So, I’ve been giving my coworker Emily a ride to work for like a year because she used to live close by. Now I’m going on maternity leave, and she has no clue how she’ll get to work since she can’t drive and has no car. I told her I couldn’t keep driving her once the baby was here, and she said I should get my husband to drive her instead! I said no way, he needs his sleep and has his own job to get to. She got really upset about it and made a joke (or so I thought) that it was his fault I couldn’t give her a ride anymore because he got me pregnant. Anyway, it was my first day of maternity leave, and guess what? The doorbell rang at 5:45 am. I was half asleep, hoping it was not who I thought it was. But of course, it was Emily, expecting her ride. I said no, and she stormed off, super offended. But believe me, I never saw what was coming next. A few days went by, and I was getting used to life with the baby. One morning, I woke up early to get some baby formula, leaving Mark at home with the baby. I go to the front door, and MY HEART SINKS AS I SEE Emily standing there, with a suitcase in hand. “What are you doing here?” I asked, completely baffled. “I had a fight with my roommate. I have nowhere else to go,” she said, looking pitiful. I was torn between frustration and compassion. “Emily, you can’t just show up like this. We have a newborn, and we can’t take you in.”
She sighed dramatically. “I know, I know. I just thought you might help me out, considering I’ve been left in the lurch with no ride to work.” I shook my head. “Emily, we need our space right now. You need to find another solution.” She looked at me with pleading eyes. “Can I at least use your phone to call a friend?” Reluctantly, I let her in, but kept a close eye on her. She made a quick call, then left, muttering something about how I was being unreasonable. I hoped that was the end of it. But it wasn’t. The next morning, I woke up to find Emily sitting on our porch, scrolling through her phone. She looked up and smiled. “Good morning! I’m just waiting for my ride. They should be here soon.” I was speechless. “Emily, you can’t just camp out on our porch. This is getting ridiculous.” She shrugged. “I didn’t want to bother you by ringing the bell.” I was at my wit’s end. Mark, hearing the commotion, came to the door with the baby in his arms. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Emily seems to think our porch is a waiting area,” I said, exasperated. Mark looked at her sternly. “Emily, you need to find another solution. You can’t rely on us for rides or a place to stay. We have our hands full.” She finally left, but the drama wasn’t over. A week later, I received a call from HR. Apparently, Emily had complained that I was creating a hostile work environment by refusing to help her with her transportation needs. I couldn’t believe it. I explained the situation to HR, who fortunately understood and sided with me. They suggested Emily find alternative arrangements and even offered to help her connect with a ride-share service. The next time I saw Emily at work, she barely looked at me. I felt a mix of relief and sadness, knowing our friendship had been irreparably damaged. But I couldn’t let her take advantage of me and my family during such a crucial time. In the end, Emily found another coworker willing to give her a ride, and things slowly returned to normal. As for me, I learned a valuable lesson about setting boundaries and not letting others take advantage of my kindness.