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Original poster

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

957 replies

shehardlysleeps · 20/04/2026 17:18

I’m in a reflective mood, and it’s got me thinking about something I did a few years ago which is probably the thing I’m most deeply ashamed of.

There was a coworker who really rubbed me up the wrong way. I was very unhappy at the time, and going through an awful time personally. She would make snide comments about me, do things with my family members (who were colleagues too) which really got my back up, I felt like she judged me harshly and was pretty rude. Along with another colleague they made three or four very nasty comments which still stick with me.

Instead of raising a grievance, which I should have done, I took to posting about her on another website (along the lines of Mumsnet), not realising she used it too. She saw the posts and reported me, and I ended up facing a meeting with HR and a senior partner of the firm I was working in. It damaged my reputation within the firm forever and I ended up leaving after not being offered a promotion. I still feel ashamed of it now, nearly half a decade on, and feel like it’s tarred me forever.

Whats the worst thing you’ve ever done?

OP posts:
ChamonixMountainBum · 22/04/2026 19:48

Tredadt · 22/04/2026 07:39

@x2boys @cheekynamechang3 @ThatCyanCat @Momlife86 @CoffeeCantata @Jellybelly80 @calanaiscailleach @UnctuousUnicorns @mjf981 @365RubyRed @Dragonscaledaisy @ChiliFiend @Allseeingallknowing @Jellybelly80 @Hernameisdeborah
@Differentforgirls @ComfyKnickers @Livpool @Ihateboris @Newyearawaits @ainsleysanob @BluebelllsRosesDaffodills odills @Yeseyeam @thepariscrimefiles @vanillachoc

Wow, I'm shocked at the utter vitriol and wishes and hopes my daughter fails. To clarify a few things. Firstly this is absolutely true and like someone pointed out, nepotism isn't illegal. Someone even mentioned that it's common in the NHS too. I did nothing wrong. Yes, I trained my daughter up and withheld training from other staff. However, my daughter is very bright. She got a first at university. With a little help from me, she picked it all up really quickly and is doing really well in the role. She isn't lazy or a failure.

When she came here after uni as a temp, I didn't create a master plan about this. I didn't even know about the job until a few months after she started. She was really struggling to find a job. As mentioned previously, she's shy and lacks confidence. She struggled to fit in at secondary school and although uni was a lot better, it had it's own issues. She really struggles with her communication skills. The team are lovely and really friendly and always try to include her. In any other places, id worry she'd get picked on. Here, they are nice and she's under my watchful eye so I know she'll be okay. I suspect she might be on the spectrum. She works hard and this job was perfect for her- doing isolated work on her own working with spreadsheets and data without having to communicate much with people.

If you are parents, I'm sure you'd understand. I'm just worried about her and wanted her settled. It so happened that the overall team manager went in long term sick and subsequently retired, so an opportunity arose where I could train my daughter on senior level work. It's almost like all the stars just aligned. I just wanted her settled in a job. She already struggles in so many areas in her life and I didn't want her struggling in work too.

As for writing the JD, yes it went through all the HR processes but in the absence of the team manager, the HoD asked me to draw something up as he obviously doesn't have a clue about the tasks. I wrote it up and he added a couple of things and signed it off to HR as though he had written it. I wasn't involved in the recruitment/ shortlisting or interview.

I hope this sheds some light on things, it's not always so cut and dry when people do terrible things.

Also to add, it wasn't from me to refuse the rest of the team to see the JD. This was a decision made by the HoD.

Edited

Parklife

ThatCyanCat · 22/04/2026 19:46

TheDehumidifierNeedsEmptying · 22/04/2026 19:33

Definitely accidental! I wasn’t able to pull over or stop but the local police station was down the road so I pulled over when able to and went in, gave all my information the details of what happened. Unfortunately I didn’t have a dash cam at the time.
A lovely police officer offered to drive my vehicle home if I was in shock.
I never heard anything from it. It has been over 10 years.

Show quote history

Then my guess is that she was all right and, assuming you weren't driving illegally in any way or without due care and attention, they didn't consider there to have been any crime. It's possible she was known to them and/or might have stepped out into the road when she shouldn't have.

Sueandthegoldfish · 22/04/2026 19:43

I have been deeply ashamed of this for nearly 40 years.
I was a new student at uni with very very little money. When walking to a friend’s I found an envelope on the ground.
It contained about £30 and a note saying something along the lines of “here’s what we collected - hope you can use it”. Nothing on the front, no address or anything inside.
My sensible side knows there’s not much I could have done but I didn’t take it to the police, I didn’t knock on doors - I kept it and used it to live on for the next couple of weeks.
I still regret it very much.

TheDehumidifierNeedsEmptying · 22/04/2026 19:33

ThatCyanCat · 22/04/2026 15:50

I'm assuming it was accidental? Did you stop?

Show quote history

Definitely accidental! I wasn’t able to pull over or stop but the local police station was down the road so I pulled over when able to and went in, gave all my information the details of what happened. Unfortunately I didn’t have a dash cam at the time.
A lovely police officer offered to drive my vehicle home if I was in shock.
I never heard anything from it. It has been over 10 years.

TheDehumidifierNeedsEmptying · 22/04/2026 19:27

Allseeingallknowing · 22/04/2026 15:54

How can you not know- didn’t you try to find out?

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I wasn’t able to pull over or stop for multiple reasons but I drove to the police station which was 60 seconds drive away, gave them all the details and my information. Never heard anything.

Allseeingallknowing · 22/04/2026 19:25

Goditsmemargaret · 22/04/2026 19:14

I don't understand

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May refer to trolls!

UnctuousUnicorns · 22/04/2026 19:25

Goditsmemargaret · 22/04/2026 19:14

I don't understand

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I mean I reckon it's a 🧌.

AnonLaney · 22/04/2026 19:24

This happened in my 20s.

I was with my then boyfriend for approx. 2 years, I found out he’d cheated on me multiple times with many women. I found out and split with him, he then cried and begged me to get back with him. I said I would only get back with him if he treated me as a wife and agreed to give me half of everything, including his house that had a large amount of equity that I’d been living in for 6 months by that point. He agreed.

Anyway we split up a little under a year later and I took half.

ApproachingMinimums · 22/04/2026 19:24

I had a boss who was an absolute asshole. It would be too outing to describe the things he got up to but it was really bad.

There was a break in at work when the builders were in. They had painted a window frame, left it open to let it try and some low life climbed in and took a load of stuff.

The thing was the key for the safe was hanging on a hook right by the safe so it was the easiest thing in the world to unlock it and rob the three days of takings (quite a lot of money). The turny thing never worked on it so it was just a lockable cupboard.

From that point the boss decided to no longer put the key on the hook as the insurance assessor was coming but when the insurance assessor came, I told him "See that hook? That's where the key was hanging until two days ago".

I was leaving anyway so what was he going to do? Sack me? In fact my employer was never told it was me that made it impossible for him to claim.

Kerensa70 · 22/04/2026 19:19

I had a pain in the arse bf in my 20’s/30’s he drove me nuts,we were so bad for each other but he was also irresistible! After one argument I went around to his house and ripped off his car registration in the early hours. Criminal damage as I’ve reminded myself many times over the years. I have a very calm and argument free marriage now, (to someone else!)

Allseeingallknowing · 22/04/2026 19:14

moodybluehpc · 22/04/2026 18:54

Twice?? Think you have the wrong perdon

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A light hearted comment because you posted the same thing twice!

Goditsmemargaret · 22/04/2026 19:14

UnctuousUnicorns · 22/04/2026 19:08

Trip, trap...

(B.i.g., not G.i.m.m.)

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I don't understand

cheekynamechang3 · 22/04/2026 19:12

YourAmplePlumPoster · 22/04/2026 19:05

Is this a fishing expedition? Careful about what you share on here!

it was so cold

canyouseemyhousefromhere · 22/04/2026 19:12

cloggedup · 20/04/2026 18:49

We had an awful meal at an expensive & supposedly good restaurant.
Amongst other things, my DH's duck had ice crystals inside !
And the wine was corked; it was replaced, but only after a lot of argument.

Despite complaining , the Manager refused to give any sort of compensation.

It was a long time ago, when restaurants took tel bookings without any checks or deposits. I picked a Saturday a few weeks ahead, then made multiple bookings to fill the place - disguising my voice & also using a friend to help.
Karma.

I once had a similar terrible experience in a ‘posh’ restaurant, there were six of us and food was served very slowly so some were still waiting for their meal to be served while others had finished. Undercooked chicken, soggy vegetables and corked wine. The manager refused to give any discount. It was back in the day of paying by cheque & writing your cheque card details on the back (good grief I feel old!). I wrote across the back of the cheque in capitals “This is the worst meal I have ever had and would never eat here again “.
They didn’t bank it - result!

UnctuousUnicorns · 22/04/2026 19:08

Goditsmemargaret · 22/04/2026 19:00

Bloody hell. Nice username too

Show quote history

Trip, trap...

(B.i.g., not G.i.m.m.)

YourAmplePlumPoster · 22/04/2026 19:05

Is this a fishing expedition? Careful about what you share on here!

Goditsmemargaret · 22/04/2026 19:05

rainbowunicorn22 · 22/04/2026 14:13

Living in a homeless hostel i was so desperate for food and no money i did use to take things from shops. if its any better i used to go to International the supermarket that was and take reduced sandwiches and yoghurts
In the same vein i have done sex acts for money would not now but at the time I needed money to live on saying sex acts it was only a hand job
i had to leave and my children go to a foster mum who was also a friend i broke down totally and was coerced by a dangerous nasty man who put me through two years of hell i only said temporary for the kids similar to staying with a grandparent for a short while but because i was so all over the place this bastard took advantage and I had no contact with anyone for over 2 years. in that time he knocked my teeth out, he knew i had a bad phobia about certain foods so used to delight forcing food down my throat until i would vomit then he would make me re eat it, shove me face first into a plate of hot stew, so many other things. i cry everyday about losing my kids and the lovely home we had.
leaving the darling little cottage i had i was so rude to my sister who tried to help and wish now i had listened to her
i regret my life from being sexually abused at 5 years to the life i have now

Oh my god you poor darling, none of this is your fault.

UnctuousUnicorns · 22/04/2026 19:05

moodybluehpc · 22/04/2026 18:57

Twice?? Think you have the wrong person

Just as well you didn't multi post seven times, as I've seen done on here in the past! 😅

Goditsmemargaret · 22/04/2026 19:00

Britainisgreat · 22/04/2026 09:27

I got an Indian family deported. They'd come for a wedding on a 6 month visa but overstayed. She was rude to me, called me lazy so I took revenge. Rang the cop shop. Cops and immigration went at 6am and took them to a detention centre then flown back home.

Edited

Bloody hell. Nice username too

pomers · 22/04/2026 18:59

MerelyPlaying · 20/04/2026 18:24

Went back to my home (still paying the mortgage) after separation from my husband to collect some stuff and found the OW had moved some things in and was clearly staying there if not actually living there.

i used their toothbrushes to clean the toilet. And then I diluted some of her shampoo and shower gel bottles with a little bit of piss. Actually I’m not sure it was a bad thing - it made me feel much better.

I had similar. I took half of the rubbish out if the bin, dumped her stuff in plus the expensive food they had bought to cook that evening, put the other half of the rubbish on top

moodybluehpc · 22/04/2026 18:57

Twice?? Think you have the wrong person

TheIceBear · 22/04/2026 18:55

CarbootJunction · 22/04/2026 11:16

I had a short affair with a married colleague. Him and his wife were going through the stress of IVF, and he was easy pickings for a single, flirtatious girl. No-one ever found out. They went on to have children, and are still happily married 27 years later. I still think about the hurt we'd have caused her if she had known about it.

For some reason I find the fact that you have said “easy pickings” really gross . You sound like someone who craves a lot of validation.

moodybluehpc · 22/04/2026 18:54

Allseeingallknowing · 22/04/2026 18:25

So bad you did it twice?

Show quote history

Twice?? Think you have the wrong perdon

NmeChangr · 22/04/2026 18:52

Shagged my boss (I was very young and single, he was not)

Almost got into a threesome (more of a fumble) with a male and female friend. Female friend is very much still around and we just drew a line under it. We both have partners, and we all get on well.

CatInACatnipComa · 22/04/2026 18:52

I accidentally trod on my hamster ( didn’t see it had escaped from the enclosure while I was cleaning it out) and it died.
i feel awful about this still. I know I don’t have it in me to do a murder.

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