My Coworker Sent My Husband a Message & My Boss Might Fire Her If I Report It

In the wake of a seemingly routine work event, a woman was left stunned when her coworker crossed a line by sending an unsettling message to her husband. Faced with a challenging decision, she grappled with whether to address the breach of boundaries or keep silent amid workplace tension.

In February 2024, an anonymous female poster turned to the "AITAH" subreddit to share a recent experience. On the occasion of the year-end inventory day at her new job, which she had joined three months prior, the Original Poster (OP), aged 35, was tasked with bringing a friend as her partner for assistance.

For the sake of the task, OP took her 36-year-old husband along. However, one of her co-workers, aged 34, chose not to bring anyone, assisting various partner groups throughout the day instead. The day unfolded seamlessly, resulting in praise for nearly perfect inventory.

The following day, OP arrived at work at 8 a.m., and four minutes in, she found herself in an unexpected conversation with her co-worker. The woman, who had not brought anyone to the previous day's inventory, asked OP if her husband had a single brother, precisely one who "looks exactly like him."

Her husband, naturally, refrained from responding, finding the act utterly absurd.

OP responded that her husband only had a sister, to which her co-worker remarked, "Oh, that's a shame, so he doesn't have a brother?" When asked directly if she had a crush on OP's husband, the coworker responded with laughter resembling that of a schoolgirl.

Despite the apparent admiration, OP insisted she was far from jealous, acknowledging the attractiveness, success, and charm of her husband, qualities that had initially drawn her to him. She found the situation rather cute, emphasizing that the coworker's interest did not upset her.

But as the day went by, OP noticed that the co-worker persisted in discussing her husband at every available opportunity. Despite this, OP remained unperturbed, confident that the coworker's crush was likely transient, especially considering her husband was "most likely not coming back there, at least until the next [year-end] inventory day."

However, the situation took a concerning turn when, upon returning home at 4:30 p.m., OP's husband told her about a text he had received from her coworker. She had messaged him at 1:24 p.m., misspelling his name and stating, "Hey ****, how are you today? Your lady is really bothering me." This unexpected and intrusive message became the source of OP's distress.

OP was taken aback upon discovering that the co-worker had accessed the company system to obtain her husband's phone number and sent an unsolicited message. Her husband, naturally, refrained from responding, finding the act utterly absurd.

As OP prepared for work the next day, she wasn't sure how she would react upon encountering her co-worker. Despite her lack of jealousy, the co-worker's intrusive actions triggered OP's protective side. In the end, she was left wondering, "WIBTHA if I told HR she did this... we work for a very large billion dollar company who takes these things very seriously, shed essentially lose her job [sic]."

In an update to the situation, OP clarified that everyone involved, including her husband and additional helpers, were compensated for their work during the busy day. The helpers, referred to as "children," were adults over the age of 24. The work atmosphere was positive, and OP enjoyed introducing her husband to her colleagues and meeting their spouses in turn.

OP also explained that she was going through a hectic day at work, which involved a significant workplace merger and the absence of their managerial team head. So, OP chose to confide in her assistant manager, sharing the text message and expressing why she was upset with her co-worker.

The assistant manager was surprised by the revelation, and plans were made to inform the general manager about the incident the following day. While discussing potential resolutions, it became clear that the breach of privacy escalated the matter beyond OP's control.

"I do feel terrible, but she really shot herself in the foot, I've done nothing but be very nice to her, even the 'your lady is bothering me' wasn't warranted because I wasn't even bothering her 😅," shared OP.

Many commenters supported OP's stance, unanimously deeming her "NTA." They criticized the co-worker not only for her inappropriate behavior toward OP's husband but also for the invasion of privacy.

"NTA. What she did is beyond inappropriate. 'He's great does he have a brother?' Cool. Violating multiple HR rules to contact a married man? She deserves to lose her job," wrote one commenter. "She accessed your personal information and contacted your husband. This is a big no-no and must be reported ASAP," pointed out another user.

"I would complain to HR, not only did she send a message to your husband without his consent, he did not give her his number. She also accessed your private information. I'm sure this information is not on a public system. I would be very concerned. What other information did she have access to? NTA," added yet another netizen.

What are your thoughts on this story? Here's another story where a woman's work colleague insulted her children, and she made sure the consequences were grave.