Maternity leave was supposed to be a blissful time for bonding with my newborn, but it spiraled into a nightmare when my coworker Emily decided she was entitled to more than just a ride to work. Her brazen actions tested the limits of our patience and forced us to confront the depths we’d go to protect our family.
My name is Katie, and life has been a chaotic whirlwind lately. Between moving in with my husband, Mark, and preparing for our first baby, we’ve been inundated with changes.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Mark is my rock; steady, kind, and with a bit of a people-pleaser streak. We’ve been a solid team for years and married for about a year now. While we were ecstatic about our growing family, the adjustments had been nothing short of overwhelming.
Oddly enough, one constant in my life had been my coworker, Emily. Over the past year, I’d been giving her a ride to work. Initially, it was a small favor; she lived just three minutes from my old apartment.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Even after I moved in with Mark, I continued to drive her because it felt like the right thing to do. It wasn’t too troublesome, and she didn’t have anyone else to rely on.
But everything changed with my impending maternity leave. Emily was panicking, desperate to figure out how she’d get to work without my help. Not knowing how to drive and with the nearest driving school two hours away, she was out of options.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
One day, after yet another frantic discussion about her dilemma, she looked at me with those pleading eyes. “Katie, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Can’t you help me out?”
I shook my head sympathetically. “Emily, I wish I could. But driving you to work while I’m on maternity leave isn’t feasible. Taking a newborn out that early isn’t an option.”
A couple of weeks ago, she had a new, audacious suggestion. “You should ask Mark to drive me,” she said casually.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
I almost laughed at her audacity. “No, Emily, I’m not asking him. We need to be at work by 6:30 a.m., and he starts at 7:30 a.m. It’s just not happening.”
She tried to joke, “Well, it’s his fault you’re on maternity leave. He got you pregnant!”
I didn’t find it funny. “Emily, this isn’t about blame. It’s just not practical.”
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Clearly upset that I wouldn’t even ask him, she resorted to guilt-tripping. “I wouldn’t have taken this job if I knew we couldn’t carpool anymore,” she reminded me, as if I owed her for helping her get the job.
The Desperate Morning
Then, on the first morning of my maternity leave, the doorbell rang at 5:45 a.m. Groggily, I got up, dreading who it might be. Sure enough, Emily stood there, desperation etched on her face.
“Please, can you just ask him?” she pleaded.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
I sighed deeply. “Emily, we’ve been through this. I can’t ask him to do that.”
Before I could close the door, Mark appeared behind me, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”
Emily seized the moment. “Mark, can you please drive me to work while Katie’s on maternity leave? I don’t have anyone else to ask.”
I shot Mark a look, hoping he’d understand. He hesitated, his people-pleaser nature surfacing. “Well, I suppose I could…”
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
“No, Mark,” I interrupted firmly. “You can’t. You need your rest, I need your help with the baby, and it’s not fair to put this on you.”
Emily’s face hardened. “I see. Well, thanks for nothing.” She turned and stormed off. I felt both guilty and relieved. Maybe now she’d finally understand.
The Shocking Incident
A few days into my maternity leave, adjusting to life with a newborn was both exhausting and exhilarating. Early one morning, I woke up to fetch some baby formula while Mark stayed with the baby.
Sleepy-eyed, I shuffled to the front door, only to find our car was gone. Panic set in. I ran back inside, frantically calling the police. “Our car’s been stolen!” I exclaimed, my voice trembling.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Mark came running, baby in arms. “What’s going on?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.
“Our car…it’s gone,” I stammered, fear and confusion gripping me.
As the officers took our statement, a familiar sight rolled up the driveway: our car, with Emily and a man inside. Relief and anger bubbled inside me.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Emily stepped out, her expression smug. “It’s my boyfriend. He’s driving me to work. You didn’t give me a ride, so at least we used your car.”
I was stunned. “You…you took our car?” I finally managed, my voice shaking with disbelief.
Mark, holding our baby, stood in shock. The police officers asked if they should arrest Emily and her boyfriend. Panic flickered across Emily’s face for the first time.
“No,” Mark said firmly, surprising us all. I tried to protest, but he held up a hand. “Let them go.”
The officers left, leaving an awkward silence. Emily, trying to joke, said, “Glad you’re okay with the car thing. I knew you’d understand, Mr. Help-them-all!”
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Mark’s expression hardened. “Listen carefully, Emily. I don’t want to see you around my wife, my baby, or our house ever again. You’ve crossed a line we can’t ignore.”
Her bravado faded. “Fine,” she muttered, leaving with her boyfriend. Relief washed over me.
Rebuilding Our Fortress
That evening, after the initial shock wore off, Mark and I discussed what had happened. “I can’t believe she took our car without asking,” I said, still incredulous.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
Mark sighed. “I know. But we need to focus on keeping our home safe now. We’ll change the locks and find a better place for the spare key. We’ll never let anyone take advantage of us again.”
Mark also suggested installing a security system and informing our neighbors about the incident, just in case Emily tried something else.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
The next morning, he called a locksmith while I stayed inside with the baby. As the locksmith worked, the sound of our baby’s coos from the living room was comforting, a reminder of our strength.
“Thank you for being so strong,” I told Mark as we watched the locksmith finish up. “I know it wasn’t easy to confront Emily.”
Mark smiled, squeezing my hand. “We’ll always do what’s best for our family. No one comes between us.”
Closure and Moving On
A few days later, while feeding the baby, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Emily: “Sorry for everything. Won’t bother you again.”
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
I stared at the screen, torn between relief and lingering anger.
“Should I reply?” I asked Mark, showing him the message.
He looked at it and shook his head. “No need. Let’s just move on.”
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
I agreed. Emily was now a part of our past, and we had a bright future to focus on. With our home secured, it felt like a haven again.
Weeks later, as we settled into our new routine, I reflected on how much we’d grown as a family. The experience with Emily had tested us, but it also made us stronger.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
One evening, with our baby asleep in Mark’s arms, I felt at peace. “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?” I asked, leaning on Mark’s shoulder.
He kissed my forehead. “Yeah, we are. We’re stronger than ever.”
I nodded, grateful for his unwavering support. With that certainty, I knew we could handle anything life threw at us. We had each other, and that was all we needed.
My Coworker Wants My Husband to Drive Her to Work While I
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one you might like: Susan, a 61-year-old office cleaner, faced humiliation when a coworker, Mark, maliciously knocked over her mop bucket and belittled her. After HR dismissed her complaints, Susan and her husband Jack took matters into their own hands, exposing Mark’s abusive behavior and seeking justice.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.