Last year, my coworker, a single mom, needed help. Her baby needed essentials, so I lent her some money. I thought I was just being a kind person, but she still hasn’t paid me back. Meanwhile, I see her buying things for herself—Ugg boots last month, concert tickets recently. It’s hard to watch when you’re the one who helped out.
Beyond the money, I’ve covered so many of her shifts. The reasons were always the same: “I’m exhausted,” “babysitter issues,” or “I have to take the baby to the doctor.” Even when it felt unjustified, I said yes because I felt bad for her situation.
A couple of weeks ago, the tables turned. I asked her to cover for me just once. She said she couldn’t. Then, last night, she begged me to cover for her again. This time, I finally said no.
The next morning, I opened the work chat and my stomach dropped. She had posted: “I guess some people here don’t understand what it’s like being a single mom.” She then listed a bunch of dates I’d supposedly “refused” to help her, including some that weren’t even true. People started replying with sad emojis and sympathy. My face went hot with anger and embarrassment.
I typed out a long reply. I explained how much money I’d lent her and attached our repayment agreement, pointing out she’d only paid back $100. I listed exactly how many shifts I’d covered for her and mentioned how she wouldn’t help me the one time I asked.
Before things got even worse, our supervisor jumped in. They stated that schedule coverage shouldn’t be handled in the group chat and told everyone to message them directly. The chat history was cleared, and she and I haven’t spoken since.
Now, she’s telling everyone I’m cruel, claiming I’m “taking money from an innocent baby” by asking for my loan back. The drama has become so uncomfortable that I’m genuinely thinking about changing jobs just to escape it. Am I overreacting, or would I be right to leave this all behind?
