregiver for a very wealthy couple. They owned the top floor of a 50 story complex in Seattle.
In one corner of the massive living room, was an elevated platform, a small stage. No railings. There were two steps on one end. You didn't have to take the step. You could just step up onto the platform. On the platform was an antique couch, two antique wooden chairs, and an antique cabinet then held a TV and entertainment system.
Working a nightshift, I was dusting the cabinet and, stepping down off the side, my pant pocket caught the arm of the chair and down it went, the ornate back breaking into about ten pieces.
My "I fucked up I'm going to lose this cushy job panic" kicked in and I glued the chair back together with Elmer's glue. My plan was to simply wait it out, deducing that, as each day goes by (nobody used this odd platform), more and more workers would be added to the list of suspects, and we'd all just say we didn't do it. I'd be the only one lying.
I all went as planned. The damage wasn't discovered for another four months, not until the homeowner's insurance appraiser showed up. It was something they did every year. His team catalogued every little thing, with photos and specific appraisal certifications. The chair had been insured for $225,000, so, of course, the police were called.
So I'm not too worried. Dozens of other employees had come and gone. Many temporary until we found permanent replacements. But, what I didn't count on, was someone's made up memory. The wealthy only lady insisted she'd sat in the chair only a a week prior, a week that I was gone hiking the Grand Canyon, leaving only one suspect, a night nurse. So I came clean and signed papers that I would pay for the chair. No, I didn't get fired. They were happy I said something.
Weeks later, the insurance company calls the wealthy family to give them some very bad news. The chair had previous damage, wood rot, and was a fake, and worth about $125. Suddenly, they weren't worried about my little scam, happy to blame my pocket and not me. They laser focused on premiums they'd paid over the years to have it insured, the dealer who sold it to them, and the appraisal company. They were all sued. The senior-aged wife was giddy because it gave her something to be upset about and she was happy my "clumsiness uncovered a plot" to steal from them.