Let’s be real: nobody wants their marriage undermined by an outsider. It jeopardizes the bond you have with your spouse and could even threaten the whole relationship. Nobody needs that noise, especially when you’re supposed to be sticking to your vows.
One woman turned to an online community to vent after her husband's coworker started crossing all kinds of boundaries, calling him day and night about the most arbitrary things. She finally snapped but now wonders if putting her foot down was a jerk move.
More info: Reddit
Having a work spouse seems like the norm these days, but there are some lines you just don’t cross
Image credits: gpointstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One woman’s husband, a maintenance supervisor for an office block, struck up a friendship with a new female hire
Image credits: Frolopiaton Palm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Before long, the coworker was calling him up at all hours of the day and night, demanding his immediate attention over the smallest of tasks
Image credits: daria_lukoiko / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After the coworker acted like a jealous girlfriend at the company Christmas party, the woman finally snapped, demanding that her husband make his choice
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Her husband told her she was overreacting, and followed it up by saying that his coworker was harmless
Image credits: coworkerthrowaway999
At her wits’ end, the woman turned to netizens to ask if laying down an ultimatum with her husband was a jerk move
The original poster (OP) shares how her husband’s new coworker, Tabitha, turned a harmless workplace intro into a full-blown obsession. What started as routine maintenance requests quickly became daily calls and boundary-pushing behavior. At the company Christmas party, Tabitha blatantly flirted, shamelessly trying to separate the couple all night.
According to OP, the “work-wife” refused to let maintenance staff handle simple tasks, insisting her husband personally fix every tiny issue. She’d grab his hand, shove past OP, and act possessive whenever she was around. Despite these glaring red flags, her husband brushed it off, insisting Tabitha was harmless.
But things escalated fast. After moving to a new house, Tabitha started calling and texting him nonstop for chores, repairs, and favors she could easily handle herself. She had his personal number, and he kept responding, convinced he was simply helping a friend, instead of enabling dodgy behavior. OP wasn’t convinced.
Finally, she hit her hard limit when Tabitha called at 2AM about her heating, and her husband planned to rush over after work. OP broke down, told him boundaries mattered, and that she wouldn’t be a third wheel in her own marriage. Now she’s asking the internet if she’s overreacting or rightfully concerned.
Image credits: gstockstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Honestly, the situation sounds sketchy as heck. While OP’s husband might be too dense to see what’s going on, Tabitha’s behavior tells a different story. No wonder OP can’t take it anymore. But what’s the deal with work spouses anyway? We went looking for the lowdown.
The pros over at Psychology Today say a work spouse is a rare gem that can help make a challenging workplace more manageable and a positive work environment something extra special. Having a work spouse can be a great benefit to organizations too, for example, by influencing greater levels of employee commitment and collaboration.
Work spouses often function as a team and can protect each other, anticipating info or actions that are potentially hurtful or harsh. They also provide an outlet for venting frustrations, celebrating wins, and navigating the twists and turns of organizational dynamics.
That’s all fine and good, but what about when boundaries blur? Writing for Healthline, Crystal Raypole says you can generally tell emotional infidelity apart from simple friendship because your interactions involve some intimate tension and even physical attraction. This kind of attachment may not seem like a big deal at first, but emotional cheating can start to dissolve the fabric of your actual spousal relationship.
Well, either OP’s husband is truly oblivious to Tabitha’s advances, or he’s hiding the true nature of their relationship. Either way, we’d say OP should go with her gut and stick to her guns, before things slide even further out of control.
What’s your take? Do you think there’s something underhanded going on, or is OP overreacting? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
In the comments, readers seemed to agree that the original poster was not being a jerk for being suspicious and that her husband was either truly oblivious or having an affair
