For about a year, I gave my coworker Emily a ride to work since she lived nearby and didn’t have a car. When I told her I’d be going on maternity leave and couldn’t drive her anymore, she suggested my husband should take over. I was stunned—he needs sleep and has his own job!
She got upset and even joked that it was his fault I couldn’t help anymore because he got me pregnant. On my very first day off, the doorbell rang at 5:45 a.m., and sure enough, it was Emily, expecting her usual ride. I told her no, and she stormed off. I thought that would be the end of it… but what happened next truly left me speechless.
A few days later, I opened the front door to head out and nearly dropped the baby formula I was holding—there was Emily standing there with a suitcase. She claimed she had a fight with her roommate and had nowhere else to go. I felt torn, but told her we couldn’t take her in, especially with a newborn at home.
She asked to use the phone, made a call, and left—only to return the next morning and sit on our porch, waiting for her ride like it was a bus stop. The situation spiraled, ending with a complaint to HR and a friendship ruined. In the end, I learned the hard way how important it is to set firm boundaries—even with people you once tried to help.
