I’ve always believed in being supportive at work, so when my coworker announced her pregnancy, I was genuinely happy. I helped out brought her lunch, grabbed her files—simple gestures to make her day easier. But soon, it wasn’t just support it was constant favors. “Baby brain today, can you help?” turned into near-daily messages and dumped tasks.

When I politely asked her to ease up, she brushed it off and said I’d “understand when I’m pregnant.” Things escalated when she took over my desk—without asking—claiming the spot near the window helped with her nausea. I was stunned.

Then HR called me in. I thought we’d talk things out—but instead, I was told to apologize for being “unkind” and “insensitive.” I’d left a sticky note on her new desk asking to talk privately. She called it passive-aggressive and said she felt unsafe. After that, my team iced me out. No more lunch invites, no more friendly chats.

Apparently, standing up for myself meant I didn’t care about her pregnancy. I’m not heartless—I get that pregnancy is hard. But there’s a line between needing support and taking advantage of it. I just wish the office saw that too.